Improvements in Pipe and other Wrenches.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 15th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 20th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pipe and other Wrenches.
I, THOMAS WHITE FISHER, of the Cosmopolitan Hotel, Main Street, Helena,
Lewis and Clarke County, Montana, United States of America, Millwright, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a wrench having a hinged or pivoted handle which
operates as a lever in connection with a movable rack for closing the movable jaw
which is also separately adjustable. The wrench which has a large or widely
varying capacity, may be used for gripping very small articles and for working in
confined spaces, may be quickly and easily operated, and has a very strong or
firm grip.
The shank or stock of the wrench is formed at its forward end with a fixed
jaw and the adjustable jaw is formed in one with, or attached to, a head or
carrier which is fitted to slide along the shank and is moved along same by a rack
bar connected with it as hereafter described. This bar is fitted to slide on the
shank and is pivoted at one end to the handle which in turn is pivoted to the stock
or shank. This hinged or pivoted handle forms a lever by which to throw the
rack bar backwards and forwards according to the direction in which said handle
is moved. The greater the force exerted on the handle to move the rack bar so
that the jaws of the wrench will be brought closer together, the tighter will the
jaws grip the pipe or other article. The handle is normally held in its forward
position by a spring interposed between the handle and an arm on the shank. The
jaw head is connected with the rack bar by a spring-pressed locking toothed catch
pivoted to the jaw head within which it is received and acted upon by an exterior
thumb piece to disengage it from the rack bar when it is required to indepen-
dently slide or adjust the jaw head up to its work. Thus the sliding jaw head,
when disengaged from the rack bar, is capable of moving a certain distance along
the shank to bring it close to the work, leaving a short distance for the sliding
jaw head to be moved by the lever handle to firmly grip the pipe or other article
between the jaws.
The invention is equally applicable to monkey and other wrenches not specially
designed to grip pipes and the gripping surfaces of the jaws may be variously
constructed.
1
1000
T. W. FISHER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pipe and other Wrenches.
I, THOMAS WHITE FISHER, of the Cosmopolitan Hotel, Main Street, Helena,
Lewis and Clarke County, Montana, United States of America, Millwright, 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 a wrench having a hinged or pivoted handle which
operates as a lever in connection with a movable rack for closing the movable
jaw which is also separately adjustable. The wrench, which has a large or widely

page_text: varying capacity, may be used for gripping very small articles and for working in
confined spaces, may be quickly and easily operated, and has a very strong or
firm grip.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, in which
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal view of the wrench, as seen from its side,
with certain parts broken away and in section to more clearly illustrate the
construction.
Figure 2 is a view of the sliding jaw head of the wrench, looking towards the
shank or stock of the latter, and
Figure 3 is a partly sectional view, upon lineæ a Figure 1, looking towards
the sliding jaw-head.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A is the shank or stock of the wrench, constructed at its forward end with the
stationary serrated jaw B. C is the adjustable jaw head having the serrated jaw
piece C facing the jaw B and which may either be in one piece with the jaw
head C or not. This jaw head C is fitted to slide on or along the shank A and
is moved along the same by a rack bar D connected with it as hereafter described.
This bar is fitted to slide upon the shank A and is pivoted at its inner end by a
pin to a handle G which in its turn is pivoted to the stock A by a pine at one
side of the pin b. Said handle may be of any desired length, the longer, consistent
with convenience, the better. When it is required to lengthen it to increase the
leverage, a bar may be inserted in a hole d in its end. This hinged or pivoted
handle forms a lever by which to throw the rack bar D backwards and forwards
according to the direction in which said handle is moved. The greater the force
exerted on the handle to move the rack bar so that the jaws of the wrench will
be brought closer together, the tighter will the jaws grip the pipe or other article.
S is a coiled spring interposed between the handle and an arm R attached to the
shank A and serving to throw the handle forwards.
The jaw head C is connected with the rack bar D by or through the inter-
vention of an automatically-locking toothed catch E pivoted as at e to the jaw
head C within which it is received and acted upon by an exterior thumb piece f
to disengage it from the rack bar D when it is required to independently slide or
adjust the jaw head C up to its work, or to gauge the jaws, as it were, for the work,
before working or straining on the handle lever and slightly moving it on its
pivot c to give the necessary grip. Thus the sliding jaw head C when disengaged
from the rack bar is capable of moving a certain distance along the shank A to
bring it close to the work, leaving a short distance for the sliding jaw head C to
be moved by the lever handle G to firmly grip the pipe or other article between
the jaws B, C. This independent adjustability of the sliding jaw head C provides
for quickly adjusting the wrench to its work.
. When the wrench is being used, the strain it will be observed is exerted against
the end of the sliding rack bar as it bears up against a shoulder 9 on the shank
and is transferred to the pivot pin c of the handle lever G which really carries the
whole strain. The smaller pin 6 which connects the rack bar to the handle has
only to draw the sliding jaw back.
The teeth of the catch E and the teeth of the rack bar D are preferably some-
what of a ratchet shape to provide for the more ready disengagement of the catch
when required. In the transmission of the strain to the pivot c of the handle
lever, the toothed catch has to carry the force which it does through its several
teeth, in engagement with the rack bar and by suitably elongating the hole in the
jaw head which receives the pivot pin c said pin will be relieved of pressure. Any
suitable spring can be used to act upon the toothed catch E.
In applying the wrench, supposing it to be held in the hand with the jaws
uppermost then by pressing slightly on the thumb piece f of the catch E said
catch will be released from the rack bar D and the sliding jaw or jaw head may
be instantly moved along the shank A to any point desired. When holding the

page_text: wrench with the jaws downward, the forefinger may be applied to the thumb-
piece fto adjust the sliding jaw-head.
The invention is equally applicable to monkey and other wrenches not specially
designed to grip pipes, and the gripping surfaces of the jaws may be variously
constructed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;
1. In a pipe or other wrench, the combination, with the shank of the wrench
having a jaw at its outer end, of a jaw fitted to slide upon the shank, a handle
lever pivoted to the inner end of said shank, a bar pivoted to said handle lever
adapted to move the sliding jaw, and an engaging and disengaging device between
the sliding jaw and said bar adapted to provide for the independent adjustability
of the sliding jaw, essentially as specified.
2. The combination of the shank A having a jaw B on its outer end, the handle
lever G pivoted to the inner end of said shank, the adjustable sliding jaw head
and jaw C C', the rack bar D pivoted to the handle lever, a toothed spring-
locking catch E carried by the sliding jaw adapted to engage with the rack bar
and capable of being released from such engagement from the exterior of the
sliding jaw, and a spring S operating to throw the handle lever forward,
substantially as shewn and described.
Baud
GUIS 136 USV U
November
LUDVA
Dattu GUIS LOGO ULAUY GINOEL TUDU
T. W. FISHER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.