Improvements in Wrenches.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1896.
Complete Specification Left, 27th May, 1897-Accepted, 3rd July, 1897.
Improvements in Wrenches.
I, WALTER COLGATE STOKES (Banker) of 66, Broadway, New York City, County
and State of New York, United States of America; do hereby declare the nature
of this Invention to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to provide a wrench adapted to take nuts of
different sizes and of different shapes. A further object of the Invention is to
combine a screw driver with the wrench and to provide for a speedy and easy
adjustment of the movable jaw to and from the fixed jaw, and further to provide
the two jaws with recesses each recess being adapted to receive a portion of two
sides of a hexagonal or polygonal nut. Another object of the Invention is to provide
a centrally located adjustment for the movable jaw which will not detract from the
strength of the body of the wrench to any appreciable extent.
In carrying out the Invention, the shank or body of the wrench is made ovate in
cross section. and is provided with a substantially centrally located longitudinal
opening the lower portion whereof is enlarged in width and at each side of the
reduced portion of the aforesaid slot threads are produced. At the upper end of
the body of the shank a jaw is formed having a flat under face which may be
roughened if desired and in the aforesaid flat under face at a point near the body
an angular recess is produced, preferably of a triangular form. A sleeve is mounted
to slide on the body or shank provided at its upper forward end with a jaw whose
upper surface is provided with a flat surface opposing the corresponding surface of
the fixed jaw and the sliding jaw is further provided with an angular recess
opposing and corresponding in formation to the recess in the fixed jaw.
An ordinary or square nut is to be received between the flat surfaces of the two
jaws while a hexagonal or a polygonal nut is received in the recessed portions of
the jaws whereby a portion of two sides of such a nut will be engaged by both the
upper and the lower jaw. A slot is made at or about the central portion of the
sleeve and the said sleeve is fitted somewhat snugly to the body. An adjusting
nut is employed for raising and lowering the movable jaw and this adjusting nut
is provided with an exterior thread adapted to enter the side threads in the slot.
The adjusting nut is placed in position by bringing the sleeve downward so that
its opening will be in registry with the larger end portion of the slot, the nut is then
placed in these registering openings, a portion of the nut extending beyond each
side of the wrench and by moving the nut upward and turning it at the same time
its thread will be brought in engagement with the threads at the sides of the slot,
enabling a person by manipulating the exposed surface of the nut to readily move
the sleeve upward or downward as desired. It will therefore be observed that the
wrench may be readily dismantled and that each and every part may be duplicated
should it become broken.
The threads in the walls of the longitudinal slot or opening are concaved, thus
serving to hold the adjusting nut from dropping out of position. In some instances
it may be found desirable to make the threads at the opening straight, in which
event a pin will be passed loosely through the adjusting nut and secured at the top
and bottom of the opening. One or more rectangular openings are made in the

page_text: lower or handle portion of the body and these openings may be used to receive a
nut which could not be conveniently reached and operated by the jaws, and the
handle end of the shank or body terminates in a screw driver. All the parts are
preferably made of steel.
By giving the body an ovate cross-sectional shape and the sleeve a corresponding
formation, a maximum of strength is provided without rendering (the tool
excessively heavy or cumbersome to handle.
Dated this 24th day of November 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improvements in Wrenches.
I, WALTER COLGATE STOKES, of 66 Broadway, New York City in the County and
State of New York, United States of America, Banker do hereby declare the nature
of my 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 simple and durable, light and
economic wrench, adapted to take nuts of different sizes and of different shapes.
A further object of the invention is to combine a screw driver with the wrench, and
to provide for a speedy and easy adjustment of the movable jaw to and from the
fixed jaw, and further to provide the two jaws with recesses, each recess being
adapted to receive a portion of two sides of a hexagonal or polygonal nut.
Another
object of the invention is to provide a centrally located adjustment for the movable
jaw, which will not detract from the strength of the body of the wrench to any
appreciable extent.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved wrench, a portion of the movable jaw
being in section;
Figure 2 is a front edge view of the wrench; and
Figure 3 is a transverse section taken through the movable jaw and through the
body portion of the wrench.
In carrying out the invention the shank or body A of the wrench is made ovate
in cross section, as shown in Figure 3, and is provided with a substantially centrally
located longitudinal opening 10, the lower portion 11 whereof is enlarged in width,
and at each side of the reduced portion of the aforesaid slot threads 12 are produced.
At the upper end of the body of the shank A a jaw 13 is formed, having a flat under
face 14, which may be roughened if desired, and in the aforesaid flat under face,
at a point near the body, an angular recess 15 is produced, the said recess being
preferably of a triangular form.
A. sleeve 16 is mounted to slide on the body or shank A, and the said sleeve at its
upper forward end is provided with a jaw 17, and the upper surface of this jaw is
provided with a flat surface 18 opposing the corresponding surface 14 of the fixed
jaw, and the sliding jaw is further provided with an angular recess 19, opposing
and corresponding in formation to the recess 15 in the fixed jaw.
An ordinary or square nut is to be received between the flat surfaces of the two
jaws, while a hexagonal or a polygonal nut is received in the recessed portions 15

page_text: and 19 of the jaws, whereby a portion of two sides of such a nut will be engaged by,
both the upper and the lower jaw. A slot 20 is made at or about the central portion
of the sleeve 16, which latter is fitted somewhat snugly to the body A. An
adjusting nut B is employed for raising and lowering the movable jaw, which nut
is provided with an exterior thread 'adapted to enter the side threads 12 in the slot 10.
The adjusting nut is placed in position by bringing the sleeve 16 downward,
so that its opening 20 will be in registry with the larger end portion 11 of the
slot 10; the nut is then placed in these registering openings, a portion of the nut
extending beyond each side of the wrench, and by moving the nut upward and
turning it at the same time, its tread will be brought in engagement with the
threads at the sides of the slot 10, enabling a person by manipulating the exposed
surface of the nut, to readily move the sleeve 16 upward or downward as desired.
It will be observed that the wrench may be readily dismantled, and that each and
every part may be duplicated should it become broken.
The threads in the walls of the longitudinal slot or opening 10 are concaved,
thus serving to hold the adjusting nut from dropping out of position. In some
instances it may be found desirable to make the threads at the opening 10 straight,
in which event a pin will be passed loosely through the adjusting nut and secured
at the top and bottom of the opening.
One or more rectangular openings 21 are made in the lower or handle portion of
the body, which openings may be used to receive a nut which could not be con-
veniently reached and operated by the jaws, and the handle end of the shank or
body A terminates in a screw driver 22. All the parts are preferably made of
steel.
By giving the body the ovate cross sectional shape shown, and the sleeve a
corresponding formation, a maximum of strength is provided without rendering
the tool excessively heavy or cumbersome to handle.
Having thus 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,
"
1. A wrench constructed substantially as shown and described.
2. A wrench provided with a fixed and a movable jaw, the said jaws having
angular registering recesses in their opposing faces, as and for the purpose
specified.
3. A wrench the body portion of which is reduced to form a screw driver, as and
for the purpose set forth.
4. A wrench the body or shank whereof is provided with a screw driver at its
handle end, and with openings having a contour enabling them to receive a nut,
as and for the purpose set forth.
5. A wrench, the shank or body of which is provided with a longitudinal slot
having threads formed in its side walls, a sleeve carrying a jaw, having sliding
movement on the body or shank, and an adjusting nut held to turn in the sleeve,
being exposed at the outer sides thereof, which adjusting nut is entered in the slot
of the body and its screw portion engaged with the screw threads at the sides of
the said opening, as and for the purpose set forth.
6. A wrench, the shank or body of which is provided with a slot or opening
having threads formed along its longitudinal wall, which threads have their
contact faces concaved, a sliding sleeve, carrying a jaw and provided with an
opening arranged to register with that in the shank, and an adjusting nut held
in the opening in the sleeve and adapted to engage with the threads at the opening
in the shank, substantially, as shown and described.
7. In a wrench, the combination, with a body having a fixed jaw, the said body,
being provided with a longitudinal slot, enlarged at one end and provided at its
reduced portion with threads in its side walls, of a sleeve held to slide on the body
and provided with a jaw, the said sleeve having an opening extending through

page_text: from side to side, corresponding in size to the enlargement of the slot in the body,
and an adjusting nut held to turn in the opening in the said sleeve, its threads
being in engagement. with the threaded walls of the body slot, the adjusting nut
being of such size as to extend outward beyond the sides of the said sleeve, as and
for the purpose set forth.
8. In a wrench, the combination, with a body or shank having a jaw formed at
one end, which jaw is provided with an angular recess and with a straight surface
adjacent to the recess, the opposite end of the body terminating in a screw driver,
the said body being further provided with a longitudinal slot, enlarged at one end
and provided with threads in its side walls, of a sleeve held to slide on the body,
being provided with a jaw having the face opposed to the fixed jaw provided with
an angular and a straight surface, the said sleeve being further provided with a
slot extending through from side to side, and an adjusting nut carried by
the sleeve and engaging with the threaded walls of the body slot, as and for the
purpose set forth."
9. In a wrench, the combination, with a body provided with a fixed jaw, the
said body being ovate.in cross section and provided with a longitudinal slot having
threaded side walls, of a sleeve fitted to the said body and having sliding movement
thereon, the said sleeve being provided with a jaw, and an adjusting nut which
turns in the said sleeve and engages with the, threads in the side walls of the body
opening, as and for the purpose specified.
10. A wrench, the shank of which is provided with a longitudinal slot having
a mutilated screw thread formed on its side walls, a sleeve carrying a jaw adapted
to slide on the shank, and an adjusting nut engaged at both ends by the sleeve, the
and an adjusting nut held to turn in the opening in the said sleeve, its threads
and its insertion and removal being effected from one end of the threads through
an enlargement in the slot, substantially as described.
Dated this zotr
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.