A NEW OR IMPROVED PIPE WRENCH
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abraham Ripley, of 34, West Square, Saint
George's Road, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for
the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED PIPE WRENCH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abraham Ripley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents,, with his Petition, on the
6th May 1870.
I, ABRAHAM RIPLEY, of 34, West Square, Saint George's Road,
Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED PIPE WRENCH," to
be as follows, that is to say:
This Invention has reference to a new or improved wrench designed
expressly for grasping round surfaces of different diameters, such as the
surfaces of pipes, bars, and studs, but will also grasp oval, rectangular,
or other surfaces.
A simple form of wrench constructed according to this my Invention
is as follows: A fixed head; check, or boss is formed on one end of a

page_text: lever or shank such as is used for an ordinary spanner. In this head is
formed a curved aperture or mouth with its open or wider end towards
the circumference of the said cheek or boss, and narrowing towards its
inner extremity. The opposite sides of the said curved aperture or
mouth are curved, one concave and the other convex, the concave
surface being provided with teeth, by preference ratchet shaped, with
their square surfaces facing inwards or towards the contracted end of
the said curved aperture or mouth, and the other or convex surface
being usually left smooth.
On a wrench constructed as above described being applied to any
cylindrical body of such size that the said mouth of the said wrench
may be placed over it, and power being applied through the medium of
the said lever or shank in such a direction as will cause the said ratchet
shaped teeth to move with their square surfaces forward or in the
direction it is required to turn the said cylindrical body, a fulcrum
for the wrench is formed on the tooth or teeth closest in contact with
the circumference of the said cylindrical body, and consequently the
tendency of the power applied is to force the contracted portion of the
said aperture or mouth on to the said cylindrical body, which is thus
jammed in and held sufficiently firm to be moved with the said wrench.
On moving the wrench in the opposite direction it will immediately free
itself.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
.
filed by the said Abraham Ripley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ABRAHAM
RIPLEY, of 34, West Square, Saint George's Road, Southwark, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of a
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Abraham Ripley, Her special licence
that I, the said Abraham Ripley, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Abraham Ripley, my executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED PIPE
WRENCH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Abraham
Ripley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or thecir, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Abraham Ripley, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof (that is to say) :-
This Invention has reference to a new or improved wrench designed
expressly for grasping round surfaces of different diameters, such as the
surfaces of pipes, round bars, and studs, but will also grasp oval,
rectangular, or other surfaces.
In order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the same with the aid of
the accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the letters and.
figures marked thereon. In each case the same letter wherever it occurs
indicates the same part.
Fig. 1 is a front or face view of a wrench constructed according to my
Invention, and Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof.
A is a fixed head, cheek, or boss on one end of an ordinary lever or
shank B, and has formed in it a curved aperture C, forming a mouth
with jaws a, a, that one of which jaws having the concave inner surface
being provided with teeth D by preference ratchet shaped, with their
square surfaces facing inwards as shewn, whilst the inner convex surface
of the other jaw is left smooth.
The action of a wrench constructed as above is as follows:-- Place
the mouth C of the wrench in such a manner on the pipe or other
cylindrical or other shaped body which it is required to turn that when
motion is given to the wrench to turn the said body in the required

page_text: direction the square surfaces of the teeth D. will be caused to move
forward. For example, E is a pipe or other cylindrical body which it is
desired to turn in the direction indicated by the arrow marked thereon.
The mouth C of the said wrench is placed over the said body E in the
manner shewn, and the requisite power being then applied through the
medium of the said shank B in the direction indicated by the said arrow,
a fulcrum for the wrench is formed on that tooth which is closest in
contact with the surface of the said body E, and consequently the
tendency of the said power applied is to force the contracted portion of
the said mouth C on to the said pipe or other cylindrical body E, which
is thereby jammed in the said mouth and held sufficiently firm to be.
turned with the said wrench. On moving the said wrench in the
opposite direction it will immediately free itself.
Having therefore thus particularly described and ascertained the
nature of this my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is
or may be performed, I claim as my Invention, which I desire to
secure by Letters Patent, the construction of a new or improved wrench,
substantially in the manner herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Abraham Ripley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
JOHN W. GRAY,
Patent Agent,
23, Billiter Street,
London, E.C.
A. RIPLEY. (L.S.)