US2097361A - Wrench - Google Patents

Description

Get 25, 1937, J J BAGLEY 2,097,361

WRENCH Filed July 16, 1936 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Cal

Patented Oct. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in wrenches, and has special reference to what may be termed a selectively foldable wrench, that is to say a wrench having a plurality of foldable portions, each being provided adjacent the free end thereof with an aperture for application to a nut or bolt head while the balance of the wrench functions as a handle for rotary manipulation of the object engaged.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a more practical and convenient tool of this character than heretofore known, while other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing forming part of this application and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved wrench with portions thereof shown in partially folded position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the wrench with portions thereof completely folded.

The invention comprises two foldable groups of nut engaging members pivotally united to a centrally disposed offset shanklike member I, the major group of nut engaging members being pivoted as at 2 and the minor group as at 3. The latter group comprises the members 4, 5, and 6, each of which is generally U-shape and foldable one within another and provided in its outer terminus with a nut engaging hole, the inner periphery of each of which holes being notched as is common in wrenches to engage the corners only of the nut to which it may be applied, and the same is true of the similarly shaped but larger major group, the members of which are indicated at 1, 8, 9, and I0.

Each of the members of each group being U- shaped and foldable one within another upon their respective pivotal connection, it is obvious that they may be folded so that they all occur in the same plane, and each group is provided with a manually adjustable thumb-button indicated at II, pivoted to the member I, and which may be turned so that they overlap all of the members in its respective group and thus hold them folded or in the same plane. But if it is desired to use the wrench member 9, for example, the thumbbutton II of that group would be turned sufiiciently so that it would not engage the side arms of the member II], which member then may be folded back partially as indicated in Figure 1 and completely as indicated in Figure 2 to cooperate with the members of the other group in forming a handle while the wrench member 9 was being used in turning the nut. Thus, by manipulation of the thumb-buttons l l to' release all wrench members larger than the one selected for use, it is obvious that any wrench member of either group may be used while all larger wrench members of that group cooperate with the other group in forming a handle for manipulation of the device. 7

It is obvious that any desired number of members may be hinged together in any group and that they may be of any size desired. Also that the thumb buttons II are double, there being one upon either side of each wrench set, to function in holding the set in the same plane. And furthermore it is obvious, that the wrench members 4 and l are continuations of the central oifset member I and cooperate with the other wrench members in their respective sets.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A wrench set comprising a plurality of substantially U-shaped members foldable one within another and into the same plane, said members being pivotally united at one end and provided with nut engageable openings adjacent their other ends, a clip pivoted to the innermost member and overlappable with the other members for holding said members nested in the same plane, or releasing all members larger than one selected for use.

2. A wrench set comprising two sets of members, each set comprising a plurality of substantially U-shaped members foldable one within another and into the same plane, the members of each set being pivotally joined to a central offset member, each member being provided with a nut engageable opening, all members of either set larger than one selected for use being foldable to juxtaposed relation with the other set to coact therewith in forming a handle for the selected member.

3. In a foldable wrench of the type described, a central relatively narrow oifset supporting member having a nut engaging socket in either end thereof and a transverse through hole at .1

each terminus of the offset therein, a foldable group of U-shaped wrench members pivotally attached through their spaced termini within each of said holes in said supporting member, the

members of one group being severally or collectively foldable to parallel relation with and adjacent to any one or group of the other Wrench members.

4. A wrench set comp-rising a plurality of sub stantially U-shaped members foldable one within another and pivotally joined at their ends to a central shank-like member having offset portions lying in parallel planes, each U-shaped member being provided adjacent its other end with a nut engageable opening, and all members larger than one selected for use being foldable against and parallel with one of said offset portions of the shank-like member to coact therewith in forming a handle for the selected member.

JOHN J. BAGLE'Y.

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