US2719444A - Sliding jaw screw cap removers - Google Patents

Description

T. ZELLER 2,7l9,444

SLIDING JAW SCREW CAP REMOVERS Oct 1955 Filed April 28. 1954 Illllllllllllllllliw-I .4 L97 P20533 tia :f4

f/ ff .53257 United States Patent O SLIDING JAW SCREW CAP REMOVERS Theodore Zeller, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 28, 1954, Serial No. 426,076

2 Claims. (Cl. 813.42)

The present invention relates to screw cap removers, wrenches and the like, and is particularly concerned with an improved tool for removing the screw caps usually employed upon glass jars.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a quality tool for removing screw caps which is adjustable to caps of various sizes, which is simple in construction, positive in its action and adapted to be manipulated with a minimum amount of effort on the part of the user.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved screw cap remover which clamps the cap automatically when the handle is grasped in such manner as to pull the handle in the direction required for unscrewing the cap.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved screw cap remover adjustable to caps of different size in which a movable jaw, which may be freely moved into engagement with the cap to adjust the size, is automatically secured in that position and advanced into tighter engagement with the cap when a lever is actuated on the handle.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved quality tool which may be manufactured cheaply and which may be used for many years without neces sity for repair or replacement of any of its parts, and which may be sold to a large number of purchasers at a reasonable cost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar chaarcters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, of which there is one sheet, accompanying this specification,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing a fragment of a jar having a cap to which the present screw cap remover is applied;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the screw cap remover;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view with the parts shown in a full-line position and a dotted-line position to illustrate the action which takes place when the screw cap is clamped;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 4 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the clamping screw;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view similar to Fig. 3, showing a modification in the form of a wrench.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, 10 indicates in its entirety my improved screw cap remover, which preferably includes a supporting handle 11, a fixed jaw 12 carried thereby, a movable jaw 13, an actuating lever 14, and a slider 15 for supporting the lever 14.

The handle 11 is shown as a straight bar of suitable metal or steel which is rectangular in cross section, as shown in Fig. 4. The handle has its straight shank 16 provided with a Y- shaped formation 17, 18, at the cap end for the purpose of supporting the fixed jaw 12, which is ixedly secured to the Y- formations 17, 18 at their ends by welding, brazing or the like.

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The fixed jaw 12 extends transversely to the handle shank 16 and may consist of a curved strip having an outer curved wall 19 and an inner jaw formation 20 provided with a plurality of teeth.

The jaw formation preferably has a central curvature 21 which is on a smaller radius for gripping smaller caps while the outer portions 22 of the jaw are formed on a larger radius for engaging larger caps at two points.

The lxed jaw 12 is also rectangular in cross section. In some embodiments of the invention the handle and xed jaw may be stamped out of sheet metal.

The movable jaw 13 comprises a substantially rectangular block having a lower wall 23, an upper wall 24, a pair of side walls 25 and 26, and a forwardly projecting clamping flange 27.

The walls 23-26 surround a rectangular through opening 23 extending longitudinally of the block and having a suitable clearance for slidably engaging the rectangular handle shank 16.

The thickness of the rectangular handle shank 16 should be quite uniform, as this handle shank is clamped by a threaded member 41, further to be described; and a variation in thickness of the handle shank of a few thous andths may cause a variation in the clamping action of the threaded member 41.

The forwardly projecting clamping flange 27 is located as an extension of the bottom wall 23 and is in alignment with the xed jaw 12, which is located on the bottom of the handle shank 16.

The clamping flange 27 has a curved end surface 29 which is provided with a multiplicity of teeth and is adapted to receive and clamp the screw caps which are to be removed. The curvature of the toothed end surface 29 is preferably relatively large for giving a maximum engaging contact with large caps.

The movable jaw 13 has its guide block provided with a depending pin 30, which is located in a bore 31 in the bottom wall 23, where it is frictionally secured.

Pin 30 may have a rounded lower end 32, and is of sufficient length to project through a slot 33 in the lever 14. The slider 15 comprises a block of metal provided with a rectangular through aperture 34 for slidably engaging the handle shank 16, with which it has a suitable clearance.

The rectangular aperture 34 is surrounded by the upper wall 35, bottom wall 36, the two side walls 37 and 38. The bottom wall 36 is provided with :a relatively large threaded bore 39 for receiving the threaded body 40 of a clamping screw 41.

Threaded body 40 is preferably made quite wide for engaging a large area of the bottom of handle shank 16 to clamp the slider 15 as securely as possible.

The length of the threaded body, as shown in Fig. 4, is sutlicient to extend from its clamping end 42 through the bore 39 when the screw is engaging the handle shank; and the threaded body 40 also extends outside the slider 15 with a clearance at 43 between the lever 14 and the handle shank.

The clamping screw 41 preferably has relatively fine threads, such as, for example, 24 threads to the inch, for the reason that when the clamping screw 41 first engages the shank and clamps it, fine threads permit the lever 14 to be moved still farther to the full line position of Fig. 3, during which latter movement the clamping screw clamps the slider 15 more securely and permits the cam slot 53 to act on the pin 30 and move the movable jaw 13. Very coarse threads, or threads having a high pitch, tend to stop movement of the handle 14.

This clearance prevents the lever 14 from interfering with the clamping action. The clamping screw 41 is provided with a non-circular shank 44, which may be rectangular or square, and is of sufficient width to pass almost through the lever 14.

There is a threaded bore 45 in the non-circular shank 44 of the screw for receiving the threaded shankl of a screw bolt 46, which is provided with a washer 47, and which fxedly secures the lever 14 to the clamping screw 41 by clamping the lever 14 against the annular end surface 48 on the clamping screw. Having a clearance at 49v between the end 50 of the non-circular shank 44 and the lever 14 permits the head and washer to come into clamping action with the side of the lever 14, instead of engaging the end 50 of the screw.

Lever 14 is thus adapted to thread the clamping screw 41 into the bore 39 of the slider 15 until the end 42 of the screw clamps the handle shank 16. The handle shank is also engaged with the upper side of the bore 34 in the slider 15; and a powerful clamping action is secured, which prevents any further sliding movement of the member on the handle shank. lWhen the lever 14 is in the dotted line position of Fig. 3, the pin 30 is at the upper end in Fig.` 3 of the slot 33; and the threaded clamping screw 41 is retracted out of engagement with the handle shank. Then the slider 15 slides freely on the handle.

58 indicates a stop for the slider 15, comprising a steel pin with rounded ends, the pin being frictionally engaged in a bore 59 in the handle 10, for limiting the openin movement of the tool by engaging the slider 15.

The slot 33 is arcuate in form, being formed on a predetermined radius, having its center at some point 51, below the axis of clamping screw 41. This causes the side 52 of the slot 33 to slope away from the axis of the clamping screw 41 in a downward direction in Fig. 3; and the other side 53 of the' slot 33 is formed on the same center, and is adapted to retract the pin 30 and movable jaw 13.

The ends of the slot 33 are preferably rounded to fit the pin 30; and the relation of the parts is such that there is always a clearance between the pin 30 and the end 54 of the slot 33, leaving a further range of movement for the lever 14 in its clamping action by means of the screw 41.

Y The operation of the present screw cap remover is as follows:

The handle shank 16 is placed on top the screw cap 55, with the fixed jaw 12 engaging one side of the screw cap, preferably at the knurled portion 56 of the screw cap. The lever 14 being in the dotted line position of Fig. 3, the clamping screw 41 is withdrawn in its threaded bore 39; and the slider 15 slides freely on the handle shank.

Movable jaw 13 and lever 14v slide together because they are joined by pinV 30 and slot 33; and at this time the two sliding blocks are in engagement with each other. The clearance shown at 57 (Fig. 3) between them represents the later movement in effecting a clamping action.

The movable jaw is moved up into engagement with the knurled edge of the screw cap. The spacing of the jaws ofthe screw cap remover has now been adjusted to the particular cap.

The handle 11 and lever 14 are then grasped in the hand and pressure applied to move the lever 14 from its dotted-line position, Fig. 3, to the full-line position.

The initial arcuate movement of the lever 14 advances the clamping screw 41 in its bore 39 and causes the end 42 of the screw 41 to clamp the handle shank.

The slider 15 is'now clamped in fixed position by initial movement oflever 14 in a clockwise direction in Fig. 3. Further movement of the lever 14 in the same direction causes the wall 52 of slot 33 to cam the pin 30 to the left, causing the jaw 13 to advance to the left to clamp the screw cap.

The teeth of the two jaws bite into the screw cap which now can beunscrewed by turning the handle in a counterclockwise direction, looking; at the top of the cap'.

The` cap isr released by merely moving the lever 14 from the full-line position of Fig. 3 to the dotted-line position, which retracts the jaw and finally loosens the clamping screw 41.

Referring to Fig. 6, this is a fragmentary View of a modification in which the handle 16 is provided with a fixed jaw 60 of a different shape welded to the handle 16 at 61.

Jaw 60 may have a laterally extending portion 62, an upwardly extending portion 63, and a transversely extending portion 64, having a straight toothed clamping surface 65.

All of the details of the tool may be the same except that the forwardly extending flange 27a may be made longer for the purpose of gripping smaller articles between its end 29a and the fixed jaw surface 65.

It will thus be observed that l have invented an improved screw cap remover or wrench which may be made to grip articles of various sizes, and which is automatically adjusted to size by merely sliding the jaws toward each other. There is no need to turn any screws or other members for adjusting the jaws.

After adjustment of the tool to size with the articles to be clamped, it is only necessary to grip the combined lever and handle which secures the parts in clamping position and advances the movable jaw into tight clamping relation with the cap or other article. The jaws are again released by merely moving the lever away from the handle.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. In a screw cap remover, the combinationv of an elongated handle of uniform cross section over its major length, the said handle being provided at one end with a transversely extending fixed jaw secured to one side of the handle, a slider mounted for sliding movement on said handle and having a movable jaw extending toward said fixed jaw and opposed thereto, a second slider located on said handle behind said first slider and provided with a threaded clamping member extending through said second slider and engaging said handle, a lever fxedly mounted on the end of said threaded member, and carnming means acting between said lever and rst slider for advancing said movable jaw into engagement with a member to be clamped after the second slider'has been ,clamped in fixed position on said handle, said camming means comprising a pin and a transverse slot, theV slot sloping toward said fixed jaw and the walls ofsaid slot acting on the pin to grip or release the article to be gripped, the said threaded member having an enlarged threaded portion with a clamping end surface engaging a substantial area of said handle, and said threaded meniber having a non-circular shank extending into saidY lever in a non-circular aperture of complementary shape.

2. In a screw cap gripping device, the combinationof an elongated metal bar having a uniform cross section and smooth sides with a 4fixed jaw secured on saidl bar transversely at one end of the bar, and having a gripping portion facing backwardly adjacent the face of said bar to engage the sides of a cap when the face of the batr engages the cap end, a sliding jaw having a body surrounding said bar with an aperture complementary to the bar, and having a gripping-` portion opposite to thaton the fixed jaw, a pincarried by said sliding jaw, a slider surrounding said bar and spaced from said movable jaw body, said slider having a threaded bore extending through it and a threaded clamping member in said bore engaging the face of said bar, and having an outer noncircular end portion, a hand lever fixedly mounted on said endportion and extending at an acute angle to said bar, said lever References Cited inthe file of this patent having an opposite extension overlying said movable jaw UNITED STATES PATENTS body, and said extension having a sloping slot receiving toward the bar, and the slider then becoming iixed on 3,595 Great Britain Feb- 12, 1898 said bar, the slot then acting as a cam on the pin to force 10 the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw a limited amount to clamp a cap.

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