IMPROVEMENTS IN WRENCHES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM HENRY RATCLIFF, of 22 Court, 1 House, Heneage Street,
Birmingham, Warwickshire, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WRENCHES" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My Invention relates to Improvements in wrenches and is applicable either to
such as have stationary or sliding jaws.
The object of my Invention is to provide a wrench with an adjustable pivotted
gripping-roll which may be swung into position upon the inner face of the jaw so as
to serve the purposes of a pipe wrench and when desired may be swung out of
position so as to leave the implement adapted as a nut wrench.
On the accompanying sheets of drawings the same letters of reference indicate
the same parts in the several Figures.
I will first describe my Invention with reference more particularly to Figures 1,
2, 3, & 4.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a sliding jaw-wrench with my Invention
applied and adapted as a pipe wrench. Figure 2 represents a similar view showing
the pipe gripper-roll turned away from the wrench-jaws leaving the same in
position to serve as a nut-wrench. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the
gripper-roll removed. Figure 4 represents a section through the sliding jaw.
A represents the handle of the wrench, from which extends the shank bar B,
provided at its outer or extreme end with the stationary jaw C, and carrying the
adjustable jaw D and its sliding frame E, which is provided with the adjusting-
nut F, having an external or peripheral screw-thread, which engages with the
lateral teeth or sectional thread formed upon the said shank-bar B, as heretofore.
The said sliding frame E has journalled therein the said adjusting-nut F, as shown,
and is provided with a longitudinal opening provided with a spiral spring H,
which has a bearing within the opening of the said frame E at one end, with the
sliding pivot L, which passes through the said opening, and has secured to each end
thereof an arm K, having journalled at or between the opposite ends a friction-roll N,
which is "milled or roughed externally, so as to take hold of or grip the pipe F,
as it is brought into contact with the same in the act of turning the said pipe P by
the movement of the wrench round about the same, which causes the said gripper

page_text: roll N to rotate sufficiently upon the surface of the pipo as it approaches the point
of its diameter in a line with its bearing upon the shank-bar, and at a point nearly
parallel with its bearing upon the face of the said stationary jaws C, as shown.
By this means a very firm grip or hold upon the pipe is obtained without liability
of crushing or injuring the same, as in caso the usual pointed end of the jaw of a
pipe-tongs is employed to turn the pipe forcibly, as heretofore.
When it is desirable to employ the wrench to turn common square or other
angle faced or shaped nuts, the friction-roll N and its carrier-arms K are turned
over toward the handle of the wrench into position as shewn in Figures 2, 6, 8 & 10,
the yielding of the said spring II permitting such movement and its pressure upon
the said sliding pivot L, which may be flattened upon one side so as to hold the
pipe-turning mechanism in this position when not required for turning round rods
or pipes. The wrench being placed upon the pipe first, then the gripper roll
swung over into position so as to rest upon the pipe, as shown in Figures i, 5, 7, 9
& 10, it is very evident that by a slight rotation of the wrench about the pipe in
the right direction the gripper-roll will be carried into sharp contact or caused to
impinge the pipe with sufficient force to turn the same as desired, and that by
simply turning the wrench in the opposite direction the said gripper-roll is
instantly released therefrom.
It will be seen in Figure 4 that the said spring H is inserted within the sliding
frame E. of the jaw D through a hole formed in the rear end thereof, into which
hole is driven the journal-pin P, upon which the adjusting-nut F rotates, thus
securing the spring in position, it having a bearing at one end against the surface
of the said sliding pin L, which turns upon that end of the spring, the opposite end
of the spring bearing as shown..
Figures 5 & 6 represent in elevation and section a cheaper form of sliding jaw
wrench with my Invention applied. Its operation as a pipe wrench or nut wrench
is the same as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 & 4, but instead of making the shank-bar B,
fixed to the handle A, I make the handle A, and the sliding frame E in one piece
and the shank B to be operated on by means of a nut Q working on the screwed
end of the shank B. The pin R fixed to the shank B prevents the jaws being
opened too widely by reason of its coming into contact with frame E.
Figures 7, 8, 9 & 10 represent stationary jaw wrenches with my Invention
applied, that shown in Figures 9 & 10 being applicable to pipes and nuts of
different sizes. My Invention can of course be also applied to double ended
wrenches as will be readily understood.
It must be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details as herein
described and illustrated as variations may be made without departing from the
nature of my Invention.
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:
The combination and use with either sliding or stationary jaw wrenches of a
gripping-roll carried by swinging arms and adapted to operate as and for the
purposes herein sot forth.
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