Old Snap-on A-6-E adapter, 9/32" to 1/4" - what were they used for?

[nz44tool]

I just acquired this little Snap-on nugget, and I'm wondering what purpose it had; that is, what tool with a 9/32" drive end was common enough to cause Snap-on to make this adapter for it?
Thanks for any light you can shed.
- nz44tool

 

[nz44tool]

...sorry about the typo in the title line; should obviously read 9/32", not 9/32'.

 

[cgrutt]

Imagine its an adapter to transition from vintage 9/32 drive tool sets to newer 1/4 drive sockets but don't really know.

 

[The Cobbler]

...sorry about the typo in the title line; should obviously read 9/32", not 9/32'.

fixed

 

[nz44tool]

Thanks for the reply, cgrutt - I think you're right. I just found a reference in Alloy Artifacts to an early 9/32" Snap-on series, which would have been used for the same jobs as 1/4" drive pieces. It makes sense that they would have sold an adapter so that the two sizes could be interchanged somewhat.

 

[misterbill]

9/32" was the de-facto "midget" driver size in the 1930s until the industry transitioned to 1/4" in the 1940s. The 9/32” Drive Tools - The Forgotten Older Sibling? thread on the G503 site has a nice discussion.

Bill

 

[nz44tool]

9/32" was the de-facto "midget" driver size in the 1930s until the industry transitioned to 1/4" in the 1940s. The 9/32” Drive Tools - The Forgotten Older Sibling? thread on the G503 site has a nice discussion.

Bill

Thanks, misterbill! So - the one I just acquired would be from the '40s or '50s, yes? It puzzles me that I've seen so few of the older obsolete drive sizes. They were apparently made for fairly long periods of time; I'd think there'd be more to be found.

 

[misterbill]

I think that "E" date code is 1944. From my experience the sockets were probably discarded because "they didn't fit". (They look like 1/4" drive in the wild.) Ratchets and breaker bars got ground down to fit 1/4" sockets.

Bill

 

[cgrutt]

Have no idea if this is true or not but seems possible much the old tooling may have been recycled during WWII. Country was building alot of tanks, ships and arms during that period and resources may have been scarce.

 

[nz44tool]

I think that "E" date code is 1944. From my experience the sockets were probably discarded because "they didn't fit". (They look like 1/4" drive in the wild.) Ratchets and breaker bars got ground down to fit 1/4" sockets.

Bill

Yes, that's a pretty good theory. It must have been pretty frustrating to have a set of the older size when the newer one began to be popular.

 

[nz44tool]

Have no idea if this is true or not but seems possible much the old tooling may have been recycled during WWII. Country was building alot of tanks, ships and arms during that period and resources may have been scarce.

Thanks, cgrutt - there must have been a lot of chaos in the tool industry during that time, trying to keep domestic business alive while retooling for the war effort.

 

[d42jeep]

Here are my four wartime Snap-on sets and my adapter. The set with the cork liner is 9/32” drive. I like your 1944 example even more than my postwar one. My friend misterbill has explained the reason for the adapters existence.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

Snap-on A8 1/4" female X 9/32" male adapter

date code appears to be 1958

 

[nz44tool]

Here are my four wartime Snap-on sets and my adapter. The set with the cork liner is 9/32” drive. I like your 1944 example even more than my postwar one. My friend misterbill has explained the reason for the adapters existence.
-Don

Wow! terrific collection!

 

[nz44tool]

Snap-on A8 1/4" female X 9/32" male adapter

date code appears to be 1958

Another amazing collection, four.cycle! Thanks for the date code graphic - hugely useful!

 

[four.cycle]

^ That's just one unit shown from different angles. The link is to the ebay listing.
GJ members in good standing are entitled to special promotional discounts on selected item.

 

[Astrobuf]

Have no idea if this is true or not but seems possible much the old tooling may have been recycled during WWII. Country was building alot of tanks, ships and arms during that period and resources may have been scarce.

The Brits were still using 9/32 Drive throughout World War II so to repair British equipment the adapters were needed

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The Brits were still using 9/32 Drive throughout World War II

So was the US Army Air Corps, and beyond, into the early 1950s.