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US 2004/0000219 A1Published application
Hexlock wrench
OwnerChristopher McNultyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wrench comprising a handle having a fixed flat anvil surface and a pair of arms movable within the handle, said arms projecting from said handle from opposite sides of the fixed flat anvil surface and movable at an acute angle of substantially 16° 6′ with a centerline of the wrench. The arms have opposed gripping heads arranged so that their respective gripping surfaces form an abutting relationship with the entire one of the sides of the six-sided fastener when said arms are in said gripping positions. A means for moving said arms along said linear paths includes a helical thumbscrew disposed between the arms and configured to engage threaded portions of the arms.
Claims20
A wrench comprising:
- A. a handle having a fixed flat anvil surface centered on one end of said handle, said fixed flat anvil surface being in an abutting relationship with an entire one side of the fastener when said fastener is gripped;
- B. a pair of arms mounted in said handle for sliding movement along associated linear paths between a gripping position and a release position, said arms projecting from said handle from opposite sides of said fixed flat anvil surface and said linear paths each forming an acute angle of substantially 16° 6′ with respect to a centerline of the wrench;
- C. a pair of opposed gripping heads, one formed on the end of each of said arms with each of said gripping heads having a gripping surface, said gripping heads arranged so that each of said gripping surfaces is in an abutting relationship with the entire one of the sides of the six-sided fastener when said arms are in said gripping positions, said gripping surfaces and said fixed flat anvil surface being arranged to apply substantially equiangular gripping force to three alternate sides of said six-sided fastener;
- and
- D. means for moving said arms along said linear paths between said gripping and releasing positions, said means including a helical thumbscrew disposed between the arms and configured to engage threaded portions of the arms.
2 more elements
A wrench comprising:
- A. a handle having an anvil grip surface;
- B. a first arm adjacent to the anvil grip surface and having a first grip movable in a linear direction at an angle of about 16° 6′ with respect to a centerline that is perpendicular to the anvil grip surface;
- C. a second arm adjacent to the anvil grip surface and opposite to the first arm, the second arm having a second grip movable in a linear direction at an angle of about 16° 6′ with respect to the centerline, wherein the anvil grip surface, the first grip and the second grip are disposed to apply substantially equal forces on alternate sides of a 6-sided fastener gripped therebetween;
- and
- D. a helical thumbscrew tapered at an angle of about 16° 6′ with respect to the centerline and operatively disposed between a set of first teeth of the first arm and a set of second teeth of the second arm, the thumbscrew configured to effect coincidental movement of the first grip and the second grip, while substantially maintaining the angular relationship of the first grip and second grip with respect to the centerline.
2 more elements
A method of making a hexlock wrench, comprising:
- A. forming a single piece handle using metal injection molding, including within the handle:
- 1) forming an anvil grip surface;
- 2) forming adjacent to the anvil grip surface a first channel and an opposite second channel at angles of about 16° 6′ with respect to a centerline perpendicular to the anvil grip surface;
- 3) forming adjacent to the anvil grip surface a helical thumbscrew opening within the handle, along the centerline and between the first channel and second channel;
- 4) forming, along the centerline, a top thumbscrew shaft pocket above the helical thumbscrew opening and a bottom thumbscrew shaft pocket below the helical thumbscrew opening;
- B. disposing within the first channel a movable first arm having a first grip;
- C. disposing within the second channel a movable second arm having a second grip, wherein the anvil grip surface, the first grip and the second grip are disposed to apply substantially equal forces on alternate sides of a 6-sided fastener gripped therebetween;
- D. disposing within the thumbscrew opening a helical thumbscrew tapered at an angle of about 16° 6′ with respect to the centerline, including engaging a set of first teeth of the first arm and a set of second teeth of the second arm;
- and
- E. installing a thumbscrew shaft axially within the thumbscrew, including installing a shaft top end in the top thumbscrew shaft pocket and a shaft bottom end in the bottom thumbscrew shaft pocket.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.