Improvements in and connected with Wrenches.
Year: 1895

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Wrenches.
A communication from the MOSSBERG WRENCH COMPANY, of Maine, United
States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 certain new and useful improvements in wrenches, and
has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of such wrenches and to
provide a wrench possessing the greatest amount of strength and durability
relative to its size, and one that can be readily inserted into small spaces and
between parts of machinery, and to these ends it consists in a wrench embodying
the construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter more par-
ticularly set forth.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred manner of constructing the
wrench in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the completed wrench;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal central section of Figure 1 ;
Figure 3 is a side view of one of the blanks constituting the side pieces of the
wrench;
Figure 4 is a side elevation representing the movable jaw and its shank, together
with the nut by which the jaw is moved or adjusted;
Figure 5 is an end view of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a side view of the filler-piece for the handle of the wrench;
Figure 7 is a side view of the filler for the stationary jaw of the wrench;
Figure 8 is a view showing the wrench used in connection with a screw-driver
adapted to be attached and held in the wrench; and
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the screw-driver.
The wrench is made of pieces which are punched or otherwise cut out of sheet
metal of the desired thickness and character, and comprises' two plates 1, I which
constitute the side pieces of the wrench, and which have formed as a part of the
side pieces the head portion 2; 3 representing what is termed the shank portion,
and 4 the handle portion of the blanks. Each of the plates 1 is formed with a
corresponding opening 7 designed to receive and accommodate the adjusting nut 8,
through the medium of which the movable jaw of the wrench is operated.
This movable jaw is also formed or cut out of sheet metal or otherwise, and
consists of a single piece, as indicated in Figure 4, comprising a thickened
portion 11, and a similar thickened portion 12, forming the complementary jaw,
and having formed integral therewith a shank portion 14, the edges of which are
formed with a mutilated thread to receive the adjusting nut 8, before referred to.
It is preferable to have the portions 11 and 12 thickened, as indicated in Figure 5,
while the intermediate portion 10, and the shank portion 14, are reduced in thickness
as indicated in Figure 5, the thickened portions 11 and 12 being arranged to bear
upon and move over the edges of the shank portion 3 of the side pieces, while the
shank portion 14, extends between the handle portions 4, and is movable to and fro by
means of the nut 8 to cause the jaws to approach or recede in the usual manner.
In order to properly unite the side pieces and furnish a recess for the shank 14,

page_text: a filling piece 20, is provided, which may be united to the side pieces by rivets 21,
or otherwise. The said filler is of substantially the same exterior outline as the
handle portions, and is formed with a recess 23 for the shank 14, of the movable
jaw and with an enlarged recess or opening 25, to accommodate the adjusting nut 8.
The head portions 2 of the side pieces are also provided with a filler-piece 27 (Fig. 7)
which is of a contour corresponding to the head pieces, and may be united thereto
by rivets 28 or otherwise. The parts may be united together by being brazed,
either alone or in addition to the rivets, so that the parts form a practically solid
implement or device.
It will be seen that not only is this construction exceedingly simple and cheap,
the parts being practically stamped or otherwise formed from sheet metal, but that
when they are arranged and united together, a wrench of exceedingly great strength
is provided, having no projecting parts except the screw, and as the head is formed
integral with the shank and handle portions of the side pieces, it has great strength,
and as the enlarged portions of the movable jaw bear upon the edges of the shank
portion of the side pieces, a rigid bearing is provided therefor.
While of course the wrench is capable of many and varied uses as a wrench, it
is also advantageous to use it as a screw-driver, and in order to facilitate this a
screw-driver is provided substantially like that indicated in Figure 9, in which 29,
is the body of the screw-driver having a slot 30 adapted to fit the shank portion 3,
of the wrench, and lateral extensions 31 are preferably provided which embrace
the shank portion of the wrench, and when the screw-driver is in the position
shown in Figure 8, it can conveniently be used with the wrench for many and
various purposes.
While the construction above set forth is specially adapted to a wrench of small
proportions, where it is desired to attain relatively great strength with the least
amount of material, it can of course, be constructed of heavier material when
desired, and it will be understood that the details of the wrench can be modified
and changed to adapt it for any specific purpose, without departing from the spirit
of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. A wrench consisting of two similar pieces of flat metal secured parallel to each
other and constituting the stationary jaw and handle a movable piece sliding
between said side pieces and constituting the movable jaw and means for moving.
the jaws substantially as described.
2. A wrench consisting of similar flat side pieces secured to each other and
constituting the handle and stationary jaw filling pieces inserted between said side
pieces in the handle and jaw a movable jaw working between said side pieces and
means for adjusting the said latter jaw substantially as described.
3. A wrench comprising two similar pieces of fat metal secured parallel to each
other and constituting the stationary jaw and handle and having openings therein
a filler inserted in said jaw a filler between the handle portions formed with an
elongated recess enlarged at one end a movable jaw formed with a reduced threaded
shank portion and a nut surrounding said shank and held in the openings in the
handle substantially as shown and described.
4. The combination with a wrench constructed substantially as herein before set
forth of a screw driver having a notch in its end and adapted to fit the shank
portion of the wrench substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of January 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.