Wrench for lug nuts and method of making

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11420307-B2
Application number	US-202016778802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2020
Priority date	Jan 31, 2020
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

A wrench for tightening and loosening lug nuts may include a head disposed on a distal end of a handle. The head defines a curved inner surface facing an axis and an opening configured to receive a portion of a lug. One or more supports are formed on the curved inner surface, extending toward the axis. The supports are spaced from the opening and are configured to contact an outer surface of the lug with the portion of the lug received in the opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wrench comprising:
a handle; and
a head disposed on the handle, the head comprising:
a curved inner face and an outer face spaced from the curved inner face, wherein:
the curved inner face is at least partially curved about an axis,
the curved inner face and the outer face extend in a first direction parallel to the axis between a first edge and a second edge;
the curved inner face and the outer face extend in a second direction about the axis between a first end and a second end, and
the handle is secured to the outer face;

an opening spaced from the handle and extending through the head from the curved inner face to the outer face;
a first lateral support proximate the first edge and extending from the curved inner face toward the axis, the first lateral support being spaced from the first edge by a first distance; and
a second lateral support proximate the second edge and extending from the curved inner face toward the axis, the second lateral support being spaced from the second edge by a second distance different from the first distance,
the first lateral support defining a first contact surface for contacting a nut at a first location and the second lateral support defining a second contact surface for contacting the nut at a second location.

2. The wrench of claim 1 wherein the curved inner face defines a substantially constant radius about the axis.

3. The wrench of claim 1 wherein the first lateral support defines the first contact surface at the first distance along the first direction from the first edge and the second lateral support defines the second contact surface at the second distance along the first direction from the second edge.

4. The wrench of claim 3 wherein the first contact surface is a first height from the curved inner face and the second contact surface is a second height from the curved inner face.

5. The wrench of claim 1 further comprising a support member proximate the first end, the support member extending from the curved inner face toward the axis and defining a third contact surface.

6. The wrench of claim 5 wherein the third contact surface comprises one of a substantially planar contact surface or a contoured contact surface.

7. A wrench comprising:
a handle; and
a head disposed on the handle, the head comprising:
a curved inner face curved about an axis and extending between a first edge and a second edge in a direction parallel to the axis;
a curved outer face to which the handle is coupled, the curved outer face being spaced from the curved inner face by a thickness, and the thickness being substantially constant between the first edge and the second edge and between opposite ends of the head spaced circumferentially about the axis;
an opening extending through the head and spaced from the handle in a circumferential dimension about the axis;
a first lateral support proximate the first edge and extending from the curved inner face toward the axis, the first lateral support being spaced from the first edge by a first distance; and
a second lateral support proximate the second edge and extending from the curved inner face toward the axis, the second lateral support being spaced from the second edge by a second distance different from the first distance.

8. The wrench of claim 7 , wherein the curved inner face has a substantially constant radius about the axis.

9. The wrench of claim 7 wherein the first lateral support defines a first contact surface proximate the first edge and the second lateral support defines a second contact surface proximate the second edge.

10. The wrench of claim 7 , wherein the curved inner face of the head extends in the circumferential dimension about the axis from a first end of the opposite ends to a second end of the opposite ends, the opening is spaced proximate the first end and the handle is spaced proximate the second end, the head further comprising:
an axial support member proximate the second end and extending from the curved inner face toward the axis.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Gretz Nickolas Jay
• Thomas Scott Alan

Classifications

• B25B23/16

  Handles (in general B25G) · CPC title

• B25B13/02 Primary

  with rigid jaws (B25B13/46, B25B13/48 take precedence) · CPC title

• B25B13/58

  Jaw attachments · CPC title

• B25B13/5008 Primary

  for operating on pipes or cylindrical objects (B25B13/52 takes precedence) · CPC title