US2402477A - Wrench - Google Patents

Description

w; E. WILLIAMS EAQZAW WRENCH June E8, 1946.

Filed Mafch 15, 1944- Patented June 18, 1946 Willis E. Williams, New'Orleans, La.

Application March 15, 1944, Serial No. -526,536

This invention relates to a wrench-particularly designed to screw a coupling flange onto a shaftworbpipe; or to unscrew-it therefrom; It is areversible wrench of theratchetitype.

Wrenches of this 'type'and :for this purpose are known, butinsofaras applicant is aware, these are characterized byhaving spring yielding pawls engageablewith'open ratchet teeth.

Spring...biase:d pawls are diiiicult or unha-ndy t'o'reverse, inasmuchtas'the spring and pawl must either be zseverally :disassociate'd' and replaced in reverse position, or the spring and pawl must be reversed a 'unit, necessitating the provision of an additional elemen't,;af common reversible carriage-for both :spring :and pawl. Besides, a

spring actuated pawl is readily :clogged with grease and .debris, requiringfrequent cleaning to keep it operative. Open ratchet teeth, too, are subject to becoming obstructed by grease oriother foreign matter, preventing proper .interdigitation of the pawl therewith, and if .made cheaply, as

of brittle castlmaterial, areliableto breakage.

One of the objectsofthe present invention is to provide a wrench of the class described, having a reciprocable handle member, and a member operated thereby unidirectionally in either direction, having means engageable with the bolt holes of the flange coupling, one of said members carry ing a pawl which is reversible but unyieldable, d projects laterally with respect to the plane of rotation of the handle member, and in which the usual ratchet teeth are substituted by a circular series of peripherally closed apertures in the handle operated member, opening laterally in the face of said member adjacent the pawl, the latter member normally being spring biased to lie in the path of movement of the pawl, and being forced out of the path of said pawl against the bias of the spring by camming action against the slope of the pawl to permit unidirectional slippage between the pawl and the apertured mem ber.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a plurality of pawls at uniformly spaced intervals, whereby uniform parallel relative displacement between the pawl and ratchet members is secured.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing throughout the several figures of which the same reference characters hav been used to denote identical parts:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the wrench, part; of the handle member being omitted;

2 Claims. (01. s1 9o) v? V Figure 2 is a diametrical cross-section taken along the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3'isa similar cross-section taken alon the line 3-3 of Figure -1 Figure :4 is an axial cross-'section'taken through one of the reversible pawls alongthe line4 lof Figur 2. I e

Referring now in "detail to the several figures, the numerals l and 2 represent, respectively; *a disk or ratchet member .and a handle or Epawl carrying .member, the latter extending 'diamet rically across the rear face of the disk I. The disk andhandle member are-pivoted along a common axis by means of a pin 3, which passes through-aligned apertures in said members. The pin 3, as shown, has a conical head 4 seated in a countersink in the disk I, and at its rear end A.

it has 'a spring retaining head or knob 5. spring 6 surrounds the pin 3, being confined under compression between the'knob 5 and the rear face of the handle member 2. ,Its normal function is to keep the disk I pressed yieldingly toward the handle member 2. A washer 1 between said disk and, handle member minimizes the friction between said members. The disk I has a non-adjustable pin 8 projecting from its front face and an adjustable similar pin 9 which may be selectively inserted in any one of the radially arranged apertures [0, I0, I0 which are on 0D- posite sides of the axis of rotation from the nonadjustable pin 8. The pins 8 and 9 are adapted to fit into the bolt holes of the coupling flange which it is desired to secure or remove.

The pawls may be, on either of the members I or 2, and the ratchet on the other member. As here shown, the pawls are carried by the han dle member and the ratchet by the disk I. The pawls H and I2, as shown, are two in number, equally spaced on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the handle member 2. Each pawl consists of a head l3 having a sloping face It and an abrupt face IS, the latter being perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the handle member. The head I3 is at the inner end of a shank l6 journaled in a bearing aperture in the handle member 2. The opposite end of the pawl consists of a plate I! fixed with respect to the shank l6 and preferably bearing frictionally against the handle member 2. The plate has a preferably non-round projection l8 adapted to be engaged by the fingers or by a tool, depending upon the frictional resistance between the plate I! and handle member, for reversing the position of the pawl. When in operative position, both pawls will have the same direction of,

orientation to produce either forward or backward movement of the disk I.

The disk I is provided with a circular series of spaced apertures I9 of such size as to receive the heads of the pawls II and I2. Normally, the spring 6 holds the disk I in the path of movement of said pawls. When the handle is moved in a direction to bring the abrupt faces l of the pawls against the adjacent sides of theapertures H, the disk I is rotated in that direction. When the handle 2 is moved in the opposite direction,

the sloping faces M of the pawls cam against the I adjacent edges of the openings l9 and force the disk I away from the handle member 2 against the bias of the spring 6, until the disk i is out of the path of movement of said pawls, permitting the latter to slide against the adjacent face Another advantage of the subject construction is that there are no radially extending open teeth, nor is there any radially positioned pawl to become fouled with foreign bodies, or broken by virtue of their exposed position.

While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to be a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention, it will be understood to those skilled in the-art that other arrangements of the parts or modification of the details of construction are within the scope of the appended claims.

of said disk until they enter adjacent apertures.

It is obvious from the above description thatthe pawls are of simple construction, devoid of springs which might clog'with grease or other matter and render the pawls-inoperative, and that their adjustment from forward to reverse position is effected with utmost simplicity. It is also apparent'that the apertures l9 are continuously framed on all four sides by the material of the disk I, so that they are not apt to clog with grease, and are structurally stronger than the open teeth usually employed, and not subject to breakage. Consequently, the disk I may readily be made of brittle material such as castiron, with minimum risk of breakage.

What I claim as my invention is:

a l. A flange wrench comprising a circular flange engaging disk having diametrically opposed bolt hole engaging elements projecting from its outer face and-radially adjustable, a handle member extending diametrically across the inner face of said flange engaging disk, a pin at the center of said disk pivotally connecting said disk and handle member, a circular series 01 holes through said disk coaxial therewith constituting a ratchet,

reversible pawls journaled at diametrically opp0-' site points and held against axial movement in said handle member movable against the inner face of said handle member and registerable with said series ofv ratchet holes; said pawls having inclined cam faces, said pin extending through an aperture in said handle member and beyond, a

' spring surrounding the extended portion of said pin, a head on said pin retaining said springin compression against said handle member,-said spring having a range of compression movement equal at least to the height of said pawls whereby when they cam out of said ratchet holes said disk and handle member are forced apart sufficiently to permit passage of said pawls therebetween.

2. A flange wrench as claimed in claim 1, said pawls having portions on the outside of said ham dle member frictionally engaging said handle member and forming a finger or tool grip.

WILLIS E. WILLIAMS.

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