Quick-adjusting wrench

A quickly adjustable wrench comprising:

• a handle having an enlarged head portion formed at one end;
• a fixed jaw projecting lengthwise and outwardly from said end portion at an angle acute to the longitudinal axis of said handle, said fixed jaw provided with a flat gripping face;
• a guide channel formed in said head portion having side walls and a recess portion formed in each said side wall, said recess portions extending the length of said guide channel;
• a movable jaw slidably carried by said head portion and projecting lengthwise and outwardly from said head portion at an angle acute to the longitudinal axis of said handle, said movable jaw having a shank being adapted to slidably reciprocate within said guide channel and a flat gripping face disposed substantially parallel to the gripping face of said fixed jaw, said shank having a substantially vertical forward surface portion, a neck portion adjacent said forward surface, a bottom surface, and at least one tongue member extending laterally of said neck portion and being adapted to slidably reciprocate within said recess portion formed in said side walls of said guide channel, the bottom surface of said shank being a substantially smooth angled surface disposed in a plane oblique to the direction of the movement of said movable jaw;
• a slot formed in said head portion disposed in communication with said guide channel, said slot having a substantially smooth surface portion disposed in a plane oblique to the direction of movement of said movable jaw;
• a slidable wedge confined within said slot with its sides exposed at opposite sides of the head portion and being adapted to move reciprocably within said slot, said wedge having a top surface and a bottom surface, each being substantially smooth, said top surface being disposed in a plane oblique to the direction of the movement of said movable jaw and further oblique to the surface portion of said slot, said bottom surface of said wedge being adapted to more reciprocably adjacent the surface portion of said slot;
• and
• a pair of gripping plates, one of said plates being affixed to one of the exposed sides of said movable wedge and the other of said plates being affixed to the opposite exposed side of said movable wedge, each of said pair of gripping plates having a forward edge disposed transversely to the direction of movement of said cleat and nearest said fixed jaw, a dog extending transversely inwardly from said forward edge, and an outer surface having a concave contour, said dog being adapted to engage the substantially vertical forward surface portion of the shank of said movable jaw when said pair of gripping plates and said wedge move in cooperation away from said fixed jaw within said transverse slot thereby sliding said movable jaw away from said fixed jaw,
• said movable jaw being adapted to be moved toward a nut or bolt by sliding one of said pair of gripping plates toward said nut or bolt which in turn cooperatively slides said wedge within said transverse slot, which in turn engages the bottom surface of the shank of said movable jaw and cooperatively moves said movable jaw toward said fixed jaw until the gripping faces of said jaws abut the nut or bolt on opposite sides, said wedge being firmly interposed between the angled bottom surface of the shank of the movable jaw and whereby the oblique surface portion of the slot and pressure produced by the user attempting to turn the nut or bolt increases the firm engagement of the wedge between the shank and the surface portion of the slot which secures the movable jaw in position and prevents the movable jaw from sliding in a direction away from said fixed jaw.