Improvements in Wrenches.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wrenches.
I, LOUIS SCHLESINGER of 125/137 Rees Street, Chicago in the County of Cook
and State of Illinois, United States of America, Manufacturer do bereby 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 that type of wrenches which comprise a stationary jaw
and a sliding jaw adjusted through the medium of a nut moving therewith and
engaging a screw threaded rod or stem forming a part of the wrench.
A wrench having parallel bars connected with the handle and the stationary
jaw, has heretofore been constructed; but the screw threaded bar is necessarily
journalled to the handle and to the stationary jaw to render such threaded bar
susceptible of axial rotation for adjusting the sliding jaw with which the threaded
bar is in threaded engagement. This construction is open to serious objections in
that the wrench is weakened and rendered unsuitable for the rough usage to which
this class of implements is subjected, as ordinary strains will bend the screw and
render the wrench useless while the journalled ends of the screw bar- require
accurate turning to secure perfect action, which materially increases the cost of the
manufacture. The journalled bearings of the screw bar also become filled with
oil, grit and dust, and consequently is soon difficult to turn the screw bar for
adjusting the sliding jaw.
A wrench having a smooth cylindrical bar and a fixed cylindrical screw rod
having a nut engaging the sliding jaw has also been heretofore constructed, but
the two bars are twisted together and then extended into a looped handle, and the
parts under considerable pressure are liable to stretch, thereby permitting the
wrench to bend, while on larger sizes the handle is not always convenient to
manipulate.
The object of my invention is to avoid the objection stated, and to provide a
strong, substantial and durable wrench of the character specified, which is efficient
in use and economical in construction, while the method of manufacture is materially
facilitated.
The invention also has for its object to provide a novel construction whereby
an ordinary grasping handle can be employed and a screw threaded rod made to
fulfil the conditions of an immovable brace for strengthening the entire structure.
The invention also has for its object to provide the wrench with a screw rod
which is immovable in use and engages the adjusting nut, but is so constructed as
to avoid marring the screw thread when the wrench is used.
To accomplish all these objects my invention consists in the features of con-
struction and the combination or arrangement of devices hereinafter described and
claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wrench.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.
Figure
3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line x-x Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a detail view showing a modified construction of the wrench handle.
Figure 5 is a detail side view showing another modified construction of handle.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.
Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line y-y Figure 5.
Figure 8 is a broken sectional view showing a modified construction of wrench.
In the drawing the numeral 1, indicates the stationary jaw, and 2 the sliding jaw
formed with a pair of parallel orifices 3 and 4, extending entirely through it the
orifice 3 being angular in cross section and the orifice 4 cylindrical.
The sliding jaw 2 is formed with a recess to form upper and lower abutments 6

page_text: and 6, between which is arranged the rotating adjusting nut 7 which bears
respectively at its upper and lower ends against the abutments 5 and 6. The
adjusting nut is of any desired construction on its exterior, but preferably is milled
or knurled for the purpose of conveniently turning it through the medium of the
thumb and finger.
The wrench handle is preferably composed of a wooden grip 8, having an
orifice extending longitudinally through its centre for the reception of a metallic
shank 9 formed integral with a rigid head 10, that rests upon the inner or upper
end of the wooden grip. The outer or lower extremity of the shank 9 is screw-
threaded for the reception of a nut 11, by which the grip is rigidly secured in
position upon the shank.
The wrench handle may be composed of wood sections 8* Figures 5, 6 and 7
applied to opposite sides of a metallic shank 9 which is formed integral with the
rigid head 10, having its lower side undercut or recessed as at 11, to receive the
extremities of the wood sections 8*. The wood sections are preferably clamped to
opposite sides of the metallic shank by a transverse pin or bolt 10, having its heads
countersunk in the wood one end being composed of a disc upon which the pin or
bolt is riveted or upset.
The head 10 and shank 9 being in a single piece can be made of either a forging
or a malleable iron or steel casting.
The rigid metallic head 10 of the handle portion is formed with a pair of
separated sockets or recesses 12 and 13, arranged in alignment with the orifices 3
and 4 in the sliding jaw and the fixed or stationary jaw 1 is also formed with a
pair of separated sockets 14 and 15 also in alignment with the orifices 3 and 4.
The sockets 14 and 15 are preferably cylindrical and with the sockets 12 and 13
adapted to receive the upper and lower tenons of a pair of parallel bars 16 and 17.
The bar 16 is preferably angular in cross section between its tenons 18 and 19, but
the bar 17 is cylindrical and for a portion of its length is screw threaded as at 20,
such screw thread terminating at a point remote from the uppermost tenon 21 to
provide a smooth cylindrical surface 22. The two bars are reduced at their ends
to form the tenons and are fitted into the head 10 and jaw 1, in such manner that
the upper side of the head and the lower side of the jaw come to square bearings
on the bars.
The tenons of the respective bars are preferably pressed into the stationary
jaw 1, and metallic head 10 through the medium of hydraulic or other pressure
which will force the handle portion and the stationary jaw upon the two bars-at
the same time. Instead however of pressing these bars into rigid engagement,
the tenons may be screwed, riveted, or welded, to the stationary jaw 1 and
metallic head 10, but hydraulic pressure as described is preferred as being the
most economical and desirable. By this construction the two parallel bars are
rigidly and immovably fixed in position between the handle and the stationary
jaw, and the angular bar 16 serves to support, carry and guide the sliding jaw 2,
while the cylindrical bar serves to engage the nut and also fulfils the conditions
required of a stationary immovable brace between the stationary jaw and the
handle whereby the entire wrench structure is rendered strong substantial and
durable which are important features in this type of wrenches.
The smooth cylindrical surface 22 of the bar 17 is provided for the purpose of
preventing the screw thread being marred or defaced when the wrench is in use.
The smooth cylindrical surface is preferably of a length corresponding with the
thickness of the movable jaw so that in forcing the wrench upon the nut the latter
will come in contact with the smooth cylindrical surface 22 instead of with the
screw threaded portion of the bar 17.
The wrench handle may be constructed of a single piece of metal as in Figure 4
with the metallic head 10, having the sockets 12 and 13, or the handle could be
otherwise constructed without affecting the character of my invention.
The bar 16, is shown as square in cross section but other angular, round or half
round forms can be employed.

page_text: In the modification Figure 8, the upper and lower extremities of the non-
rotating, screw-threaded bar 17, are provided respectively, with right and left
hand screw threads engaging female screw threads in the orifices 13 and 15 of the
jaw 1, and head 10, while the smooth upper extremity of the bar 16 fits a smooth
orifice 14 in the jaw 1, and its lower extremity is provided with a screw thread
engaging a female screw tbread in the orifice 12 of the head 10. The orifices may
or may not extend entirely through the jaw 1 and head 10. This construction
renders the parts of the wrench susceptible of being a conveniently and advan-
tageously assembled and united, while enabling the parts to be detached or
separated if any part should get out of order. The construction is such also as to
secure the desired strength, since both bars are rigidly secured at their extremities
to the jaw and the handle head and in the use of the wrench both of such bars
remain immovable fixtures of the wrench.
The wrench constructed as described relieves the adjusting nut almost entirely
of strain while it is stronger and more economical in manufacture than wrenches
of ordinary construction herein before alluded to.
An important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the two parallel
bars are composed of separate and independent pieces immovably pressed, screwed,
welded or riveted at their extremities into sockets in the stationary jaws and
metallic head of the handle portion, by which means I entirely avoid the objection
to the twisted handle wrench having stationary parallel bars, one of which is
screw threaded and engages a nut swiveled to the sliding jaw.
In using the wrench, most of the strain is thrown upon the front cylindrical
bar 17 and therefore I prefer especially, in larger sizes to construct this front bar
of a greater diameter than the rear angular bar 16 by which construction the
strength and durability and efficiency of the wrench are materially increased.
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. A wrench consisting of a handle, a stationary jaw two stationary parallel
bars having their extremities attached to the stationary jaw and to the handle, a
movable jaw sliding on the two stationary bars, and means for adjusting the
movable jaw substantially as described.
Second. A wrench consisting of a handle having a metallic head, a stationary
jaw, a sliding jaw carrying an adjusting nut and two independent stationary parallel
bars attached at their extremities to the stationary jaw and to the metallic head of
the handle one of the bars having a screw threaded portion with which the nut on
the sliding jaw engages substantially as and for the purposes described.
Third. A wrench consisting of a handle having a metallic head provided with
two sockets a stationary jaw having corresponding sockets, a sliding jaw having
two parallel orifices and carrying an adjusting nut, and two independent parallel
bars one of which is screw threaded for engaging the nut and both provided with
end tenons which are fixed in the sockets of the stationary jaw and of the metallic
head of the handle, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Fourth. A wrench consisting of a handle having a metallic head provided with
two sockets, a stationary jaw having corresponding sockets, a sliding jaw having
two orifices and carrying an adjusting nut, and two independent parallel bars
having tenons rigidly and immovably fixed in the sockets in the stationary jaw
and in metallic head of the handle, one of the immovable bars being screw threaded
for a portion of its length only to provide the smooth cylindrical surface at one
end portion for the purpose of avoiding injury to the screw thread in the use of
the wrench substantially as described.
Fifth. A wreuch consisting of a handle having a metallic head a stationary jaw,
a sliding jaw carrying an adjusting nut and two independent parallel bars rigidly
and immovably fixed at their extremities to the stationary jaw and to the metallic
head the front bar having a diameter greater than the diameter of the rear bar

page_text: and provided with a screw threaded portion with which the nut on the sliding jaw.
engages substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of September 1891.
JENSEN & SON,
77; Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.