CERTAIN NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE WRENCHES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles William Alden, of Charlestown, of the
State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America, for the
Invention of "CERTAIN NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE
WRENCHES." A communication by Daniel Chapman Stillson, residing
at Charlestown, aforesaid.
Scaled the 14th June 1870, and dated the 28th April 1870.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles William Alden at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 28th April 1870, pursuant to the 9th Section of
the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WILLIAM ALDEN, of Charlestown, of the State of Massachusetts, of
the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention of " CERTAIN NEW AND
USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE WRENCHES," and have petitioned Her Majesty

page_text: to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that
the same is a communication to me by one Daniel Chapman Stillson, a
person resident at Charlestown aforesaid.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles William Alden, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, which
denotes a side elevation of my said wrench :-
My Invention, although belonging to that class of devices termed
"pipe wrenches," and being especially designed for grasping and either
holding or turning hollow pipes or bodies having cylindrical surfaces, is
equally adapted to perform all the functions of ordinary wrenches,
except in being used as a hammer, and the nature of my said Invention
consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the fixed and
adjustable jaws, and the manner of connecting them together, whereby
they are rendered capable of readily grasping and either holding or
rotating either square, polygonal, cylindrical, or curved surfaces as may
be desirable; and my Invention further consists in the arrangement
of the shank of the movable jaw, viz., in rear of the fixed jaw and its
shank, whereby advantage is attained, as herein-after set forth.
In the said Drawing A denotes the handle of the wrench; A', the
shank of the wrench, one end of which is inserted within the handle,
the other or upper end B of which inclines slightly to the front, and is
formed or provided with one or more transverse teeth b, which pitch
forward, the said upper end B constituting the lower or fixed jaw.
Pivotted to the said jaw B upon its rear side is a hollow frame or
saddle C, the lower or inferior part c of which extends forward so as to
embrace the shank A', while the rear portion furnishes a housing for
the shank D of the sliding or adjustable jaw E. The shank D is
provided with a male screw and passes through a corresponding
nut F placed within a transverse groove in the frame, so that by
turning the said nut to the right or left the shank and jaw will be
correspondingly raised or lowered. The said shank D of the movable
jaw instead of being disposed in front of the main or fixed shank is
arranged in rear thereof, and the said movable jaw instead of sliding
inward and lessening the leverage of the wrench as the diameter or

page_text: width of the object to be grasped increases moves outward, and instead
of diminishing such leverage augments the same in corresponding ration
to the distance moved. The inner end of the adjustable jaw E is placed
at a right angle to the shanks A¹ and D, and is also provided with one or
more transverse teeth e, which pitch to the rear or in a direction
opposite to those upon the fixed jaw. The lower part c of the frame C
extends forward of the shank A¹, and is recessed out so as to permit said
lower part to swing to the rear, by which means the relative angles of
the inner faces of the jaws are changed, the length of said recess being
such as to permit said lower part c to swing to the rear a sufficient
distance only to bring said jaws nearly or quite parallel with each other.
A spring G is secured to the front side of the shank A₁; its free end
bearing against the forward end of the recess within the part c holds the
frame in the position shown in the Drawing, except when changed by
the operation of the wrench.
As thus constructed the wrench is complete, and its operation is as
follows: The jaws B and E being adjusted so as to permit a pipe to pass
between them nearly to the shank D the handle is to be pressed forward,
and turning upon the pivot connecting it with the frame shuts the jaws
together and firmly clasps the said pipe between them. The front end
of the lower part c striking against the shank A' arrests the motion of
the frame and jaws, and thus prevents the latter from crushing the pipe
as would otherwise be the case. The pipe is instantly released by
removing the pressure from the handle so as to permit the wrench to be
rotated upon or removed from said pipe.
From the above it will be seen by my peculiar arrangement of the
movable shank D and jaw E with respect to the stationary or fixed
shank and its jaw that as the diameter or size of the pipe or object
grasped between the jaws is increased the leverage or power of the
wench is increased in a like ratio; whereas in ordinary wrenches the
reverse of this is the case, that is, the greater the diameter or width of
the object grasped the less is the leverage and power of the wrench.
Other advantages possessed by my wrench are found in the ease with
which it is adjusted upon a pipe or removed therefrom, and the certainty
of its operation, in addition to which the strength and simplicity of its
parts ensures great durability at a moderate cost.
Having thus set forth the nature and merits of my Invention, what I
claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

page_text: 1st. The within described wrench, consisting of the shanks A' and D,
the jaws B and E, the frame C, the nut F, and the spring G,
substantially as above specified.
2nd. The frame C pivotted to or upon the shank A', and provided
with the slotted part c enclosing the shanks A¹ and D by means of
which the jaws B and E are permitted to close upon but not crush a
pipe, substantially as above specified.
3rd. The arrangement of the movable shank or bar D, viz., in rear
of the main or stationary-shank A¹ and jaw B, in manner and for the
purpose as above specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles William Alden, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.