Improvements in Pipe Wrenches.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1896-Accepted, 27th June, 1896
[Communicated from abroad by THE KLOSE WRENCH COMPANY, of New York
Life Building, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A.]
Improvements in Pipe Wrenches.
I WILLIAM HUMPHREY WHEATLEY of the Firm of Wheatley and Mackenzie,
Engineers and Patent Agents, of 40 Chancery Lane, in the County of London,
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 :-
This invention relates to pipe wrenches and consists generally in various con-
structions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed
out in the claims.
Reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1, is a plan view of the improved wrench.
Fig. 2, is a view of the lower edge thereof.
Fig. 3, is a longitudinal section of the wrench frame and of the movable jaw.
Fig. 4, is a section on line x, x, of Fig. 3.
In the drawings :
2, represents the yoke-shaped wrench frame which is provided at either end
with depending lugs 3, and 4, and has the part connecting said lugs provided
with a longitudinal slot.
The outer lug 3, is provided with a beveled inner face having a recess 5, to
receive a lug or projection on the back of the block 6, which forms the jaw of the
wrench stationary in operation and is provided with a series of transverse corru-
gations 7, forming teeth to engage the surface of the pipe. The lug 3, is provided
with an opening extending through the same which registers with a similar opening
in the lug or projection on the back of the block 6, whereby the same is held
securely in position by means of a pin 8, which passes through the opening in the
lug 3, and the stud on the back of the block.
The opposite lug 4, is slotted forming a fork to receive the shank 9, which is
adapted to slide therein, and is provided at its outer end with an integral portion 10,
which forms the second or fixed jaw of the wrench. This portion 10, has a
recess in its inner face to receive the projection 12, on the back of block 13, which
is also provided with transverse corrugations. This block is secured to the
portion 10, by a pin passing through the portion and the projection 12, in the
manner heretofore described.
The portion 10, is also provided with a lug 14, which extends up into
the longitudinal slot in the frame 2, and is provided upon either side with pins 15,
adapted to slide upon flanges 16, provided upon either side of the longitudinal
slot heretofore referred to.
Near the end of the lug 4, is pivoted the block 17, by means of the bolt 18,
which extends through the lug 4, and through an opening provided in the block.
The lower edge of the shank 9, is provided with a long recess dovetailed at the
ends to receive the beveled ends of a rack bar 19, having a series of teeth 20,
formed by transverse corrugations on the outer face thereof in position to engage
the corrugations or teeth on the inner face of pivoted block 17.
Above the shank 9, and secured to the frame within the longitudinal slot is the
flat spring 21, baving one end secured to the frame above the stationary jaw, and

page_text: its opposite or free end arranged to bear upon the upper edge of the shank 9,
thereby normally holding the teeth of the rack bar in engagement with the teeth
of the pivoted block.
At the opposite end of the frame near the end of the spring 21, is arranged a
cam 22, mounted upon a shaft 23, which is supported in bearings in the opposite
sides of the frame. The shaft 23, extends beyond the surface of the frame on
one side and is provided with a disk 24, having a spring catch 25, which is
adapted to engage a recess in the frame and hold the cam in a locked position."
The end of the frame is also provided with an opening 26, to receive a set screw 27,
which is adapted to enter a groove provided on one side of the cam 22, and hold
the same securely in position.
The operation is as follows:
The shank and the movable jaw being moved along in the frame to the desired
position, the cam is turned down so as to bear upon the face of the spring and the
upper edge of the shank as shown in Figure 3; this operation throws the rack bar
on the shank into engagement with the teeth of the pivoted block and locks the
shank against further movement in either direction until the cam is turned to its
former position.
The pivoted block permits a slight movement of the shank after it is locked to
enable the operator to grasp the pipe more firmly, but any longitudinal movement
is prevented until the teeth of the rack bar are disengaged from the teeth of the
pivoted block. As soon as the cam is turned back to its normal position, the
shank may be readily moved back and forth, and set at any desired position.
By providing the removable blocks for the stationary and movable heads I can
easily mend broken teeth, and substitute new blocks whenever they are needed.
The wrench may be made very cheap as an inferior quality of steel may be used
except for the removable blocks which form the face of 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:
1. The combination in a pipe wrench, of the frame, the jaw carried thereby, the
shank arranged to slide within said frame and provided with a series of teeth, the
fixed jaw on the outer end of said shank, said frame being provided with a pivoted
block having a series of teeth to engage the teeth upon said shank, a spring
carried by said frame for normally holding the teeth of said shank in engagement
with the teeth of said block, and means for locking said shank in any desired
position on said block, substantially as described.
2. The combination in a pipe wrench, of the frame, the jaw carried thereby, the
shank arranged to slide within said head, and provided with a series of teeth, the
fixed jaw on the outer end of said shank, said frame being provided with a pivoted
block having teeth to engage the teeth upon said shank, and a spring carried by
said frame and arranged to bear upon the edge of said shank for normally holding
the teeth of the same in engagement with the teeth of said block, substantially as
specified.
3. The combination in a pipe wrench, of the yoke shaped frame, the removable
block carried at one end thereof and forming the jaw, the shank arranged to slide
on bearings within said frame, and provided at its inner end with a removable
block forming the second jaw, the rack bar arranged on the edge of said shank,
the pivoted block carried by said frame and provided with a series of teeth to
engage the teeth of said bar, a spring for normally holding said shank in
engagement with said block, and a cam mechanism for locking said shank when
in engagement with said pivoted block, substantially as described.
4. The combination in a pipe wrench, of the yoke shaped frame, comprising the
opposite depending lugs and the bar connecting the same, one of said lugs forming
the jaw, the shank arranged to slide in bearings provided in a longitudinal slot
in said bar and bearing the second jaw upon its inner end, said shank being arranged

page_text: also to slide in the opposite lug of said frame, a pivoted block supported by said
lug and having a series of teeth to engage a similar series provided on said shank,
and means for locking said shank into engagement with said block, substantially as
described.
Dated this 19th day of May 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.