Patent ID: 7096767

Claim:
An adjustable wrench for loosening or tightening a fastener, comprising: (a) a handle member having a longitudinal axis between a handle first end portion, a handle central portion, and a handle second end portion, said first end portion including a fixed jaw segment, a fixed jaw surface plane, and a transverse axis to said fixed jaw surface plane, said first end portion also includes a channel therethrough positioned substantially parallel to said transverse axis, said central portion includes a void in communication with said channel, with said void having a longitudinal axis; (b) a movable jaw member including a movable jaw segment, a movable jaw surface plane, and an engagement portion, said engagement portion is slidably engaged within said channel being operational to move said movable jaw member from an open state to a closed state and from the closed state to the open state, said movable jaw member also includes a serrated toothed rack whose pitch line forms an acute angle in relation to said movable jaw surface plane; (c) a beam having a longitudinal axis, said beam is slidably engaged for reciprocative movement within said void, said beam including an end portion capable of projecting into said channel, said end portion having a serrated toothed rack that selectively matably engages with said movable jaw member serrated toothed rack, wherein said beam is operational to help secure said movable jaw member at a selected position between the closed state and the open state when said beam serrated toothed rack matably engages with said movable jaw member serrated toothed rack; and (d) a trigger member pivotally attached to said movable jaw member and slidably engaged to said handle member, wherein said trigger is operational to facilitate manual movement of said movable jaw member from the closed state to the open state and from the open state to the closed state when said beam serrated toothed rack is selectively disengaged from said movable jaw member serrated toothed rack.