G.M Co MFG. INC. 10 Piece 1/4" Drive Socket Set

[sgs236]

Don't know much about G.M. MFG., but I found this little 1/4 drive socket set when I was going though some box lots that I bought some time ago. Looks like I'm missing 3 sockets and a 3" extension. Little bit of WD-40, and ratchet works like new. I'm guessing somewhere around 1920's. Sockets are in pretty good condition, except for the 11/32 which is almost worn smooth. No fractional numbering on the sockets. They are marked in "11-32" format.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Not that old. Gm of long island New York was a post war economy tool manufacturer. They cranked out millions of those sets.

 

[RTM]

This is probably a good place to dump this, as the G.M. Co name is in the title. Also makes a lot of appearances in the 1//4" socket thread.

After someone ID'd some unknown sockets as being made by G.M. Mfg. Co. of Long Island City, NY, I decided to give them another google, see if more useful information could be found. Right on the edge of useful here, a list of their officers, CEO, etc, but in a 1957 Snippet View .

Greater New York Industrial Directory

www.google.com

Will add more info from a different computer in a minute.



Guessing at the words (will work on cross checking later, gotta get back to a bigger problem)

G.M. Co. MFG INC
13-08 43 Ave LIC 1 ST 4-2400

Utility Hardware & Auto Accessories
Pres Trea George S Iskyan
VP K W Russell
VP ** per mgr Leo G Wolfensohn (Wallensohn)
Sec Arthur D Sarkisian (Anthony V sousize)
Ox Mgr Frances DeBato
Controller E J Remce
** T Reilly

Here's a first check "g-m Co Manufacturing" for George

G-M Co. Manufacturing, Inc. - Assigned Patents | VintageMachinery.org

Datamp has the same two patents

US Patent: D160,605 - Combination Bar Utensil

US patent D160,605 Combination Bar Utensil was issued to George S. Iskyan of Jackson Heights, NY. It was granted on 10/24/1950.

datamp.org

US Patent: D172,968 - Combination hammer and wrench

US patent D172,968 Combination hammer and wrench was issued to George S. Iskyan of Jackson Heights, NY. It was granted on 09/07/1954. Design for a household multi-tool incorporating quick-adjust monkey wrench, hammer, pry.

datamp.org

Here is another few, Not in DATAMP

US1986343A - Oil-spray gun and the like - Google Patents

US1959020A - Guide and stripper - Google Patents

Not a tool, so not a surprise

US2022368A - Ironing machine - Google Patents

Same patentee, but not assigned to G.M. Mfg

US2125603A - Padding for pressing devices - Google Patents

Not necessarily a tool, but assigned to G.m. (schrader valve core?)

US2124844A - Valve core - Google Patents

And finally figuring out the code:

Google Patents

Search and read the full text of patents from around the world with Google Patents, and find prior art in our index of non-patent literature.

patents.google.com

Another version here names appended above)

Industrial Directory of New York State

www.google.com

 

[nz44tool]

Here's a johnny-come-lately addition to this thread. Just found this at a flea market. It's a dedicated screwdriver, i.e. the tip is not removable.
This looks older than the 1940-ish stuff this outfit made.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

This looks older than the 1940-ish stuff this outfit made.

Agreed. And I would add a whole different class of tools than I would expect. Very cool find!

 

[nz44tool]

Agreed. And I would add a whole different class of tools than I would expect. Very cool find!

G.M. Co Mfg. seems to have made an interesting variety of things over a fairly long time period. (I had never heard of them before finding this item.) And what a clumsy company name!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

G.M. Co Mfg. seems to have made an interesting variety of things over a fairly long time period.

They also pop up in books covering legal precedents for law students and lawyers over some Government Furnished Property case in the 50s involving faulty equipment.

(I had never heard of them before finding this item.) And what a clumsy company name!

It is very clumsy, and very challenging to search on.

Note that this is not by any means the only thread. G.M. Co. Mfg. Inc. and Oxwall are synonymous with the economy line (i.e., junk drawer type) socket sets they made and they both show up all over the place, usually wherever the subject touches those kinds of tools.

I got curious about your spiral screwdriver with the brace-like doorknob cap, so I did some Google Books-ing. I could not find the patent or any ads in any trade mags. The only thing I spotted in the process of doing that to add to RTM's broad canvassing effort above is a power drill gear reduction attachment, linked, for example, here, in a 1949 Pop Mech mag. It must have been a good seller because they were still advertising it as late as the mid 50's.

 

[nz44tool]

I also looked for a patent number with no success.
Interestingly, the spiral screwdriver is quite well-made; the only obvious weak point is the way the knob is held on by swaging the end of the spiral shaft.
That Pop Mech brought back memories - I had every copy of that (and Pop Science) from about 1951 to 1960 or so.
I've had this Baby Calculator since those days.

 

[RTM]

Just adding to this search.

Interestingly, they were on the "Bar-Stock Shell Committee" as an industrial representative (A.J. Graham, G.S. Iskyan) in They had a contract for $84,8900 listed in Army Ordnance Volumes 21-22 1940, making them much earlier than expected





from: from Industrial Directory of New York State Directory of Manufacturing and Mining Firms in New York State By New York (State). Department of Commerce · 1953

President George S Iskyan, compt E Joseph Renice, sales mgr L. Wolfensohn, pur agt P Revitz. Projectiles, percussion, primers (3495) screw machine products Emp M-220, F-80 T-300 (Wow 300 employees )




FROM: Report of War Plants and Services in Urgency Rating Bands III Thru VII. Volumes 7-10 By United States. War Production Board · 1945



Poking about by address, someone else was in their space in 1947. Wagner Tool & Supply. In 1949, they were still using that address, as listed in Heating, Piping, and Air Conditioning Volume 21 1949 (Damn snippet view). Makes me think this may have just been an office space, as GM was flogging the drill adapter in Feb '49, and maybe earlier.




A drill press was offered by them in May 1949 in PopMech






In May 1955, they offered the combinations Hammer and Wrench




1969 Boys Life Magazine shows a steering wheel lock, called a Watch Dog. They also moved down the street to 43-10 21st Street, still in Long Island City




Sorry the dates are out of order, too many images to fix

 

[RTM]

Continuing into 1955, a frozen food saw



Stopping 3 pages into my google search.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Wow! I had no idea they made such a variety of stuff! From our friends at ebay, here are a couple other items they made, including the "multi tool" combination hammer/wrench posted above by @RTM (post #9):

 

[RTM]

Picking up the chase during another listening meeting.

Here is a patent from 1929, to one of the founders, a valve grinding tool, US1722577 (Not in DATAMP)

US1722577A - Valve-grinding tool - Google Patents

In 1929 they were listed in Chilton's at 180 13th St LIC, making something for Chevrolet cars (trimmed in snippet view)


Here is something in that same era for Ford's


1950 Pop Sci shows them making the ubiquitous all in one hammer screwdriver combo

Then popped up again in 1953 for having an aerial boosting tool (sounds way too early)


They had a pencil type air pressure gauge, written up in both Consumer Reports (sounds like one, its snippet view ) in 1968 and Consumers' Research in 1939


https://www.google.com/books/edition/Automotive_Retailer/C9kg3cdXug8C?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq="G.M. Co"
In 1959 Automotive Retailers shows them making 14 tools, but only 3 shown in snippet view, Gages, Screwdrivers and Tool Kits



1960 shows them making tire valves and tire valve rethreading tools


Hardware Age in 1962 shows them making Tire Pumps, hand, and other things (hidden by snippet view)



https://www.google.com/books/edition/Hardware_Buyers_Directory/7PngX6PtzssC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq="G.M. Co"
Hardware Buyers Guide 1962 shows them making some type of screwdriver (looks like it says 4 in 1 and something) Trying to decipher would would show up between Fountains and Frames, or before Grips


1969's Watch Dog, as shown above, was used as a promo for Popular Science's Anti Car Theft Competition

 

[nz44tool]

It's interesting to imagine the G.M. Co company meetings at which they decided what new thing to make!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I put this thread in the Sticky Index as the G.M. Co. thread. The OP hasn't been seen since May but he is still a member and I PM'ed him and asked him to change the title of the thread to just "G.M. Co. Mfg. Inc. Tools". We have a few like that where the original subject was narrower than the eventual subject, and this thread has now reached center of gravity for G.M. Co. Mfg. Inc. information.

 

[twertsy]

Wish I still had my site info…….I think I recall them starting in the 20’s.

 

[RTM]

Wish I still had my site info…….I think I recall them starting in the 20’s.

Getting close to that, I had some 1929 links above, and think I have one more coming in a few minutes.

Oops, another Feb, 1929



And March 1929



Interesting to see the little wrench set, which we may have thought was post war. I have not found an ad for post war yet, all that was that drill adapter Lugz talked about above


June 1929, they bought a building, the corner of Harris and Van Alst in Long Island City. Per this sheet, streets were renamed from Harris to 43rd avenue, and Van Alst was changed to 21st. Weirdly their new address was 1308 43rd str, so it must have happened right after they bought it.




Now the location of the Rolex Service Center, LIC, NY, which looks too new.

They also had the Canadian patent of the ironing machine listed above
Not a tool, so not a surprise
US2022368A - Ironing machine - Google Patents

CA346523A - Ironing machine - Google Patents

 

[RTM]

Poking into the staff a bit
George S Iskyan

Registered in the district in 1922, at 120 Elbertson total 4 family members there. One of the family members, John A Iskyan may have been running a rug renovation company in 1924. Nothing else useful so far.

E J Renice b 1910 NYC Pace Inst. 1939 Trim-o-matic (Pres & Dir) (Sounds like an airplane thing)




A P. Revitz went on to be GM of the Detroit Hardware Mfg co, but it may not have been the same guy


Running out of angles to track down to find that screwdriver.

 

[RTM]

Well, while poking thru a FB tool group, this showed up, for $25

I swore we had posted ads of their drill adapter thing. Here is one in the real

 

[nz44tool]

This little beauty just showed up at a flea market. Oddly, although the handle appears to have been used, all of the blades that were stored in the handle are pristine. The knurling is exquisite.
What didn't this company sell???

 

[RTM]

What didn't this company sell???

High quality tools?

Nice find tho.

 

[nz44tool]

High quality tools?

Nice find tho.

Right you are! Seems like every now & then, though, they managed to do something half-decent.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

This little beauty just showed up at a flea market.

It looks like the illegitimate love child of GAM Mfg and X-Acto.

 

[nz44tool]

It looks like the illegitimate love child of GAM Mfg and X-Acto.

Cleaning the crud out of the knurling is gonna be fun .

 

[Private Lugnutz]

^ Just 15 minutes in a little tub of Simple Green will free all that crud. Wipe down with WD-40. Done.

 

[nz44tool]

...came out quite nice. The Simple Green did help; thanks for the tip.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Looks fantastic.

 

[Geschwender]

Don't know much about G.M. MFG., but I found this little 1/4 drive socket set when I was going though some box lots that I bought some time ago. Looks like I'm missing 3 sockets and a 3" extension. Little bit of WD-40, and ratchet works like new. I'm guessing somewhere around 1920's. Sockets are in pretty good condition, except for the 11/32 which is almost worn smooth. No fractional numbering on the sockets. They are marked in "11-32" format.

I found these a couple years ago cleaning out an old garage they seem to be in perfect working order and all pieces are there. I was curious if there was any value to these

 

[Mintgrun]

One of the easiest ways to determine value is to check the sold listings on ePay. Someone sold a similar set recently for eighteen dollars with free shipping, so the seller probably got half that, minus another chunk for ePay fees.

Pardon Our Interruption...

There are several sets listed for sale currently at a slightly higher price, so they must not be a hot-seller.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Here's a johnny-come-lately addition to this thread. Just found this at a flea market. It's a dedicated screwdriver, i.e. the tip is not removable.
This looks older than the 1940-ish stuff this outfit made.

I found this valve lapper at the flea market today. Note that they used the same Archimedes twist principle, just a different business end, and a differently knurling on the sliding handle. The cap looks identical to the one on your screwdriver.

 

[nz44tool]

I found this valve lapper at the flea market today. Note that they used the same Archimedes twist principle, just a different business end, and a differently knurling on the sliding handle. The cap looks identical to the one on your screwdriver.

Wow - it's in great shape, too. The fit & finish appear to be somewhat better than my screwdriver's, but still very similar.
Thanks for putting this up.

 

[Mintgrun]

they used the same Archimedes twist principle, just a different business end

There's not a knurled screwdriver end hiding inside the suction cup, is there?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

There's not a knurled screwdriver end hiding inside the suction cup, is there?

Nope. But I like your multi- thinking, Tom. They coulda - and maybe even shoulda!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The fit & finish appear to be somewhat better than my screwdriver's,

I don't know about better, but it's not flimsy. Having several other tools with rotating doorknob style caps (vintage speeders, etc), I see they saved some manufacturing cost by peening one on made of formed sheet metal, but it's sufficient for the job at hand, which doesn't require a lot of force.

Speaking of the cap, did you see they're marked exactly the same? The patent that the "PAT. APP. FOR" marking alludes to is probably for the action, or perhaps the cap itself, not the business end. In other words, neither a screwdriver or a valve lapper, but all of the above and more. I don't recall if we collectively ever found that one, if one was granted, in that barrage of research upthread.

 

[nz44tool]

Nope. But I like your multi- thinking, Tom. They coulda - and maybe even shoulda!

The knurled end piece on your valve lapper is a lot like the one on mine. It looks like they just milled mine to form a blade.

 

[nz44tool]

Private L, I'm thinking my screwdriver and your lapper should be together.
Would you like me to send mine to you (no charge, just postage)?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

^ I'll PM you.