Improvements in Wrenches.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 28th June, 1894-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JAMES WILLIAM ADAMS, of 140, Dearborn Street,
Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, Gentleman.]
Improvements in Wrenches.
I, FREDERICK SPENCER LAW, of 43 Moorgate Street in the City of London,
Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention, as communicated to me, relates to improvements in that class of
wrenches commonly called "monkey" wrenches, in which one of the jaws is rigid,
while the other is attached by a sleeve to the bar of the wrench and made
adjustable thereon. In the said class of wrenches, the upper or outer jaw is made
integral with the bar of the wrench, and is usually made of the form of, and
capable of use as, a hammer; while a suitable handle is fitted upon the lower end
of the wrench bar.
In the present invention, the lower or sliding jaw is adapted to be rapidly
adjusted upon the wrench bar to suit the width of the nut or bolt head to be turned;
also, to give a large bearing to the locking device whereby the resistance to dis-
placement of the sliding jaw-when force is exerted-is greatly increased; and the
teeth of the adjusting device are so arranged and protected that they are not liable
to injury through contact with a nut or other part of a bolt.
The wrench consists of a bar, preferably of a rectangular cross section, having an
integral or fixed jaw at its upper end shaped like the head of a hammer, and adapted
to receive a sliding jaw on the rectangular portion of the bar. The sliding jaw is
made with an eye or sleeve which encloses the rectangular portion of the bar, and
at the lower end of the bar the handle is fitted thereto. These parts are well
known in the construction of wrenches. A yoke or collar is likewise made with an
eye and adapted to slide upon the rectangular bar, and this feature, also, is used
with some forms of the said class of wrenches; but it is connected by a pin with
the sliding jaw so that the two parts-the yoke and the sliding jaw-
freely upon the bar. A rounded form of rack is fitted upon the pin between the
sliding jaw and the yoke, and the teeth of the rack are formed upon about one half
of its circumference along its entire length. Corresponding teeth are sunk upon
the adjoining side of the rectangular bar, in a concave manner as a segment of a
circle, having the same radius as the rounded rack.
-can move
The two edges of the rectangular bar, which form the boundary of the concave
segment, are dressed off square with the adjoining sides, and consequently act as a
guard to prevent injury to the sunken teeth. The rounded rack is rotatable upon
its axial pin, and as a part of its circumference-along its entire length-is less in
radius than the bottom of the toothed portion on the opposite side, it just clears the
tops of the sunken teeth when correspondingly rotated on the pin. When the
rounded rack is rotated upon its axis so that the plain part is clear of the sunken
teeth, the sliding jaw and its yoke can be moved quite freely along the entire length
of the rectangular bar without the loss of time incurred by turning a screw, as in
other wrenches of this class. When applied to a nut, the sliding jaw with its
attached yoke and rack is similarly moved up to enclose the opposite sides of the
nut between the jaws and can immediately be locked in position by rotating the
rack until its teeth engage with the sunken teeth of the bar; which again avoids
the loss of time incurred in screw adjusting wrenches. By making the teeth close
together, slack space is avoided; and to save time in manipulation, stop pins or
shoulders are sometimes combined with the rounded rack.
In some cases the pin is fitted into a projection from the handle of the wrench at

page_text: one end, while the other enters an axially bored space in the rounded rack which
is free to move longitudinally upon the pin as a piston.
The teeth employed on the bar and the rack are ordinary V shaped, or square
threads, or (preferably) stepped or abutment threads, the latter withstanding
pressure and wear better than the others. By using a large number of teeth, as
provided for by the invention, great rigidity and strength is obtainable with this
improved form of wrench.
Dated this 28th day of September 1893.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wrenches.
1, FREDERICK SPENCER LAW, of 43 Moorgate Street, in the City of London,
Accountant, 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, as communicated to me, relates to improvements in that class
of wrenches commonly called "monkey" wreuches, in which one of the jaws is
rigid, while the other is attached by a sleeve to the bar of the wrench and
made adjustable thereon. In the said class of wrenches, the upper or outer jaw is
made integral with the bar of the wrench, and is usually made of the form of, and
capable of use as, a hammer; while a suitable handle is fitted upon the lower end
of the wrench bar.
In the present invention, the lower or sliding jaw is adapted to be rapidly
adjusted upon the wrench bar to suit the width of the nut or bolt head to be
turned; also, to give a large bearing to the locking device whereby the resistance
to the displacement of the sliding jaw-when force is exerted-is greatly increased;
and the teeth of the adjusting device are so arranged and protected that they
are not liable to injury through contact with a nut or other part of a bolt.
In the further description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying
drawings, in which ;-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wrench embodying the invention,
Fig. 2 a top plan view of the same;
Fig. 3 a central longitudinal section lengthwise of the wrench jaws ;
Fig. 4 is a transverse section, on the line 3-3, of Fig. 3 showing the locking
device of the sliding jaw in engagement with the wrench bar;
Fig. 5 a similar view showing the locking device out of engagement with the
wrench bar;
Fig. 6 a central longitudinal section of wrench, showing a modified form of a
connection of the locking device for the sliding jaw;
Fig. 7 a transverse section of the same, on the line 6-6 of Fig. 6; and
Fig. 8 a side elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of a wrench embodying in
another form, the invention illustrated in the preceding figures of the drawing.
The wrench consists of a bar A, preferably of a rectangular cross section, having
an integral fixed jaw B at its upper end shaped like the head of a hammer, and
adapted to receive a sliding jaw C on the rectangular portion of the bar. The
sliding jaw is made with an eye or sleeve which encloses the rectangular portion of
the bar, and at the lower end of the bar the handle is fitted thereto. These parts
are well known in the construction of wrenches. A yoke or collar D is likewise
made with an eye and adapted to slide upon the rectangular bar, and this feature
also, is used with some forms of the said class of wrenches; but it is connected
by a pin E with the sliding jaw so that the two parts--the yoke and the sliding
jaw-
-can move freely upon the bar. A rounded form of rack F is fitted upon

page_text: formed
the pin between the sliding jaw and the yoke, and the teeth ƒ of the rack are
about
upon
one half of its circumference along its entire length.
Corresponding teeth a are sunk upon the adjoining side of the rectangular bar,
in a concave manner, as a segment of a circle, having the same radius as the rounded
rack.
The two edges a¹ of the rectangular bar, which form the boundary of the concave
segment, are dressed off square with the adjoining sides, and consequently act as a
guard to prevent injury to the sunken teeth. The rounded rack is rotatable on its
axial pin E, and as a part of its circumference-along its entire length is less in
radius than the bottom of the toothed portion on the opposite side, it just clears the
tops of the sunken teeth when correspondingly rotated on the pin. When the
rounded rack is rotated upon its axis so that the plain part is clear of the sunken
teeth, the sliding jaw C and its yoke D can be moved quite freely along the entire
length of the rectangular bar A. without the loss of time incurred by turning a
screw, as in other wrenches of this class. When applied to a nut, the sliding jaw
with its attached yoke and rack is similarly moved up to enclose the opposite sides
of the nut between the jaws and can immediately be locked in position by
rotating the rack until its teeth engage with the sunken teeth of the bar; which
again avoids the loss of time incurred in screw adjusting wrenches. By making the
teeth close together, slack space is avoided; and to save time in manipulation, stop
pins for shoulders are sometimes combined with the rounded rack, as in Fig. 7.
In some cases (as in Fig. 8) the pin E is fitted into a projection G; from the
handle of the wrench at one end while the other enters an axially bored space H
in the rounded rack which is free to move longitudinally upon the pin as a piston.
The teeth employed on the bar and the rack are ordinary ▼ shaped, or square
threads or grooves as in Figs. 6 and 7, or (preferably) stepped or abutment threads,
the latter withstanding pressure and wear better than the others. By using a
large number of teeth, as provided for by the invention, great rigidity and strength
is obtainable with this improved form of wrench.
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 ;-
A wrench consisting of a bar A provided with an integral fixed jaw B,
combined with a sliding jaw C and yoke D, a pin E carrying a rotatable rack F
having teeth along its length upon one part of its circumference, adapted to
engage with corresponding sunken teeth a on the bar A, and a reduced clearance
space on the remaining portion of its circumference, and guard edges a¹ on the said
bar A substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.
Dated this 28th day of June 1894.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.