US2669896A - Retractable jaw wrench having parallel resilient jaws - Google Patents

Description

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R. S. CLOUGH Feb. 23, 1954 RETRACTABLE JAW WRENCH HAVING PARALLEL RESILIENT J Filed Jan. 19, 1951 d.. ../y. F

Rober! .S Clough IN V EN TOR.

j iIhis invention relates to movable into with the wall of the handle.

Patented F eb: 23, 1954 PARALLEL RESILIENT JAWS Robert S. Clough, Wilmington, Del. Application January 19, 1951, Serial No. 206,850

1 claim.

new and useful improvements in a combined socket wrench and screw driver, and this application is a continua tion-in-part of the copending application for patent, Serial No. 726,866, led February 6, 1947, and

now abandoned.

The basic object of this invention is to provide a Ytool whereby nuts and screw heads of various sizes may be engaged and held while tightening or loosening the same. The present tool is essentially comprised of a pair of jaws oi special character open and closed positions by reciprocable movement of the jaws outwardly and in- Wardly of a tubular body, and the instant form of the invention includes means for locking the jaws in position on a nut or screw head.

A particular object of the present invention is to provide a tool of the above-described type in which the work `gripping jaws are resiliently urged apart but are so controlled as to constantly maintain a substantially parallel relationship to each other whereby a plurality of different sized nuts and screws may be gripped with equal iacility.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tool of this character which is ideally adapted for use by mechanics and electricians handling equipment where nuts and screws `are frequently located in positions making the use of ordinary tools diiiicult or impossible.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a fishing tool for screws which have previously been loosened by a screw driver, the present tool being ideally adapted for securing a rm grip on the loosened screw, thus facilitating the further unscrewing thereof and t `e removal thereof, and preventing the loss of the screw.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tool of simple and practical construction, which is eicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

The tool of the present invention can be broadly described as comprising a manually reciprocable member mounted to slide within a tubular handle under the eiiect of a resilient motive means and carrying at one end a pair of work engaging jaws which are resiliently biased apart into contact Each of the jaws is formed as an elongated linger member having an ogee curvature along its longitudinal axis `and a transverse contour of substantially V-shape adjacent the free end thereof. The tubular handle is provided with a ared portion at one end for cooperation with the ogee curvature of the linger members in such manner that the linger members maintain a substantially parallel relationship to each other as they are extended from and Withdrawn into the handle by reclprocable member. A lug is formed on each sliding the manually linger member near its free extended end to provide a back-stop or rest against which nuts may be seated; or interchangeably, which may fit into the conventional kerf in screws.

It will be apparent that this construction provides a unique arrangement adapting the tool for use with nuts and screws of various sizes, and for both applying and removing the same in cooperation with a threaded connection. In. this respect the flared portion of the handle and the ogee curvature of the linger members have dif ferent radii in order to maintain a parallel rela.- tionship between the gripping jaws when grasping a particular work component and to implement a rapid threading or unthreading operation without skewing or damaging the gripped component.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described, reference being had to the drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, showing the jaws in a projected and open position;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view Figure 4 is an elevational view of jaws removed from the tool;

Figure 5 is a view, largely in Vertical section, showing the jaws in gripping engagement with a nut, together with contiguous portions of the tool;

Figure 6 is a similar View showing the tool in gripping engagement with a screw head; and

Figure 7 is another end view of the tool.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the dinerent views in the drawing.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for purposes of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, thenumeral 5 designates a tubular body having its one end flared as shown at 6 and having an enlargement 'l at the other end thereof, this enlargement being roughened or serrated to provide for non-slipping engagement with one end of a coaxialtubular handle 8. Thetubular body 5 is preferably constructed of lightweight metal while thehandle 8 may be constructed of plastic, hard rubber or other suitable material.

The inner end of the enlargement l on thebody 5 is of a diameter less than the inside diameter of the handle B, whereby there is provided a shoulder 9 against which one end of a coil spring rIll abuts, the other end of the spring abutting a push button or plunger Il coaxially and slidably mounted in the end of thehandle 8 remote from thebody 5.

The plunger I l is axially bored throughout a of the tool; one of the portion of its length and internally threaded. A rod I2 has one end thereof threaded into the plunger, and this rod I2 extends longitudinally through thehandle 8 and into 'the 'tubular body 5. To the other end of the rod I2 is pivotally a+- tached the shank portions I3 of a pair of jaws I4, which shanks are preferably slightly resilient, the means of attachment including a pin 'I5 extending transversely through said other end of the rod I2 and through apertures provided on the inner ends of the Shanks I3.

The jaws I4 extend longitudinally in thetubular body 5, in opposed relation with respect to each other, and the jaws are substantially V- shaped in cross section with the valleys of the jaws opposed to each other as clearly shown vin Figure 3 of the drawings. The flaredend 6 of vthe tubular body is shaped to provide V-shaped guides II at opposite sides of the body and in which the jaws I4 are conormably seated for rict'ional engagement with the guides I'I as the jaws are moved axially of thebody 5.

As will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 1, 2 and 4, each jaw Ill comprises an elongated finger member having an ogee curvature along vits longitudinal axis, with the radi-us of curvature being different from that of theflared region 6 yof the tubular handle. It will thus be appreciated 'that the jaws may be reciprocated to an extended position, as shown in Fig. 2, without causing a `flaring of the jaws. This retention 'of a parallel alignment has been found to be of prime importance in adapting the tool for eiiicient operation on nuts and screws of widely varying sizes.

A lug I8 is struck inwardly from each of the jaws I4, adjacent the outer ends of the jaws, the lugs having each a straight transversely projecting edge I9 adapted for engagement in the kerf or groove 2li of a screw head 2l. As will be apparent from the illustration in Fig. 4, each lug is formed by punching a section I8 of the jaw wall I4 and bending this section inwardly at the bottom of the V-shaped groove to present the straight edge I9 transversely of the jaw. The screw head will simultaneously be gripped by the jaws III and this construction provides for the turning of the screw by a similar turning movement of the body and handle 8, and the 'screw will be held securely so that the same will not be lost during the unscrewing operation. The V- shaped construction of the jaws allows the jaws to conform with the sides of anut 22, vwhereby the nut may be tightly gripped while being tightened or loosened. Of course, the fact that a bolt on which the nut is mounted extends a short dis- 'tance beyond the nut is immaterial, since the instant device is adapted to accommodate such projecting end of the bolt.

In the operation of the device the jaws I4 `may be projected outwardly at the end of the body, indicated at li, by depressing the plunger II against the tension of the spring I2 and the jaws are held against theflared end 6 of the body by the action of awire spring 23 which has afree end 24 bearing against the inside of one of the jaws. Theother end 25 of the spring is engaged in an opening 26 in the shank I3 of the opposite jaw. The work, such as the screw head 2| or thenut 22 is engaged between the jaws and upon releasing the plunger II the jaws are retracted into tight gripping engagement by the spring I2. The `plunger II has preferably an enlargedhead 21. TheheadV 21 carries radiatingarms 28 compris- 4 the plunger can be rotated When a nut or screw head has been engaged by the jaws I4 and/or the lugs I8, the plunger II can be screwed onto the rod I'2 so that thehead 21 will engage acompressible washer 29 on the end of thehandle 8, whereby the jaws I4 are preserved in gripping relation '0n the nut or screw head, this locking feature of the device being considered an important novel feature in this invention. The provision of acompressible washer 29 has been found to lessen the tendency for theplunger 21 to become seized on the end of thehandle 8, and to generally improve the efficiency of the tool.Other bars 30 are provided in radiating relation on that end portion of thehandle 8 remote 'from the jaws I4, these 'other bars 30 also comprising handle members. Finally, an insulating sleeve 3| is bonded to the exterior surface of the portion of thetubular body member 5, extending from the enlargement 1 to the flaring end of the body member. It should be noted that the insulating sleeve 3I and theinsulating handle 8 further adapt this tool for use in electrical maintenance and similar work.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that a highly utilitarian tool for the purposes set forth has been provided in this invention, and further description would appear unnecessary.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A tool comprising a tubular handle having an outwardly flared open end, a member mounted for manual reciprocation in said handle, resilient means cooperating with said handle and said member and normally urging said member to a retracted position, a pair of opposed gripping jaws carried by said member including means resiliently urging said jaws apart and into contact with the interior surface of said flared open end, each said jaw comprising an elongated 1inger having an ogee curvature along its longitudinal axis in substantially parallel relationship with said flared portion of said handle, the radii of curvature of said narod open end of said handle differing from the radii of curvature of said finger whereby the tubular handle functions as a guideway for camming said jaws together in opposed parallel relationship upon retracting said member, said finger further including a substantially V-shaped transverse -contour, and a lug carried by each said ringer whereby said jaws may serve to engage, grip and turn nuts and screws interchangeably.

ing handles whereby relative to the rod I2.

ROBERT S. CLOUGH.

References Cited in the le of this patent. UNITED STATES PATENTS

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