Improvements in Wrenches.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 14th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1894
Improvements in Wrenches.
I, FREDERICK BURNS WELLS of 50 Crescent Street Montreal, in the Province
of Quebec, and Dominion of Canada, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to Improvements in Wrenches, and has for its object to
construct a wrench which will be exceedingly simple and durable comprising
virtually but three parts and to so group the parts that they may be operated
with but one hand, thus leaving the other hand of the user free and permitting
the wrench to be used in places inaccessible to wrenches requiring the use of
both hands in order to be operated properly.
The parts comprising the wrench consist of a shank which carries the upper
jaw at its upper end, a frame having sliding movement upon the shank and
carrying the lower jaw at its upper end, and a locking sleeve carried by the
frame. The shank is provided upon one face with a series of teeth and the
lower end of the shank is preferably solidly introduced into a handle. The frame,
which has sliding movement upon the shank, comprises a front bar, two side bars,
and a bottom bar, the lower jaw constituting the upper part of the frame. The
lower jaw and likewise the bottom bar are provided with openings in longitudinal
alignment, corresponding in contour to the cross-sectional contour of the shank and
of sufficient size to permit the frame to move freely up and down thereon. The
frame as above mentioned carries a locking sleeve of rectangular contour both
interiorly and exteriorly through which the shank passes, the opening in the sleeve
being of much greater length and also of greater width than the corresponding
portion of the shank. The sleeve is fitted in the frame between the lower jaw and
the bottom plate or bar and is capable of lateral movement to and from the front
and rear of the frame between its sides. Upon the front inner face of the locking
sleeve is formed a series of teeth inclined in an opposite direction to the teeth.
formed upon the shank and adapted for locking engagement with the teeth upon
the shank, the two sets of teeth being normally held in engagement by means
of springs located within the sliding frame and bearing against the front outer
surface of the locking sleeve and against the front inner surface of the sliding
frame.
The wrench is operated in the following manner: When it is necessary to
adjust the lower jaw toward or from the upper one, the wrench is held in one hand
and the thumb of that hand is made to exert pressure against the back of the
locking sleeve, forcing it forward against the tension of the springs and thereby
carrying the teeth of the locking sleeve out of engagement with the teeth on the
shank; at the same time the thumb may be utilized to slide the sliding frame and
sleeve upward or downward upon the shank to obtain the desired adjustment of the
jaws. When this adjustment is obtained, by releasing the sleeve from pressure the
springs immediately act to throw the sleeve into locking engagement with the shank
and this locking engagement is firm and positive. The wrench may be employed
to turn any nut for which a wrench of like size is capable of being used. As bas
heretofore been stated, the wrench may be expeditiously and conveniently manipu
lated by one hand and it is therefore especially adapted for use in tightening nuts
in locomotives and cars located where it is almost impossible to reach said nuts by
means of a wrench needing both hands for its manipulation. The wrench is also
particularly adapted for use upon machinery connected in any way with live

page_text: electric wires since, as but one hand is needed to operate it, dangers of fatal shocks
will be avoided.
Dated this 16th day of May 1893.
WY PUUD,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wrenches.
I, FREDERICK BURNS WELLS, of 50 Crescent Street Montreal, in the Province
of Quebec, and Dominion of Canada, Gentleman, 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:-
My invention relates to Improvements in Wrenches and has for its object to
produce a wrench of exceedingly simple construction, comprising virtually but
three parts, and to so group the parts that they may be operated with but one
hand, thus leaving the other hand of the user free and permitting the wrench to
be used in places inaccessible to wrenches requiring the use of both hands in order
to be operated properly.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the views.
+
Figure 1 is a partial side elevation and partial sectional view of the wrench;
Figure 2 is a horizontal section, taken transversely of the wrench, practically on
the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and
Figure 3 is a perspective detail view of the locking sleeve of the wrench.
The parts comprising the wrench consist of a shank A which carries the upper
jaw 10 at its upper end, a frame B having sliding movement upon the shank and
carrying at its upper end the lower jaw 11, and a locking sleeve C carried by the
frame. The shank A is provided upon its front face with a series of teeth 12 and
the lower end of the shank is preferably solidly introduced into a handle 13 of
any approved construction. The frame B, which has sliding movement upon the
shank, comprises a front part 14, two sides 15 and 16, and a bottom 17, the lower
jaw 11 constituting the upper part of the frame. The lower jaw and likewise the
bottom part 17 are provided with openings 18 in longitudinal alignment the said
openings corresponding in contour to the cross-sectional contour of the shank A,
and the openings are of sufficient size to permit the frame to move freely up and
down upon the shank. The frame 13 carries, as has heretofore been stated, a
locking sleeve C. This sleeve C is of rectangular contour, both interiorly and
exteriorly, and through it passes the shank A the opening in the sleeve being of
much greater length and also of greater width than the corresponding portion of
the shank. The sleeve is fitted in the frame B between the jaw 11 and the bottom
plate 17 and the sleeve is capable of lateral movement to and from the front and
rear of the frame between its sides 15 and 16, as shewn in the cross-section
Figure 2. Upon the front inner face of the locking sleeve C a series of teeth 20
is located, which incline in an opposite direction to the teeth formed upon the
shank, the teeth in the sleeve being adapted for locking engagement with the teeth
upon the shank, and the two sets of teeth are normally held in this engagement by
means of springs 21 of any approved construction which are located within the
sliding frame B and bear against the front outer surface of the locking sleeve and
against the front inner surface of the sliding frame.

page_text: The operation of this wrench is apparent and is accomplished in the following
manner: When it is necessary to adjust the lower jaw toward or from the upper
one the wrench is held in one hand and the thumb of that hand is made to exert
pressure against the back of the locking sleeve to force it forward against the
tension of the springs 21 and thereby carry the teeth of the locking sleeve out of
engagement with the teeth on the shank A while at the same time the thumb may
be utilized to slide the sliding frame and sleeve upward or downward upon the
shank to obtain the desired adjustment of the jaws. When this adjustment is
obtained, by releasing the sleeve from pressure the springs immediately act to
throw the sleeve into locking engagement with the shank and this locking engage-
ment is firm and positive. The wrench may be employed to turn any nut for
which a wrench of like size is capable of being used.
As has heretofore been stated, the wrench may be expeditiously and conveniently
manipulated by one hand and it is therefore especially adapted for use in tightening
nuts in locomotives and cars located where it is almost impossible to reach said
nuts by means of a wrench needing both hands for its manipulation. The wrench
is also particularly adapted for use upon machinery connected in any way with live
electric wires, since, as but one hand is needed to operate it, dangers of fatal
shocks will be avoided.
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 :-
A wrench consisting in the shank A provided with the fixed jaw 10 and having
its front face provided with upwardly bevelled teeth 12, the frame B sliding on the
shank provided with the lower jaw 11 cut away at its sides and rear between its
upper and lower ends and recessed between its two sides 15-16, the sleeve C upon
the shank and exposed through the opening in the rear of the frame for operation
by the finger of the operator, springs interposed between the sleeve and the front
part 14 of the frame, the sleeve being provided with internal downwardly bevelled
teeth interlocking with the teeth 12 and permitting the jaw 11 to be freely slid
towards the jaw 10 and to be slid oppositely by pressing on the rear wall of the.
sleeve to disengage said teeth, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 30th day of January 1801
F. D. WELLS,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.