U.S. patent number 3,905,256 [Application Number 05/460,775] was granted by the patent office on 1975-09-16 for adjustable jaw ratchet type drive tool.
Invention is credited to Donald E. Foley.
United States Patent |
3,905,256 |
Foley |
September 16, 1975 |
Adjustable jaw ratchet type drive tool
Abstract
An improved tool for tightening or loosening rotatable work, the
tool having no extending long handle that might be in the way when
working in cramped or restricted space; the present invention
permitting to work alongside a rotatable part, and when used with
an extension permitting to do a job either from above or below
objects to be worked; and the tool consisting of a pair of
adjustable jaws slidable respective to each other for adjusting a
size of a mouth therebetween, adjustment being accomplished by a
rotatable work gear held rotatably free by one of the jaws, the
worm gear engaging a toothed rack on the other jaw.
Inventors: |
Foley; Donald E. (New York,
NY) |
Family
ID: |
23830029 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/460,775 |
Filed: |
April 15, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
81/165;
81/177.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B25B
13/14 (20130101); B25B 13/481 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B25B
13/14 (20060101); B25B 13/00 (20060101); B25B
13/48 (20060101); B25B 013/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;81/57.29,58.2,165,170,177A,DIG.8 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Smith; Al Lawrence
Assistant Examiner: Smith; James G.
Claims
I claim as follows:
1. An adjustable jaw type wrench comprising a fixed jaw and a
longitudinally movable jaw mounted slidably on said fixed jaw, said
jaws having opposing parallel gripping surfaces spaced at a
variable distance, said fixed jaw including a worm gear rotatable
about an axis perpendicular to said surfaces, said gear being
mounted in an aperture extending transversely through said fixed
jaw, in combination with a rack on said movable jaw, wherein the
longitudinal axis of the rack is aligned with the approximate
center of the wrench, in further combination with an adaptor
fitting having an axis extending at right angles from the
intersection of the rack axis and a line equidistant from the
gripping surfaces, said intersection being the approximate center
of the wrench, said fitting being adapted to receive a rotary
driving tool wherein a scale is provided on the fixed jaw adjacent
and at right angles to said surfaces, and wherein said fixed jaw
has a slot which receives the rack therein for guiding purposes and
further wherein said jaws are of equal thickness and said rack are
in snug interlocking relationship, wherein said worm gear is
integral with a first spiral gear engaging a second spiral gear
integral with a first shaft rotatable inside and along an axis of
said adaptor fitting.
2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rotary
driving tool comprises an elongated handle having a socket at one
end, said adaptor being square head shaped for engagement with said
handle socket, a transverse wing bolt in said handle selectively
securing said adaptor head in said handle socket.
3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first shaft
protrudes from an end of said adaptor fitting and has a square head
formed on an end thereof, said handle having an axial opening
containing a freely rotatable and axially slidable second shaft
having a socket on one end thereof engagable with said first shaft
head.
4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second
shaft has an opposite end protruding from an opposite end of said
handle and which includesan enlarged head, a compression coil
spring bearing between said second shaft head and said handle thus
normally maintaining said first and second shafts disengaged.
Description
This invention relates generally to wrenches. More specifically it
relates to a drive tool.
A principle object of the present invention is to provide a drive
tool for getting into cramped or restricted space for turning a
rotatable mechanical part.
Another object is to provide a drive tool which is of adjustable
jaw ratchet type so that it can be sized to file a work intended to
be turned.
Yet another object is to provide an adjustable jaw ratchet type
drive tool which when used with an extension permits doing a job
either from above or below the work to be turned.
Another object is to provide an adjustable jaw ratchet type drive
tool for including in a tool kit for use on a job, in a shop or
around a home.
Other objects are to provide an adjustable jaw ratchet type drive
tool which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged
in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.
These and other objects will be readily apparent upon a study of
the following specifications and the accompanying drawing
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side view of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an edge view thereof.
FIG. 3 is an opposite side view of the invention which includes a
scale that measures the width of a mouth between the jaws.
FIG. 4 is an edge view of the invention with a ratchet wrench
extension.
FIG. 5 is a side cross sectional view of a modified design of the
invention, from the end of an extension handle.
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view on line 6--6 of FIG. 5.
Referring now to the drawing in detail, and more particularly to
FIGS. 1 and 2 at this time, the reference numeral 10 represents an
adjustable jaw ratchet type drive tool according to the present
invnetion, wherein there are a pair of jaw members 11 and 12 which
are slidable respective to each other so to adjust a width of a
mouth 13 formed therebetween.
One jaw member has an opening 14 in which a worm gear 15 is held
captive while being rotatably free so to engage a toothed rack 16
on the other jaw member. Thus rotation of the worm gear adjusts the
mouth width.
The tool 10 includes a ratchet type drive adaptor or broach fitting
17.
As shown in FIG. 4, when the tool 10 is used with a ratchet wrench
extension 18, the tool can do a job either from above or below
work.
In FIG. 3, the opposite side of the invention additionally includes
a linear scale 19 engraved on one of the jaws, and serves to
measure a width of the mouth opening between the jaws. Such scale
may be limited to a specific maximum size, so that a different next
larger size tool 10 may require to be used when a larger mouth size
is needed.
Reference is now made to FIGS. 5 and 6 wherein a modified design of
the invention comprises an adjustable jaw ratchet type drive tool
20 in which the jaws can be spread apart or closed toward each
other by a mechanism 21 controlled from the end of extension handle
22, so that a person does not have to gamble on presetting a jaw
adjustment before placing tool 10 into a remotely confined
area.
In tool 20, worm gear 15 is rotatable by being integral with a
spiral gear 23 that engages a spiral gear 24 integral with shaft 25
rotatable inside an adaptor fitting 26 that is integral with jaw
11. The adaptor fitting 26 is cross sectionally square or hexagonal
in shape so to be engagable in correspondingly shaped socket
opening 27 of a removable handle 28 used in operating tool 10 in a
remote confining area similarly to the tool shown in FIG. 4.
The handle 22 has a wing screw 28 for selectively locking the
adaptor fitting 26 in the socket 27.
The end of the shaft 25 protrudes from the end of adaptor fitting
26 and has a square head 29 that is engagable inside a square
socket 30 of a shaft 31 freely rotatable inside handle 22. The head
29 and socket 30 are normally maintained disengaged by a
compression coil spring 32 between a head 33 of the end of shaft 31
and wall 34 of the handle 22.
In use it is now evident that a person can remotely control the
closing of jaws 11 and 12, by simply depressing head 33 against
spring 32 so to cause socket 30 of shaft 31 to engage head 29 of
shaft 25, so that rotation of head 33 causes gears 23 and 24 to be
rotated thus having the worm gear 15 to move jaw 12 respective to
the jaw 11.
After the jaws are adjusted, the handle 33 is released thus
disengaging shafts 25 and 31, and the tool 10 can be turned by
rotating handle 22. Thus the jaws are remotely controlled for
opening as well as closing. Wing screw 28 can be used when working
downward so to prevent the tool 10 to fall off the handle 22.
Thus a modified design has been provided.
While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it is
understood that such changes will be within the spirit and scope of
the present invention.
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