Patent ID: 7509895

Claim:
A locking pliers comprising: a fixed assembly including a first jaw; a movable jaw supported on the fixed assembly for rotational motion relative thereto; a lever pivotably connected to the movable jaw by a pin, said lever movable between an open position and a locked clamping position; and a linkage for locking the lever relative to the fixed assembly in the clamping position, said linkage being connected to said fixed assembly at a fixed pivot and comprising a plurality of links where two of said plurality of links are disposed at a preset angle, and a means for varying the preset angle of said two of said plurality of links when said lever is in the open position to vary the clamping force generated by the pliers, wherein a first one of said plurality of links is pivotably connected to the fixed assembly and to another of said links, a second one of said plurality of links is pivotably connected to the lever and to another of said links, and no one of said plurality of links is directly connected to both the fixed assembly and the lever, and wherein the means for varying the angle between said two of said plurality of links abuts said first link when said lever is in the open position and is spaced from the first link when said lever is in the locked clamping position.