Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 16th Dec., 1899
WASHVAT
We, WILLIAM THOMAS HATTON, Blacksmith, and CHESTER GREEN GUERNSEY,
Saloon-keeper, both of Canyon City, in the County of Grant and State of Oregon,
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 statement :-
The invention relates to improvements in wrenches.
The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of wrenches,
more especially the locking mechanism for retaining the movable jaw at the
desired adjustment, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and officient devico
designed for both pipe and nut wrenches and capable of firmly holding the
movable jaw at any point on the main shank or bar and of permitting the same
to be quickly adjusted thereon. A further object of the invention is to increase
the strength, durability and efficiency of such devices and to arrange the spring
so that it may be readily renewed if broken or otherwise injured.
The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrange-
ment of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying
drawings and pointed out in the claims heroto appended.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wrench constructed in accordance with this
invention.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.
Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view.
Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the clutch loop.
Figure 5 is a sectional view of a pipe wrench constructed in accordance with
this invention.
Figure 6 is a transverse section through the same.
Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of the clutch loop used on the pipe
wrench of Figure 5.
Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures
of the drawings.
1 designates a main shank or bar provided at one ond with a suitable handle
or grip 2, and having a fixed or stationary jaw 3 at its other end, to co-operate
with a movable jaw 4, which is capable of adjustment longitudinally of the
shank or bar 1, to separate the jaws and to bring the same together and in
contact with the object to be operated on, and, although the engaging faces
of the jaws are shown smooth in the accompanying drawings, yet it will be
readily understood that they may be serrated or toothed to enable them to
engage a pipe or rod. The sliding or movable jaw 4, which is provided with
an integral short longitudinal shank 5, has a transverse loop or extension 6,
through the opening of which passes the main shank or bar 1.
The short shank 5 lies against the front face of the main shank or bar of the
movable jaw 4, and has its outer end reduced and extended to form an eye 7,
which is pivoted in a bifurcation 8, of a clutch loop 9, the eye and the sides

page_text: of the bifurcation being perforated to receive the pivot 10, which may consist
of a rivet or any other suitable fastening device.
The clutch loop 9, which has its bifurcated end rounded, as shown, is pro-
vided near its other end with a bend and is slotted to form an opening 11, through
which the main shank or bar 1 passes. The free end of the clutch loop, being
disposed on the rear side or face of the wrench, can be operated with ease in
close places, whereas, if placed on the front or working side of the wrench, it
might be difficult sometimes to adjust the yoke to the part to be turned. The
walls 12 and 133 at the inner and outer ends of the opening of the clutch loop
engage and bind against the front and rear side edges of the main shank or
bar 1, and the inner wall or bearing 12, which is subjected to the greatest pres-
sure, is rounded to avoid wearing the shank or bar. The outer wall or bear-
ing 13 is oppositely beveled to provide a tooth for engaging the rear edge of
the shank or bar I, and this tooth effectually prevents the movable jaw from
slipping when it is subjected to great pressure, and the greater the strain on
the movable jaw, the greater will be the clamping action of the loop.
The loop is maintained in its engaging position by a spring 14, consisting
of a straight shank 16, and a curved or hook-shaped end 17, which extenda
around and beneath the bifurcated end of the clutch loop and engages_the
same at a point beyond the pivot 10, whereby it is adapted to throw the loop
upward and inward into engagement with the main shank or har 1. The
straight body portion or shank of the spring is perforated to receive a screw 18,
which engages a threaded socket of the short shank of the movable jaw, whereby
the spring is detachably secured in place and may be readily removed and renewed,
when desired.
The invention has the following advantages:
The wrench, which is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction,
possesses great strength and durability, and is readily manipulated to adjust
the movable jaw longitudinally of the main shank or bar. The clutch loop,
which securely engages the main shank or bar to lock the movable jaw at any
desired adjustment, is held in its engaging position by the hooked end of the
spring, and the loop is provided at the point where it is engaged by the spring,
with a slight shoulder 20, to prevent the spring from slipping. The clutch loop
is readily depressed against the action of the spring to permit the movable
jaw to slide freely along the main shank or bar.
The mechanism hereinabove described is also adapted for use in connection
with pipe wrenches, and I therefore illustrate the application of the principle
to a pipe wrench as shown in Figures 5 and 6, and will now proceed to describe
the construction illustrated in said figures.
In constructing a pipe wrench in accordance with the present invention, I
employ a main shank 21 which is provided at one end with a handle 22, und at
the opposite end with a fixed jaw 23, the slank being also provided adjacent to
the fixed jaw with a laterally projecting perforated ear 24, to which is pivotally
connected a clutch loop 25. The main shank 21 is also provided with a laterally
projecting guide loop 25 which extends from the rear side of the shank to
receive and guide the shank of the movable jaw.
The movable jaw indicated at 26 is provided with a V-shaped gripping sur-
face 27 transversely toothed or serrated as shown at 27, the fixed jaw 23 being
similarly toothed or serrated, the teeth of the fixed jaw being preferably dis-
posed diagonally or obliquely. The movable jaw 26 is provided with a shank 28
which is independent of the main shank 21, and which is also of less length.
The shank 28 passes through an opening 29 in the clutch loop, and the inner
end of said opening 29 is rounded as shown at 30 to form a rocker surface or
rounded fulcrum against which the shank 28 bears. At the outer end of the
opening 29 the clutch loop is reversely beveled as shown at 31 to provide a
tooth which bites against the outer edge of the shank 28 so as to obtain a firm
hold thereon, and prevent the movable jaw from sliding outward while engaged

page_text: with the pipe. The shank 28 passes also through the guide loop 25 and the out-
ward swinging movement of the shank is limited by the other transverse por-
tion 32 of said loop.
The clutch loop 25 is pressed outward by means of a leaf spring 33, one end
of which is secured to the shank 21 while the opposite free end is recurved as
shown at 34 and seated in a transverse groove or notch 35 formed in the inner
edge or surface of the clutch loop. The spring 33 serves to rock the clutch loop
toward the operating jaws, and also serves the additional function of simul-
taneously rocking outward the inner end of the shark 28 of the movable jaw
until said shank comes in contact with the outer end 32 of the guide loop 25.
The fixed jaw 23 lies opposite the V-shaped gripping surface of the movable
jaw, and the outer end of the movable jaw overhangs the fixed jaw as clearly
shown in the drawings.
In operating the wrench, the outer end of the clutch loop is pressed inward
or toward the guide loop 20" which has the effect of releasing the grip of the
clutch loop on the shank of the movable jaw. The movable jaw may now be
slid outward so as to embrace the pipe to be operated upon, after which the
clutch loop 25 may be released and the movable jaw pushed inward toward
the fixed jaw until both jaws are closed upon the pipe and a firm grip obtained
thereon which will enable the pipe to be turned by vibrating the handle of the
wrench in the proper direction. When the handle is vibrated in the opposite
direction, the movable jaw 26 and the clutch loop 25 automatically rock upon
the pivot or fulcrum pin 36 as though said parts were in one piece, and in such
movement the distance between the fixed and movable jaws is increased suffi-
ciently to release the hold of the jaws on the pipe. As soon as the back stroke
of the wrench is completed, however, the springs 33 returns the clutch loop and
movable jaw to their operative position and the jaws thus obtain a new grip
upon the pipe. Thus the wrench is entirely automatic in operation and requires
no attention on the part of the operator in order to enable the wrench to alter-
nately grip and release its hold upon the pipe. The wrench is simple and
economical in construction, and there are no delicate parts to become broken.
The wrench is also adapted for use upon pipes of widely different sizes, thus
enabling one wrench to perform the work which ordinarily requires the use
of several wrenches.
From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many
advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled
in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various
changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may
be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advan-
tages of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is;-
1. A wrench comprising a main shank or bar, a stationary or fixed jaw, a
movable jaw adapted to slide longitudinally on the shank or bar and provided
with a short shank, a clutch loop having one end bifurcated and pivoted to the
short shank of the movable jaw, said loop being provided with an opening to
receive the main shank or bar and having the inner end wall of the opening
rounded and provided at the outer end of the opening with a tooth, and a spring
mounted on the short shank and engaging the clutch loop, substantially as
described.
2. A wrench comprising a main shank or bar, a fixed jaw, a movable jaw
slidingly mounted on the main shank or bar and provided with an integral
short shank lying flat against the front face of the main shank or bar, a clutch
loop pivoted at one end to the outer end of the short shank and having an open-
ing receiving the main shank or bar, the free end of the loop engaging with the

page_text: rear face of the main shank or bar and being operated from the rear side of
the wrench, and a spring secured to the short shauk and having its inner end
hook-shaped and extending around the pivoted end of the clutch-loop and
engaging the same at a point between the pivot and the main shank or bar,
whereby it is adapted to throw the clutch loop into engagement with the main
shauk or bar, substantially as described.
3. A wrench comprising a main shank having a handle and a fixed jaw, a
movable jaw provided with a shank extending alongside of the main shank, a
clutch loop pivotally connected to one shank and having an opening to receive
the other shank, a rounded fulcrum surface at one end of said opening, a clutch
tooth at the other end of said opening, and a spring bearing against the clutch
loop and serving to maintain said loop in operative engagement with the shank
which passes therethrough, substantially as described.
JUICE
•
For the Applicants,
J. G. LORRAIN, “MILE, MI:Mech. E.,
Norfolk House, Victoria Embankment, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.