An Improved Shifting Spanner.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Shifting Spanner.
I, THOMAS LEAKER, of 31 Guinea Street, Bristol in the County of Bristol,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to spanners of that description which is used where a
single spanner is required to fit many different sizes of nuts or screw heads, and
consists in improvements in the shape and in the mode of combining the parts,
whereby low first cost, strength, and an easy and convenient adjustment is
obtained.
A spanner according to my invention consists of two metallic plates fitted to
each other in such manner that one may slide longitudinally on the other, and each
of which has projecting pieces, (forming part of the jaws) upon it equal in thickness
to the other plate.
Formed integrally with one of these plates are two lugs, which project through
a slot in the other plate so far that two pins passing transversely to the length of
the spanner, through the lugs serve to hold the two plates together face to face.
A pin passes parallel to the face of the spanner through both lugs and upon this,
between the two lugs and in a slot works a short male screw in such manner that
it can rotate freely on the pin, but cannot move endways without the lugs and
plate. A slot is formed in the other plate in which the worm works, and the sides
of this slot are formed into teeth which engage with and form a female screw for the
thread of the worm. The threads of the worm have their edges milled, and they
project from both plates so far that they can be easily grasped by the fingers, and
rotated in such manner that one plate is caused to slide longitudinally on the
other. One or both ends of the plates are slotted to such shapes that jaws are
formed which engage with two or more sides of a nut or screw head, and when the
ends of the spanner are coincident, these jaws are opened to their widest extent so
as to admit a large size nut or screw head. But by sliding the plates longitudinally
by means of the worm, the jaws are closed so as to fit a smaller nut or screw
head.
The jaws may be shaped so as to enclose all sides of a nut or screw head, and
nore than one may be formed in the same spanner and at both ends of same.
These spanners are especially suitable for cyclists.
בד
T
1007
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106 Priory Park Road, Kilburn, London, N.W.,.
Agent for the Applicant.
1, THOMAS LEAKER, of 31 Guinea Street, Bristol, in the County of Bristol,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
O the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention relates to spanners of that description which is used where a
single spanner is required to fit many different sizes of nuts or screw heads, aud

page_text: consists in improvements in the shape and. in the mode of combining the parts,
whereby low first cost, strength, and an easy and convenient adjustment is
obtained.
A spanner according to my invention consists of two metallic plates. fitted to
each other in such manner that one may slide longitudinally on the other, and each
of which has projecting pieces (forming part of the jaws) upon it, equal in thickness
to the other plate.
Formed integrally with one of these plates are two lugs, which project through
a slot in the other plate so far that two pins passing transversely to the length of
the spanner, through the lugs serve to hold the two plates together face to face.
A pin passes parallel to the face of the spanner through both lugs, and upon this,
between the two lugs and in a slot works a short male screw in such manner that
it can rotate freely on the pin, but cannot move endways without the lugs and
plate. A slot is formed in the other plate in which the worm works, and the sides
of this slot are formed into teeth which engage with and form a female screw for
the thread of the worm. The threads of the worm have their edges milled, and
they project from both plates so far that they can be easily grasped by the fingers,
and rotated in such manner that one plate is caused to slide longitudinally on the
other. One or both ends of the plates are slotted to such shapes that jaws are
formed which engage with two or more sides of a nut or screw head, and when the
ends of the spanner are coincident, these jaws are opened to their widest extent so
as to admit a large size nut or screw head. But by sliding the plates longitudinally
by means of the worm, the jaws are closed so as to fit a smaller nut or screw
head.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a front view of a spanner according to my invention in an open
position.
Fig. 2 is an edge view of same..
Fig. 3 is a view of the back of same.
Fig. 4 is a front view of same in a closed position.
Fig. 5 is a view of the back of the plate with a female thread.
Fig. 6 is a front view of the same.
Fig. 7 is a back view of the plate in which the worm is pivoted.
Fig. 8 is a front view of same..
A and B indicate two metallic plates of such a substance that the thickness of
the two form a suitably wide jaw for a spanner. The two plates A and B fit
closely together on their meeting faces, and are free to slide longitudinally one
upon the other a sufficient distance to open or close the jaws to the required extent.
Projecting from one end of the inner face of the plate A and surrounding an
opening a therein is a rib a of such shape that it can enclose four faces of a hexagon
nut or bolt head, and upon the other end of the same inner face is a projection a¹
which can be pressed against two sides of a nut or bolt head. On that end of the
plate B which meets the rib a on the plate A is a projection which enters the
opening a² in the plate A; while the other end of the plate B has an opening b²
which is surrounded by a projecting rib b', and into the opening in the plate B
the projection a' on the plate A enters. One edge of the plate A is shaped so as
to form jaws a³ and a', and the adjacent edge of the plate B is shaped so as to form
jaws and which are so arranged in relation to a³ and a' that a and b form a
pair of jaws of a size suitable for turning small nuts or bolt heads, while at and b*
form a pair suitable for turning nuts or bolt heads of a larger size. .The nut or
bolt head may be turned either by one of the openings a² or b², or by the pair of
jaws a³, 3, or a, b.
The plate B has formed upon the side which is in contact with the plate A, two
lugs C, which are so disposed and of such a size that they can enter and project
through and slide in the slot or opening D in the plate A, and for the purpose of
holding the two plates together while allowing them to slide freely, I employ two
pins c one of which passes through each of the lugs C.

page_text: The lugs C are drilled parallel to the plane of the plate for a pin c', and upon
this pin can be rotated between the lugs C a worm E the thread of which has its
edges milled so as to be conveniently turned by the fingers. These milled threads
enter notches or teeth d cut in the edges of the slot or opening D in the plate A,
and these teeth form a female screw for the male screw E. The milled edges of
the worm E project through the opening D in the plate A and also through a
smaller opening 6 in the plate B so that the milled edges can be turned by the
fingers, the position being shewn in Fig. 2.
The slot or opening D is so much longer than the total distance from the outside
of one of the lugs C to the outside of the other, that the plate B can slide upon
the plate A as far as is necessary to open or close the jaws or openings to suit
various sizes of nuts or bolt heads.
It will thus be seen that by turning by hand the milled edges of the worm E the
size of the openings a² and 2, as well as the distance between the jaws a³ and 6ª,
and a and b can be varied to an extent necessary to take any ordinary size nut or
bolt head.
These spanners are especially suitable for cyclists.
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. A shifting or adjustable spanner in which two plates are capable of being
moved longitudinally one upon the other in such manner as to fit many different
sizes of nuts or bolt heads, substantially as shewn and described.
2. An adjustable spanner consisting essentially of two plates capable of being
moved longitudinally one upon the other by means of a worm attached to one
plate, and the threads of which engage with teeth formed in the other plate, in
such manner that the openings or jaws formed can be adjusted to fit different
size nut and bolt heads substantially as shewn and described.
3. In an adjustable spanner, the combination of the two plates A and B with
projecting parts a, a, b and b, the lugs Cand_pin c', the worm E the threads of
which engage with the teeth d of an opening D, openings a² and 62 and jaws a³, '68
and a,, all constructed and operating in the manner and for the purpose
herein before described and shewn.
Dated this 28th day of February 1896.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106 Priory Park Road, Kilburn, London, N.W.,
Agent for the Applicant.