Pipe wrench
The pipe wrench is an adjustable wrench used for turning soft iron pipes and fittings with a rounded surface. The design of the adjustable jaw allows it to rock in the frame, such that any forward pressure on the handle tends to pull the jaws tighter together. Teeth angled in the direction of turn dig into the soft pipe. They are not intended for use on hardened steel hex nuts or other fittings because they would ruin the head; however, if a hex nut is soft enough that it becomes rounded beyond use with standard wrenches, a pipe wrench is sometimes used to break the bolt or nut free. Pipe wrenches are usually sold in the following sizes (by length of handle): 10, 14, 18, 24, 36, and 48 inches, although smaller and larger sizes are available as well. They are usually made of either steel or aluminium. Teeth, and jaw kits (which also contain adjustment rings and springs) can be bought to repair broken wrenches, as this is cheaper than buying a new wrench.
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[edit] History
The first pipe or stillson wrench was created by Daniel C. Stillson while working as a mechanic at the Walworth Company.[1] On October 12, 1869, U.S. patent #95,744 was issued to Stillson.[2]
In Prince Edward Island, Canada there is some controversy over the true creator of the wrench. In the island folklore, the wrench was developed by Owen "Iney" McCluskey[3] (or McCloskey[4]), although no proof has ever been presented that would suggest that McCluskey and Stillson ever met.
On 17 August 1888 the Swedish inventor Johan Petter Johansson took his first patent on the adjustable pipe wrench.[5] The Swedish Patent Office issued the patent (SE 5636) again in 1894. The idea emerged after he established his company Enköpings Mekaniska Verkstad. Back then there was no standard on nut dimensions so each time a trades man was out on a job, he needed a trolley to take a whole set of fixed pipe wrenches with him. Johan Petter Johansson invented a tool that could grip different nuts dimensions. As a consequence, the adjustable pipe wrench was developed.[6]
[edit] Pipe wrench in different languages
In countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom, the previously common term "Stillsons" or "set of Stillsons" is being progressively replaced in everyday speech by the colloquial term monkey wrenches[citation needed]. This usage is not technically correct, as the term "monkey wrench" refers to a now uncommon type of adjustable wrench that was designed for use with nuts rather than with round pipes.
In South Africa, the terms "bobbejaan spanner" and "baboon spanner" are commonly used[citation needed], especially for large pipe wrenches. "Bobbejaan" is the Afrikaans term for a baboon.
In the UK these wrenches are often described by their size, i.e. 18" wrenches are known as "18s", or by the general name of "Stillies/stills".[citation needed]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ The great workshop: Boston's Victorian Age. Arcadia Publishing. http://books.google.com/books?id=TdxisBCJuOQC&pg=PA38&dq=Daniel+C.+Stillson+wrench#v=onepage&q&f=false.
- ^ "IMPROVEMENT IN WRENCH". United States Patent and Trademark Office. http://www.google.com/patents?id=9T1LAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q&f=false.
- ^ McIssac, Leo (Fall/Winter 1995). "McCluskey's Wrench". Island Magazine.
- ^ "BURIAL SITES OF INTERESTING PEOPLE ON PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND — HISTORIC SITES AND MONUMENTS". Archived from the original on 2009-01-20. http://www.webcitation.org/5dy5KwCc7. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahco
- ^ Svenska uppfinnare, Petter Karlsson and Johan Erséus, 2003, Sweden
[edit] External links
- Biography of Daniel C. Stillson and background on the development of the Stillson wrench.
- Adjustable wrenches review
