The Ancient and Independent Order of Oddfellows (Adjustables, that is...)

[Private Lugnutz]

Snerk.

 

[RTM]

You should post your reply in the thread I linked in #277. That would fix the CollectorsWeekly chat as well.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That would fix the CollectorsWeekly chat as well.

That CW chat was from 8 years ago! I'm afraid there's no fixing a myth like this. It's everywhere.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks to his 2022 secret Santy Claus spree , I am the new owner of @four.cycle 's Stovall and United States of Norther America lever-type adjustable wrenches. He has posted well-documented write-ups of the Stovall in its own thread and the USONA in post #199 on page 5 right here.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I informed our associate at AA that both of those units were forwarded to the Lugzonian Museum in New Jersey where they will be "properly cared for in a controlled environment."
(I did not mention the fact that my own environment here is completely out of control of my own doing, but I digress... )

Glad to see they are now appropriately re-homed.

(* double-struck die stamps, chipped teeth, and outright vandalism notwithstanding, I figured that the unicorns deserved a better home than my messy garage. )

 

[bbbarracuda]

Adding this here after posting it in the Bicycle wrench thread.
I picked up this little guy today.
The only markings are PAT APL'D FOR
After looking around here I found this thread from Private Lugnutz https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/wow-dude-i-b-trippin-in-1897.414032/ that ID's it a "The Best Wrench Ever" that was patented in Aug of 1897 The patent was applied for in April 1897, so mine is evidently from between those date.
From that thread

According to DATAMP, there was one in each toolkit that Sears & Roebuck supplied with each bicycle they sold at the turn of the century,

Made by The Best Wrench Company of Chicago Illinois

 

[RTM]

Here is a wrench that I can't find referenced in Garage Journal by maker's name, and this seems like the likely place to share it. He's looking for more information, not to sell. The patentee is Frederick H Kanning of East St Louis. Three patents to his name, this appears mostly based on US841692, and might be based on US777955. His third looks unrelated, US1089386.

I will poking about a bit to see what I can dig up. I don't see it on 4.c's list as a maker.

Google / Google Books has nothing relevant about "Kanning System"

This patent references his 777955, but isn't in DATAMP US6016726

US6016726A - Adjustable wrench - Google Patents

A wrench provides for a movable head portion mounted pivotally onto a handle portion. The head portion includes a rod that extends into a slot in the handle portion on each side of the head portion. A blade extends from the head and is engagable within a tubular end of the handle so that the...

patents.google.com

The Pix

 

[four.cycle]

Kanning was also granted patent 1071556 Aug 26 1913 F.H. Kanning - also not related to any of the above.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That's a cool one, but...

He's looking for more information, not to sell.

...who's "he"?

 

[RTM]

That's a cool one, but...

...who's "he"?

The person who posted it in another FB forum.

 

[RTM]

Kanning was also granted patent 1071556 Aug 26 1913 F.H. Kanning - also not related to any of the above.

Adding that to the Not in Datamp comment for future findings.

Funny the google patents link on his name has my #3 above, and yours making #4 (ignore real time) Apparently #3 and #4 lost the extra E in them. He also moved between them. I was going to wonder if it was two different people, but the witnesses are the same for #2-4

 

[Ton ton]

Here is a wrench that I can't find referenced in Garage Journal by maker's name, and this seems like the likely place to share it. He's looking for more information, not to sell. The patentee is Frederick H Kanning of East St Louis. Three patents to his name, this appears mostly based on US841692, and might be based on US777955. His third looks unrelated, US1089386.

I will poking about a bit to see what I can dig up. I don't see it on 4.c's list as a maker.

Google / Google Books has nothing relevant about "Kanning System"

This patent references his 777955, but isn't in DATAMP US6016726

US6016726A - Adjustable wrench - Google Patents

A wrench provides for a movable head portion mounted pivotally onto a handle portion. The head portion includes a rod that extends into a slot in the handle portion on each side of the head portion. A blade extends from the head and is engagable within a tubular end of the handle so that the...

patents.google.com

The Pix

That is a super interesting looking wrench.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

My memory, quick page by page scan, and the GJ search tool could be failing me, but I don't think we've had a Robert Wrench Co. posted yet. Dug this out at the flea yesterday. Patent notice refers to 1,407,578 and later versions made by Hoe Corp in NY have the patent date (Feb 21, 1922). Self-adjusts on nuts by forcing the dynamic jaw, which is hinged with an extremely strong coil spring. DATAMP link here.

 

[Outlawmws]

Now that's a bit different!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

There's a bunch o' Boos'ers on here already, including patent info, etc, so I'll just report that I finally checked that one off my list at the flea this morning...

 

[four.cycle]

Hedstrom Industries Larc-O-Matic Wrench (patent 1830033 2351821)

Hedstrom Industries Larc-O-Matic Wrench (patent 1830033 2351821)

The dynamic jaw is easily removed. This John V. Larson designed wrench was also manufactured by the Speednut Corporation.

 

[Fred Knox]

I have two Boos Tool Corporation adjustable wrenches. The 8” is marked Chrome Molybdenum and PAT. PEND. The 6” variety is also PAT. PEND., but is only marked K.C. MO. (Kansas City, MO).

 

[3baygarage]

Picked up this one the other day. The hardware looks to be replacement but probably not far off. Thought it too cool to leave behind.

Samson
August 7, 1923 patent.

From Datamp:

 

[Doozer75]

aaa

 

[Outlawmws]

OK, Now that is just weird.

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

aaa

I collect craftsman and I have never seen this….I want it

 

[Outlawmws]

I'm wondering if that is a cut and Weld job.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I'm wondering if that is a cut and Weld job.

Me too. There are plenty of offset crescent-type adjustables on this thread (e.g., Speed-Nut, Any Angle, Kanning, Anderson "Turn-More", etc), but those took different approaches than simply permanently turning the head on a standard, fixed, uniform shank, it was a trend that petered out long before this Craftsman was made, everything else about it looks like a later product, and there are signs of uneven machining and polishing around the neck area.

 

[d42jeep]

Me too. There are plenty of offset crescent-type adjustables on this thread (e.g., Speed-Nut, Any Angle, Kanning, Anderson "Turn-More", etc), but those took different approaches than simply permanently turning the head on a standard, fixed, uniform shank, it was a trend that petered out long before this Craftsman was made, everything else about it looks like a later product, and there are signs of uneven machining and polishing around the neck area.

I agree. Even though it was pretty well done, I believe that wrench started out looking like one of these.
-Don

 

[Doozer75]

I'm wondering if that is a cut and Weld job.

It is.

--Doozer

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

Looking at it, it seems it would be impossible to completely close

 

[Outlawmws]

it seems it would be impossible to completely close

Just knock the tip off the D jaw post. It would work. or some artful grindbg with a die grinder on the handle end, but would seem to be a lot of work for minimal gain.

I'm more curious what drove someone to do this. Boredom?

 

[RTM]

I'm more curious what drove someone to do this. Boredom?

practicing

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Boredom?

practicing

A little of both, maybe, and also some creative fooling around. But it's not like it's completely impractical either. If angle or offset or obstruction wrenches are useful, why not an adjustable crescent-type angle, offset, or obstruction wrench?

It's an interesting prompt. If you think about it, why are all adjustable pipe and monkey wrenches offset, by definition, but adjustable crescent-type wrenches, not? The standard was setting the jaws somewhere around 15*, because its purpose was to take the place of a whole set of double open end engineers wrenches, or at least a set ranging up to some capacity (e.g., 1-5/8" opening on a 12" OAL crescent-type).

So if we extrapolate that same principle and rationale, why not an adjustable crescent-type wrench replacing a range of angle or offset or obstruction wrenches with similar capacities but with openings set at 45*, 60*, 75* and even 90* angles?

Total right angle is a little tricky on the back/internal side, as Patrick pointed out, because you're burying the worm-gear in steel, but not such a bad idea. In fact, and circling back to the examples I already cited, I'm sure that more oblique offset or obstruction angles are what Cochran, Anderson, Bovee ("Any-Angle"), Kanning, at al, had in mind.

 

[Outlawmws]

It could also have been a drunken bet, or someone that just wanted to freak out a "borrower" that annoyed the heck out of them.

 

[Outlawmws]

Hmm Don's missing a 10 inch - Don did someone borrow yours?

Haha, I miss-typed "someone", and the spelling hint came back "Smokeless"

 

[Outlawmws]

It is.

Is it one you did? if so you can end a lot of speculating..

 

[Debcrow]

Posted this in the 'Pipe Wrench' thread. It was suggested it belonged here also.
San Diego Specialty Works. Has pat.6-17-12 on one side.
A patent by W. L. Bessolo, who was apparently sued for some shady dealings on his patents.
Found that the patent dates on some of his stuff do not always seem to match some of the patent drawing dates.
Other than what very few references I can find that is all I know about this company.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I put all the information I found about Bessolo's wrench HERE in the "pipe wrench" thread

 

[Outlawmws]

Not so much Odd (relativity speaking) but certainly old:

I just got the larger one yesterday. Billings and Spencer, C. P. Billings, Pat'd Feb. 18th, 1879. the other two I had so I guess I'm in collector status for this type. the middle one is also B&S, (Completely frozen, I meed to give it a Soak in the USC) the little guy is so rust etched I can see no marking at sll. Possibly a trip through an Evaporsut bath might raise some?




I like how the shank i marked for size opened in 32nds. Both larger wrenches have Letters stamped in the static jaw. ("D" on the smaller)

 

[Fred Knox]

Here are a few Oddfellows that are a little fun to play with, let alone collect.

1) Antique Baxter patent double end adjustable wrench (drawing in Russell & Irwin's American Hardware Catalog of 1865)
2) Steelcraft adjustable wrench
3) JA Henckels Solingen quick adjustable wrench (marked "T 943" on top of wrench shaft)
4) A probable Russian adjustable wrench (marked 20-50 then a "H in a diamond, then 7813-0002). Happy to hear anyone's thoughts.
5) CROMNA No. S-3 17-27mm (3/8"-5/8") adjustable wrench. It was Made in Denmark, PAT. No. 69670
6) Gordon Automatic 7" adjustable wrench
7) Wakefield Wizard No. 120 Quick Adjust double-end wrench (PATENTS PENDING)
8) a little beat-up Cygnet 8" Adjustable Wrench with flex head

 

[humber2]

Nothing on this one to identify the maker, perhaps there wasn’t enough room?

 

[Outlawmws]

Wow! that one deserves a spot on the Tiny Tools thread!

 

[Outlawmws]

Another bike wrench I picked up last Sat -Not my best "portrait" shot but its put away and I'm too busy to do more than crop:

No marking other than "patented" and dates from 1900 and 1902

 

[Old Radar]

Hard to imagine that one not being made by Mossberg. Here is their A-1 bicycle wrench with their Nov 13, 00 and Mar 11, 02 patent dates. I picked this up yesterday.