Household-tool.

Application filed December 16, 1909. Serial No. 533,414. <

To. all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,' John C. Fohster, of. Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain 5 new and useful Improvements in HouseholdTools, of which the following is a specification.

The invention provides a wrench for jar caps of novel construction which is adapted 10 for use interchangeably in tightening and loosening the caps, with means holding the cap-embracing member normally open and ready to be applied to a cap, said member also serving as a ring for hanging the tool 15 on a nail'or hook when not in use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in top plan of the improved tool, the wrench being in normal position for embracing a jar cap. Fig. 2 is a section of the ²⁰ > tool on line 2—2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan showing the handle turned in full lines for gripping a cap as When unscrewing the same, and in dotted lines when gripping the cap tor tightening it oh the jar. Fig. 4 ²⁵ i§ a cross-sectioh On line 4^-4 of Fig. 1/ Fig. 5-shows the tool in use as a can Opener, ahd in Fig. 6 when removing a cap closure.

Referring to the drawings, the cap-embracing member 2 of the wrench consists of ³⁰ a single band of resilient metal of ring-like form, with its ends adjacent each other arid its outer edge flanged downwardly at 3 to grip the cap A. The band is preferably pro vided with flat top portions 4 which are of ³⁵ decreasing width toward the center of the band where it is relatively narrow, as indicated at 4'. This formation provides a gripping device of desirable resiliency with. out impairing its strength, and the flat top ⁴⁰ portions provide surfaces for the handle connections.

Iri the present adaptation one extremity of handle 5 is flattenea as shown and adjacent _ one edge is secured to one end of member 2 by pivot 6. Formed in the handle extremity is the U-shaped slot 7, the opposite extremi- ties 7' of which are equal distances from pivot 6 and nearer thereto than the other _ portions of the slot, the latter being thus ^υ eccentric to pivot 6. Entered in the slot is pin 8 carried by the other extremity of member 2.

The U-shaped slot, in conjunction with ₅₅ pin 8, provides a double cam connection, member 2 being contracted on the cap for unscrewing the same when the handle is turned as in full lines of Fig. 3 with riot extremity 7 extended toward pin 8, while the reverse, movement of the handle, as in dotted lines in Fig. 3, contracts the pih for 60 tightening the, cap, it being understood that by either use the requisite pressure for loosening or tightening the cap is applied to the handle in the direction in which the handle is moved for clamping member 2 thereori. 65 The curvature of the slot provides a cam cohnectiori which is much more effective and more nearly devoid of friction on pin 8 than is possible with a slot having straight lines.

The tongue-like projection 9 formed by 70 the. slot is provided at its extremity with a depression 9' which is engaged by pin 8, ks in Fig. 1, and holds the contracted member 2 normally expanded ready to embrace the cap and .with the handle project- 75 ihg Straight out. Thus the device is always in position To be applied without makirig*it necessary to manipulate it with both hands prior to placing it on the cap, and the ririglike member 2 may be conveniently used 80 for hanging the tool on a nail or hook when not in service.

The tool handle 5 is preferably formed of a piece of plate-like metal, and is reinforced by turning the longitudinal edges upwardly 85 as indicated at 1θ· 'the handle is slotted lorigitudinally at 11, and slidable on the top surface thereof between edges 10 is the plate-like carrier 12, from which a can-cutting knife 13 projects through slot 11 as -90 shown. The carrier is slidably held on the handle by rivet 14 with head 14' at the under side of the handle adapted to bear on the can top B<as in Fig. 5, thus holding the handle properly spaced therefrom and form- 95 ing a runner-like member which facilitates the circular movement of the tool ori the can. Projection 15 at the extremity of the handle pierces the can top as shown and provides a turning center, as is usual in. this 1θ type of device. A projection 16 extending upwardly from earner 12, being preferably an extension of the carrier, is provided with a hook-like extremity 17 for engaging the flange of a glass-jar or bottle closure C, as 10 in Fig. 6, in such use the handle being reversed from the position shown in Fig. 5 and serving as a lever for the cap removing movement.