Wrench for lug nuts and method of making

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021237233-A1
Application number	US-202016778802-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 31, 2020
Priority date	Jan 31, 2020
Publication date	Aug 5, 2021
Grant date	—

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 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; and
a second lateral support proximate the second edge and extending from the curved inner face toward the axis.

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 a first contact surface at a first distance along the first direction from the first edge and the second lateral support defines a second contact surface at a second distance along the first direction from the second edge.

4 . The wrench of claim 3 wherein the first distance is different from the second distance.

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 curved head defining an opening sized to receive a lug of a nut, the curved head being curved about an axis and including an inner face facing the axis; a support spaced from the opening and extending from the inner face toward the axis, the support defining a contact surface spaced from the inner face in a radial direction toward the axis and configured to contact an outer surface of the nut with the lug received in the opening; and a handle secured to the curved head at a location spaced from the opening and extending in a direction away from the axis.

8 . The wrench of claim 7 wherein:
the curved head extends in a direction substantially parallel to the axis between a first edge and a second edge,
the support is a first lateral support proximate the first edge, and
the contact surface is a first contact surface, the wrench further comprising:
a second lateral support proximate the second edge, the second lateral support defining a second contact surface spaced from the inner face toward the axis and configured to contact the outer surface of the nut with the lug received in the opening.

9 . The wrench of claim 8 wherein:
the first lateral support is spaced a first distance from the first edge in the direction; and
the second lateral support is spaced a second distance from the second edge in the direction, the second distance being different from the first distance.

10 . The wrench of claim 7 wherein:
the curved head extends in an arcuate direction substantially along an arc about the axis between a first end and a second end,
the opening is proximate the first end, and
the support is disposed proximate the second end.

11 . The wrench of claim 10 , wherein the contact surface extends between a first edge of the curved head and a second edge of the curved head, opposite the first edge.

12 . The wrench of claim 11 , wherein:
the direction substantially along the arc is a first direction; and the curved head extends in a second direction substantially parallel to the axis between a first edge and a second edge, the wrench further comprising:
a first lateral support proximate the first edge, the first lateral support defining a second contact surface configured to contact the outer surface of the nut with the lug received in the opening, and
a second lateral support proximate the second edge, the second lateral support defining a third contact surface configured to contact the outer surface of the nut with the lug received in the opening.

13 . The wrench of claim 10 the curved head further comprising:
a first lateral tab extending from a first end of the curved head proximate a first edge; and
a second lateral tab extending from the first end proximate a second edge, the first lateral tab and the second lateral tab defining a notch configured to receive at least a portion of a second lug of the nut with the lug received in the opening, such that the first lateral tab is disposed on a first side of the second lug and the second lateral tab is disposed on a second side of the second lug.

14 . The wrench of claim 7 , wherein the contact surface is substantially parallel to the inner face.

15 . The wrench of claim 7 wherein the contact surface is one of angled relative to the inner face or contoured.

16 . 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;
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; and
a second lateral support proximate the second edge and extending from the curved inner face toward the axis.

17 . The wrench of claim 16 , wherein the curved inner face has a substantially constant radius about the axis.

18 . The wrench of claim 16 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.

19 . The wrench of claim 18 wherein the first contact surface is a first distance from the first edge and the second contact surface is a second distance from the second edge, the first distance being different from the second distance.

20 . The wrench of claim 16 , wherein the curved inner face of the head extends in the circumferential dimension about the axis from a first end to a second end, 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

• B25B13/02 Primary

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

• B25B13/58

  Jaw attachments · CPC title

• B25B23/16

  Handles (in general B25G) · CPC title

• B25B13/5008 Primary

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