Improvements in Shifting Spanners.
Year: 1897

page_text: FRANK MITCHELL, Sun Mount, Tatsfield, Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a spanner more efficient light &
simple of action.
In constructing the spanner according to my invention I form it of two main
parts or arms each carrying at one end a jaw or half of an ordinary spanner head
just below this jaw I place or form teeth in a line about right angles with the
centre line of the arms so that when the arms are laid one over or against the
other with the jaws in position for gripping a nut, the teeth on one arm shall
interlock with corresponding teeth on the other arm, and so hold the jaws at any
given distance apart.
The other ends of the arms, forming the handle, are hinged together or held in
position by hand.
I sometimes employ a lever or bolt to prevent the said teeth being forced out of
position.
Dated this Tighth day of July 1897
FRANK MITCHELL.
Improvements in Shifting Spanners.
FRANK MITCHELL, Sun Mount, Tatsfield, Surrey, near Westerham, Kent,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:
The object of my invention is to provide a shifting or adjustable spanner or
wrench more efficient light & simple of action than those in use, & capable of
exerting a firm grip on bolt heads, nuts, screws and the like.
In constructing a spanner according to my invention I form it of two main
parts or arms (each part may be formed of one or more pieces) each carrying at
place or
one end a jaw or half an ordinary spanner head, just below the jaws
form teeth in a line about right angles with the centre line of the arms so that.
when the arms are laid one over or against the other with the jaws in a position
for gripping a nut the teeth on one arm shall interlock with corresponding teeth
on the other arm and so hold the jaws at any given distance apart. The other end
of. the arms form the handle & are hinged or pivoted together in any suitable
manner by means of a rivet bolt stud or screw or simply held together by the hand

page_text: 1
or by a projection from one arm passing into a hole in the other arm and there form-
ing a fulcrum for the movement of the two arms in order to open or close the jaws.
The said pivot can be fitted loosely to enable the operator to lift the one arm
(at the jaws) away from the other arm sufficiently to disengage the said teeth and
then shift the arms to a different, position for gripping a larger or smaller nut &c.,
I sometimes employ a lever, bolt, or set screw for clamping the arms together.
It will be obvious that the proper action of this spanner solely depends upon
the resisting power of the teeth. placed near the jaws, and not by any automatic
locking, or jamming action between the arms. The said teeth are cut out on the
inside faces of the arms, the cut being taken in lines radiating from the point
of fulcration of the arms (that is at the pivot) or at a suitable tangent or angle
thereto, or as a modification I may cut the teeth. in a direction perpendicular to
the face of the spanner, in which case the points of the teeth form an arc from the
pivot. The said arcvon one arm being along the edge of a projection which
properly fits a corresponding projection on (or the edge of) the other arm.
both cases I have the teeth as close as possible under the jaws.
In
Of course it will be understood that the teeth may be, cast or stamped.. I some-
times provide a screw driver at the pivoted end of the spanner by a projection
from the end of one of the arms.
0
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'..
In order to more fully explain my invention I shall refer to the sheet of draw-
ings accompanying this specification and to the figures and letters thereon;
similar letters in all the figures represent similar parts."."
Fig. 1 is an elevation of one of my spanners showing the jaws closed to take a
small sized nut.
i
Figures 2 and 3 are face and edge views of the same spanners showing the jaws
open to take a larger nut and showing more fully the details of its construction.i
A and B are the two arms or parts of the spanner or wrench, the part A carrying
one jaw A and the part B carrying the other jaw B C is a pivot or hinge,
I is a slot in the arm A to allow of adjusting the jaws without removing the locking
screw as bolt H. It will be obvious that in order to shift the jaws the screw or
bolt H must be slackened then A lifted away from B until the teeth (G1 (one the
arm A) are clear of the teeth F (on the arm 13). Figs 2 as shown in Figs. 2 and 5
then after adjusting for size of nut etc., H can be again screwed home. J and K
Figure 2 show the overhang or full thickness part of the jaws A¹ and B¹.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 show a modification of the spanner having teeth cut at about
right angles with the face and without the locking device H, Figure 4 being a
flat or side view, Fig. 6 an edge view, Figure 5 showing the method of disengaging
'the teeth D from the teeth E when about to alter the opening between the jaws.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
5
"
PATH
1. A spanner formed of two main parts or arms connected or pivoted together
linkwise at or near one end of each carrying a jaw at the other end of each. The
two jaws being held together by means of teeth across, the face of one, arm engag-
ing similar teeth across the face of the other arm. The said teeth being on the
inside faces just below the jaws substantially as herein before described with
reference to the accompanying drawings, Figures 1, 2, & 3.
: 2. A spanner formed of two main parts or arms connected.or pivoted together
linkwise at or near one end of each carrying a jaw at the other end of each. The
two jaws being held together by means of teeth: across the inside face of one
arm engaging similar teeth across the inside face of the other arm just
below the jaws and having a locking screw stud or bolt passing through a slot in
one arm into the other arm in order to tighten the arms together and prevent.the
teeth from being forced out of position substantially as described in the foregoing
spécification with reference to the Figures 1, 2 & 3.+ -i
7..

page_text: 3. A spanner formed of two main parts or arms connected or pivoted together link-
wise at or near one end of each, the two jaws being held together by means of
teeth across the inside face of one arm engaging similar teeth across the inside face
of the other arm just below the jaws & having a locking screw, stud or bolt
passing through the two arms capable of bolting the arms together so as to prevent
the teeth being forced out of position, one arm having a slot for the said bolt.
The said teeth being cut on or in the face of the spanner arms on the inside and
each tooth having the same relative angle with or being in true line with a radius
from the centre of motion at the pivot (c) substantially as described in the fore-
going specification with reference to Figures 1, 2 & 3.
4. The modification of the above having the lines of teeth forming an arc struck
from the centre of the pivot (c) substantially as described in the foregoing specifi-
cation with reference to the Figures 4, 5 & 6.
5. The adjustable spanner or wrench arranged and constructed in accordance with
the foregoing specification and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings or any
mere equivalent thereof.