Year: 1888

page_text: I HENRY BORNSTEIN, of Boston in the County of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts,
one of the United States of America, Mechanic, 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:-
My invention relates to that class of wrenches which are known to the trade as
monkey wrenches; and it consists in the novel features, hereinafter fully set forth
and claimed, the object being to produce a more effective and otherwise desirable
implement of this character than is now in ordinary use.
The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily, understood by all
conversant with such matters from the following description reference being had to the
accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wrench.
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line xx, of Figure 1, the bar
being shown in side elevation; and
Figure 3 a view showing the jaws when so constructed as to adapt the wrench for
use as a pipe-wrench, the body and bar being represented as broken off on the line vo
Figure 1.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
In the drawings A represents the handle, B the body, C the fixed jaw, and D the
movable jaw.
The movable jaw is mounted on the outer end of a bar F, which is rectangular in
cross-section, and passes through a corresponding mortise in the jaw C, its inner end
being reduced in width and provided on the sides with right-hand screw-threads, as
shown at i.
The fixed jaw C is provided with two rearwardly extending arms H, arranged in
parallelism with each other, and carrying at their outer end the cross-head J, the said
jaw, arms, and cross-head being preferably cast integral, or in one piece, and the arms
and cross-head constituting the body B. They may, however be made in separate
pieces, if preferred, and properly united. One of the arms may also be omitted, if
desired; or the spaces between the arms may be so closed as to cover the bar F, when
deemed necessary.

page_text: Inserted in the inner end of the handle A there is a large rod K having a shoulder m
which abuts against the end of the said handle.
This rod is provided exteriorly with a left-hand screw-thread V, and is bored longi-
tudinally from its inner end and provided interiorly with a right-hand screw-thread
for receiving the screw-threads on the bar F.
The cross-head J, is also bored transversely and provided interiorly with a left-hand
screw-thread for receiving the screw-thread on the exterior of the rod K, the said rod
forming a nut for the bar F, and the cross-head J, a nut for the rod K.
Mounted on the rod K, between the cross-head J, and inner end of the handle A,
there is a check-nut L for securing the said cross-head in any desired position on the
said rod, thereby enabling the movable jaw D, to be set and firmly retained in any
desired position with respect to the fixed jaw C, or preventing the handle A, from
being accidentally turned and thereby opening or closing the jaws when once adjusted
in any special position with respect to each other.
The rod K, is driven tightly into the handle A, but is additionally secured therein
by means of a smaller rod N, which is secured to the inner end of the rod K, and
extends through the said handle, being provided at its outer end with a nut x.
A pin t, is inserted in the bar F, which serves as a stop to prevent the said bar
from being entirely withdrawn from the fixed jaw C. By turning the handle A, until
the said pin strikes the side of the jaw C, atr; and then turning the nut L, against the
cross-bar J the movable jaw will be held very firmly in position. Several holes are
made in the bar F for receiving the said pin, thereby enabling the jaw D, to be secured
in any desired position by means the pin and nut as described.
In the use of the improved wrench the jaws C D, being in the position shown in
- Figure 1, if the handle A, is turned to the right, the rod K, will be withdrawn from
or turned out of the cross-head J while at the same time the said rod will be turned
onto the bar F, thereby causing the jaw D, to approach the jaw C, with approximately
twice the rapidity it would travel if but one screw were used, or if the inner end of
the handle K, were adapted to revolve in but not to pass back and forth through the
cross-head J.
As before stated, the check-nut L enables the jaws CD, to be set in any desired
position with respect to each other without danger of being accidentally displaced, when
so set, this feature of the invention being of special value when the wrench is to be
used for a long period on one kind of work, as, for instance, in turning on or off
successively a large number of nuts of the same size, but one adjustment of the wrench
being required for all.
It will be obvious that when the handle is turned to the left the jaws CD, will be
opened, and vice versa.
When the wrench is desired for gas or water fitters' use especially, the jaws are
curved and serrated as shown in Figure 3, the other parts being made as shown in
Figures 1 and 2 thereby enabling the pipe M to be grasped and turned in a manner
that will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters without a more
explicit description.
I do not confine myself to providing the rod K, with a left-hand screw-thread and
the bar F with a right-hand screw-thread as this order may be reversed without
departing materially from the spirit of my invention.
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 :-
First. In a wrench of the character described, the combination of the following
instrumentalities, to wit: a fixed jaw: a movable jaw; a handle, a body, and a
check-nut, the said jaws being adapted to be opened or closed, as the case may
be, by turning the handle, and the jaws to be set in any desired position by means of
the check-nut, substantially as set forth.
Second. In a wrench of the character described, a body, a fixed jaw secured to
said body, a movable jaw, a handle, a rod secured in said handle, and a check-nut

page_text: mounted on said rod, the movable jaw being provided with an inwardly extending bar
adapted to slide in a mortise in the fixed jaw, said bar having a right-hand screw-
thread adapted to work in a correspondingly threaded hole in said rod, and said rod
provided with a left-hand screw-thread adapted to work in a correspondingly threaded
hole in said body, whereby when said handle is turned to the right or left, the jaws
will be closed or opened, as the case may be, with greater rapidity than when one
screw is employed, and the jaws may be adjusted and set in any desired position
substantially as described.
Third. In a wrench of the character described, the body B, provided at one end with
the interiorly screw-threaded cross-head, J, and at the other with the fixed jaw, C; the
movable jaw D, having the rearwardly projecting bar, F, provided with an exterior
right-hand screw-thread and fitted to work in a mortise in the head C; the handle, A,
provided with the rod, K, having a left-hand screw-thread on its exterior and a
longitudinally arranged screw-threaded hole adapted to receive the screw-threaded
bar, F; and the check-nut, L, mounted on the rod, K, all being constructed, combined
and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The bar, F, provided with the pin, t, jaw, D, and screw-thread, i; the
body, B, provided with the jaw, C, and interiorly screw-threaded cross-head, J; the
handle, A, provided with the exteriorly and interiorly screw-threaded rod, K, and
the nut, L, mounted on said rod, all combined and arranged to operate substantially
as described.