Wrench head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11318588-B2
Application number	US-201916659931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2019
Priority date	Oct 22, 2019
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 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 second-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces. 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 second-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces; 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,
wherein:
the first-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces are three or more in number;
a first-jaw virtual circle, is perpendicular to the first-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces, has a single point contact with each of the first-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces, and is centered about the working axis and is perpendicular to the working axis;
the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces are three in number;
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 surfaces and has a single point contact with each of the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces;
when the second jaw is in the closed second-jaw orientation relative to the first jaw, and the third jaw 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; and
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 surfaces, has a single point contact with only one of the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces, and does not intersect any one of the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces.

2. The wrench head according to claim 1 , 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.

3. The wrench head according to claim 2 , wherein:
the second jaw further comprises a first first-jaw interface surface; and
the first jaw 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.

4. The wrench head according to claim 3 , wherein:
the second jaw further comprises a second first-jaw interface surface; and
the first jaw 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.

5. The wrench head according to claim 2 , wherein:
the second jaw further comprises a second first-jaw interface surface; and
the first jaw 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.

6. The wrench head according to claim 1 , wherein, when the second jaw is in the 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, does not intersect the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, and intersects the third-jaw planar contact surface.

7. 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;
points of contact of the first-jaw virtual circle with any other two adjacent ones of the first-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces have a second angular separation; and
the first angular separation is identical to the second angular separation.

8. The wrench head according to claim 1 , wherein:
when the second jaw is in the closed second-jaw orientation relative to the first jaw, points of contact of the first-jaw virtual circle with two adjacent ones of the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces have a third angular separation about the working axis, and points of contact of the first-jaw virtual circle with any other two adjacent ones of the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces have a fourth angular separation about the working axis; and
the third angular separation is different from the fourth angular separation.

9. The wrench head according to claim 8 , wherein the second-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces are three in number.

10. The wrench head according to claim 1 , wherein:
the third jaw further comprises a second third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface located between the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and the third-jaw planar contact surface; and
when the second jaw is in the closed second-jaw orientation relative to the first jaw, and the third jaw is in the closed third-jaw orientation relative to the second jaw, the first-jaw virtual circle is perpendicular to the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, to the third-jaw planar contact surface, and to the second third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, has a single point contact with each of the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and the second 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 10 , 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, to the third-jaw planar contact surface, and to the second third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, is not in contact with the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface or the second third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, does not intersect the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface or the second third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, and intersects the third-jaw planar contact surface.

12. The wrench head according to claim 1 , wherein the third jaw further comprises:
a second third-jaw planar contact surface, located between the third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and the third-jaw planar contact surface; and
a notch, located between the third-jaw planar contact surface and the second third-jaw planar contact surface.

13. The wrench head according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second jaw further comprises:
a first second-jaw tine; and
a second second-jaw tine, extending parallel to the first second-jaw tine;

the third jaw is coupled to the second jaw between the first second-jaw tine and the second second-jaw tine; and
the third jaw is configured to pivot relative to the second jaw.

14. The wrench head according to claim 13 , wherein the second jaw further comprises a second-jaw bridge, interconnecting the first second-jaw tine and the second second-jaw tine.

15. The wrench head according to claim 1 , further comprising a wrench coupler, coupled to the first jaw and movable relative to the first jaw.

16. The wrench head according to claim 15 , wherein:
the wrench coupler comprises a detent-interface s

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Coffland Donald W

Classifications

• B25B13/28

  the jaws being pivotally movable · CPC title

• B25B13/08

  of open jaw type · CPC title

• B25B23/0007

  Connections or joints between tool parts · CPC title

• B25B13/5016

  by externally gripping the pipe · CPC title

• B25B13/481 Primary

  for operating in areas having limited access · CPC title