Folding wrench cluster

• US 5,983,759 A
• Filed: 04/13/1998
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paul E. Turner
• Original Assignee: Paul E. Turner
• Inventors: Turner, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANGANAN, JONI BALDOS
• Application Number:
  US09/058,920
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 81/177.6, 81/177.1, 81/177.8, 81/125.1, 81/177.2
• US Class Current: 81/177.6
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 13/08 of open jaw type
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 1/085 for screwdrivers, wrenches or spanners
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/006 Storage means specially adapted for one specific hand apparatus, e.g. an electric drill

Abstract

A folding wrench cluster may include at least four wrenches of different sizes and/or configurations, each selectively extendible from a single body portion. The body portion comprises a flat plate with a wrench secured to a pivot point extending from each side at each end of the body. The pivot points are laterally offset from the longitudinal centerline of the body. A laterally offset stop pin also extends from each side at each end of the body, with the stop pins being opposite the wrench pivot points. The stop pins are positioned to limit the arcuate motion of the wrenches when they are unfolded, so each wrench is closely aligned with the elongate body plate when it is fully extended, with the body plate serving as an extension handle. Spacers are provided between adjacent body plates or retaining members, to allow for a relatively thick wrench head for greater durability for the tool. The eye formed in the wrench handle for attachment to the pivot pin is also relatively heavy in order to absorb the shear stresses when torque is applied to the wrench and extended handle. Additional embodiments may include a plurality of plates each sandwiching two wrenches therebetween for further versatility, and a body plate having two wrench pivot points extending from each side at each end, with a stop pin disposed between each of the wrench pivot points on each side at each end, to effectively double the number of wrenches in a wrench cluster.

Claims

1. A folding wrench cluster, comprising:

a single flat plate having a center, a first side, an opposite second side, a first edge, an opposite second edge, a first end, an opposite second end, and a longitudinal centerline;

a first wrench pivot pin extending through said first end of said plate adjacent said first edge thereof, and an opposite second wrench pivot pin extending through said second end of said plate adjacent said second edge thereof;

a first and a second wrench pivotally disposed upon said first wrench pivot pin respectively to said first side and to said second side of said plate, and a third and a fourth wrench pivotally disposed upon said second wrench pivot pin respectively to said first side and to said second side of said plate, with each said wrench having a longitudinal axis;

a first stop pin extending through said first end of said plate adjacent said second edge thereof, and an opposite second stop pin extending through said second end of said plate adjacent said first edge thereof; and

said first and said second stop pin each being disposed respectively adjacent said first and said second wrench pivot pin and farther from said center of said plate than said first and said second wrench pivot pin, for stopping arcuate motion of a corresponding said wrench when said corresponding said wrench is fully extended with the respective said longitudinal axis of said corresponding said wrench being substantially parallel to said longitudinal centerline of said plate.

2. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 1, including first through fourth retaining members disposed upon said first and said second wrench pivot pin and said first and said second stop pin, respectively capturing said first through said fourth wrench between said retaining members and said plate.

3. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 1, wherein said first and said second wrench pivot pin and said first and said second stop pin define a parallelogram shape, and said plate is in the general form of a parallelogram.

4. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 1, wherein each said wrench includes a head portion, an attachment eye portion, and a shank portion, with said head portion and said attachment eye portion being thicker than said shank portion, including a plurality of spacers disposed upon each said stop pin and between said plate and each of said retaining members, with each of said spacers being at least as thick as said head portion and said attachment eye portion of each said wrench.

5. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 1, wherein each said wrench includes at least an attachment eye portion and a shank portion with a width, with each said attachment eye portion having a larger diameter than said width of said shank portion.

6. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 1, including at least one fastener size gauge hole formed through said plate.

7. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 1, including a storage pouch therefor.

8. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 1, wherein said first through said fourth wrench are selected from the group consisting of open end wrenches and box end wrenches.

9. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 1, wherein said first through said fourth wrench are selected from the group consisting of a first plurality of wrenches having different metric dimensions from one another and a second plurality of wrenches having different fractional inch measurements from one another.

10. A folding wrench cluster, comprising:

a plurality of parallel, spaced apart flat plates including at least a first plate and a last plate;

each of said plates having a center, a first side, an opposite second side, a first edge, an opposite second edge, a first end, an opposite second end, and a longitudinal centerline;

a first wrench pivot pin extending through each said first end of said plates adjacent each said first edge thereof, and an opposite second wrench pivot pin extending through each said second end of said plates adjacent each said second edge thereof;

a first group of wrenches each pivotally disposed upon said first wrench pivot pin, with said first group of wrenches including a first wrench disposed to said first side of said first plate, a last wrench disposed to said second side of said last plate, and an intermediate wrench disposed between each of said plates;

a second group of wrenches each pivotally disposed upon said second wrench pivot pin, with said second group of wrenches including a first wrench disposed to said first side of said first plate, a last wrench disposed to said second side of said last plate, and an intermediate wrench disposed between each of said plates;

each of said wrenches having a longitudinal axis;

a first stop pin extending through each said first end of said plates adjacent each said second edge thereof, and an opposite second stop pin extending through each said second end of said plates adjacent each said first edge thereof; and

said first and said second stop pin each being disposed respectively adjacent said first and said second wrench pivot pin and farther from said center of each of said plates than said first and said second wrench pivot pin, for stopping arcuate motion of a corresponding one of said wrenches when said corresponding one of said wrenches is fully extended with the respective said longitudinal axis of said corresponding one of said wrenches being substantially parallel to said longitudinal centerline of each of said plates.

11. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 10, including:

a first and a second retaining member respectively disposed upon said first and said second wrench pivot pin and said first and said second stop pin, capturing said first wrench of said first group and said second group respectively between said first and said second retaining member and said first side of said first plate; and

a third and a fourth retaining member respectively disposed upon said first and said second wrench pivot pin and said first and said second stop pin, capturing said last wrench of said first group and said second group respectively between said third and said fourth retaining member and said second side of said last plate.

12. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 10, wherein said first and said second wrench pivot pin and said first and said second stop pin define a parallelogram shape, and said plates are in the general form of a parallelogram and are mutually congruent.

13. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 10, wherein each of said wrenches includes a head portion, an attachment eye portion, and a shank portion, with said head portion and said attachment eye portion being thicker than said shank portion, including a plurality of spacers disposed upon each said stop pin and between each of said spaced apart plates, between said first and second retaining members and said first plate, and between said third and fourth retaining members and said last plate, with each of said spacers being at least as thick as said head portion and said attachment eye portion of each said wrench.

14. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 10, wherein each of said wrenches includes at least an attachment eye portion and a shank portion with a width, with each said attachment eye portion having a larger diameter than said width of said shank portion.

15. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 10, including a wrench access indentation formed in said first edge and said second edge of each of said plates.

16. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 10, including a plurality of fastener size gauge holes formed through at least said first plate.

17. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 10, including a storage pouch therefor.

18. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 10, wherein said wrenches are selected from the group consisting of open end wrenches and box end wrenches.

19. The folding wrench cluster according to claim 10, wherein said wrenches are selected from the group consisting of a first plurality of wrenches having different metric dimensions from one another and a second plurality of wrenches having different fractional inch measurements from one another.