Self-contained, hand-held hydraulic clamp/wrench
OwnerDarion L. Heltoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved, completely portable, self-contained hydraulically actuated clamp/wrench, which includes integral pump means in the handle. The clamp/wrench may be held and operated with one hand which makes it especially useful in cramped locations where it is difficult to reach both hands to open or close a manually adjustable wrench. The clamp/wrench includes a stationary jaw and a complementary, hydraulically movable jaw which firmly clamps a workpiece to permit application of maximum torque to free up frozen parts.
Claims1
In an improved self-contained, hand-held hydraulic clamp/wrench having a main wrench body, a fixed jaw integral with an extending from said main wrench body, a lower, horizontal extension on said main wrench body, a movable jaw slidably connected to said main wrench body, said slidable jaw having a lower, vertically movable extension adapted to be driven by a hydraulic drive assembly, the improvement consisting of:
- a completely self-contained, separable hydraulic drive assembly disposed adjacent, and removably secured to said main wrench body, said hydraulic drive assembly comprising in combination:
- (1) a cylindrical housing defining a fluid reservoir and an integral hydraulic pump cylinder at the lower end of said housing, said housing having a vertical opening in the upper end and also having a check valve at the lower end of the housing;
- (2) a hydraulic cylinder integral with said housing, said hydraulic cylinder being disposed axially inside and completely surrounded by the fluid reservoir, said hydraulic cylinder having a pressure relief valve communicating with said fluid reservoir, and also having a spring biased ball check valve axially disposed at its lower end;
- (3) a pump cylinder integral with said housing and disposed with pg,9 its long axis perpendicular to the vertical axis of said housing, said pump cylinder communicating with said fluid reservoir through a normally open ball check valve, and with said hydraulic cylinder through a normally closed ball check valve;
- (4) a pump piston rod slidably disposed in the pump cylinder, said pump piston rod having actuating means connected to its outer end to cause it to draw hydraulic fluid from the fluid reservoir on its outward stroke and to inject the hydraulic fluid under pressure into the hydraulic cylinder on its inward stroke;
- (5) a piston disposed in the hydraulic cylinder which moves vertically upward in response to actuation of the hydraulic pump and consequent increase in hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic cylinder;
- (6) a piston rod connected to the upper end of said piston, and extending axially out the upper end of the cylindrical housing through the vertical opening therein, said piston rod being urged into contact with the lower vertical extension of the movable jaw to urge the movable jaw towards the fixed jaw upon manual actuation of the hydraulic pump piston rod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.