Patent ID: 8701527

Claim:
A locking adjustable wrench, comprising: a wrench frame comprising: an elongated handle; and a stationary jaw, fixedly attached to one end of said handle; a movable jaw attached to the wrench frame and opposed to said stationary jaw, and movable with respect to said stationary jaw; an adjusting screw cooperating with the moveable jaw, wherein rotation of the adjusting screw in a first direction moves the moveable jaw towards the stationary jaw, and rotation of the adjusting screw in an opposite direction moves the moveable jaw away from the stationary jaw, the adjusting screw having a center hole with a polygonal interior cross-section; and a vertical shaft, rotationally fixed and capable of longitudinal movement in a direction parallel to a centerline CL 2 of the adjusting screw, said vertical shaft comprising: a polygonal portion slidably engagable into and disengagable from the polygonal interior cross-section of the adjusting screw; and a cylindrical portion slidable through the polygonal interior cross-section of the adjusting screw, wherein the vertical shaft has a first position wherein the polygonal portion is disengaged from the polygonal cross-section of the adjusting screw and the adjusting screw is free to rotate to open and close the moveable jaw; and the vertical shaft has a second position wherein the polygonal portion is engaged with the polygonal cross-section of the adjusting screw and the adjusting screw is locked to lock the moveable jaw.