An Improved Nut Wrench.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1891-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Nut Wrench.
We, ROBERT LLOYD FOSBURGH and JOHN FRANCIS MILLIGAN, of 417 Olive
Street, in the City of St. Louis, and State of Missouri, United States of America,
Gentlemen, 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 :-
Our invention relates to ratchet wrenches and has for its object to facilitate the
putting on or taking off of nuts in places where it is difficult to get at them, and
consists in novel mechanism, in such a wrench, adapting it to be operated by a
ratchet and pawl in either direction, so that it may be turned continuously in the
desired direction, without removing the wrench from the nut or bolt to which it is
applied, by a forward and backward movement of the handle, and in devices as
attachable to a non-adjustable wrench adapting it to be used on different sized nuts.
In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference denote like parts
in the several figures,
Fig. 1 is a plan view of our improved wrench;
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section, taken as on line 2-2 in Fig. 1 ;
Figs. 3 and 5 are longitudinal horizontal sections of the wrench, as shown in
Fig. 1, taken as on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2, and
Fig. 4 is a plan view of one end of the hub portion of the wrench, showing the
application of one of the reducing dies hereinafter described.
The handle A is formed with an enlarged end part B which is somewhat thicker
than the rest of the handle, as shown in Fig. 2.
The end B is formed with a
central circular hole, see Figs. 3 and 5 in which is revolubly fitted the radially
reduced portion of the hub-shaped head C, which is secured therein, by having the
exterior collar D screwed onto or otherwise secured to the reduced portion of the
head C, thereby securing the handle between the collar and the shoulder on
the head C, as shown in Fig. 2.
The thick portion of the handle A is slotted out at E at right angles to the
head C, when placed therein, as shown in Fig. 2, to a convenient depth towards that
end of the handle, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Into this slot is fitted the bifurcated
pawl F and pivotally secured therein, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, by the pivot
bolt or screw G, so that its two legs H and H' embrace the hub C in such manner
that the ends of either of the legs can engage with the removable head C by drop-
ping into the recesses I cut in the circumference of the hub head C at a point in
the length thereof corresponding with the position of the pawl F when the head C
is placed and secured in the handle A, as shown in Fig. 2.
To the middle portion of the pawl F is secured the flat spring K extending
lengthwise to the handle A. The free end of the spring K is in a position to
engage with, and be pushed to one side by, the wedge-shaped tilting block L, which
is secured to the handle A so that it can be slipped longitudinally toward and from
the spring K. The retaining screw M is made square bodied, as shown in Fig. 2,
in order to prevent the block L from twisting thereon for the reasons that will
obviously appear from the following description of the operation of our wrench.
Both ends of the head C are formed with flat-bottomed countersunk square
holes N N', as shown in Fig. 2. These holes are of a different size relatively, the
difference being, preferably, that which it would not be convenient to make by the
insertion of the reducing dies, as hereinafter described.
The head C is also formed with a central hole O, preferably circular, extending
from end to end, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
Each of the countersunk holes N and N¹ are fitted with a set of reducing dies P

page_text: of different thicknesses. The dies are retained in position within the countersinks
by any convenient means, preferably by forming the dies with, or securing thereto,
laterally extending bent clip springs R, adapted to overlap the end of the head C
and their ends be sprung into a circumferential groove cut in the side of the head C,
as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.
The cbject of the dies P is to adapt the same wrench to be used on different
sized nuts.
The object in having the central hole O extend from end to end of the head C is
twofold first, in order to make provision for the end of the bolt if it projects
beyond the nut when the nut is screwed home, and, second in order to adapt the
wrench to be used as a drill wrench, permitting the shank of the drill to be inserted
in the same, allowing its ends to project from either end of the head C, forming
the shank of the drill with a square to fit into the countersinks N or N¹, whereby
the same can be turned.
The operation of our wrench is as follows:-
Having applied the wrench to the nut to be screwed on or off the bolt, the nut
being entered in one of the countersunk recesses N or N₁ (the one which it more
nearly fits) and, if necessary, a die P being secured therein to make the wrench fit
the nut, the head C, and the handle A will be relatively independent, that is the
handle can be revolved without turning the head, as long as the tilting block L is
withdrawn from the spring K, permitting the spring K to assume a normally
central position and, with it, the bifurcated pawl F in a position of non-engagement
with the ratchet notches or recesses I formed in the circumference of the head C-
the position shown in Fig. 3. When it is desired to turn the head, and with it the
nut let therein, the spring K is pushed over to one side (to the right, as shown in
Fig. 5) when it is desired to turn the head with the handle in that direction (that
of the arrow S in Fig. 5) and the slipping tilting block L is pushed forward (see
Fig. 5). When it is desired to get a new hold or bite on the head, the handle A is
swung backward (in the direction of the arrow S' in Fig. 5), the elasticity in the
spring K permitting the end of the pawl leg H to slip out of the recess I over the
relatively raised portion of the body of the head into the next recess, as is
indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. If it is desired to turn the head C with the
handle A in the other direction (that of the arrow S¹ in Fig. 5), the tilting block L
is withdrawn and the spring K thrown to the other side, the tendency then being to
throw the end of the pawl H¹ into the recess I and carry the head C with the
handle A. in that direction.
As will be obvious from the description and the uses to which we expect to put
our wrench, as implied by the Specification the form of the countersunk recesses N
and N¹ is a matter of convenience and that they could as well be hexagonal or
octagonal as square, as shown.
And, further, it is obvious that the spring K and the tilting block L might be
dispensed with and the pawl F be operated by hand, some handle convenient to
operate the pawl being secured thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is: :-
1. In a ratchet nut wrench, a handle in which is revolubly secured a nut turning
head, a bifurcated pawl pivotally secured to said handle with its two legs embracing
said head and adapted to engage with said head in recesses formed in the circum-
ference of the same, in combination with a spring attached to said pawl and a
wedge-shaped sliding block secured on said handle capable of engaging with
said spring, combined and operating substantially as described and for the purposes
specified.
2. In a nut wrench, a handle to which is secured a double-ended nut turning head
formed with relatively different sized non-adjustable countersunk nut receiving
recesses, in combination with the reducing dies removably secured within said

page_text: recesses, and retaining clip-springs secured to said reducing dies adapted to be
sprung into a recess or groove formed therefor in the said head piece, combined and
operating substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
3. In a ratchet nut wrench, handle A, head C, collar D, bifurcated pawl F,
recesses I, spring K, tilting block L, and retaining screw M, combined and
operating substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
Dated the 7th day of July 1891.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Associate Agent.