US2102287A - Wire line twister - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 14, 1937.

J. A. SMETHERS WIRE LINE TwIsTER Filed March 26,1v 1935 Ill/'111111 zo 23 /g/ ABL Jam' e5 f4. me/h ers BW ZW vATTORNEY iNVENT'OR Patented Dec. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ywlmi LINE 'rwrs'rna James A. hsmethers, Andrews, Tex. Application Maren 26, 1935, sel-m1 No. iaoss 'l Claims.

This invention' relates to adjustable wrenches.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a wrench wherein a limited closing movement of the jaws may be quickly and easily accomplished, and at the same time great pressure may be exerted between the jaws.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wrench having adjustable means whereby the limited closing movement may be made to `occur at any desired opening of the jaws.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a wrench wherein the adjusting means is at all times locked against accidental change.

More particularly this invention relates to a wrench especially adapted to grip a steel cable or wire-line in oil field work and has as its specific objects: First, to provide a wrench which may be easily and quickly caused to grasp such a cable, and with great pressure, and which may be readily released; second, to provide ysuch a Wrench which may be adjusted to accommodate varying sizes of cables.

In such wire line wrenches, when the tension or twist of the line accumulates, it is not uncommon for the wrench to slip, or get away from the workman, and the Wrench may be thrown severalfeet. By the aid of the present invention, the grip of the wrench is eifected in a positive manner so that the wrench cannot be freed until the jaw locking deviceis purposely released.

'I'his invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose there is shown a form in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specication. I shall now proceed to describe this form-in detail, which illustrates the general principles of my invention; but it is lto be understood that this `ldetailed description-is not to be taken vin a limiting sense, since the scope of my invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a wrenchvgripping a wire line;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, the jaws being shown in open positions; and I Figs. 3 and 4 are detail sections on an enlarged scale as seen on correspondingly numbered planesof Fig. 1.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing, a steel cable or wire line is indicated by 5 in Fig. 1, and is shown as gripped between a movable jaw 6 and a stationary jaw 1. Each jaw is provided with a hardened steel insert 8, provided with suitable teeth, disposed in an arcuate manner which actually engage cable 5. 'I'hese inserts are held in place in the jaws by being dovetailed at their inner corners as indi- 5 cated by 9, set screws I0 serving to hold .them against slipping.

The stationary or lower jaw 1 is formed 'integrally with a frame II, suitably designed for lightness and strength and arranged to receive 10 an extension handle I2. On the back of the upper part of the handle member, a guide I3 is formed to receive the supporting arm- Il of the movable or upper jaw 6. A boss I5 is formed at the lower part of the guide and has'a pin I6 15 passing through it, the outer ends of which serve to pivotally support the operating member Il. v

This operating member, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4, consists of a bar or handle I8, with a pair of side anges I9 and 20 forming cams.

The movable arm M, as shown in Fig. 3, hasy flat sides which cooperate with the guide I3 to maintain jaws 6 and 'I in alinement. However, arm I4 has an extension 21|, which islthreaded, 25 y extending through boss I5, and carrying th'e caml follower on nut 22. This nut 22 hasan upper portion 23, with flat sides and a lower projecting portion or flange 24. 'Ihe upper surface of v the ange 2lil is engaged by the faces of cams 30.

I9 and 20 while opposite sides of the upperporp tion 23 are engaged by the inner surfaces ofthe I flanges or cams I9 and-20. A light compression spring 25is confined be-v tween the bottom of-arm I4 and bossll encir-f' cling threaded extension 2| andurging jaws 6 and l apart, the amount of this opening being limited by the engagement of cam follower 22 and cams I9 and 2U. I From an inspection of the drawing plain that as cams I9 and-20- are rotated in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 2,to that shown in Fig. 1, the' action of the cam on the camfo1lower 2.2 will urge jaws 6 and I together; and further that the position of cam follower 22 on stem 2| will determine the space between the jaws when the cam has 'completed its movement. `Thus when it is desired to alter th'size cable that the wrench will grip, the operating member is turned to the 50 position of Fig. 2, jaw 6 is pressed downwardly against spring 25. until the sides oi' the nut 23 of the cam follower 22 are free of the inner surfaces of anges. I8 and I9. [The flange portion 24 will then be opposite clearance space 26 in the 55 it will be 40 arm structure toward clamping position, saidl structure having adjustment means cooperating with said cam for varying the jaw opening in clamping position, said adjustment means 'and' cam having cooperating locking surfaces for maintaining said means in adjusted position, said supporting arm structure also being movable independently of said cam toward clamping position to free said locking surfaces.

2. In a wrench, a frame having a stationary jaw supported thereon, a movable arm with a jaw supported thereon adapted to cooperate with said stationary jaw, a guide for said arm on said frame, a compression spring urging said jaws to open position, an operating member including a cam pivoted on said frame arranged to urge said jaws to closed position, a cam follower secured to said movable arm arranged to cooperate with said cam to urge said jaws to closed position, the position ofsaid cam follower in relation Ito the jaw on said movable arm being variable, whereby the opening between said jaws may be varied, and locking means operable by said cam to maintain said cam follower in adjusted position, said supporting arm structure also being movable independently of said cam toward clamping position to free said locking surfaces.

3. In a wrench, a frame having a stationary jaw supported thereon, a movable arm with a jaw supported thereon adapted to cooperate with said stationary jaw, a threaded extension on said arm, a guide for said arm on said frame, a compression spring urging said jaws to open position,

, an operating member including a cam pivoted on said frame, a cam follower threadedly mounted on said extension and arranged to cooperate with said ycam to urge said jaws toward closed position, the position of said cam follower in relation to the jaw on said movable arm being variable whereby the opening between said jaws may be altered, said cam follower having a face arranged to engage a faceof the cam in response to a force normally exerted by said compression spring and restrain said follower against rotation unless said faces are disengaged by pressure exerted against said compression spring.

4. In a wrench, a frame, a stationary jaw supported on said frame, a movable arm, a jaw supported on said arm and adaptedl to cooperate withsaidstationaryjaw,saidarmhavingan extension, said frame having a .guide for the arm, an operating member pivoted to the frame including a cam, and means cooperating with the cam and longitudinally adjustable on said extension for varying the jaw opening, said means and cam having cooperating locking surfaces formaintaining said means in adjusted position.

5. In a wrench, a frame, a stationary' jaw supported on said frame, a movable arm, a jaw supported on said arm and adapted to cooperate with said stationary jaw, said frame having a guide for the arm, said arm having an extension, said guide including a boss through which said extension :w: a compression spring disposed around the extensionand urging the arm toward jaw opening position, an operating member including a cam-pivoted to the boss, a cam follower mounted on said extension and cooperating with said cam to move the arm toward jaw closing position, said cam follower being adjustable on said extension for varying the jaw opening in closing position, and locking means to maintain said follower in adjusted position.

6. In a wrench, a frame, a stationary jaw supported on said frame, a movable arm, a jaw supported on said arm and adapted to cooperate with said stationary jaw, said frame having a' guide for the arm, said arm having an extension, said guide including a boss through which said extension passes, a compression spring disposed around the extension and urging the arm toward jaw opening position, an operating member including a cam pivoted to the boss, a cam follower mounted on said extension and cooperating with said cam to move -the arm toward jaw closing position, said cam follower being adjustable on said extension for varying the jaw opening in closing position, and locking means on said follower and cam operable by said spring to maintain said follower in adjusted position.

7. In a wrench, a frame, a stationary jaw supported on said frame, a movable arm, a jaw supported on said arm and adapted to cooperate with said stationary Jaw, said frame having a guide for the arm, said arm having an extension, said guide including a boss through which said extension passes,` a compression spring disposed around the extension and urging the arm toward jaw opening position, a nut threaded upon the extension and beyond the boss, said nut having flat sides, as well as a flange, and an operating member pivoted to the boss and having side anges forming ar cam cooperating with the pression spring.

JAMES A. SMETHERS.

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