Improvements in Wrenches.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1892
•
Complete Specification Left, 8th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wrenches.
We, DANIEL CLETUS WIEST, Machinist, and WILLIAM FISHER FRY, Train
Dispatcher, both of Mohrsville, in the County of Berks and State of Pennsylvania,
and EDWARD HILL MARQUETTE, Attorney, of 745 North 8th Street, Reading in
he County of Berks, and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in wrenches, and it has for its object to
produce a simple, strong and durable ratchet wrench, which may be easily adjusted
to nuts of various sizes, which may be conveniently operated, and which is provided
with improved means for changing the ratchet so that the wrench may be used as
either a right or left hand wrench.
The wrench is provided with a head having a central circular aperture therein,
and the head merges into a shank which may be elongated to form a handle, or
which may be attached to a handle. The wrench head has an interior circum-
ferential recess in which the teeth of the jaw-holder are received and on the
backside of the head is a detachable plate which facilitates the insertion and
removal of the several parts. The wrench is provided with a revoluble jaw-holder
which is fitted to turn in the aperture of the wrench head and is provided with a
flaring mouth and with a tapering rear portion, which is of circular cross section,
and which assists the action of the jaws as described below. The jaw-holder is
thickened longitudinally and on opposite sides to increase its strength and to form
bearings for the screws which extend transversely through the thickened parts and
which have their inner ends rounded and made to protrude from the said thickened
portions to serve as bearings for the oscillating jaws which are held opposite each
other in the holder and which protrude from the face of the wrench, the jaws
having their outer ends provided with square sockets to fit a nut, their middle
portions reduced so as to fit the projecting part of the jaw-holder formed by the
oppositely-inclined walls, and their inner ends or bases enlarged and rounded so as
to fit the tapering wall of the jaw-holder. The jaws have also sockets in their
middle portions adapted to receive a bit, so that the wrench may be used instead
of a ratchet bit brace.
The inner edges of the bases of the jaw-holder are cut away, so that they may
fit nicely upon the rounded ends of the screws, and have inwardly-extending flanges
which are made somewhat Haring, and which engage an annular and inwardly-
extending flange on the cap which is screwed to the exterior threaded portion of
the jaw-holding nipple or holder, the back end of the latter being made to project
from the wrench head so as to facilitate the adjustment of the cap, and the cap
having an interiorly threaded flange to fit the thread of the jaw-holder.
It will be seen that by screwing the cap upon the threaded end of the jaw-
holder, the flange acting on the bases of the jaws, will oscillate the jaws on the
screws, the bases of the jaws following the taper of the jaw-holder, and the front
ends of the jaws will be forced together so as to be clamped upon a nut, and by
unscrewing the cap the action will be reversed, and the jaws allowed to separate.
On the exterior of the jaw-holder and near its front end, are teeth which are
fitted to revolve in the recess in the head and are adapted to be engaged by a
5 tooth on an oscillating pawl which is mounted in a recess in the wrench head at
one side of its central aperture, the pawl being placed parallel with the shank and
terminating at its outer end in a milled wheel, contained in a recess in the shank by
means of which it may be revolved. The tooth of the pawl is inclined on one side
Bo that the teeth may slip over it easily in one direction, but has a shoulder on the

page_text: opposite side which will prevent the movement of the teeth in the opposite direction.
By turning the pawl over, the inclination of the tooth will be reversed, and the
ratchet mechanism may be adjusted to turn either to the right or left. The pawl
is normally pressed forward so as to engage the teeth of the jaw-holder by a spring
inserted in a longitudinal recess in the pawl between its inner end and a guide-block
which enters the recess and bears upon the rear wall of the recess.
The wrench jaws may be adjusted upon a nut by means of the cap as described
above, and to turn the nut, the wrench is turned continuously in one direction, or
is turned back and forth, and in this case when turned in one direction the tooth
and pawl above mentioned will cause the jaw-holder and jaws to be turned forward,
but when turned in the other direction, the tooth will slip out of engagement with
the teeth on the jaw-holder so as to permit the easy and successful working of the
wrench.
In a modified means of adjusting the cap and consequently the jaws, the back
end of the cap is provided with teeth which are adapted to engage a pawl pivoted
at its outer end, to a lever which extends parallel with and along the back side of
the handle or shank, and the pawl is held in engagement with the teeth by a spring
which connects it with the lever. The lever has its pivoted end formed into a ring
which turns on a hub of the cap, and by moving the lever and permitting the shank
to remain stationary, the cap may be moved and the jaws tightened or loosened as
desired. The wrench is provided with the jaws and ratchet similar to those
described above, except that the pawl is very much elongated and the milled head
and recess are arranged near the centre of the handle instead of near the head of
the wrench.
According to another modified means of adjusting the jaws, the jaw holder is
substantially as described above, but the exterior screw thread is dispensed with
and the jaw holder has its opposite back walls thickened and interiorly threaded,
these thickened portions being rounded so as to form a segment of a circle, and the
jaws have their inner edges shaped to fit the thickened portion of the jaw holder, so
that the jaws may thus easily oscillate on the thickened portions. The cap is dis-
pensed with in this case and the jaws have their inner oval ends provided with
screws, which project inward and engage an annular groove in a nut or cap, which
is adapted to enter the jaw-holder, and is threaded to fit the threaded parts of the
same, the cap having a base flange by means of which it may be turned. It will
be seen that by turning the cap in or out, it will operate on the screws and bases of
the jaws, so as to open or close the jaws as desired.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wrenches.
We, DANIEL CLETUS WIEST, Machinist, and WILLIAM FISHER FRY, Train 4
Dispatcher, both of Mohrsville, in the County of Berks and State of Pennsylvania,
and EDWARD HILL MARQUETTE, Attorney, of 745 North 8th Street Reading, in
the County of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, 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 5
statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in wrenches, and it has for its object to
produce a simple, strong and durable ratchet wrench, which may be easily adjusted
to nuts of various sizes, which may be conveniently operated, and which is provided

page_text: WECHOR
1324
either a right or left hand wrencli.
To this end, our invention consists in certain features of construction and com-
binations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the views.
Figure 1 is a broken longitudinal section of the wrench head on the line 1-1 in
Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a broken rear elevation of the wrench head, partly in section, and with
the cover plate removed.
Figure 3 is a broken face view of the wrench head.
Figure 4 is a face view of the wrench provided with a modified means of turning
the jaws.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal central section of another modified form of wrench;
and
Figure 6 is a cross section on the line 6-6 in Figure 5.
The wrench is provided with a head 10, having a central circular aperture therein,
and the head merges into a shank 11 which may be elongated to form a handle, as
shown in Figure 4, or which may be attached to a handle. The wrench head 10
has an internal circumferential recess 12, in which a toothed revoluble jaw-holder 13
is received, and on the backside of the head is a detachable plate 10%, which
facilitates the insertion and removal of the several parts. The revoluble jaw-
holder 13 is mounted to turn in the aperture of the wrench head and is provided
with a flaring mouth 14 and with a tapering rear portion 15, which is of circular
cross section, and which assists the action of the jaws as described below. The jaw-
holder 13, is thickened longitudinally and on opposite sides as shown at 16 in
Figures 2 and 3, to increase its strength and to form bearings for the screws 17,
which extend transversely through the thickened parts 16, and which have their
inner ends 18 rounded and made to protrude from the said thickened portions to
serve as bearings for the oscillating jaws 19, which are held opposite each other in
the holder 13, and which protrude from the face of the wrench, the jaws having their
outer ends provided with square sockets 20 to fit a nut, their middle portions reduced,
as shown at 21, so as to fit the projecting part of the jaw-holder 13 formed by the
oppositely inclined walls 14 and 15, and their inner ends or bases enlarged and
rounded so as to fit the tapering wall 18 of the jaw-holder 13. The jaws have also
sockets 20 in their middle portions, adapted to receive a bit, so that the wrench may
be used instead of a ratchet bit brace.
The inner edges of the bases 22, of the jaw holder are cut away, as shown in
Figure 1, so that they may fit nicely upon the rounded ends 18 of the screws 17,
and the bases have inwardly-extending flanges 23, which are made somewhat
flaring, as best shown in Figure 1, and which engage an annular and inwardly-
extending flange 24, on the cap 25 which is screwed to the exterior threaded portion
of the jaw-holding nipple or holder 13, the back end of the latter being made to
project from the wrench head so as to facilitate the adjustment of the cap 25, and
the cap having an interiorly threaded flange 26, to fit the thread of the jaw-holder.
It will be seen that by screwing the cap 25 upon the threaded end of the jaw-
holder 13, the flange 24 acting on the bases 22 of the jaws, will oscillate the jaws
on the screws 17, the bases of the jaws following the taper of the jaw-holder, and
the front ends of the jaws will be forced together so as to be clamped upon a nut,
and by unscrewing the cap 25, the action will be reversed, and the jaws allowed to
separate.
On the exterior of the jaw-holder 13, and near its front end, are teeth 27, which
revolve in the recess 12 of the head 10, and are adapted to be engaged by a tooth 28
on an oscillating pawl 29, which is mounted in a recess 30 in the wrench head at
one side of its central aperture, the pawl being placed parallel with the shank II,
and terminating at its outer end in a milled wheel 31, by means of which it may be

page_text: revolved, said wheel being contained in a recess 32 of the shank 11. The tooth 28
of the pawl 29, is inclined on one side so that the teeth 27 may slip over it easily in
one direction, but has a shoulder on the opposite side which will prevent the move-
ment of the teeth in the opposite direction. By turning the pawl over, the
inclination of the tooth 28 will be reversed, and the ratchet mechanism may be
adjusted to turn either to the right or left. The pawl 29 is normally pressed
forward so as to engage the teeth 27 of the jaw-holder by a spring 33, inserted in a
longitudinal recess in the pawl between its inner end and a guide-block 34, which
enters the recess and bears upon the rear wall of the recess 32, as shown in
Figures and 2.
The jaws 19 may be adjusted upon a nut by means of the cap 25 as described
above, and to turn the nut, the wrench is turned continuously in one direction, or is
turned back and forth, and in this case when turned in one direction the tooth 28
and pawl 29, will cause the jaw-holder and jaws to be turned forward, but when
turned in the other direction, the tooth will slip out of engagement with the teeth 27,
so as to permit the easy and successful working of the wrench.
In Figure 4 we have shown a modified means of adjusting the cap and consequently
the jaws. In this case the back end of the cap 25 is provided with teeth 35 which
are adapted to engage a pawl 36, pivoted at its outer end, as shown at 37, to a
lever 38 which extends parallel with and along the back side of the handle or
shank 11, the pawl being held in engagement with the teeth by a spring 39, which
connects it with the lever 38. The lever 38 has its pivoted end formed into a
ring 39 which turns on a hub 40 on the cap, and by moving the lever and permitting
the shank 11 to remain stationary the cap may be moved and the jaws tightened or
loosened as desired. The wrench is provided with the jaws and ratchet similar to
those shown in Figures 1 to 3, and described above, except that the pawl 29 is very
much elongated and the milled head 31 and recess 32 are arranged near the centre
of the handle instead of near the head 10 of the wrench.
In Figures 5 and 6, we have shown another modified means of adjusting the jaws.
Here, the jaw holder 13 is substantially as described above, but the exterior screw
thread is dispensed with and the jaw-holder 13 has its opposite back walls thickened
and interiorly threaded as shown at 41, these thickened portions being rounded so
as to form a segment of a circle, as shown in Figure 5, and the jaws 19, have their
inner edges shaped to fit the thickened portions 41 of the jaw-holder, as shown at 42,
so that the jaws may thus easily oscillate on the thickened portions. As shown in
these Figures 5 and 6, the cap 25 is dispensed with, and the jaws have their inner,
oval ends 22 provided with screws 43, which project inward and engage an annular
groove 44, in a nut or cap 45, which is adapted to enter the jaw-holder, and is
threaded to fit the threaded parts 41 of said jaw-holder, the cap having a base
flange 46, by means of which it may be turned.
It will be seen that by turning the cap 45 in or out, it will operate on the
screws 43 and bases 22 of the jaws so as to open or close the jaws as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A wrench, comprising a handle having an apertured head, a revoluble jaw-
holder mounted in the head and having a ratchet connection therewith, jaws pivoted
in the jaw-holder and projecting therefrom, and a cap having a screw connection
with the jaw-holder and adapted to operate the jaws, substantially as described.
2. A wrench comprising an apertured head adapted to be secured to a handle, a
jaw holder mounted to turn in the head and having a ratchet connection therewith,
the jaw-holder having a flaring mouth and a tapering inner wall, a pair of oscillating
jaws pivoted in the jaw-holder and projecting therefrom, the jaws being shaped to
fit the inner wall of the jaw-holder, and a screw cap mounted on the back end of
the jaw-holder and adapted to operate the jaws, substantially as described.
3. A wrench comprising an apertured head, a jaw-holder mounted to turn in the

page_text: head and having a shifting ratchet connection therewith, a jaw-holder having a
flaring mouth and a tapering inner wall, a pair of oscillating jaws pivoted in the
jaw-holder and shaped to fit the wall thereof, and a screw cap mounted to turn on
the back end of the jaw-holder and having an engagement with the jaws whereby
the latter may be opened and closed by the movement of the cap, substantially as
described.
4. In a wrench, the combination with a handle having an apertured head, of a
jaw-holder mounted in the head and having a ratchet connection therewith, jaws
pivoted in the jaw-holder, a cap having a screw connection with the jaw-holder and
adapted to operate the jaws and a pawl and ratchet mechanism for operating the
cap, substantially as described.
5. In a wrench, the combination with a handle having an apertured head, of a
jaw-holder mounted in the head and having a screw-threaded extension, a pawl and
ratchet mechanism for turning the jaw-holder, jaws pivoted in the said holder, and
a screw cap screwed on the extension of the jaw-holder and provided with an
inwardly-extending flange engaging the jaws, substantially as herein shown and
described.
Dated November 8th 1892.
D. C. WIEST,
W. F. FRY,
E. H. MARQUETTE,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.