US1345983A - Ratchet pipe-wrench - Google Patents

Description

W. E. BELL.

RATCHET PlPE WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28. 1919.

1,345,983. nted ly 6, 1920.

WILLIAM E. BELL, 0.1" TULSA, OKLAEOMA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BELL VTRENGI-I COMPANY, OF TULSA, GKLAHGMA.

RATCHET PIPE-WRENCI-I.

Application filed November 2 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, /VniLL-uvr E. BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tulsa, in the county of: Tulsa and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Ratchet l ipe-Wrench, of which the following is a specifications.

This invention bears reference to novel and useful improvements in wrenches and more particularly to quick adjusting pipe wrenches.

Hereto'fore, a patent issued to one 13. l lVoodward No. 788,388 dated April 25, 1905, and owned by me, disclosed the same type of wrench as constitutes the subject of the present application. This wrench embodied a stationary jaw and a movable jaw, each having shanks and one provided with a series of ratchet-teeth engaged by a spring actuated dog or pawl, so as to hold the jaws in adjusted relation, the jaws being also retained in operative relation, but the adj ustment of one aw relative to the other could only be accomplished with much diiliculty since the pawl had to remain in contact with the ratchet-teeth at all times.-

Also, in my prior application filed July 25, 1919, under Serial No. 313,301, covering the same type of wrench and endeavoring to overcome the objection of the prior patented construction, the teeth were arranged between opposed upstanding longitudinal ribs or shoulders but this necessitated that the device at this part be drop-forged and owing to the sharp dies required to term-the ratchet-teeth, the same was impractical as the dies would get dull too quickly and would require an unreasonable supply or number of dies and the expense incident thereto would be prohibitive in order to render the manufacture and sale of the wrench practical or commercial.

The present invention therefore aims to obviate and overcome the above dilliculties by providing the jaw having the ratchetteeth with longitudinal recesses or depres sions along the side edges of the lower aw shank outwardly of the ratchet-teeth and below the latter, and forming the heel of the pawl with side flanges cut on eccentric circles so as to engage the bottom walls of the recesses or depressions so as to lift the pawl at its toe end from engagement with the ratchet teeth, upon the depression of the rear end of the movable jaw shank through Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1920.

8, 1919. Serial No. 340,982.

the medium of a finger piece or thumb rest formed at sa d end to facilitate actuation of the wrench, thus permitting the movable jaw to be ad usted quietly and easily along the stationary jaw shank by substantially the same pressure exerted to cause the disengagement of the pawl from the *atchet teeth and while so disengaged, during which time said flanges will slide along the bottom walls of the recesses or depressions, while release of pressure will permit the pawl to automatically act to engage the ratchet-teeth and hold the movable jaw against further movements so as to properly lit a pipe or other object operated on.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for resiliently maintaining a slight sepa ation of the jaw shanks adjacent to the stationary jaw, so as to permit necessary pivotal movement of the movable jaw shank relative to the stationary jaw shank in the above operation and in such a manner as to eliminate crushing of pipes and particularly when unscrewing old or rusted joints, and to permit quick engagement and release of the jaws with and from the work. The invention further comprises a removable jaw face for the stationary aw and means carried by the stationary jaw and its shank and movably receiving and retaining the movable jaw shank in position, which means also serves to retain the jaw face in position and cooperates with re silient means between the jaw shanks tending to normally hold them separated.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details oi construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without deiarting from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly broken away, of my improved wrench;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental side elevation partly broken away, of the wrench and showing the parts in another position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-43 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line ell of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a pawl employed with the device. 7

Referring to the drawing in detail, in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, my improved wrench is shown as embodying a handle 10 having a shank 11 of rectangular cross section and formed with a stationary jaw 12. This jaw is formed with a transverse dove-tailed groove or key-way 13 receiving a projection 14; of similar cross section extending transversely from a removable toothed jaw face 15. The groove and projection extend throughout the width of the jaw and the face so that their side faces are disposed flush and the jaw face tends downwardly and rearwardly atan acute angle from the vertical.

Cooperating with the stationary aw shank is a movable jaw shank 16 of a cross section corresponding to that of the stationary jaw shank 11, the movable jaw shank being formed with a jaw 17 constituting the movable jaw of the wrench, at its outer end, and having a reinforced serrated 01' toothed jaw face 18 also extending at an acute angle from the vertical and divergingly from the other aw face, the jaw face 18 being fixed or removable as desired. At the inner end of the movable jaw shank there is formed at the bottom, a rearwardly and upwardly curved fingerhold or thumb piece 19 adapted for depressing the movable jaw shank toward the stationary jaw shank for a purpose to be hereinafter made apparent. v

The upper edge of the jaw shank 11 is provided with a longitudinal series of transverse ratchet-teeth or serrations 20 which terminate at spaced distances from the side faces of the shank outwardly of which the latter are formed with longitudinal depres-v sions or recesses 21'from the top edge of the shank below the teeth, said recesses having smooth walls especially at the bottom and curving upwardly at their ends to meet the upper edge of the shank. The top edges of the teeth are in the plane with the top edge of the shank and thus, it is not only unnecessary to'increase the breadth of the shank, but-owing to the recesses formed as descrihed,.t]:1e teeth may be readily produced preferably by milling the same transversely V of the shank on the portion between the re cesses, thereby obviating the objection heretofore pointed out as a prelude to this description in reference to stamping the teeth and the troubles'and expense incident thereto. The construction is greatly cheapened owing to the fact that a large number of the shanks clamp together, can be milled simultaneously to cut or form the ratchet teeth.

Cooperating with the ratchet teeth 20 is a pawl 22 the body of which is substantially circular and which is fitted in a correspjondingly shaped recess 23 in the lower edge of the movable shank 16. This recess extends transversely and communicates with the opposite edges of the shank with which edges or faces the ends of the pawl are flush, and the recess has a restricted portion at the bot tom preventing the pawl from dropping out. The recess isprovided with a forward extension 2-4 between the top wall of which and the pawl is disposed a small relatively weak compression spring 25 so as to hold the pawl at its edge or toe portion in engagement with the notches of the ratchet-teeth, the latter being so formed that their vertical walls face rcarwardly and their inclined walls extend forwardly so that when the pawl is engaged with the right angular walls it will prevent the jaws from separating while serving to'pe rmit the pawl to ride over the teeth in the opposite direction when the movable jaw is adjusted toward the sta tionary jaw. lhe heel of the pawl is provided with side flanges 26 extended below the intermediate portion and cut on circles eccentric to the axis on which the pawl pivots so as to straddle the ratchet-teeth and when the thumb piece 19 is depressed, it will compress the spring 25 and rock the pawl on its pivot so as to lift the toe thereof from the ratchetteeth and bring the heel flanges against the bottom walls of the recesses 21, the eccentric formation of the latter sliding in the recesses in contact with the bottom walls thereof, raising the pawl clear of the ratchet teeth and permitting the movable jaw to be adjusted toward or away from the stationary jaw tosuit the particular object being operated on or which the wrench must be set to fit. This movement may be accomplished by one hand while gripping the handle and engaging the thumb piece 19. At any rate, while the thumb piece, and thus the movable shank, is

so depressed, this shank may be readily adjusted on the stationary shank so as to separate the jaws for engagement with an object and upon releasing the pressure, the jaws will be separated by the spring and properly engage the work as the jaw faces move toward each other.

It is to be understood that the jaws are normally disposed. toward each other when the parts are in normal position and this is facilitated by an expansible spring member or plunger 27 mounted in one of the shanks, preferably the stationary shank at the top of the jaw 12 in a recess 28 provided therein so as to project without the recess and engage the bottom edge of the movable shank, thus holding the shanks normally in spaced I parallel relation. In order to limit the spac- 19 and envelope both shanks and has its sides disposed at the ends of the pawl so as to prevent displacement of the latter. By retaining the loop in position through the medium of plugs or rivet pins 30, the loop may be removed when desired or necessary, in order to replace or resharpen the pawl or to replace the spring, although, this would not ordinarily be required with the usual wear and tear, except after a long period of use.

The removable jaw face 15 projects beyond the sides of the stationary jaw 12 and the projection 14 is narrower so that its ends will be flush with the side faces of the jaw 12, and by this means the removable face can be retained in position through the medium of an inverted U-shaped yoke 31, the sides of which are secured to the sides of the jaw 12 as indicated at 32 against the shoulders formed by the removable jaw face and outwardly of the securing means for the latter so as to prevent the same from becoming displaced. The bight of this yoke extends over the top of the movable shank and the sides are also located at the sides of the stationary shank to which they are secured, and outwardly of the spring member 27 so as to protect and hide the latter.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the structure and operation of the device will be fully understood and therefore further explanation is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1.. A wrench comprising a fixed jaw and shank, the latter having its upper edge provided. with ratchet teeth and shoulders at either side of the teeth, a movable jaw having a shank, means for movably connecting the shanks, the shank of the movable jaw being recessed at its bottom edge and a spring actuated pawl pivoted in the recess to engage the ratchet-teeth and formed with means'to engage the smooth walls of the shoulders whereby to raise the pawl from engagement with the teeth and permit free sliding movement of the movable aw relative to the fixed jaw with the engaging means of the pawl moving along said walls.

2. A pipe wrench comprising a stationary shank having a handle and a jaw formed at the end thereof opposite to the handle, a movable shank having a jaw opposing the stationary jaw, yokes carried by the shanks to permit the same to move relatively therein, one of the shanks being provided with a longitudinal series of transverse serrations and a depression outwardly thereof, means holding the shanks in spaced relation, and a pawl pivoted in the other shank to engage the serrations and having an eccentric projection adapted on the pivoted movement of the pawl to ride in the depression and disengage the pawl from the serrations to permit adjustment of the jaws relative to each other with the pawl so positioned and out of contact with respect to the teeth of the serrations.

A wrench comprising a shank having a jaw and teeth along its top edge and flushed with said edge, there being recesses in said edge outwardly of the teeth and below the same, a movable shank having a jaw opposing the stationary jaw, yokes carried by each shank and slidably receiving the other shank, and a pawl pivoted to the movable shank and retained in position by one of the yokes and having a top portion normally engaged with the teeth, to hold the jaws against separation, and having its heel portion formed with curved flanges at the sides spanning the teeth and cut on circles eccentric to the pivot of the pawl to engage the bottom walls of the recesses in contact with the inner walls thereof upon depression of the movable shank whereby the latter may be freely slid on the stationary shank while the pawl is out of contact with respect to the teeth.

4. A wrench comprising a shank having a jaw and teeth along its top edge and flushed with said edge, there being recesses in said edge outwardly of the teeth and below the same, a movable shank having a jaw opposing the stationary jaw, yokes carried by each shank and slidably receiving the other shank, and a movable pawl carried by the movable shank and having eccentrically formed flanges adapted to engage the walls of the recesses to raise the pawl from engagement with the teeth to permit free move ment of the movable shank and jaw relative to the stationary shank and jaw.

5. A wrench comprising a handle having a shank and a jawat the end opposite the handle, a removable jaw face transversely keyed in the jaw and projecting at either side to form shoulders, an inverted U-shaped yoke secured at either side of the jaw and overlying the ends of the key, the forward edges of the yoke abutting the shoulders, a movable shank received by said yoke and having a jaw opposing the first jaw and at its opposite end a thumb piece, a yoke carried by the movable shank and engaging the other shank so as to receive the latter therethrough, and means for holding the shanks in adjusted relation.

6. A wrench comprising a handle having a shank and a jaw at the end opposite the handle, a removable jaw face transversely keyed in the jaw and projecting at either side to form shoulders, an inverted U-shaped yoke secured at either side of the jaw and overlying the ends of the key, the forward edges of the yoke abutting the shoulders, a movable shank received by said yoke and having a aw opposing the first jaw and at its opposite end a thumb piece, a yoke carried by the movable shank, and receiving the'other shank therethrough, a spring memher carried by the jaw end of the first shank and engaging through the edge thereof with the edge of the other shank to hold the shanks separated limited by the yokes, the first mentioned shank having transverse serrations forming parallel teeth and depressed walls formed out along the teeth, the other shank having a circular recess at the bottom and an extension forwardly thereof communicating with its sides of 'theshank at the sides of the adjacent yoke, a pawl having a circular portion pivoted in the recess and an extension to engage the teeth and flanges to engage said depressed Walls so as to raise the pawl from engagement with the teeth upon depression of the thumb piece and a spring between the .pawl and the wall of the extension recess holding the, pawl in an en gaged position and cooperating with said spring member to hold the shanks normally separated.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing asmy own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' WILLIAM E. BELL.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. BURCH, I. E. SIMPSON.

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