US1311610A - Pipe-wrench - Google Patents

Description

H. A. MICHAEL.

PIPE WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. 19I8.

Patented July 29, 1919.

WITNESSES ATTO R N EY co.. WASHINGTON, n. c

HARRY ALVIN MICHAEL, OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIPE-WRENCH.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY ALVIN MICHAEL, a citizen of the Unitecl States, residing at Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Pipe-Wrench, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention has reference to pipe wrenches, and its object is to provide a wrench of the same general character as that shown and described in Letters Patent No. 7 64,619, granted to J. C. McQuilkin on July 12, 1904, for a pipe wrench,of which patent I am the sole owner.

A large number of wrenches made in accordance with the said Letters Patent was 1 placed upon the market but after extended use the patented wrench was found to be Ultimately, howconstructively defective. ever, I succeeded in devising the wrench herein shown and described, in which wrench the shortcomings of the patented wrench have been overcome.

In accordance with the invention the wrench is provided with a screw stem pivoted at one end to the wrench handle near one end of the latter and held to the screw stem by an adjusting nut is one end of the shank of one jaw of the wrench, the other jaw being mounted in the handle portion of the wrench near the pivotal support of the screw stem. A spring within the handle of thewrench, which handle is made hollow, is located to act upon the rear face of the shank of the movable jaw so as to yieldably maintain the movable jaw in a forward position. When the jaws of the wrench are applied to a pipe or other part to be turned the movable jaw rocks on a pivot eccentric to clamp the pipe to the pipe in a manner When, however, it

between the two jaws.

' is desired to loosen the wrench from the pipe the slightest movement in the reverse direction to the movement of the wrench inturning the pipe immediately loosens the wrench from the pipe no matter how tightly the wrench may have previously gripped the pipe.

The construction of the wrench admits of its manufacture in large part of sheet metal of suitable gage bent into shape while the jaws and parts immediately associated there- .with may be made of steel forgings.

The invention wlll be best understood Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1919.

Application filed September 19, 1918. Serial Np. 254,792.

from a consideration of the following detalled description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of thls specification, with the understanding, however, thatthe invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Inthe drawing Figure 1 is an elevation of a wrench constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof wlth the parts in a position which may be assumed in grasping a pipe.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the wrench.

Fig. 4: is a section on the line 4=4 of Fig. 1. I

In the drawing, there is shown a handle or body member 1 with a handhold portion 2. The handle as a whole may be made of sheet metal of suitable gage bent into shape, a convenient cross sectional form being that of a fiat ellipse, as indicated in the drawing particularly in Fig. 4:. At one end the handle member 1 is expanded laterally into wings substantially parallel one with the the handle to form a slot 4 to accommodate certain parts to be described.

The wings of the head 3 are recessed, with the bottom of the recesses, indicated at 5, at a slight angle to a perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the wrench handle and the inner end of each recess 5 is undercut, as shown at 6, to receive the beveled end 7 of the stationary jaw 8 of the wrench, this stationary jaw having the usual teeth 9 and a central longitudinal lug 10 for insertion between the wings of the head 3, the jaw being held in its seated position by a rivet 11 or other fastening means traversing it. In this respect the wrench may be similar to other pipe wrenches.

There is also provided a movable jaw 12 having gripping teeth 13 as is customary and the jaw 12 is provided with a stem 14 which, when the parts are assembled, enters the handle 1 through the head end, the handle being hollow and extends through the handle to near that end of the slot 4 toward the handhold 2. The stem is formed on the end remote from the head 12 with a laterally projecting lug 15 having a passage 16 there through lengthwise of the stem 14. Spaced I lug 15 and shoulder 17 the stem 20 traversing the passage 16.. The screw stem 20 constitutes a connection between the head 3- of the wrench and the movable jaw by way of the nut 21 which is confined by the lug 15 and shoulder 17 so that on turning the nut the movable jaw may be caused to travel toward and from the fixed-jaw, these parts being generally similarto the arrangement shown in the aforesaid Letters Patent.

Fast to the handle 1 within the latter is a spring 22, which may be in the form of a leaf spring, and is located at the back of the handle so as to bear against the stem 14 at the rear. face thereof, thus urging the stem toward the fixedjaw, the free end of the spring being close to the head end of the handle 1. The result is that the movable head 12 is constantly urged toward the jaw 8 about the axis of thepivot 18, causing' the lug 15 to move toward the handle 1. This'will normally hold the teeth 9 and 13 of the two jaws in substantially. parallel relation. If, now, the movable jaw be propelled by the nut 21 to a sufficient distance away from the fixed jaw to admit the application of the wrench to a pipe 23 and force be applied to the handle of the wrench to turn the pipe, as for instance, if the wrench as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2 be turned counterclockwise, the jaws will grip the pipe in a manner to unscrew, providing the pipe is furnished with right hand threads. In applying the wrench the tendency is to tilt the movable jaw 12 away from the fixed jaw 10 in opposition to the normal tendency of the spring 22, thus allowing the pipe to seat between the jaws, Fig. 2 showing the position of parts somewhat exaggerated. In applying a turning force to the wrench the movable jaw travels over the fixed jaw about the axis of the pivot 18 and thereby brings the movable jaw 12 into firm gripping engagement with the pipe, forcing the latter against the fixed jaw 8 and the teeth on the two jaws so firmly grip the pipe that the latter is constrained to turn with the wrench. As the turning force is applied the screw stem 20, lug 15 and nut 21 move toward the handle 1 to a.position somewhere between the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and until the pipe is as firmly gripped as may be.

With the wrench disclosed in the aforesaid Letters Patent a spring was applied between the fixed jaw and the stem of the movable jaw with the result that the spring tended to throw the stem of the movable jaw toward the rear wall of the handle. With the wrench of this invention the spring is located between the rear edge or face of the stem or shank lt and the inner rear face of the'handle 1 with the spring acting against the shank 14 at a point eloser t0 the correspondin end ofthehafldle than the pivot 18 about which thejaw 12' rocks. The result is that the normal tendency of the spring 22 is toforce the jaw'1-2forwardly and there-holdit and consequently when the wrench is 'applied to a pipe or other part. to be turned the jaw 12is'for'ced rearwardly until the parts are properly gripped. Now,- when-it is desired to release the wrench from the pipe ittrequires but a slight reverse movement of the wrench to cause the movable jaw to rock away from the fixed jaw, thereby enlargingthe space between the tvv o jaws and'lettin'gygo'the grip on the pipe, whereby the 'wrenc'his at once released from the pipe.

l/Vhat is claimed [is 1. A pipe wrench comprising a handle, a

jaw fixed thereto, another a'ssoeia'ted with the first-named jaw'a'n'dprovided with a shank, an adjusting screwfpivoted to the jaw end of the handleand extending away therefrom connected'to the shank of the movablej aw to constitute a support and pivot for said movable jaw, and a spring on the handle engaging the rear of the shank of the movable'jaw at a point eloser to the jaw-carrying end of the handle than thepivot end of the adjusting screw.

2. A pipe wrench comprising ahandle member, a fixed jaw mounted in the handle member, a movable jaw associated with the fixed'jaw and provided with ashankmo'vable into and out of thehandle member in the direction of both'the shank handle member, anadj usting screw (pivotally mounted in thehandle member and s11pporting and constitutingthe pivotal sup'pbrt for the movab'le'jaw, and a springcai'ried'bythe handle member and engagingthe'shanki of the movable a'w on the side thereof remote from the pivot support of the movablejaw.

3. A pipe wrench comprising a handle member of sheet metal bentlinto shape with a head formed of oppositely disposed wings and the side of the handle Where provided with the wings cut away to" form a longitudinal slot, a jaw fixed between the. wings,

an adjusting screw pivotallymdiiritedbetween the wings and extending along the slotted portion of the handle, a movable jaw associated with the first-named jaw and 1 0 having an elongated shank with a hug traversed by the adjusting screw and a shoulder spaced on the screw 5 shoulder, and a spring fast to the handle within the latter on the side thereof remote from the copies of thi toward the head end of the handle and there bearing against the shank, whereby to normally force the shank and jaw carried thereby toward the fixed jaw.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

HARRY ALVIN MICHAEL.

from said 111g, an adjusting nut located between the lug and adjusting screw and extended 5 patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0."

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