Improvements in Combination Pipe and Monkey Wrenches.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combination Pipe and Monkey Wrenches.
I, THOMAS DIXON (Machinist) of Highland Avenne McKeesport, in the County
of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved combination pipe
and monkey wrench which is simple and durable in construction, arranged to permit
a quick adjustment of the jaw, and to securely hold the latter in place after proper
adjustment is made.
The invention consists principally of a fixed jaw, a removable jaw, and a roller
jaw journalled in arnis fulcrumed on said removable jaw.
The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the
same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in both the figures.
Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement applied as a pipe wrench; and
Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same.
The improved wrench is provided with a handled shank A, formed at one end
with a fixed jaw or head B, opposite which is arranged a niovable jaw C, fitted
to slide longitudinally on the shank A. In the rear part of said movable jaw C
is formed a recess C, in which is fitted fo slide vertically a block D, carrying on
its bottom teeth adapted to mesh into corresponding teeth formed in a rack E,
secured in a recess in the top of the shank A. The block D is pressed in an
upward direction by springs F, held in the jaw C and engaging lags on the ends
of said block D, so that the latter is normally held out of engagement with the
teeth of the rack E, to permit of sliding the jaw C longitudinally on the shank A.
The top surface of the block D is inclined, as plainly shown in Figure 2, and
this top is engaged by a wedge G, fitted to slide longitudinally in the recess C³, so
as to move the block D downward against the tension of the springs and bring
the teeth of the block in engagement with the teeth of the rack E. The wedge G
is provided with an upwardly extending bolt G1, passing through a longitudinal
slot (formed in the cover plate for closing the recess C', the cover plate being
secured on the top of the rear end of the jaw C.
On the outer end of the bolt G screws a thumb nut G' abutting against the
cover plate C3, said nut when released permitting of conveniently sliding the wedge G
forward or backward, to move the teeth of the block D in or out of engagement
with the rack E. Thus when the wrench is to be used as an ordinary monkey
wrench, the operator first loosens the thumb nut G2, then moves it and the wedge Ġ
forward in the direction of the arrow a', to permit the block D to riso out of
engagement with the rack E. The jaw C is now free to slide and can be moved
forward or backward on the jaw A to the desired position, that is, to cause the
distance between the jaws B and C to approximate to the size of the article
to be acted on by the wrench. When this position has been reached, the operator
moves the wedge G backward in the inverse direction of the arrow a', and then
screws the nut G down to hold the wedge in place, it being understood that during
the rearward movement of the wedge, the block D is depressed and its teeth moved
in mesh with the rack E.

page_text: In order to use the wrench as a pipe wrench, I provide a roller jaw H, journalled
in arins H' on a transversely extending shaft or pin H2, fitted to slide vertically in
suitable bearings C formed in the front end of the jaw C. A spring I rests on the
shaft H, within a recess in the jaw C and the top of the spring is engaged by a
block J, screwing in the top of the jaw.
When the wrench is to be used as a monkey wrench the roller jaw H is placed in
a rearmost or inactive position the roller then resting on the cover plate C³, as
indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. When, however, it is desired to use the
wrench as a pipe wrench, the arms H' are swung forward to bring the roller jaw H
in front of the face of the jaw C, as indicated in full lines in Figures 1 and 2, to
permit the roller jaw to engage the pipe opposite the jaw B and near the top of
the pipe, as plainly indicated in the drawings.
The jaw is adjustable, as above described, on the shank A, to bring the face of the
jaw close to the pipe to be acted on, as shown in Figure 2. By this arrangement,
the jaw C is first adjusted according to the size of the pipe, and then the roller jaw H
is adjusted in place for gripping the pipe in conjunction with the fixed jaw B. Thus,
it will be seen that the wrench can be readily changed from a monkey wrench to
a pipe wrench, and rice versa.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I deciare that what I
claim is,
1. A wrench, comprising a fixed jaw, a movable jaw on the shank of the fixed jaw
and having a recess formed in it, a block in said recess adapted to move transversely
of the fixed jaw shank and having teeth to engage teeth on the shank, a wedge
adapted to slide longitudinally of the recess and engage upon a longitudinally inclined
surface of the block, and clamping means for said wedge, substantially as specified.
2. A wrench, comprising a fixed jaw, a jaw movable on the shank of the fixed jaw,
clamping means comprising a slidable wedge, a roller jaw, arms in which said roller
jaw is mounted, a shaft from which said arms extend, the said shaft having bearings
in slots in the movable jaw extended parallel with the gripping face of the movable
jaw, a spring engaging on said shaft, and a screw block in the movable jaw engaging
the opposite end of the spring, substantially as specified.
3. A monkey wrench, comprising a shank carrying a fixed jaw, a movable jaw fitted
to slide on said shank, a rack secured on said shank, a spring-pressed toothed block
fitted to slide in said movable jaw and adapted to engage the said rack, and a
wedge movable on said movable jaw and adapted to engage said toothed block,
substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 8th day of September 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.