Old;Rare;and Mysterious..........

[safariknut]

Saw a thread on pre-1970 tools but it was mostly machinery so I thought I would post up some pictures of stuff I can't ID or are obscure.I was going through some old tools today(just the thing to do on a cold rainy miserable day)and came up with these.I will try and post the mystery stuff first and then the oddball stuff.Might take a couple of posts.
First up are a couple of sockets with what look like heads for Dzus fasteners;except they are much thicker than the slot in a Dzus fastener.Two are made by Apex and one is by Giller. Any ideas?
Next is what looks like a two sided adjustable wrench;one for bolt heads and the other for pipes.It adjusts by screwing the metal sleeve back and forth. Made by Bemis & Call of Springfield Mass.Pretty heavy duty.
Next is a nickel plated push drill by Goodell Tool Co of Greenfield Mass.(notice how many tool manufacturers were located in Massachusetts?)What is unusual is there appears to be a drill gauge around the top of the handle numbered from 1-8.There is also a button that slides up and down(springloaded)that allows the cap to turn free from the handle but only for one revolution.
Next is a tool marked simply Made in USA.There is a numbered wheel under the top of it that can be set by loosening the top screw.It looks a bit like a tool for setting saw teeth.
Last for now is a small socket set made by the Handle Lock Wrench Co of Jamestown NY.Wonder if it had any connection with Crescent that was also located there? Drive is 7/16 or 1/2 inch hex. What looks like an Allen wrench is actually a handle as it has small detent balls in the ends to hold the sockets.

 

[jakemac]

#1 - are Drag Link sockets
#2 - ? some kind of specialized pipe wrench ?
#3/4 - ? an internal type of Yankee push driver ?
#5/6 - a saw set (used to reset the teeth on a handsaw)
#7 - a set of hex drive sockets and driver

 

[rlitman]

#1 - are Drag Link sockets
#3/4 - ? an internal type of Yankee push driver ?

Right on everything else, wrong on these.

#1 are Dzus sockets. Drag link sockets are large hollow-ground slotted screwdriver bits. These are similar, but are designed to fit slots with rounded bottoms. They're actually quite handy, and are AMAZING in fasteners cut to accept coins (especially on plastic parts where coins can tear out). They are positively Dzus sockets, just probably fit different Dzus fittings than you have. I've got a bunch of the Apex ones, and they come in a number of different sizes (starting smaller and ending larger than what you've got).

#3/4 is not actually a Yankee driver. It is also not quite internally driven (there is just a shroud over the helix because it is not reversible).
It is a Yankee DRILL. Funny thing is I saw one branded Craftsman yesterday. Not too common, but I had no interest in another. I've got a black plastic handled one branded by Bell Systems buried somewhere. The handle holds a set of drill points. Yours has a gauge that lets you measure which included drill to use, for clearance of a screw. I've never seen one with that before (and I've seen a bunch of these).

The chuck should fit the smaller sized Yankee bits, but again, it is clockwise turning only, so it's not really a screwdriver.

 

[lbgradwell]

Well, it appears you actually know what all of this stuff is, but I'll add a bit of info...

Next is what looks like a two sided adjustable wrench;one for bolt heads and the other for pipes.It adjusts by screwing the metal sleeve back and forth. Made by Bemis & Call of Springfield Mass.Pretty heavy duty.

This is a "Patent Combination Service Wrench" or a "Combination Pipe and Nut Wrench" (B&C used both names) and it could be over 100 years old.

Next is a nickel plated push drill by Goodell Tool Co of Greenfield Mass. What is unusual is there appears to be a drill gauge around the top of the handle numbered from 1-8. There is also a button that slides up and down(springloaded)that allows the cap to turn free from the handle but only for one revolution.

And this is a No. 185 Automatic Drill that could be very, very close to 100 years old. They called it "Mr. Punch" and the 8 included bit were stored in individual compartments under the rotating cap. The cap rotated to all the removal of one bit at a time and the gauge permitted the user to replace the bit in the correct slot.

 

[safariknut]

rlitman:
I thought they might be for Dzus fasteners but the ones I worked with were much smaller;mostly on aircraft and race cars.I have a couple different sizes of drag link bits by Bonney and Apex.

lbgradwell:
The Bemis & Call wrench probably is that old and in pretty decent shape.I bought it at a flea market for about $5 if I recall correctly.

The name on the drill is actually Goodell Pratt Company Toolsmiths and that is in fact a storage compartment for drill bits.There is also a patent date of Dec 28 1915 so the time frame is pretty accurate as well. I know that nickel plating kind of fell from favor in the early 1930's;at least in automotive applications.

Which brings me(sort of)to the next item: a double ended "alligator" wrench with a patent date of April 3,1906 and in the center three thread dies in 5/16ths;3/8ths.and 1/2 inch.I think someone might have plated this as it has a chrome finish on itand chrome plating wasn't really used until about 1930.Still an unusual item(to me anyway).

Next is another that could possibly be a saw setting tool marked Morrill and two patent datesne is Dec.20 1887 and the other is Dec2 1890. I realize patent dates are not a good indicator of the date of manufacture but it still looks old.
Last is an old tubing cutter that is a marvel of simplicity:A piece of bent spring steel adjusted by a wing nut with a(relatively) large diameter wheel and a point on the end for cleaning up the tubing.No makers mark unfortunately.

 

[safariknut]

A few more if I may:

A newer item that can only be described as a ratcheting crow's foot made by the Tubing Appliance Co of Los Angeles.a new one to me.

Another possible saw set by Roper-Whitney Co of Rockford Illinois.

A very old screwdriver;possibly hand made.

One of the most unusual sockets I have ever seen;made by Walden-Worcester Co.According to Alloy Artifacts.the company was only in business a short time and their sockets were not very well received. Drive looks like a circle with two flats spaced 180 degrees apart and held onto the wrench by means of an Allen screw.Very rare supposedly;AA doesn't have a pic of one if I recall correctly.

Last is a Ford Model T brake band wrench made by the Frank Mossberg Co of attleboro Mass patent Dec 28 1915(a very popular patent date apparently).

 

[lbgradwell]

Next is another that could possibly be a saw setting tool marked Morrill and two patent datesne is Dec.20 1887 and the other is Dec2 1890. I realize patent dates are not a good indicator of the date of manufacture but it still looks old.

A #1 (improved) model, I believe...

 

[lbgradwell]

A newer item that can only be described as a ratcheting crow's foot made by the Tubing Appliance Co of Los Angeles.a new one to me.

That's precisely what it is. That dates from before Proto's acquisition of T.A.C. or it would also have the Proto name on it...

 

[safariknut]

lbgradwell:

THANK YOU so much for the info;it is greatly appreciated. I didn't intend to get into collecting vintage tools(I don't need ANOTHER hobby)but it happened when I tried to buy this old tool box and the guy who had it told me I could have just the box for $7 but if I wanted all the tools in it he would charge me $14! I figured what the heck and took them. He had to load it into my Tracker as I couldn't even lift the box!
Got them mostly all cleaned up and it went straight down hill from there lol.

Last ones for today:

A Hinsdale G-20 socket set supposedly a popular accessory for Model T Fords.

A tiny ratchet made by J O Mfg Co in Southgate CA for the USAF.

Some miscellaneous hex drive ratchets and handles.

Some miscellaneous wrenches including a Barcalo;an Indestro combination wrench 5.8 and 3/4;a Superrench;and a ProAmerica adjustable spanner.

 

[woody 73]

Hope this helps you out:

http://members.acmenet.net/~con12a/saw set website/plier2.htm

 

[safariknut]

Thanks Woody;that was an interesting and informative read.
Here's a few more pieces:
A bunch of 32nd size sockets;a couple of wrenches

 

[rlitman]

Another possible saw set by Roper-Whitney Co of Rockford Illinois.

Nah. It WAS a sheet metal punch (I've got one in the original case with all the dies), but someone did some strange modification to it.

 

[safariknut]

Nah. It WAS a sheet metal punch (I've got one in the original case with all the dies), but someone did some strange modification to it.

rlitman:
Could you possibly post a pic of yours showing what modifications were made to mine?No hurry;just curious. Speaking of curious;here is a wrench that was given to me by my nephew who dug it out of his mother's garage after she had passed. Supposedly a wrench for switching railroad tracks.Stamped N&W(probably Norfolk & Western) and looks to be cut from a piece of 1/2 inch thick steel.One end is 2 & 3/16ths and the other is 2 & 1/2 inches.Makes a great door stop.

 

[Lwel9226]

Nah. It WAS a sheet metal punch (I've got one in the original case with all the dies), but someone did some strange modification to it.

I agree, it is/was sheet metal punch, I also have one....
I wonder if, somehow, they broke the lower jaw and what you have now was their attempt at a repair...

Lynn W

 

[safariknut]

Thought I'd post up a few more from the box.
First up is an early adjustable wrench made by the Gellman Wrench Co of Chicago model 61.To open you pullback on the lower leg of the moveable jaw(spring-loaded)and push upward.To move back,pull back on the knurled circle and pull down.
Next are a pair of screwdrivers that have a spring-loaded retainer to hold the screw.To operate;push down on the screwdriver with the blade in the slot and it locks the screw with the small center tab.Turning the screwdriver clockwise returns the tab to the open position. I believe these were used around elctronic equipment due to the handle material being non-conductive;possibly to dis-assemble electronic cabinets.
Last item is a torque wrench for brake lines made for Ford Motor Co. by Power Tools Plus model 10AT.The torque setting is pre-calibrated to the range of 9,5 to 33.9 nm.The head is designed so it can be used like a ratchet.Probably an assembly line tool.

 

[lbgradwell]

...I could have just the box for $7 but if I wanted all the tools in it he would charge me $14!

Are you saying you scored all these tools for $7?!

 

[safariknut]

Are you saying you scored all these tools for $7?!

No;this is the box and tools I paid $14 for.

 

[twertsy]

Man that's a deal. Great score.

 

[lbgradwell]

Yeah. That's still a "You ****"!

 

[rlitman]

Next are a pair of screwdrivers that have a spring-loaded retainer to hold the screw.To operate;push down on the screwdriver with the blade in the slot and it locks the screw with the small center tab.Turning the screwdriver clockwise returns the tab to the open position. I believe these were used around elctronic equipment due to the handle material being non-conductive;possibly to dis-assemble electronic cabinets.

Yeah, I've got a bunch of these made by Ullman I believe, though all of mine have aluminum handles. They also make the Blue Point branded one I have and Philips holding models. Yours are indeed special because of their non-conductive handles. They're made for TV repair (where a jolt from a flyback transformer can be quite serious).