IP Library Granted Patent US 8,978,524
Granted Patent B2
US 8,978,524 · App. 13/735,590 · Granted Mar 17, 2015

Ratchetable open-ended wrench

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,978,524
App. No.
13/735,590
Granted
Mar 17, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A ratchetable open-ended wrench includes a handle for a hand to grasp, a wrench head located on one end of the handle, and a fastener room located in the wrench head for accommodating a workpiece to be rotated. The wrench head further includes a first jaw having a first driving wall, a second jaw having a second driving wall facing the first driving wall, an inner wall extending from the second driving wall into the second jaw, a concavity, an auxiliary jaw retracting opening, an auxiliary jaw capable of longitudinally sliding into the auxiliary jaw retracting opening in an elastic way, and an auxiliary jaw limiting member coupled to a limiting slot. The auxiliary jaw further includes an exterior end having a pillow in contact with the driving wall and a pushing surface for working together with the first jaw to grip the workpiece under operation, an interior end, and a limiting slot.

Claims (25)

1. A ratchetable open-ended wrench for turning a work piece having a drive end with at least one pair of opposed contact edges, comprising:

a handle with a first end;

a wrench head including a base portion disposed adjacent the first end of the handle;

a first jaw extending outwardly from the base portion of the wrench head, the first jaw including a first driving wall disposed in a first plane;

a second jaw extending outwardly from the base portion of the wrench head such that the first jaw and the second jaw define a drive opening configured to receive the drive end of the fastener, the second jaw including a rear-end wall disposed in a second plane adjacent the base portion of the wrench head, the rear-end wall being substantially parallel to the first driving wall; and

an auxiliary jaw including a driving surface, the auxiliary jaw being slidably received in the second jaw such that the rear-end wall is disposed between the auxiliary jaw and the base portion of the wrench head,

wherein the drive end of the fastener is slidably receivable in the drive opening of the wrench head such that the fastener can be rotated in a first direction by the first driving wall and the driving surface of the auxiliary jaw.

2. The ratchetable open-ended wrench according to claim 1 , wherein the first driving wall and the rear-end wall are separated by a first width that is substantially equal to a second width that separates the at least one pair of opposed contact edges of the drive end of the fastener from each other.

3. The ratchetable open-ended wrench according to claim 2 , wherein the second jaw further comprises a second driving wall such that the auxiliary jaw is slidably received in the second jaw between the second driving wall and the rear-end wall.

4. The ratchetable open-ended wrench according to claim 3 , wherein the driving surface of the auxiliary pawl and the second driving wall are disposed within the second plane in which the rear-end wall lies when the auxiliary jaw is in a first position in which it is fully extended into the drive opening.

5. The ratchetable open-ended wrench according to claim 3 , wherein the second jaw further comprises a concavity formed by a concave wall that extends from the rear-end wall to the second driving wall.

6. The ratchetable open-ended wrench according to claim 3 , wherein the fastener is rotatable in the first direction by the first driving wall in combination with the drive surface of the auxiliary jaw and the second driving wall when the drive end of the fastener is partially received within the drive opening of the wrench head and rotatable in the first direction by the first driving wall in combination with the rear-end wall and the driving surface of the auxiliary pawl when the drive end of the fastener is fully received within the drive opening of the wrench head.

7. The ratchetable open-ended wrench according to claim 3 , wherein the auxiliary jaw is urged inwardly into the second jaw when the wrench head is rotated about the fastener in a second direction.

8. The ratchetable open-ended wrench according to claim 1 , wherein the fastener is rotatable in the first direction by the first driving wall in combination with the rear-end wall and the driving surface of the auxiliary pawl.

9. A ratchetable open-ended wrench for turning a workpiece having a drive end with at least one pair of opposed contact edges, comprising:

a handle with a first end;

a wrench head including a base portion disposed adjacent the first end of the handle;

a first jaw extending outwardly from the base portion of the wrench head, the first jaw including a first driving wall disposed in a first plane;

a second jaw extending outwardly from the base portion of the wrench head such that the first jaw and the second jaw define a drive opening configured to receive the drive end of the fastener, the second jaw including a rear-end wall disposed adjacent the base portion of the wrench head, a second driving wall and a concavity formed by a concave wall that extends from the rear-end wall to the second driving wall, both the rear-end wall and the second driving wall being disposed in a second plane; and

wherein the fastener is rotatable in the first direction by the first driving wall in combination with the second driving wall when the drive end of the fastener is partially received within the drive opening of the wrench head and rotatable in the first direction by the first driving wall in combination with the rear-end wall when the drive end of the fastener is fully received within the drive opening of the wrench head.

10. The ratchetable open-ended wrench according to claim 9 , further comprising an auxiliary jaw including a driving surface, the auxiliary jaw being slidably received in the second jaw such that the driving surface of the auxiliary jaw extends outwardly into the concavity, wherein the auxiliary jaw is slidably received in the second jaw between the second driving wall and the rear-end wall.

11. The ratchetable open-ended wrench according to claim 10 , wherein the fastener is rotatable in the first direction by the first driving wall in combination with the drive surface of the auxiliary jaw and the second driving wall when the drive end of the fastener is partially received within the drive opening of the wrench head and rotatable in the first direction by the first driving wall in combination with the rear-end wall and the driving surface of the auxiliary pawl when the drive end of the fastener is fully received within the drive opening of the wrench head.

12. The ratchetable open-ended wrench according to claim 10 , wherein the driving surface of the auxiliary pawl is disposed within the second plane in which the rear-end wall and the second driving wall lie when the auxiliary jaw is in a first position in which it is fully extended into the drive opening.

13. The ratchetable open-ended wrench according to claim 10 , wherein the auxiliary jaw is urged inwardly into the second jaw when the wrench head is rotated about the fastener in a second direction.

14. The ratchetable open-ended wrench according to claim 9 , wherein the first driving wall and the rear-end wall are substantially parallel and separated by a first width that is substantially equal to a second width that separates the at least one pair of opposed contact edges of the drive end of the fastener from each other.

Assignments (17)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2026
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 075612/0935 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2026
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 075613/0150 →
NEW SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT Recorded Oct 28, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073377/0567 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT NO. 11203070 WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORD PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 58991 FRAME 556. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE FIRST LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Oct 10, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073078/0327 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVAL OF PATENT NUMBER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58991 FRAME: 442. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECOND LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Oct 10, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073077/0584 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT NOS. 7444851 AND 11203070 WHICH WERE INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORD PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 67310 FRAME 54. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Oct 10, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.; APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073078/0477 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT NO. 11191173 WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58991 FRAME: 556. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE FIRST LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Aug 22, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 068769/0309 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT NO. 11191173 WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58991 FRAME: 442. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 22, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 068753/0687 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT NO. 11191173 WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 67310 FRAME 54. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Aug 22, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.; APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 068791/0141 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT. NO. 11191173 WAS INCORRCTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 66631 FRAME: 791. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT. Recorded Jun 25, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 067884/0469 →
SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded May 3, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.; APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067310/0054 →
SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT Recorded Feb 20, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 066631/0791 →
FIRST LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058991/0556 →
SECOND LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058991/0442 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2021
From: APEX TOOL (HK) LIMITED TAIWAN BRANCH
To: APEX BRANDS, INC.
Reel/Frame 056494/0109 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 7, 2013
From: TUAN-MU, HSIEN-CHUNG; LI, CHUNG-SUNG
To: DANAHER TOOL LIMITED, TAIWAN BRANCH
Reel/Frame 029579/0396 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 7, 2013
From: DANAHER TOOL LIMITED, TAIWAN BRANCH
To: APEX TOOL (HK) LIMITED TAIWAN BRANCH
Reel/Frame 029580/0250 →