Tools – Wrench – screwdriver – or driver therefor – Handle clutched to head
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-14
2001-07-24
Smith, James G. (Department: 3723)
Tools
Wrench, screwdriver, or driver therefor
Handle clutched to head
C081S060000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263765
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of tools. More particularly, this invention relates to tools of a type commonly employed for engaging bolts, nuts and other similar items desired to be rotated.
In a further and more specific aspect, the instant invention relates to a wrench having an end movable between an open position for receiving a member such as a bolt or a nut and a closed position for engaging the member for facilitating the grasping and/or rotation of the member.
2. Prior Art
A wrench is normally defined as a hand or power tool for holding, twisting or turning objects such as nuts and bolts. The prior art is replete with wrenches suitable for grasping, twisting or rotating nuts and bolts. Common wrench designs include crescent wrenches, socket wrenches and open and box wrenches. Although exemplary for facilitating rotation of nuts, bolts and other similar items, ratcheting movement socket wrenches are among the most popular with workmen and workwomen. In this regard, the socket of a conventional ratchet style wrench may be conveniently placed about a nut or a bolt and then rotated by virtue of reciprocating movement of the ratchet style wrench to rotate the nut or bolt in a predetermined direction. Furthermore, a ratcheting or pawl mechanism may be adjusted for facilitating rotation of the socket in a predetermined and selected direction.
Unlike ratchet style socket wrenches, crescent wrenches and other open-ended wrenches have proven utility in approaching a nut or a bolt from a laterally directed position when the space above the nut or bolt is insufficient to allow a user to insert a socket over the nut or bolt. Furthermore, to rotate a nut or bolt with a crescent or other variety of open-ended wrench in the foregoing environment may require a user to repeatedly engage, rotate and disengage the crescent or other open-ended wrench from the nut or bolt when in a constrictive environment or when access to the not or bolt is otherwise restricted. Repeatedly engaging, rotating and disengaging a nut or bolt in the foregoing manner is not only time consuming and inefficient, but also normally frustrating for the user.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wrench having a wrench head assembly movable from an open wrench head orientation for facilitating lateral receipt of a member such as a nut or bolt, and a closed wrench head orientation for engaging the member for rotation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wrench that is easy to use.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a wrench that is convenient to use.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a wrench that is easy to construct.
Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a wrench that is inexpensive.
Yet still another object of the instant invention is to provide a wrench that incorporates not only a wrench head assembly movable from an open wrench head orientation for facilitating lateral receipt of a bolt or nut, and a closed wrench head orientation for engaging the bolt or nut for rotation, but also a pawl mechanism for advantageously facilitating ratcheting movement of the wrench head assembly.
And a further object of the invention is the provision of eliminating frustration commonly experienced by users using crescent and other similar open-ended wrenches.
Still a further object of the immediate invention is to provide a wrench that is efficient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, to achieve the desired objects of the instant invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, provided is a wrench including a framework having substantially coextensive first and second arms mounted for pivotal movement at a proximal end and extending outwardly therefrom and terminating with opposed arcuate jaws each terminating with a free end. The framework is movable from a closed position of the jaws traversing diverging lateral pivotal movement of the arms to an open position of the jaws, and the open position of the jaws traversing converging lateral pivotal movement of the arms to the closed position of the jaws.
The wrench may further include a plurality of wrench head segments mountable in continuous series for rotation with the jaws and movable from an aligned configuration of the plurality of wrench head segments in a closed wrench head orientation to an open wrench head orientation in response to movement of the arms to the open position of the jaws to define a gap intermediate adjacent ones of the plurality of wrench head segments positioned or otherwise carried adjacent the respective free ends of the jaws and of an extent sufficient to admit therethrough from a direction from the free ends of the jaws a member to be rotated. The plurality of wrench head segments are also movable from the open wrench head orientation to the closed wrench head orientation in response to movement of the arms to the closed position of the jaws to engage the member to be rotated, each of the plurality of wrench head segments including an engagement surface each cooperating together to define a substantially continuous engagement surface in the closed wrench head orientation adapted to generally conform and engage the member to be rotated in the closed wrench head orientation.
In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of wrench head segments may include three wrench head segments each having an engagement surface such that when in the closed wrench head orientation of the wrench head assembly, define a substantially continuous engagement surface adapted for engaging a member to be rotated in the closed wrench head orientation of the wrench head assembly. Each one of the plurality of wrench head segments may further include an outer surface having interdental spaces formed therealong, wherein in the closed wrench head orientation of the plurality of wrench head segments, the outer surface of each of the plurality of wrench head segments define an outer circumference. A pawl assembly may also be provided carried by the framework proximate the jaws and adapted to fall within the interdental spaces for permitting rotational movement of the wrench head assembly relative the jaws in the closed wrench head orientation in one or more predetermined rotational directions.
In another embodiment of the present invention, each one of the jaws of the framework may include an arcuate channel having a pair of diametrically opposed arcuate tongues extending inwardly into the arcuate channel from opposed inner surfaces bounding the channel, each one of the arcuate tongues terminating with opposed spaced apart free ends. Consistent therewith, each one of the plurality of wrench head segments may correspondingly include a pair of opposed arcuate grooves, each one of the plurality of wrench head segments adapted for sliding receipt into the channel of each one of the jaws with each one of the pair of diametrically opposed tongues being slidably receivable into and through a respective one of the grooves. A pair of bearings carried by the framework may also be provided each receivable within one of the grooves of each of the plurality of wrench head segments, the pair of bearings operative for facilitating smooth rotational movement of the wrench head segments within the channels of the jaws in the closed wrench head orientation of the plurality of wrench head segments.
In another embodiment, each one of the plurality of wrench head segments may include at least one mark visible through an aperture formed though the framework proximate one of the jaws at a point relative the channel of at least one of the jaws for facilitating visual access into the channel of one of the jaws, wherein placement of one of the marks of a selected one of the plurality of wrench head segments relative the aperture corresponds to the aligned configuration of the p
Goltry Michael W.
Parsons Robert A.
Parsons & Goltry
Smith James G.
LandOfFree
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