GB2268106A

GB2268106A - Wrench

Info

Publication number: GB2268106A
Application number: GB9309154A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Gerald Nolan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-05-01
Filing date: 1993-05-04
Publication date: 1994-01-05
Also published as: GB9309154D0

Abstract

A wrench has a shank 10 with a gripping region 14 at one end and a pivotably or rotatably supported head piece 13 mounted at the other end. The head piece 13 has at least one hexagonal socket for fitting onto the head of a bolt or nut. <IMAGE>

Description

An Implement The present invention relates to a tool or implement which has particular application in the scaffolding industry.

According to the invention there is provided an implement comprising a shank with a pivotably mounted head piece at one end and a shaped gripping region at the other end wherein the head piece has at least one hexagonal socket for engaging onto the head of a bolt or a nut.

The pivotable mounting permits the implement to be manipulated in awkward locations to permit a user to tighten or release coupling devices used in the erection of scaffolding. The gripping region is particularly designed to permit a user to store the implement in a belt or pouch and to release the implement easily and rapidly when needed.

The invention may be understood more readily and various other features of the invention may become apparent, from consideration of the following description.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of an implement constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the shaft of the implement shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the head piece of the implement shown in Figure 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a end view of the head piece shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a plan view of a further implement constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 6 is a plan view of the shaft of the implement shown in Figure 5; Figure 7 is a side view of the head piece of the implement shown in Figure 5 and Figure 8 is an end view of the head piece shown in Figure 7.

As shown in Figure 1, an implement 10 is composed of an elongate shank 11 conveniently of circular cross- section. At one end the shank 11 is pivotably connected at 12 with a head piece 13. The end of the shank 11 remote from the head piece 13 is provided with a shaped gripping region 14. The gripping region 14 has three portions 15,16,17 of slightly larger diameter than the main body of the shank 11. Frusto-conical bevelled surfaces 18 are provided between the portions 15,16,17 to provide depressions 7. Another shallow frusto-conical bevelled surface 19 smoothly joins the inner end portion 17 to the main body of the shank 11 and the outer end portion 15 has a small bevelled edge 20.

As shown in Figure 3 and 4, the head piece 13 is a cylindrical body 9 with a through bore leading to a hexagonal socket or recess 21 for engaging onto the conventional head 8 of a bolt or a nut. The wall 6 of the body 9 of the head piece 13 is provided with a Ushaped recess 22 opposite the socket recess 21 and a pair of bores 23 in the wall 6 extend across the body 9 with their common axis extending into the recess 22.

As shown in Figure 2, the end of the shank 11 remote from the gripping region 14 is provided with a reduced neck 24 and a ball 25 with flattened side surfaces 26. A bore 27 extends through the ball 25 between the surfaces 26.

The ball 25 fits into the body 9 of the head piece 13 remote from the socket 21 in the manner of the ball and socket joint and a pivot pin 28 extends through the aligned bores 23,27 to provide the pivot joint 12 between the head piece 13 and the shank 11.

Figures 5 to 8 depict a modified implement in which like reference numerals denote like parts to Figures 1 to 4. In the modified construction, the shank 11 has a bi-furcated end portion 30 opposite the gripping region 14. The end portion 30 has a base wall 31 and two spaced apart side walls 32 which possess bores 33. As shown in Figure 7 and 8, the head piece 13 is again a cylindrical body 9 but here the central body 9defines two oppositely-disposed socket recesses 34,35 to mate with different size hexagonal bolt heads or nuts.

The wall 6 of the body 9 has centrally located bores 36 and the head piece 13 is disposed between the walls 32 and rotatably supported by pins engaged in the bores 33, 36. The head piece 13 can thus rotate about the pivot joint 12 to present either socket 34, 35 facing outwardly.

The implements as described are intended particularly for the erection of scaffolding and for fastening and unfastening of bolts and nuts of coupling devices.

The pivotable head pieces 13 enable the user to manipulate the implement in various orientations during the creation or dismantling of the scaffolding and the implements can be safely held in a belt or pouch with the gripping region 14 permitting easy insertion or withdrawal.

Claims

1. An implement comprising a shank with a pivotably mounted head piece at one end and a shaped gripping region at the other end wherein the head piece has at least one hexagonal socket for engaging onto the head of a bolt or a nut.

2. An implement according to claim 1 wherein the shank is circular in cross-section and the gripping region is composed of portions of larger diameter than the main part of the shank with bevelled surfaces leading to or forming depressions therebetween.

3. An implement according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the head piece is a cylindrical body with bores in its wall for receiving one or more pivot pins joining the head piece to the shank.

4. An implement according to claim 3 wherein the shank has a spherical or part spherical portion at the end remote from the gripping region which portion fits into the cylindrical body.

5. An implement according to claim 3, wherein the shank has a bi-furcated portion at the end remote from the gripping region and the head piece has a pair of hexagonal sockets at opposite ends and is rotatably supported between side walls of the bi-furcated portion.

6. An implement substantially as described with reference to, and as illustrated in Figure 1 to 4 or Figure 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.