Adjustable wrench

{
  "publication_number": "US6279429B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Adjustable wrench",
  "abstract": "The present invention is directed to an adjustable wrench that permits quick and effortless speed slip adjustment and locked positioning.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An adjustable wrench comprising: a handle, a wrench body and a fixed jaw; a floating jaw having serrated teeth along an adjustable shank; and a singly-grooved, interrupted thread screw adjust driver mounted upon an assembly shaft, wherein the thread screw adjust driver includes helical threads that are interrupted by at least one groove that is continuous along an entire length of the thread screw adjust driver and wherein the groove is parallel to the assembly shaft, wherein the assembly shaft is a key-way type shaft, wherein the wrench body includes a slot configured to receive the adjustable shank of the floating jaw, the interrupted thread screw adjust driver being adjustable to engage the serrated teeth of the floating jaw and adjustable to not engage the serrated teeth of the floating jaw.",
    "2. An adjustable wrench according to claim 1, wherein the jaws of the wrench are forged jaws or replaceable machined-insert jaws.",
    "3. An adjustable wrench according to claim 1, wherein the jaws of the wrench are radius serrated jaws, straight serrated jaws, or standard straight jaws.",
    "4. An adjustable wrench according claim 1, further comprising a shaft keeper."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates generally to adjustable wrenches, and more specifically to a wrench which permits easy adjustment and locked positioning due to a singly-grooved screw adjust assembly.\n\nAdjusting a wrench to conform to the size of the object being torqued stands as a cumbersome and unwieldy task. Most wrenches require the user to make tedious macro-adjustments by screwing a moveable jaw into position. Upon nearing the correct position, these wrenches then require the user to guess and check iteratively to ensure the exact micro-adjustment. As most pipes, bolts, and screws are not readily accessible, this procedure becomes a frustrating exercise. Other wrench manufacturers produce an entire set of wrenches in different sizes, both metric and English in order to overcome this problem. Some effort has been made to alleviate this problem by producing a single wrench capable of easy macro-adjustment. U.S. Pat. No. 783,845 teaches a wrench allowing for easy movement of the floating jaw, which apparently slides freely when the thrice-mutilated threads of the nut and the rock-stem are out of alignment. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 953,346 teaches a wrench that includes a moveable jaw which slides into position when the twice interrupted threads are not engaged.\n\nThese efforts, heretofore, however, have suffered serious deficiencies. Each wrench is very expensive and difficult to manufacture. Twice and thrice interrupted thread designs require extensive machining, including potentially, extensive exterior and interior machining.",
  "cpc": [
    "B25B 13/12",
    "B25B 13/14"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25B 13/12",
    "B25B 13/14"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "BOYER MICHAEL A"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1999-07-27",
  "publication_date": "2001-08-28",
  "grant_date": "2001-08-28",
  "priority_date": "1999-07-27",
  "application_number": "US-36137899-A",
  "family_id": "23421788",
  "citations": [
    "US162500A",
    "US1846380A",
    "US245290A",
    "US2458794A",
    "US2729999A",
    "US300145A",
    "US370848A",
    "US3901107A",
    "US3948120A",
    "US5644957A",
    "US783845A",
    "US953346A"
  ]
}