A NEW OR IMPROVED PIPE. WRENCH
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abraham Ripley, of 34, West Square, Saint
George's Road, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, and John
Wormald, of 103, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, in the said County,
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abraham Ripley and
John Wormald at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 4th December 1869.
We, ABRAHAM RIPLEY, of 34, West Square, Saint George's Road,
Southwark, in the County of Surrey, and JOHN WORMALD, of 108,
Blackfriars Road, Southwark, in the said County, Engineers, 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 for its object a new or improved wrench of that
description known as the "pipe" wrench and generally used for grasping,
a round surface, such as that of a pipe, stud, or round bar, but applicable
also to other purposes.
In constructing a wrench according to this Invention we form a fixed;
boss or cheek on one end of an ordinary lever or shank, such as is used.

page_text: in the construction of an ordinary spanner. In this cheek or boss is
formed a V-shaped mouth or aperture, the open or wider end of which
is towards the circumference of the said cheek or boss, towards the centre
of which the sides of the said mouth converge. On one side or jaw of
the said aperture or mouth are formed ratchet or other shaped teeth
with their square ends facing inwards or towards the point where the
said two sides meet, the surface of the opposite side or jaw being usually
left smooth, though if desired it may be roughed or have teeth formed
upon it.
On a wrench constructed as above being applied in the usual manner
to any cylindrical body of such size that its largest diameter will enter
the said mouth and pressure applied in the direction that would be
necessary if the said ratchet or other shaped teeth on the said jaw were
intended to act as cutters, a fulcrum for the wrench is formed on the
tooth that is closest in contact with the circumference of the said
cylindrical body, and consequently the tendency of the power applied is
to force the smaller portion of the said mouth on. to the said cylindrical
body, which is thus held sufficiently firm to be moved with the wrench
when power enough is applied. 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 and John Wormald in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 4th June 1870.
. TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ABRAHAM
RIPLEY, of 34, West Square, Saint George's Road, Southwark, in the
County of Surrey, and JOHN WORMALD, of 103, Blackfriars Road,
Southwark, in the said County, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Abraham Ripley and John Wormald, Her
special licence that we, the said Abraham Ripley and John Wormald,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the

page_text: said Abraham Ripley and John Wormald, our executors, 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 we, the said Abraham Ripley
and John Wormald, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of our or 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 we, the said Abraham Ripley and John
Wormald, do hereby declare the nature of our 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
those of pipes, bars, and studs, but will also grasp oval, rectangular, or
other surfaces.
In order that our Invention may be clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, we 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. I. is a front or face view of a wrench constructed according to
our Invention, and Fig. II. 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 an angular aperture C forming a mouth
with jaws a, a, one of which jaws is provided on its inner surface with
teeth D, by preference ratchet shaped, with their square surfaces
facing inwards, as shown, whilst the inner surface of the other jaw is
left smooth.
;
The action of this wrench is as follows:-E is a pipe or other
cylindrical body which it is desired to turn in the direction indicated
:

page_text: by the arrow marked thereon. The mouth C of the said wrench is
placed over the said pipe or other cylindrical body E in the manner
shewn with the toothed jaw uppermost, and the required 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 pipe
or other cylindrical 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. If it be desired to turn the said pipe or other
cylindrical body E back or in the opposite direction to that indicated
by the said arrow the said mouth C of the said wrench must be reversed
and placed on the said pipe or other cylindrical body E with its said
toothed jaw underneath and the said jaw with smooth inner surface
uppermost. The requisite power is then applied to give motion to the
said wrench in the direction in which it is required to turn the said pipe
or other cylindrical body E.
The form of wrench above described is not the only form in which
our Invention may be embodied, as, for example, instead of the jaws
as above described being stationery or of one piece with the wrench they.
may be made to shift by any of the well known contrivances at present
in use in shifting spanners, though in constructing such a wrench care
must be taken so to contrive it that in shifting the jaws their relative
angle or the angle of the mouth will not alter, as if not sufficiently
acute it will be found not to hold so securely. An angle of 25 degrees
to 27 degrees is found by experience to be a good angle to make the
mouth, though such angle is not specially claimed by us more than any
other.
3
Having therefore thus particularly described and ascertained the
nature of this our said Invention, and the manner in which the same
is to or may be performed, we would state in conclusion that we do
not confine ourselves to the precise details herein described or illustrated
in the accompanying Drawings, as the same may be somewhat modified 8
without departing from the principle or main features of our said In-
vention; but what we claim as our Invention and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is, the angular aperture or mouth formed by fixed or

page_text: shifting jaws, one of which jaws is provided on its inner surface with
teeth and the other left smooth, all substantially in the manner herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere
modification thereof, and all substantially for the purpose or purposes
herein specified.
In witness whereof, the said Abraham Ripley and John Wormald
have hereunto set their hands and seals, the Second day of
June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.