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The pipe wrench is an adjustablewrench used for turning soft ironpipesand 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 directionof turn dig into the soft pipe. They are not intended for use on hardhex nuts because they would

ruin the head; however, when a hex nut becomes rounded beyond use with standard wrenches, the

pipe wrench is sometimes used to break the bolt or nut free. Pipe wrenches are usually sold in thefollowing 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 eithersteel oraluminium. Teeth, and jaw kits

(which also contain adjustment rings and springs) can be bought to repair broken wrenches, as thisis cheaper than buying a new wrench.

Contents [hide]

1 The innovations

2 Pipe wrench in different languages

3 See also

4 References

5 External links

The innovations

Three old Stillson wrenches

Johan Petter Johansson and the pipe wrench patented in 1888.

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The U.S. Patent Office issued U.S. Patent 95,744 to machinist Daniel C. Stillson (1826-1900) of

Durham, New Hampshire on 12 October 1869.

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[1]

(or McCloskey[2]

),although no proof has ever been presented that would suggest that McCluskey and Stillson ever

met.

On 17 August 1888 the Swedish inventorJohan Petter Johansson took his first patent on the

adjustable pipe wrench.[3]The Swedish Patent Office issued thepatent (SE 5636) again in 1894.The idea emerged after he established his company Enkpings 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.

[4]

Pipe wrench in different languages

In countries such as Australiaand theUnited Kingdom, the previously common term "Stillson's"

or "set of Stillson's" 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 theAfrikaans term for ababoon.

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]

Read more:http://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#ixzz1HNCUvMRq

http://www.answers.com/topic/united-states-patent-and-trademark-officehttp://www.google.com/patents?vid=95744http://www.answers.com/topic/daniel-chapman-stillsonhttp://www.answers.com/topic/prince-edward-islandhttp://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#cite_note-0http://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#cite_note-1http://www.answers.com/topic/johan-petter-johanssonhttp://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#cite_note-2http://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#cite_note-2http://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#cite_note-2http://www.prv.se/spd/pdf?landkod=SE&publnr=ARuLRIubol04h10CesYx6g%3D%3D&dokkod=C1http://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#cite_note-3http://www.answers.com/topic/australiahttp://www.answers.com/topic/australiahttp://www.answers.com/topic/united-kingdomhttp://www.answers.com/topic/united-kingdomhttp://www.answers.com/topic/monkey-wrenchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://www.answers.com/topic/south-africahttp://www.answers.com/topic/south-africahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://www.answers.com/topic/afrikaans-3http://www.answers.com/topic/afrikaans-3http://www.answers.com/topic/baboonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#ixzz1HNCUvMRqhttp://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#ixzz1HNCUvMRqhttp://www.answers.com/topic/united-states-patent-and-trademark-officehttp://www.google.com/patents?vid=95744http://www.answers.com/topic/daniel-chapman-stillsonhttp://www.answers.com/topic/prince-edward-islandhttp://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#cite_note-0http://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#cite_note-1http://www.answers.com/topic/johan-petter-johanssonhttp://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#cite_note-2http://www.prv.se/spd/pdf?landkod=SE&publnr=ARuLRIubol04h10CesYx6g%3D%3D&dokkod=C1http://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#cite_note-3http://www.answers.com/topic/australiahttp://www.answers.com/topic/united-kingdomhttp://www.answers.com/topic/monkey-wrenchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://www.answers.com/topic/south-africahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://www.answers.com/topic/afrikaans-3http://www.answers.com/topic/baboonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://www.answers.com/topic/pipe-wrench#ixzz1HNCUvMRq