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Posted by D. Sherman on Monday, February 11, 2008 at 17:02:40 :
In Reply to: new tool review posted by mannyc on Monday, February 11, 2008 at 16:14:51 :
The weak point is obviously the clips that hold the extension handle to wrench. There are two structural problems with your design relative to the usual piece of pipe. One is that the handle is attached on the side of the wrench, which means a twisting torque will be applied to the clips (twisting relative to the long axis of the wrench) which will make the strength requirements for the clips more severe. The other is that, because the clips are relatively close together, compared to a piece of pipe that applies its forces within an inch of the ends of the wrench, it will put a greater strain not only on the clips but also on the wrench itself. Assuming you can make your attaching clips strong enough to withstand the forces involved, which I think will be difficult, your design will be more likely to break the wrench than a simple piece of pipe would be. This is not my opinion. This is basic statics like any structural or mechanical engineer would do.
I don't see how you can make the clips strong enough to withstand as much force as a simple piece of pipe could convey, while still making them universal enough that they would fit on any wrench.
Another thing to think about is that mechanics don't just use pieces of pipe as extensions. It's usually possible (but hard to describe) to interlock the open and closed ends of a pair of wrenches so that an extra wrench can be used as an extension when more torque is needed. Sometimes this method even allows one to get a better angle than they could with a straight extension like your handle or a pipe.
I don't mean to discourage you, but with this invention you're fighting the laws of mechanics due to excessive twisting and bending moments compared to a simple piece of pipe, but you're providing a solution for a problem that's already pretty well handled with either a regular piece of pipe or a pair of interlocked wrenches.
Here's the wrench invention I'd like to see: a ratcheting open-end wrench that could be slipped over a nut or bolt from the side but would then have ratchet action like a socket wrench. I think it ought to be possible.
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