GB2411613A

GB2411613A - Pipe wrench with pivoting jaws

Info

Publication number: GB2411613A
Application number: GB0404767A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ming-Hsing Li
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-03-03
Filing date: 2004-03-03
Publication date: 2005-09-07
Also published as: GB0404767D0

Abstract

A pipe wrench includes two jaws 20, 30 which are respectively pivotably connected to the handle 10 with a torsion spring 50 connected therebetween. The two jaws 20, 30 each have a clamp portion 21, 31 and the two clamp portions 21, 31 are cooperated to form a box end. The user may push the handle 10 aside to remove one of the jaws 20, 30 from the object and re-clamp the object after the handle 10 is rotated to a desired angle so that the user does not need to completely remove the wrench from the object during operation.

Description

2411 61 3

PIPE WRENCH HAVING TWO PIVOTAL JAWS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a pipe wrench having two pivotable jaws which are able to be pivoted relative to each other.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A well known conventional pipe wrench generally includes two fixed jaws between which a fixed sized of opening is defined and an object that is mounted on a pipe can be clamped by the two fixed jaws. The user has to remove the jaws from the objects and re-engage the object again and again to rotate the object, and this is an in convenient for the user to do his or her job. Another conventional pipe wrench is a ratchet pipe wrench which includes controls the direction that the wrench rotates to loosen or tighten the object. Nevertheless, it is difficult to manufacture the ratchet wrench and involves a complicated mechanism in the head of the wrench. Both of the two conventional pipe wrenches known to the applicant have a common problem which is that they cannot clamp a worn object because they are open ended wrenches and only two sides of the object can be clamped by the two jaws. Once either one of two opposite sides of the object is worn out, only half of the area can be clamped and this reduces efficiency of the pipe wrench dramatically.

The present invention intends to provide pipe wrench which has two pivotable jaws which forms a box end when located at operation position and are able to be separated from each other to release the object.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a pipe wrench which comprises a handle and a first hole and a second hole are respectively defined through a connection plate at an end of the handle. A first jaw has a first clamp portion and a first shank portion which is pivotably connected to the connection plate. A second jaw has a second clamp portion and a second shank portion which is pivotably connected to the connection plate. The first clamp portion and the second clamp portion are matched to form a box end. A torsion spring is located between the first shank portion and the second shank portion so as to keep the first clamp portion and the second clamp portion in an operation position to be the box end.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. I is an exploded view to show the pipe wrench of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view to show the pipe wrench of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a top view to show the two jaws are in operation position; Fig. 4 shows the pipe wrench is used to clamp a nut on a pipe; Fig. 5 shows that the handle is pushed aside to remove the second jaw from the nut, and Fig. 6 shows the two jaws are able to respectively pivot relative to the handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the pipe wrench of the present invention comprises a handle 10 having a connection plate 11 at one end thereof and a first hole 12 and a second hole 13 are respectively defined through the connection plate 11. The first hole 12 and the second hole 13 are located that a distance in a longitudinal direction of the handle 10 and a distance in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the handle 10 are respectively defined between the first hole 12 and the second hole 13.

A first jaw 20 has a first clamp portion 21 and a first shank portion 22. The first shank portion 22 has a first aperture 23 which is located close to a distal end of the first shank portion 22, and a rivet 40 extends through the first hole 12 and the first aperture 23. The first hole 12 is located away from a distal end of the connection plate 11. A second jaw 30 has a second clamp portion 31 and a second shank portion 32. The second shank portion 32 is pivotably connected to the connection plate 11 at the second hole 13 by extending another rivet 40' through the second hole 13 and a second aperture 33 in the second jaw 30. The second hole 13 is located close to the distal end of the connection plate 11. The first clamp portion 21 and the second clamp portion 31 each have a semi-circular clamping surface which includes several protrusions and notches so as to clamp an object such as a nut as shown in Fig. 5. The first clamp portion 21 and the second clamp portion 31 can be matched to form a box end, and may be pivoted from each other as shown in Fig. 6.

A torsion spring 50 is received in a recess 320 defined in the second shank portion 32 and located between the first shank portion 22 and the second shank portion 32. One leg of the torsion spring 50 is engaged with a hole 24 located beside the first aperture 23 and the other leg of the torsion spring 50 is engaged with another hole 34 located beside the second aperture 33. The torsion spring 50 keeps the first clamp portion 21 and the second clamp portion 31 in an operation position as the box end.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the matched first clamp portion 21 and the second clamp portion 31 together clamp the nut on a pipe and when the user rotates the handle 10, the nut is rotated with the wrench. The user may push the handle 10 aside to remove the second clamp portion 21 away from the nut while the first clamp portion 21 is still engaged with the nut. The user may rotate the handle 10 to a desired position and then move the handle to let the second clamp portion 31 engage the nut again. By this wrench, the wrench needs not removed from the nut while changing the position of the handle 10.

The pipe wrench does not include a ratchet mechanism so that it is easily to be manufactured and because the matched first clamp portion 21 and the second clamp portion 31 form a box end so that even if the nut is worn out, the two jaws 20, 30 can easily hold and rotate the nut.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A pipe wrench comprising: handle having a

connection plate at one end thereof and a first hole and a second hole respectively defined through the connection plate; a first jaw having a first clamp portion and a first shank portion, the first shank portion pivotably connected to the connection plate at the first hole which is located away from a distal end of the connection plate; a second jaw having a second clamp portion and a second shank portion, the second shank portion pivotably connected to the connection plate at the second hole which is located close to the distal end of the connection plate, the first clamp portion and the second clamp portion being matched to form a box end, and a torsion spring located between the first shank portion and the second shank portion so as to keep the first clamp portion and the second clamp portion in an operation position to be the box end.
2. The wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein a distance in a longitudinal direction is defined between the first hole and the second hole.
3. The wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein a recess is defined in the second shank portion and the torsion spring is received in the recess.
4. The wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first shank portion has a first aperture which is located close to a distal end of the first shank portion, a rivet extends through the first hole and the first aperture.
5. The wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein a distance is defined between the first hole and the second hole in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the handle.
6. The wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first clamp portion and the second clamp portion includes a semi-circular clamping surface.
7. A wrench substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.