Improvements in Parallel Pliers.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Parallel Pliers.
I, JOSHUA PUSEX, of 905, Walnut Street, in the City and County of Philadel-
phia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Attorney-at-Law, 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 this invention is to provide parallel-jaw pliers, that shall be
capable of being readily and cheaply made, strong, efficient, durable, and com-
posed of a minimum of parts.
The invention consists of the combination of two jaws similar to those of
ordinary pliers, a connecting guide stem fixed to one of the jaws, a handle fixedly
connected to one of the jaws, a handle pivotally connected to the other jaw and
provided with parts or projections, that are adapted to impinge and slide against
the non-pivoted jaw; the construction, combination and operation being such,
as hereinafter described, that when the handles are moved outwardly from each
other the jaws will be caused to move away from each other; and, conversely,
when the handles are moved towards each other the said jaws will be caused to
approach each other, always however, maintaining their parallel relation.
The invention consists further in certain details of construction, and also in
the combination with the parts or elements herein before mentioned of means for
maintaining the jaws fixedly at any desired distance apart, within the scope of
their movement, whereby the implement is adapted to be used as a hand-vise as
well as pliers.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1, is a side elevation, of my pliers, the jaws being closed;
Figure 2, a similar elevation, the jaws being open to their full extent, part of
the handle being broken off;
Figure 3, a vertical section on line x-x, Figure 1, looking towards the front;
Figure 4, a horizontal section on line y-y, Figure 1;
Figure 5, a side elevation of a modified form of the invention, the jaws being
open and a part of the pivoted handle broken off;
Figure 6, a vertical section on line z-z, Figure 5, looking towards the rear.
Referring first to Figures 1 to 4, both inclusive, which represent the complete
invention in its preferred form:-1 and 2 are the jaws, of usual form. The
jaw, 1, which is the sliding jaw, is provided with a bifurcated stem, 3, that em-
braces the jaw, 2, hereinafter termed the pivoted jaw; this latter jaw being cut away
on each side, as shown, to receive the bifurcations of the stem, so as to form a
guide-way for the latter.
A handle, 4, of any suitable shape, such for example, as that shown in the
drawings, is connected to or is, as in the present instance, an integral extension
of, the rear part of jaw, 1; and 5 is a similar handle, but bifurcated at its front
end, to which the rear or inner end of jaw, 2, is pivoted on a pin or rivet, 6, that
passes through the bifurcations, 5%, of the handle and through said jaw, 2.

page_text: In the head of the sliding jaw, 1, is an inclined slot, 7, through which passes
a pin or rivet, 8, that is connected to the bifurcations, 5", which latter, as shown,
project forward beyond the pivot pin, 6.
When the jaws are closed, as in Figure. 1, the pin, 8, is at the forward end of
the said slot.
The operation is as follows:-When the handles are separated, or one moved
away from the other, the handle, 5, of the jaw, 2, as the case may be, turns on
pivot, 6, and, consequently, pin, 8, travels back in slot 7. This obviously causes
the jaw, 1, to slide away from its fellow, or the latter to slide away from jaw, 1;
the working faces of the jaws, as hereinbefore stated, remaining parallel with each
other, as shown in Figure 2.
When the handles are brought towards each other, the jaws will be caused to
firmly and squarely grip an article, say a piece of wire, 9, (Figure 2) placed be-
tween them.
As it is sometimes desirable to hold the jaws positively in position when the
article is gripped between the same, without the necessity of maintaining hand
pressure upon the handles-in other words, to use the implement as a hand-vise-
I make an elongated slot, 10, in one of the bifurcations of the stem, and provided
a screw-threaded hole, 11, in the side of the jaw, 2, for the reception of a screw, 12,
that passes through the said slot, and has a milled head, 13, on its end. By turn-
ing the screw so that the head, or an interposed washer, will be brought against the
bifurcation, the latter, and, consequently, the jaws will be held fixed in the desired
position, but may, of course, be readily released by unscrewing the said screw.
Various other devices may be used for this purpose, but I believe the foregoing
to be the simplest and most desirable.
A cutting device may also be readily connected to the pliers, such, for.example,
as that shown in Figures 1 and 2, which consists of a knife or blade 14, that
is secured to and projects forward from, the free end of one of the bifurcations
of the pivoted handle, 5, in conjunction with a suitably located slot, or recess, .15,
in the upper side of the jaw, 1, for receiving a piece of wire or the like.
The form, or modification, of my invention illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, differs
from that of the previously described form only in that the stem, 3, is not bifur-
cated, but is attached to, about midway of, the pivoted jaw, 2, and passes through
a slot or mortise, 16, in the jaw, 1; which latter jaw.is adapted to slide on the
stem, and is provided with slots, or grooves, 7, (one on each side) into which,
respectively, enters a pin or stud, 8, that is secured to the bifurcation of the pivoted
.handle.
An advantage, however, of the first described form of the invention,(with the
bifurcated stem) is that a wide, free passage-way is afforded for the wire, 9, 1or the
like, when placed longitudinally between the jaws, as seen in Figure 2.
There is also an advantage in attaching the stem to the jaw, whether the
stem be bifurcated or not-in that a through slot.may be used, and thus the parts
may be held together simply by two screws or pins, 6 and 8, the former passing
through the said slot, and the latter through the jaw, 2.
The slot or slots, 7, might be parallel with the working face of the jaw, 1. I
have, however, made the same inclined, as shown, in order to secure a greater
throw or movement of the jaw from a slot of given length and by a given throw
of the handles than would be attained if the slot were parallel with the jaw.
My invention may be made in a number of special forms, but these will always
embody the combination of the pivoted and the sliding jaw connected by a guide-
stem, and the two handles; the one to which the jaw is pivoted having parts in
sliding cam-like engagement with the sliding jaw, whereby by the to and fro
movement of one or both of the handlos with relation to each other, the jaws will
approach or separate from each other, as described.
I remark that, if desired, the jaws may be maintained normally apart by means
of a suitable spring, as, for instance, the bent flat spring, 17, shown in Figure 5,

page_text: one end of which is secured to the rear or inner end of the jaw, 2, and its other end
bears and rides against the under side of the handle, 4, of jaw, 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. In parallel pliers the combination of the two jaws, the connecting guide-
stem, the two handles, one of which is fixed to one jaw, and the other is pivoted to the
other jaw, and has an extension forward of the pivot, which extension carries
a projection adapted to bear and slide against a surface of the non-pivoted jaw,
whereby when the handles are brought towards each other, the jaws will be caused
to approach each other; together with means for causing said jaws to separate
when the handles are moved away from each other, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
2. The improvement in parallel pliers, consisting of the combination of the two
jaws, the guide-stem fixed to one of said jaws, the two handles, one of which is
connected to one of said jaws, and the other is pivoted to the other jaw; together
with the slot, or slots, in the non-pivoted jaw, and the pin, or pins, secured to the
last-mentioned handle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The improvement in parallel pliers, consisting of the combination of the
jaw, 2, the bifurcated handle, pivoted thereto, the jaw, 1, having the slot therein,
the bifurcated stem connected to said jaw and adapted to slide in guide-ways in
the sides of jaw, 2, together with the rivet pin, or the like, secured to the bifurca-
tions of said pivoted handle, and passing through said slot, substantially as and for
purpose set forth.
4. The improvement in parallel pliers, consisting of the two jaws, the guide-
stem fixed to one of said jaws, the two handles, one of which is connected to one
of said jaws, and the other is pivoted to the other jaw and has parts or projections
in sliding cam-like engagement with the non-pivoted jaw; together with means,
substantially as described for locking the jaws in any position in which they may
be adjusted and releasing the same when desired, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this Fourth day of January AD 1808
JOSHUA PUSEY,
Wm. P. Thompson & Co.,
Agents.