US 4,269,089 AGranted

Adjustable ratchet pliers

OwnerCharles E. Hastingsinventor

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Abstract

A rapidly adjustable ratchet pliers having a first and second jaw member integral with a first and second handle member that pivotally cooperate to grasp a workpiece between the jaw members. The pliers also include a ratchet dog pivotally disposed in a slot of the first jaw member. The slot includes a surface defining tooth cavities and a smooth surface opposite thereof. The ratchet dog includes a biasing means that slidably and continuously contacts the smooth surface and a tooth normally biased into engagement with the tooth cavity surface. An abutment projects from a surface of the second jaw member into the slot whereby outward pivotal movement of the second handle member causes the abutment to contact a shelf of the ratchet dog and thereby release the dog from its biased engagement with the tooth cavity surface of the slot. Thereafter, the first jaw member may be adjusted relative to the second jaw member. Rapid closing of the jaw members is easily accomplished by simply shifting the second jaw member in a direction parallel with the slot in the first jaw member whereby the ratchet dog tooth freely ratchets over the slot teeth to a preselected location.

Claims5

Dependent claims

An adjustable ratchet pliers comprising in combination:

a first jaw member including a handle and a jaw portion, said first jaw member having an elongated slot formed therein and a plurality of notched positions formed in said elongated slot;
a second jaw member including a handle and a jaw portion, said second jaw member being pivotally coupled to said first jaw member;
slide track means formed along said elongated slot in said first jaw member, said slide track means including a sunken area on at least two sides of said elongated slot in said first jaw member;
slide means for sliding said second jaw member relative to said first jaw member, said slide means having a shaft and a sliding member, said shaft being connected to said second jaw member and extended through said elongated slot in said first jaw means, said slide member being attached to said shaft and slidably positioned on said slide track, and said slide means sliding member being a flat member sliding in said slide track means sunken area adjacent said elongated slot in said first jaw member;
locking means pivotally mounted on said slide means shaft and extending into said elongated slot for engaging said notched positions therein, said locking means biasing means including a spring biased pin mounted in a bore in said locking means biasing said pin against the opposite side of said first jaw member elongated slot from said plurality of notched positions;
releasing means for rapidly releasing said locking means from a notched position,, said releasing means including a stop on said second jaw member for engaging a portion of said locking means when said first and second jaw members are rotated relative to each other to engage said stop on said second jaw with said portion of said locking means whereby said adjustable pliers can be locked into an adjusted position and rapidly released for changing positions.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.