Improvement in Wrenches for Pipes and Bars.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1896
1007
Ascented
1th Sant
1837
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Wrenches for Pipes and Bars.
I, EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of 33 Chancery Lane, in the County of London,
and 30 East Parade, Leeds, in the County of York, Fellow of the Chartered Insti-
tute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a
communication to me from abroad by J. H. Williams and Company a corporation
of Nos. 9 to 15 Richard Street, in the City of Brooklyn and State of New York,
United States of America, Manufacturers), to be as follows:
In this wrench there is a lever handle and jaws with serrated edges permanently
fastened to the end of the lever handle, and a chain with one end permanently
connected to the wrench, and adapted to be passed around the pipe, bar or other
article to be acted upon, the moving portion of the chain being received into
recesses in the jaws, and held thereby while acting upon the pipe or other article.
The special features of novelty of the present invention, relate to the jaws having
serrated edges with rounding ends to the serrations, instead of sharp noints as
heretofore made use of, the object being to prevent injury to the article acted
upon, and also to the chain which frequently comes into contact with the serra-
tions of the jaws, when wrapped around the article to be moved.
The lever handle is made with a fork at the end that passes in between the
jaws, and the connections between the hardened steel jaws and the lever handle
are made by the outer edges of the fork passing into recesses in the jaws, and by
tubular bolts passed through the jaws and into the fork, there being one bolt
passing in from each side, and these bolts being tubular receive into or through
them, a pin that passes through the end link of the chain. This allows for the
replacing of the pin if bent or injured, and it also stiffens the fork and preserves
the parts of the lever handle and fork in proper alignment, and allows for the
chain to be removed and another or different chain substituted if desired.
The edges of the jaws are recessed or made concave, immediately behind the
serrations, so as to allow for the slackening up of the parts by a reverse movement
of the lever handle, and for preventing the chain wrench becoming wedged around
the pipe or other article.
In the rear portions of the jaws, recesses are formed with adjacent, inward pro-
jections for receiving the links of the chain, and the top and bottom surfaces of
the lever handle are grooved as continuations of the fork, so that the links of the
chain may pass into such grooves as the chain is received and held by the recesses
and projections.
With this wrench a chain is sometimes used similar to a cable chain with open
elliptical links, because this can be wound around the article to be moved with
facility. In other instances, however, a chain composed of flat plate links is made use
of united together by cross pins, the ends of the pins projecting so as to be
received into the recesses on the jaws, and in order to combine the respective
advantages of a cable chain, and a rate link chain, projections are made upon the
links corresponding generally to the projecting ends of the cross pivot pins of the

page_text: plate link chain, such projections being in line centrally, or nearly so, with the
points of contact of one link with the next, and clevis links are introduced into
this chain in joining the plate link portions to the cable link portions, such clevis
links having projections, similar to those on the cable links; and it is also advan-
tageous with the cable links and with the clevis links, to make the end portions
thicker than the sides, to obtain uniformity of strength. To allow the chain to
be twisted or wound around the article to be moved in any desired direction,
there is introduced into the chain universal joint connections, in the form of cross
pins having projecting ends, and receiving through the same a cross pin of the
plate chain or of the clevis link. The recesses in the projections of the jaws are
made to receive either the cable links or the projections or cross pins of the
chain.
Dated this 27th love of Ontalvo 1806
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
A communication to me from J. H. WILLIAMS & COMPANY, a corporation of
Nos. 9 to 15 Richards Street, in the City of Brooklyn and State of New York,
United States of America, Manufacturers.
I, EDWARD GRIFFITI BREWER, of No. 33 Chancery Lane in the County of London
and 30 East Parade, Leeds, in the County of York, Fellow of the Chartered Insti-
tute of Patent Agents, 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 and accompanying drawings, that is to say: ---
In this wrench there is a lever handle and jaws with serrated edges permanently
fastened to the end of the lever handle and a chain with one end permanently
connected to the wrench and adapted to be passed around the pipe, bar or other
article to be acted upon, the moving portion of the chain being received into
recesses in the jaws and held thereby while acting upon the pipe or other article.
The special features of novelty of the present invention relate to the jaws having
the serrated edges with rounding ends to the serrations instead of sharp points as
heretofore made use of, the object being to prevent injury to the article acted
upon and also to the chain which frequently comes into contact with the serra-
tions of the jaws when wrapped around the article to be moved.
The lever handle is made with a fork at the end that passes in between the
jaws, and the connections between the hardened steel jaws and the lever handle
are made by the outer edges of the fork passing into recesses in the jaws and by
tubular bolts passed through the jaws and into the fork, there being one boft
passing in from each side, and these bolts being tubular receive into or through
them a pin that passes through the end link of the chain. This allows for the
replacing of the pin if bent or injured, and it also stiffens the fork and preserves
the parts of the lever handle and fork in proper alignment and allows for the
chain to be removed and another or different chain substituted if desired.
The edges of the jaw are recesed or made concave, immediately behind the
serrations so as to allow for the slackening up of the parts by a reverse movement
of the lever handle and for preventing the chain wrench becoming wedged around
the pipe or other article.
In the rear portions of the jaws recesses are formed with adjacent, inward

page_text: projections for receiving the links of the chain, and the top and bottom surfaces of
the lever handle are grooved as continuations of the fork, so that the links of the
chain may pass into such grooves as the chain is received and held by the recesses
and projections.
With this wrench a chain is sometimes used similar to a cable chain with open
elliptical links, because this can be wound around the article to be moved with
facility. In other instances, however, a chain is made use of composed of flat
plate links united together by cross pins, the ends of the pins projecting so as to be
received into the recesses on the jaws, and in order to combine the respective
advantages of a cable chain, and a plate link chain projections are made upon the
links corresponding generally to the projecting ends of the cross pivot pins of the
plate link chain, such projections being in line centrally, or nearly so, with the
noints of contact of one link with the next, and clevis links are introduced into
this chain in joining the plate link portions to the cable portions, such clevis
links having projections similar to those on the cable links; and it is also advan-
tageous with the cable links and with the clevis links, to make the end portions
thicker than the sides to obtain uniformity of strength. To allow the chain to
be twisted or wound around the article to be moved in any desired direction,
universal joint connections are introduced into the chain in the form of cross
pins having projecting enas and receiving through the same a cross pin of the
plate chain or of the clevis link. The recesses in the projections of the jaws are
made to receive either the cable links or the projections or cross pins of the chain.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of one of the jaws with the handle in
section. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a cross section through the jaws and
bolts, the heads of the bolts being shown in elevation; and Fig. 4 is a cross section
at the line 4, 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side view. Fig. 6 an edge view of the chain
connections employed in the wrench and Fig. 7 shows the jaw recesses as receiving
part of a plate chain.
The handle A is forked at its end and of course is to be of any desired length,
and the jaws B are connected at opposite sides of the forked ends, and usually the
jaws are recessed upon their inner surfaces to receive the outer surfaces of the
forked end of the handle, and there are recesses 3, adapted to receive the links of
the chain. These recesses are advantageously rounding, as shown, so that a link
of the cable chain can be received into such recesses, as indicated by the dotted
lines in Fig. 2, the links that are adjacent to the one that is received within the
recesses 3, are at right angles and their edges pass into the recesses 5, upon the
surface of the handle immediately adjacent and as a continuation of the opening
between the forks of the handle, and these recesses 5 have compound curved
surfaces, as illustrated in Fig. 4, so that the link of the chain that is received into
one of such recesses will be guided thereby and take its proper position, and there
are no sharp angles or edges to the recesses, but the rounding or compound curved
edges of such recesses allow the links to slip down freely into the recess without
any risk of injury to the link or of the link becoming an obstruction to prevent
the adjacent link properly passing into the recesses 3.
Instead of making the jaws B at the rear of the teeth G either straight or
convex, as heretofore, these portions of the jaws are made concave, as at 48, the
object being to more easily loosen or tighten the chain around the pipe, that is
to say, when the wrench is being applied to the pipe the concave portion 48 of the
jaws can rest upon the pipe, the chain can be passed around the pipe and engaged,
as hereinafter described, and then by drawing the wrench bodily backward the
teeth of the jaws are brought into contact with the pipe, and in so doing the chain
is sufficiently tightened to cause the parts properly to hold the pipe, and when the
wrench is to be disconnected the movement in the other direction brings the con-
cave portion 48 of the jaws adjacent to the pipe, and the chain is immediately
slackened sufficient to allow it to be easily unhooked and disconnected.
The screw-bolts C are adapted to pass through the jaws B and into the forks
of the handle A, and these bolts are of the proper length so as not to project to

page_text: an appreciable extent into the mortise or opening between the forks of the
handle A, and by these bolts C the jaws B are secured to the fork of the handle
in the most reliable manner. Each of these bolts C is made tubular, the hole in
the bolt being of a size corresponding with and adapted to receive the cross-pin D,
which pin passes through the eye of the end link E, and to this link E other links F
are connected, such links F being elliptical and open and of a character known as
"cable links."
The cross-pin 1) is received into and fits comparatively tight the holes in the
tubular bolts C. Hence the bolts support the pin and the pin also aids in holding
the jaws in their proper relative positions and prevents the fork either spreading
or closing by any lateral strain upon the jaws of the wrench, and this cross-pin D
can be removed in case it becomes worn or injured by taking out one of the
bolts C.
As before mentioned, the links of the cable-chain F frequently have to be led
across the edges of the jaws B, as such chain is wound around a pipe or fitting,
and hence when the wrench is actuated by the lever-handle the serrations or
teeth 6 upon such jaws come forcibly into contact with the links of the chain and
tend to embed themselves and injure such chain. This is largely prevented and
the injury reduced to a minimum by rounding the ends of the teeth, as shown at 7.
This may be done in the forging or by grinding when finishing up the jaws, and
it is also found advantageous to round the outer ends of the teeth 6, as shown at 8,
for the purposes before mentioned.
If the holes in the bolts C are bored completely through such bolts, the pin D
may be made longer, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and be held in place
by riveting up the ends or otherwise, and such pin can be easily removed without
loosening either bolt C. In Figs. 5 and 6 the chain is shown which it is preferred
to use.
The link E at the end passes in between the jaws and into a slot between 'the
forked ends of the handle or lever, and the cross-pin D is within a slot or longi-
tudinal mortise that passes through the jaws and through the fork of the handle A.
The object of providing this slot is to allow the cross-pin 1) to be moved toward
or from the serrations or place of bearing of the jaws upon the article to be turned,
so that in relieving the strain upon the chain by moving the handle in the opposite
direction the crosspin may be slipped either one way or the other in the mortise
to aid in liberating the chain and preventing the parts becoming wedged upon
the pipe or fitting.
It is advantageous to employ one or more oval or cable links 27, as these allow
the chain to be moved freely in any direction closely adjacent to the jaw, and it
is not necessary at these links to make any provision for connecting them re-
movably with the hooks or projections upon the jaw, because these parts have to
be passed around the pipe or other article. The link 27, however, is not to be
welded, but forged out of suitable iron or steel, and to connect the same to the
link E the clevis-link 16 is employed that is open at one end and receives through
it the cross-rivet connecting it to the link E.
Projections 38 in the form of studs are provided at suitable intervals apart
throughout the other portions of the chain, which studs engage hooks or projec-
tions f, upon the jaws, Fig. 5, or enter the recesses 3, in the jaws, Figs. 1 and 2.
The clevis-links 16 and 9 are each made with one end approximately similar
to one end of the cable-link 27, and the other end is made similar to one end of a
plate-link, such plate-link being shown at 10. Instead of the ends of the links, 16,
27 and 9 being of the same thickness as the sides of the links, as in ordinary
cable-links, such ends are thicker, so as to be equal in strength, 'or nearly so, to
the two side portions, thus obtaining the necessary strength and lightness.
The projections 38 are made by the ends of the cross pins or pivots that connect
the respective links; but the links 15, 17 and 22 have projections 18 forged on
them, such projections corresponding in size and shape to the ends 38 of the
pivot-pins.

page_text: The links 11 and 13 are substantially similar, with the exception that the
link 11 has one part that passes between the jaws of the clevis-link 9, and the
link 13 has two parts or a jaw receiving between it the links 10, and these parts 11
and 13 are pivoted together upon the cross-pin or rivet 14, there benig a tongue
upon the link 13 that goes between the jaws upon the link 11, and 'Hence the joint
between 11 and 13 is perpendicular to the joint between 9 and 11, so that the parts
can swing in opposite directions as the chain may be wrapped around a pipe-
fitting or other article, and upon the tongue of the link 13 the lateral projec-
tions 28 are provided for engaging the jaws of the wrench.
The clevis-link 15 is similar to the link 9, so as to connect the plate-link's 10
with the cable-link 36, and this link 15 has projections 18 at the rounded end of
it the proper distance from the other projections for engaging the hooks or pro-
jections upon the jaws of the wrench, and the cable-link 17 is made with the
lateral projections 18 at each end; but these do not interfere with the freedom
of movement of the cable-links when they are wrapped around the pipe or fitting.
The clevis-link 20 is similar to the links 16 and 9, and the link 22 is similar
to the link 15, and the links 20 and 22 are united to a universal piece 26, the
rivets 24 in this instance being formed by studs extending out from the piece 26
and passing through the round ends of the link 20, there being a cross-rivet 21
passing through the ends of the clevis-link 22 and through the piece 26, the 'cross-
rivet 21 being perpendicular to the rivets 24, so that the links 20 and 22 can
stand at any desired angle or inclination one to the other.
It is generally preferable to employ links in the order indicated herein, as the
chain has flexibility in different directions and is best adapted to the objects
intended; but the order in which the different links may be placed in the chain
will vary according to the particular object for which the wrench may be
constructed.
The sides of the links 11 and 13 are adapted to bear against the cylindrical
surface of the pipe or other article because the end portions of these links are
wider than the joints through which the pin 14 passes, hence there is but little
tendency to bend the tongue that comes between the jaws of the links 11.
The piece 26 and the studs and rivets form with the clevis-links a universal
joint, and instead of the rivet 21 passing through such piece 26. there may be
projecting studs in the same place. It is to be understood that the clevis-links
having the eyes for the studs are sprung open to introduce the joint-piece and
then bent back to shape.
It will be apparent that the projections which engage the hooks upon the
wrench are in all instances immediately adjacent to the curved end of either the
link or the shackle, and hence such projections are rigid and not liable to be bent,
because they are connected across the strong and thick end of the link or shackle,
whereas in links that have heretofore been used with projections upon the straight
sides the projections act with a leverage to bend the metal of the straight sides,
the same being unsupported by a connection from one side to the other, and in all
cases the centers of the projections on the links are in line, or nearly so, with the
inner surfaces of the links at their ends, where one link contacts with the next.
Hence the distances between the projections remain substantially the same 'even
when one elliptical link or clevis-link is at an angle to the next.
In Fig. 7 the recesses 3 are represented as receiving the pins or projections 38
on the flat link or plate chain, there being inner recesses shaped to receive the
ends of such pivot pins or projections and to properly support the strain 'apon
them.
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 is
claimed is:-
First: The combination with the forked handle and the jaws at the sides
thereof, of screw-bolts passing through the jaws and into the fork of the handle,

page_text: such screw-bolts being tubular, a cross-pin received within and supported by the
tubular bolts, and a chain with an end liuk received between the forks of the
handle and through the end of which link the, cross-pin passes, substantially as
set forth.
Second: The combination in a chain wrench with the chain, of a handle and
jaws at the ends of the handle and having serrated edges and rounding surfaces
at the ends of the teeth, substantially as set forth.
Third: The combination in a chain wrench, of a handle-bar forked at the end,
and a cable-chain fastened at one end of the fork, jaws connected at each side
with the fork of the handle-bar and having teeth at both sides and recesses in the
rear portions of each jaw adapted to receive the links of the cable chain, there
being grooves in the surfaces of the handle-bar forming continuations of the fork
for the links of the cable-chain, substantially as set forth.
Fourth: The combination in a chain wrench, of a handle-bar forked at the
end, jaws at the sides of the fork, tubular screws for connecting the jaws and fork,
there being serrations upon the jaws with rounded corners to the teeth, a cross-pin
and a cable-link chain one end of which passes into the fork of the handle-bar
and a cross-pin passing through such end link and into the tubular screws,
substantially as set forth.
Fifth The combination in a pipe-wrench with a forked handle and jaws at
the sides thereof, of tubular screw-bolts passing through the jaws and into the
forked handle, and a cross-pin received within and supported by the tubular bolts,
substantially as set forth.
Sixth The combination in a pipe-wrench, of a handle-bar forked at the end
with jaws at the sides of the fork, tubular screw-bolts for connecting the jaws and
fork, there being serrations upon the jaws, with rounded corners to the teeth and
a cross-pin received within and supported by the tubular bolts, substantially as
set forth.
Seventh-The combination with the wrench having jaws and a lever, of a
chain, an end link to the chain passing into a mortise between the jaws, and a
cross-pin passing through the end link, there being a cross-mortise through the
jaws for receiving the cross-pin and allowing the same to be moved laterally in
either direction, and means for engaging the chain after it has been passed
around the pipe or other article, substantially as set forth.
Eighth The combination with the handle and jaws in a wrench, of a chain
composed of cable-links and plate links, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
Ninth The combination in a wrench with the handle and jaws, of a chain
having a cable-link, a plate link and a clevis-link passing through the cable-link
and riveted to the plate link, substantially as set forth.
Tenth The combination with the handle and jaws in a wrench, of a chain
having elliptical links one passing through the other, there being studs projecting
from opposite sides of the links immediately adjacent to the rounded ends of
such links and adapted to engage the projections upon the wrench, substantially
as set forth.
Eleventh-The combination with the jaws and lever in a wrench, of a chain
connected at one end to the lever and having links with universal joints between
one link and the next and projections at opposite sides of the chain and in line
with each other for engaging the hooks upon the wrench, substantially as set
forth.
Twelfth The combination in a chain for chain wrenches, of onen clevis-links
and complete links with similar ends having laterally projecting studs at both
sides and ends, substantially as specified.
Thirteenth The combination in a chain for chain wrenches, of open clevis-
links with studs projecting from the sides adjacent to the end bends, and complete
links with similar ends having laterally projecting studs at both sides and ends,
substantially as described.

page_text: Fourteenth-The chain for chain wrenches having clevis-links standing in
opposite directions with a universal-joint piece between their open ends,
substantially as specified.
Fifteenth: The combination in a chain wrench, of a handle having a fork at
its front end, jaws having serrated front edges and grooved in their inner faces
to set tightly upon the outer sides of the handle-fork, and two separate bolts
passing through the jaws and into the fork, substantially as set forth.
Sixteenth: The combination in a chain wrench adapted for use with either
an open cable or flat-link chain, of two jaws having serrated edges, a handle
forked at the end, a chain and cross-pin for connecting the end link of the chain
in the fork, the jaws being provided with flaring recesses adapted to receive and
interlock with a cable chain having open elliptical links and with recesses 3
within the flaring recesses for receiving the ends of the cross connecting pins or
rivets in a flat-link chain, substantially as set forth.
Seventeenth-The wrench having jaws that are made with concave edges
immediately in the rear of the serrations to allow for slackening up the parts by
a reverse movement of the lever handle, substantially as set forth.
Eighteenth The combination in a chain wrench, of a handle forked at its
end, a cross-pin passing through the fork, a chain having a link through which
the cross-pin passes, jaws permanently connected to the handle-bar at each side
of the fork and having serrated edges at each side and concave edge portions
behind the serrated edges, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of July 1897
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.