Pipe-tongs

Application filed February 15, 1919. Serial No. 277,135.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Richard Dennie Hill, a citizen of the United States, residing at Electra, in the county of Wichita and 5 State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Tongs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention, relates to an improvement in pipe tongs and in such connection relates 10 more particularly to the arrangement and construction of parts constituting the tongs.

In devices of the class to which my invention relates it is usually necessary in well drilling foi' one man to hold the handle of 15 the tool or tongs while another man or helper, and sometimes two, adjusts the pipe tong jaws around the pipe in order to screw or unscrew the pipe joints. This of course, consumes unnecessary time and labor which 20 might otherwise be avoided.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a pipe tongs so constructed and arranged that by the use of same the operation of screwing or unscrewing the pipe 25 joints can be accomplished by one man.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a pipe tongs thus constructed which will be strong and durable and yet simply arranged.

My tongs consists of a handle portion to which is pivotally attached a triangular shaped plate carrying two semi-circular parts or cheek pieces for inclosing and holding the pipe. These cheek pieces are locked 35 into engagement with each other by moving the handle and unlocked by a reverse movement. A gripping plate on the inside of one of the cheeks or jaws holds the pipe from slipping.

My invention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which—

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a 45 pipe tongs embodying my invention, showing same closed around a piece of pipe.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the tongs open and illustrating the manner of inserting the pipe.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the tongs closed, and

Fig. 4 is a top view, the handle partly shown.

Referring more particularly to the draw55 ings, the tongs has a handle 1 to which is pivotally attached by pin 2, near the end of the handle, the triangular plates 3, one on each side of the handle. A forked or semicircular cheek piece 4 is pivoted by pin 5 and swings outward or inward on one corner of 60 the triangular plate 3.

On the extreme end of the handle 1 is pivotally attached by pin 6 a curved link 7 which link 7 is in turn pivotally connected to a curved cheek piece 8 by a pin 9, working 65 in a slot 10.

In operation the tongs is placed against the pipe 11 in the manner shown in Fig. 2 and the handle 1 moved so as to pull the link 7 backward in slot 10 and cheek piece 8 is 70 forced toward and closes over the exposed portion of the pipe 11 in the circular piece 4. This brings the curved portions 19 in the plates 3 against the pipe 11, and leverage can then be applied by the handle 1. The pipe 75 is kept from slipping by the gripping plate 12 (see Fig. 1) when the cheek pieces are thus closed around the pipe. A small notch 13 on the cheek piece 8 fits over a complemental formation 14 in the piece 4 so that 80 the cheek pieces 4 and 8 overlap each other in the manner shown at 15, Figs. 1 and 3. The two ends of the cheek pieces are thus retained in position by the tension of the spring 16 and the pressure of the handle 85 when unscrewing a pipe.

When opening the jaws of the tongs to remove same from the pipe, the handle 1 is moved in the reverse direction to that indicated above, causing the small projection 17 θθ of a spring 16 on plate 3 to fall into the notch 18. This causes the cheek piece or jaw 8 to fly outward, releasing the pipe.