Improvements in Adjustable Spanners.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 23rd May, 1891-Accepted, 27th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Adjustable Spanners.
I FRANCIS ADRIAN MILES of Denne Hill Farm, Wymynswold in the County
of Kent, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in adjustable spanners and it has for
object to facilitate the adjustment of the spanner, to give a firm grip without
injury and an increased power with increased size of nut or bolt.
The characteristic feature of my invention is the adaptation to the stock or
handle of the spanner of a loose or movable and of a fixed cylinder or tube cach
of these tubes being provided with corresponding steps, or an incline, so placed in
relation to each other that upon the turning of the loose tube in one direction it
will rise upon the steps, or upon the incline, of the fixed tube, bringing the movable
or sliding jaw of the spauner nearer to the fixed jaw, and thereby firmly grip any
nut or bolt between them; a turn in the opposite direction permitting the sliding
jaw to retire and loose the nut.
I also provide the stock or handle of my improved spanner with an arrangement
for maintaining the proper position of the movable cylinder or tube while turning
against the fixed piece and for holding it while the spanner is gripping; the
arrangement I now prefer to use for this purpose is to provide the movable tube
with slots or recesses and the stock or handle with a spring so arranged as to place
a catch in the slot which faces it when the sliding jaw is gripping the nut, and to
be readily withdrawn and passed into another slot when it is desired to loosen the
grip of this jaw. 1 may however use a pawl and ratchet or other well known
mechanical means of effecting this object.
I may form the steps, or incline, upon the sliding jaw itself, in which case the
corresponding steps, or incline, will be upon or form a loose cylinder or tube
turning upon the stock or handle and fixed by spring or other arrangement when
the sliding jaw is gripping. Or I may fix upon the stock or handle a tube or
cylinder, or inclined steps, or way in connection with a movable cylinder or tube
which upon being turned will rise or lower upon the fixed steps or incline and
actuate the sliding jaw of the spanner causing it to grip or to release the nut
according to the direction in which the steps have been turned.
I may make the stock or handle cylindrical, polygonal, or of any suitable shape
and of any suitable material.
Dated this Twenty fifth day of Jul, 1890.
: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Adjustable Spanners.
I FRANCIS ADRIAN MILES of Denne Hill Farm, Wymonswold, in the County
of Kent, Farmer, 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 improvements in adjustable spanners with the object of
facilitating the adjustment of the spanner, and it consists particularly in bringing

page_text: the movable or sliding jaw of the spanner nearer to the fixed jaw by arrangements
of steps, notches, or inclines operated by a revolving part of the spanner, the
movable jaw being kept in position gripping nut, bolt or other article between
them either by hand or by the aid of pawl and ratchet or other equivalent
device.
'
I will proceed to describe my invention by reference to the accompanying
drawing upon which :—
Figure represents a spanner of my invention having steps or notches formed
upon cylinders, or tubes, the one revolving and the other sliding upon the stock
of the spanner ;
Figure 2 represents a spanner of my invention in which inclines are substituted
for the steps or notches of the arrangement shown Figure 1; and
Figure 3. represents a modification of the spanner shown Figure 2 the incline
being formed on the actual stock of the spanner and a corresponding projection
or projections on the inside of the covering tube or cylinder.
Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that I fit the stock A with a revolving
cylinder B, and a sliding cylinder C, both having steps or notches D, and the
sliding cylinder C forming one piece with the movable jaw_F.
Upon turning the cylinder B in one direction its steps D gearing with those of
the sliding cylinder C will cause this latter, and consequently the movable jaw F
to travel towards the fixed jaw G and thereby firmly grip nut, bolt or other
article between them; by turning the cylinder B in the opposite direction the
jaw F retires and the nut is released.
The grip may be maintained by simply keeping a firm hold of the cylinder B,
but I may preserve it by spring catch taking into slots suitably placed, by pawl and
ratchet, or other equivalent device.
The movable jaw F may be separate from the cylinder C, in which case I
prefer to make this cylinder to revolve fixing the cylinder B and providing
cylinder C with pawl and ratchet, spring catch or other suitable device to keep
the movable jaw gripping.
At Figure 2 it will be seen that the steps or notches D are replaced by corre-
sponding inclines Ę formed on the cylinders B and C, the action being substantially
the same. Here the cylinder C revolves, the cylinder B being fixed. On turning
cylinder C in one direction it rises on the incline of B pushing the movable jaw F
towards the fixed jaw G, the gearing of the pawl I with the ratchet wheel H
keeping the jaw F gripping; when it is desired to loosen the grip, the pawl I is
lifted from the ratchet H and the cylinder C turned back on the incline E as far
as may be desired or, by moving forward, at once dropped to the greatest extent
of opening of the jaws.
At Figure 3 it will be seen that I have substituted for the inclines E upon the
cylinders B and C Figure 2 an incline in the form of a groove E made in the
stock A of the spanner, and a projecting incline or projections K on the inside of
the revolving tube or cylinder B which latter is provided with pawl and ratchet
gear H I.
On the cylinder B being turned in one direction, the projection K travels in
the groove and the cylinder B causes the movable jaw to approach the fixed
jaw G and grip the nut or other article between them, the grip being maintained
by the ratchet; to release the grip, the pawl I is thrown out of gear with the
ratchet and the cylinder B turned in the opposite direction.
I may make the stock or handle cylindrical, polygonal or of any suitable shape
and use any suitable metal or material for the several parts of my improved
spanner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is —
1. An adjustable spanner in which the movable jaw is brought nearer to the

page_text: fixed jaw by means of steps or inclines operated substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. An adjustable spanner constructed, combined and arranged to operate
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the
accompanying drawing.
3. An adjustable spanner, constructed, combined and arranged to operate
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the
accompanying drawing.
4. An adjustable spanner, constructed, combined and arranged to operate
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the
accompanying drawing.
Dated this Twenty-third day of May 1891.
For the Applicant,
W. E. GEDGE,
Agent.