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US 5,305,670 AGranted
Adjustable wrench
AssigneeGregory Fossella
InventorsGregory Fossella, Pater L. Lindenmuth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adjustable ratchet wrench has a housing carried by a handle. The housing has a generally cylindrical chamber which carries a control member in turn supports the jaws. The control member is connected to the handle by a ratchet assembly whose setting determines the direction in which the tool may be used to turn a workpiece. The housing also carries a cam disk that engages the jaws and opens and closes them depending upon the direction in which it is rotated. A locking mechanism is provided to prevent the jaws from opening after they have been adjusted to grip a particular workpiece in response to reactive forces on the jaws. The wrench may have a power handle to drive the workpiece.
Claims71
An adjustable ratchet wrench comprising:
- a housing having an axis and carrying a handle,
- at least two jaws carried by the housing and having gripping faces which face the axis,
- jaw control means mounted on the housing for limiting the jaws to radial movement with respect to the housing for enabling the jaws to open and close about a workpiece disposed between the gripping faces,
- cam means for moving the jaws radially to open and close them about a workpiece, and
- locking means connecting the cam means with the jaw control means for preventing the jaws from releasing the workpiece when the workpiece is turned by the jaws, said locking means comprises a latching means mounted in a recess in one of said means and cooperating teeth on the other of said means.
2 more elements
An adjustable wrench comprising:
- a housing having an axis,
- a plurality of jaws carried by the housing and extending beyond the housing parallel to the axis, said jaws having inner and outer surfaces,
- adjusting means surrounding the jaws and having axially facing cams engaging the outer surfaces of the jaws for moving the jaws toward the axis when the adjusting means is rotated,
- control means provided in the housing for preventing rotation of the jaws with respect to the housing and slots oriented radially with respect to the axis, said jaws having means engaging said slots, and
- locking means provided on the adjusting means for resisting rotation of the adjusting means in the housing, said locking means including:
- a rack and pawl joining the adjusting means and control means, said pawl being biased into engagement with said rack,
- a plunger disposed in said housing and operatively connected to the pawl and biased in a direction so that said plunger is movable parallel to the housing axis, and
- means for translating said movement of said plunger into radial movement of the pawl so that said pawl disengages said rack upon depression of said plunger.
5 more elements
An adjustable ratchet wrench comprising:
- a housing having an axis,
- a plurality of jaws mounted on the housing and extending beyond the housing parallel to the axis, said jaws having inner and outer surfaces,
- adjusting means surrounding the jaws and having axially facing cams engaging the outer surfaces of the jaws for moving the jaws toward the axis when the adjusting means is rotated,
- control means disposed in the housing for preventing rotation of the jaws with respect to the housing, said control means having means for supporting said adjusting means, and
- a retaining ring for releaseably connecting the control means to the housing.
2 more elements
A wrench head comprising
- a housing having an axis,
- at least two jaws operatively connected to the housing and movable radially toward and away from the axis for engaging and releasing a workpiece to be turned by the head,
- a control member mounted on the housing and engaging the jaws and limiting the motion of the jaws to radial motion with respect to the control member,
- an adjusting disk surrounding at least a portion of the control member and having axially inwardly directed cams engaging the jaws for driving the jaws radially inwardly in response to rotation of the disk in one rotational direction with respect to the control member,
- means interconnecting the adjusting disk and jaws for moving the jaws radially outward in response to rotation of the disk in an opposite rotational direction with respect to the control member,
- and releasable locking means operatively interconnecting the control member and the adjusting disk for preventing rotation of the disk in said opposite rotational direction so as to prevent the jaws from opening in response to reactive forces applied to the jaws by a workpiece.
3 more elements
A power driven adjustable ratchet wrench comprising
- a housing,
- at least two jaws mounted on the housing,
- a control member engaging the jaws and rotatable about its axis to turn a workpiece engaged by the jaws,
- a circular gear on the control member, a cradle mounted on the housing for oscillating motion adjacent the control member,
- a driving pawl carried by the cradle and engaging the circular gear for stepwise rotation of the control member,
- and a motor operatively connected to the cradle for oscillating the cradle.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.