Wrench head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11267106-B2
Application number	US-201916659935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2019
Priority date	Oct 22, 2019
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A wrench head comprises a working axis, a first jaw, a second jaw, and a third jaw. The first jaw comprises first-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces. The second jaw is coupled with and pivotable relative to the first jaw and comprises a second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and a second-jaw planar contact surface. The third jaw is coupled with and pivotable relative to the second jaw and comprises a third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and a third-jaw planar contact surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wrench head, comprising:
a working axis;
a first jaw, comprising first-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces;
a second jaw, coupled with the first jaw, pivotable relative to the first jaw, and comprising a second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and a second-jaw planar contact surface; and
a third jaw, coupled with the second jaw, pivotable relative to the second jaw, and comprising a third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and a third-jaw planar contact surface; and
wherein:
the first-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces are three or more in number; and
a first-jaw virtual circle, perpendicular to the first-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces and having a single point contact with each of the first-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces, is centered about the working axis and is perpendicular to the working axis;
when the second jaw is in a closed second-jaw orientation relative to the first jaw, the first-jaw virtual circle is perpendicular to the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and to the second-jaw planar contact surface, has a single point contact with the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, and intersects the second-jaw planar contact surface at only two points; and
when the second jaw is in the closed second-jaw orientation relative to the first jaw and the third ja is in a closed third-jaw orientation relative to the second jaw, the first-jaw virtual circle is perpendicular to the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and to the third-jaw planar contact surface, has a single point contact with the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, and intersects the third-jaw planar contact surface at only two points.

2. The wrench head according to claim 1 , wherein, when the second jaw is in an open second-jaw orientation relative to the first jaw, the first-jaw virtual circle is perpendicular to the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and to the second-jaw planar contact surface, is not in contact with the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, has a single point contact with the second-jaw planar contact surface, and does not intersect either the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface or the second-jaw planar contact surface.

3. The wrench head according to claim 2 , further comprising a compression spring, located between the first jaw and the second jaw, and wherein the compression spring biases the second jaw relative to the first jaw from the open second-jaw orientation to the closed second-jaw orientation.

4. The wrench head according to claim 3 , wherein:
the second jaw further comprises a first first-jaw interface surface; and
the first jaw further comprises a first second-jaw interface surface, configured to contact the first first-jaw interface surface when the second jaw is in the open second-jaw orientation.

5. The wrench head according to claim 4 , wherein each of the first first-jaw interface surface and the first second-jaw interface surface is planar.

6. The wrench head according to claim 3 , wherein:
the second jaw further comprises a second first-jaw interface surface; and
the first further comprises a second second-jaw interface surface, configured to contact the second first-jaw interface surface when the second jaw is in the closed second-jaw orientation.

7. The wrench head according to claim 1 , wherein, when the second jaw is in an open second-jaw orientation relative to the first jaw and the third jaw is in an open third-jaw orientation relative to the second jaw, the first-jaw virtual circle is perpendicular to the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and to the third-jaw planar contact surface, is not in contact with the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, intersects the third-jaw planar contact surface, and does not intersect the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface.

8. The wrench head according to claim 7 , further comprising a torsion spring, located between the second jaw and the third jaw and biasing the third jaw relative to the second jaw from the open third-jaw orientation to the closed third-jaw orientation; and wherein:
the second jaw further comprises:
a second second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface; and
a second-jaw virtual circle is perpendicular to the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, to the second-jaw planar contact surface, and to the second second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, has a single point contact with each of the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and the second second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, and intersects the second-jaw planar contact surface at only two points; and

when the third jaw is in the closed third-jaw orientation relative to the second jaw, the second-jaw virtual circle is perpendicular to the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and to the third-jaw planar contact surface, has a single point contact with the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, and intersects the third-jaw planar contact surface at only two points.

9. The wrench head according to claim 7 , further comprising a torsion spring, located between the second jaw and the third jaw and biasing the third jaw relative to the second jaw from the open third-jaw orientation to the closed third-jaw orientation; and wherein:
the second jaw further comprises:
a second second-jaw planar contact surface; and
a second-jaw virtual circle is perpendicular to the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, to the second-jaw planar contact surface, and to the second second-jaw planar contact surface, has a single point contact with the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, and intersects each of the second-jaw planar contact surface and the second second-jaw planar contact surface at only two points; and

when the third jaw is in the closed third-jaw orientation relative to the second jaw, the second-jaw virtual circle is perpendicular to the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and to the third-jaw planar contact surface, has a single point contact with the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, and intersects the third-jaw planar contact surface at only two points.

10. The wrench head according to claim 7 , further comprising a torsion spring, located between the second jaw and the third jaw and biasing the third jaw relative to the second jaw from the open third-jaw orientation to the closed third-jaw orientation; and wherein:
the second jaw further comprises:
a second second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and a second second-jaw planar contact surface; and
a second-jaw virtual circle is perpendicular to the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, to the second second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, to the second-jaw planar contact surface, and to the second second-jaw planar contact surface, has a single point contact with each of the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and the second second-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, and intersects each of the second-jaw planar contact surface and the second second-jaw planar contact surface at only two points; and

when the third jaw is in the closed third-jaw orientation relative to the second jaw, the second-jaw virtual circle is perpendicular to the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and to the third-jaw planar contact surface, has a single point contact with the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, and intersects the third-jaw planar contact surface at only two points.

11. The wrench head according to claim 1 , wherein:
points of contact of the first-jaw virtual circle with two adjacent ones of the first-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces have a first angular separation about the working axis and points of contact of the first-jaw virtual circl

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Coffland Donald W

Classifications

• B25B13/481

  for operating in areas having limited access · CPC title

• B25B13/28 Primary

  the jaws being pivotally movable · CPC title

• B25B13/5016

  by externally gripping the pipe · CPC title

• B25B23/0007

  Connections or joints between tool parts · CPC title

• B25B13/08

  of open jaw type · CPC title