An Improved Adjustable Spanner.
Year: 1895

page_text: An Improved Adjustable Spanner.
FRANCIS ERNEST BLACKMORE 55 Queens Road Reading Berkshire Mechanical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide an adjustable spanner that can be
easily altered to any given size for which the tool is adapted, giving as perfect a
grip of the nut or bolt head as an ordinary spanner with fixed parallel jaws.
In
order to accomplish this I provide a handle bar terminating with a solid jaw at the
end in the usual manner, hereinafter referred to as the outside Jaw. In the face
of the handle bar which forms an angle with the face of the outside jaw, a series of
notches are cut to correspond with the definate sizes of the bolt heads or nuts for
which the spanner is required. A loose or moveable jaw is slotted to receive the
handle bar on which it moves treely when required. Projecting slightly from the
slotted jaw and and into the slotted opening a tooth is fixed which fits into the notches
cut in the handle bar. The tooth is fixed at the end remote from the griping face
of the moveable jaw opposite to the notches cut in the handle bar. To keep the
tooth in contact with the notches 1. use a spring which on being compressed
releases the loose jaw. For the spanner above described only one moveable jaw is
used but it will be seen that a second moveable jaw can be substituted for the solid
one and more than one tooth employed in the jaw. I wish it to be understood
that the above construction may be somewhat modified without departing from the
nature of my invention.
Dated Sixth day of August 1895.
An Improved Adjustable Spanner.
1, FRANCIS ERNEST BLACKMORE, of 55 Queens Road, Reading, Berkshire,
Mechanical Engineer, 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 spanners and has for its object a spanner of novel
construction which can be adjusted to fit nuts of different sizes but which is so
constructed that while the movable jaw can be locked in a series of positions
corresponding exactly to the different sizes of nuts for which the spanner is
constructed it cannot be locked in any intermediate position, and consequently the
spanner will always properly fit the nut to which it is applied and will not be so
slack as to twist or distort the corners of the nut as frequently happens with
other forms of adjustable spanners heretofore in use. The chief object of the
invention therefore is not so much to provide a novel adjustable spanner per se as
it is to provide an adjustable spanner that will properly fit the nuts to which it is
applied.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side view of the spanner constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a side view of the shank or arm and fixed jaw alone.
Figure 3 is a side view of the movable jaw.
Figure 4 is a view of said movable jaw looking towards the working face thereof.
Figure 5 is a plan of the movable jaw.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal central section of said movable jaw.
Figure 7 is a side view of the fixed jaw and a portion of the shank and a section
of the movable jaw illustrating a modification hereinafter described.
Figure 8 is a similar view of a spanner constructed according to a further
modification of my invention.
Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several figures.
A is a shank or handle of the spanner; B is the fixed jaw at the end of said
shank and C is the movable jaw.
Referring first to Figures 1 to 6, the said jaw C is slotted at D as shown most
clearly in Figure 4 to receive the shank or arm A. E is a tooth or pin extending
across the slotted part of the movable jaw and securely fastened in the
sides of said jaw. The inner edge of this pin or tooth is made angular as
shown and is adapted to accurately fit in any one of a series of notches a
cut in the edge of the shank or arm A. Within the web or central part of
the movable jaw is formed a hole or recess F in which is placed first a
spring G and then a pin H the outer end of which bears against the lower or inner
edge of the shank or arm A. The said pin and spring serve to keep the tooth E
in engagement with the notch a in which it happens to be, and prevents accidental
movement of the jaw C on the shank. The internal face C¹ Figure 6 of the central
web of the movable jaw is inclined as shown to allow of a turning movement of the
jaw about the corner C or a part of the face near the said corner as a pivot in
order to disengage the tooth E from the notches a when it is required to adjust the
jaw C to a different position on the shank. As soon as the adjustment is made and
the jaw C is released the spring G operates to cause the tooth E to re-engage with
one of the notches a. When so engaged, the working face of the movable jaw is
parallel to that of the fixed jaw and the tooth E properly beds in the notch.
The pitch of the notches a is so arranged that the distance between the jaws
of the spanner corresponds accurately without an undue amount of slack to the
width of the nut to which it is applied, whereby it is ensured that the corners
of the nut shall not be twisted or deformed by the use of this spanner.
In Figure 7 I have shown a modification in which a leaf spring K is sub-
stituted for the spring G and pin H seen in Figure 6, and curved notches a
are provided in lieu of angular notches, the pin or tooth E being in this case
round. A roller E is placed on the pin to facilitate the adjustment of the
jaw by reducing friction. The curved notches and round pin or tooth are more
especially adapted for the larger sizes of spanners.
In Figure 8 I have shown a spanner having the notches formed in the lower
or inner edge of the shank, the spring being arranged to bear upon the upper
or outer edge. Otherwise the construction is the same as that above described.
In some instances the spring is arranged to press on that edge of the shank in
which the notches are formed.
Figures denoting the sizes of the nuts may be provided on the side of the
shank to facilitate the setting of the adjustable jaw to any desired position.
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. In an adjustable spanner having a movable jaw furnished with a spring and
with a tooth or pin adapted to engage with notches formed in one edge of the
shank or handle bar, the notches arranged in the manner herein described for the
purpose specified.

page_text: 2. An adjustable spanner constructed substantially as described with reference
to Figures 1 to 6 or to Figure 7 or to Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings for
the purpose specified.
Dated this 12th dex of November 1895
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant..