Improvements in Pliers, Nippers, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 26th Nov.. 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pliers, Nippers, and the like.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the
General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me by Messieurs Wirth & Co., of Frankfort-on-the-Main, in the Empire of
Germany, acting as Agents for Spohr and Krämer of Frankfort-on-the-Main
aforesaid) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in pincers, pliers, nippers and the like
and consists in making the two legs of such tools in one piece with the jaws thereof,
such jaws being kept parallel in every position by means of a special cross joint
applied to the legs. In all forms of parallel pincers at present in existence the
parallel motion of the jaws is effected by the legs of the pincers, by the method of
making the legs of shaped metal or of curved plate and superposing the one upon
the other as in scissors, the specially constructed jaws being then guided parallel
by rods or slots.
It
This method of construction has however several disadvantages. In the first
place the parallel motion is confined to the jaws and the legs do not share in it.
follows also from the construction of the pincers that their grasp is confined to very
narrow limits, since the legs of the pincers must execute a movement of considerable
extent relatively to the grasp of the jaws. For the same reason moreover, the
expenditure of force required in using the pincers of the present form is relatively
very much greater, for since the legs have to open very widely the proportionate
power of the lever on the other side of the fulcrum is much restricted. A further
disadvantage lies in the fact that in pincers of the present form the jaws execute a
forward movement as they are being closed. This disadvantage makes itself
especially felt in minute work, such as that of makers of delicate machinery and
watchmakers, so that no little practice is required in working with pincers. of the
present form. All the objections above referred to are obviated by the present
invention, in which the two legs of the pincers and their jaws consist of two parts
so connected with one another by a cross joint that the grasp of the jaws is equal
to that of the legs. The amount of leverage is thus altogether in the hands of the
maker, since it can be made as great as desired according to the purpose for which
the pincers are intended. Herein lies a very special advantage of the new form of
pincers since they can be constructed as wire pliers, as well as for gripping or
seizing, whilst the old form of pincers could only be used for wire since as has
already been mentioned the amount of leverage and therefore the force which
could be exercised by means of the pincers was confined within narrow limits.
On the other hand the new pincers can easily be made so strong that they will
even serve to cut fairly thick rods of iron or other metal (rivets, screws, etc.). The
new pincers may also be used with the same advantages as shears for cutting sheet
metal, for which purpose only a very simple alteration in the form of the jaws is
required.
Moreover, in the new pincers the objectionable shifting of the parts of the jaws
relative to each other is obviated, since the legs of the pincers, and also the jaws
are firinly connected together and only move towards or away from each other in
the direction of the pressure exercised upon them.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 is a plan of a pair of pliers constructed according to our invention and
shewing the pliers in the open position.

page_text: Figure 2 is a similar view shewing the pliers in the closed position; and,
Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2 but with the cross links removed.
A, B are the two legs and C, C and D, D' are cross joints connected on both
sides to the legs A, B. Each of these cross joints consists of two links C and C¹,
and D and D respectively. These links overlie each other at about their middle
point and are jointed together by a pin E in such a way that each of the cross
The ends of one of each of
joints forms two pairs of legs of about cqual length.
these two pairs of legs are connected by pins F on which they turn with the two
legs A, B of the pliers. The ends of the other pair of legs of the cross joints C, C¹
and D, D are guided by pins G working in slots H of the legs A, B of the pliers.
When the pliers are opened or closed, the pins G move along the slots H of the
legs A, B of the pliers.
In the method of construction now being referred to the new pincers are formed
to act as wire pliers, they can, however, without departing from the principle of
the invention, be constructed to act as pulling, grasping, or pinching instruments.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. In parallel pincers, pliers, nippers and the like the combination with legs
such as A, B made in one solid piece with the jaws, of cross links such as C, C¹
and D, D applied on both sides of the legs, and adapted to move parallel to
each other, the ends of such links being connected to the legs A, B of the
pincers on one side of the joint by pins Fon which they turn, and on the other
side by pins G which work in slots H in the legs, so that the cross links can
both rotate and slide substantially as herein before described.
2. The improvements in pincers, pliers, uippers and the like hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 19th day of October 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.