Chicago Manufacturing and Distributing Co.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 23, 2018

c. 1921 Chicago Manufacturing and Distributing Co.

If you haven’t been following along, I started a thread on all my ”Early Roaring 20’s” socket sets here. I introduced them all, categorically, and with a group photo, in that thread, but I am devoting a separate thread to each set. The first breakout thread was my Newton and King Pressed Steel & Manufacturing Company sets, linked here.

Moving on to Chicago today...

The 1913 Report of the Secretary of State of Illinois listed Chicago Manufacturing and Distributing Company as incorporating on March 1, 1911 with $2,500 in capital stock. Link here.

According to the “Recent Patents” section of The Automobile Journal, Vol 37, page 81, Gordon K. Wright, was granted patent 1,089,737 for the ratchet on March 10, 1914, and he was an assignor to Chicago Manufacturing & Distributing, Co. Link here.

The record for the patent on the USPTO site confirms that. Link here to read the whole patent.

Chicago Manufacturing and Distributing Company may seem like a funny name, but the sales and delivery of automotive tools was just as important as the manufacturing in those days. Most collectors don’t realize that Snap-on tools were sold by a separate company, called the Motor Tool and Specialty Company, owned by the same officers of Snap-on, who thought it wise to keep the two functions separate at that time.

Chicago Manufacturing and Distributing did it all under one roof and name, and they were advertising their ratchet, shown with a few sockets, and also a drill, in the 1915 Iron Trade Review, Volume 56. Link here, image here…

It’s uncertain when they adapted the design from its original 1-inch hex drive to an 5/8-inch square drive, but by 1919 they were advertising at least two different square drive sets, No. 50 and No. 60, in trade journals and Sears & Roebuck, with a number of different attachments and sockets.

In 1921 they were advertising the ratchet for turning track bolts, screw spikes, and other purposes in the Railway Maintenance Engineer, Vol 17, No. 1. Link here.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 23, 2018

I have a lot of admiration for these sets, from the composition to the finish to the interconnections mechanism. They are not as rare, as individual pieces, as some of the other sets in my Early Roaring 20’s collection, but complete sets of Chicago Manufacturing & Distributing Company are not common.

Here is a near-complete 20-pc set, No. 50, which they called a "Home Garage Kit". All the pieces are malleable iron with a rust-proof finish, probably black enamel. The only piece missing is the screwdriver bit.

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Although all the pieces bear part numbers, all with an “A” prefix, and all the pieces are listed on the label, the part numbers are not listed on the label. Consequently, I'm not sure what A- number the screwdriver bit has.

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The set includes a ratchet wrench (A1), two spark plug wrenches (A5 and A6), a universal joint (A8, A10), six square sockets (A11 through A16), eight hex sockets (A17 through A24), an extension (A25), and a screwdriver bit (A?). This set uses an internal and external 5/8-inch square drive connection system.

Here are the handles and extensions:

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The ratchet wrench (A1) is female non-reversible, 9 inches long, with 11 teeth, marked with the mfgr’s name and location on one side and the patent info on the other.

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The two spark plug wrenches have square male drive tangs with 7/8” (A5) and 1-1/8” (A6) service openings.

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All the sockets (A11 through A24) have the same hollow square male drive tang. Sizes are exactly as specified on the label: 18/, 21/, 23/, 27/, and 29/32, and 1-1/32 square, and 17/, 18/, 19/, 23/, 25/, 29/, 31/, and 1-3/32 hex.

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Private Lugnutz · Jun 23, 2018

The universal joint has two part numbers, one for the square male drive tang piece (A8), and another for the socket with the square female drive opening (A10).

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The 9” long extension (A25) works the same way, one end with a square male drive tang and the other end with a socket having an square female drive opening.

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The female drive openings in the ratchet wrench, the extension, and the universal joint have a spring steel clip pinned into the interior wall of the opening that provides tension on the male drive tangs. Here, shown inside the extension, is what the clip looks like in all female openings. You can see the peened head of the pin on the outside of the pieces in the photos above.

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The box is fragile with crude hinges that only screw into the base. The top of the hinge is literally pressed into the wood with sharp points. It’s no surprise that the boxes are almost always missing the lids.

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Private Lugnutz · Jun 23, 2018

For example, I also have this box, no lid, with a bunch of extra 5/8-inch square drive Chicago Mfg & Distr Co pieces. I also have an unknown number Chicago Mfg & Distr Co hex wrench set.

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This is the 1-inch internal hex drive system that was first patented and made. Unlike the No. 50 set, the pieces are not numbered.

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The ratchet wrench is female non-reversible, 10-1/2 inches long, with 14 teeth.

The 1-inch drive hex sockets are 1/2” square, 5/8” square, 5/8” hex, 3/4” square, and 3/4” hex.

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As you can see, they are marked with the size and the shape of their service openings (“S” for square, “H” for hex) forged-in. The recesses you see are to aid in the sockets staying securely fastened inside the ratchet wrench, which has the spring steel clip pinned inside the drive opening.

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The A1 ratchet in the 11/16-inch square drive set, the ratchet in the 1-inch square drive hex set, and two (2) of the 1-inch drive hex sockets have what is believed to be a Chicago Manufacturing and Distributing Company logo forged-in. Oddly, it's not the logo that appears on the decal under the lid. That the large “C” signifies Chicago is obvious. How a small “H” signifies any of the other terms in the company name – or what term beginning with an “H” it signifies if not – is a mystery.

It kinda sorta reminds me of the Montreal Canadiens logo, which is almost as mysterious, with the “H” debatably either signifying Habitants, giving the club its nickname (“Habs”), or Hockey. Not actually proposing that's what it is. Just funny.

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Private Lugnutz · Jun 23, 2018

If anyone else has a different set or different pieces, I'd love to see them! I'd especially like to see the screwdriver bit from the 11/16-inch drive No. 50 set. Alloy Artifacts has a No. 60 set and a few miscellaneous pieces, but no screwdriver bit.

woody 73 · Jun 23, 2018

Very nice set good job!

Do you have any information about Mr. Gordon K. Wright ?

Private Lugnutz · Jun 23, 2018

woody 73 said:
Do you have any information about Mr. Gordon K. Wright ?

Nope. Sometimes I am inspired enough to do a biographical deep dive (e.g., August C. Klopper, the man behind the Onli-1 wrench), but not always. If you have or get motivated enough to do your own research on Mr. Wright, woody, feel free to post it.

HeelSpur · Jun 23, 2018

Got this partial set, no lid.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/razorear/42968786081/in/dateposted-public/

twertsy · Jun 23, 2018

Greg,
Keep these sets in mind when next you visit. I'm certain I have strays in the boxes awaiting your next visit. I also have some stray ratchets/ratchet drills from that era.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 23, 2018

HeelSpur said:
Got this partial set, no lid.

Cool. I wonder what number set that is. Looks like you have more sockets, 10 hex and 8 square (whereas the No. 50 set has 8 hex and 6 square). You have the same rat, uni joint, and extension. No spark plug sockets. But maybe it's not supposed to. Between my No. 50 set, with label, and the No. 60 set on AA, we should be able to figure that out. If you don't mind, would you list the sockets by A number and size? I'm curious what sizes the extra 2 hex and square sockets are.

twertsy said:
Greg,
Keep these sets in mind when next you visit. I'm certain I have strays in the boxes awaiting your next visit. I also have some stray ratchets/ratchet drills from that era.

Will do!

HeelSpur · Jun 23, 2018

My square ones are;
A-16=18/32, (2) A-14's=23/32, (2)A-12's=29/32, A-11=1 1/32.

Hex sizes were difficult to read;
A-24=17/ , A-30=?, A-35=20/32, A-20=25/32, A-19=29/32, A-18=31/32, A-36= 1 1/32, A-17=1 ?/32, A-32=1 ?/32, A-38 ?.

Swivel is A-10, A-26 is extension, A-1 Ratchet.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 24, 2018

HeelSpur,

After sorting my second set, comparing the pieces and part numbers to yours, and taking copious notes, I have come to only one certain conclusion: these sets make my small brain hurt!

No, seriously, I had to make a chart just to keep it all straight! The print is small, but hopefully you can see it okay. If not, just shoot me a PM and I will send you the Excel file I JPEG’d it from. Note that the chart answers most if not all of your questions from above about some of the markings/sizes on your sockets.

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Here are my observations:

- My other second wooden box with a bunch of other sockets, no handles, is not the same box as the box that houses my complete No. 50 set. In fact, it looks exactly like your wooden box with an extra insert for a few sockets on the end. So I suspect that whatever set number was in these boxes, we both have the same partial sets. And it included a number of sockets NOT INCLUDED in the No. 50 or No. 60 sets.

- The part numbering schema (which, as I am sure you noted, has no correlation to the sizes, in /32nds or any other graduation) strongly implies that Chicago Mfg & Distr Co had a few sets, assigned numbers for those pieces (A1 through A25), and then, when they added new sockets later on, they needed to jump to higher part numbers, having already used up everything in sequence between A1 and A25. In some cases, they introduced sockets with much bigger service opening sizes than the early sets. See A37 (1-5/32") and A38 (1-6/32"), for example. In other cases, I think they must have realized they neglected to make sockets in some sizes that were well within their original range (17/32" to 1-3/32"). See A28 (15/32") and A30 (21/32") for example. Their realization apparently came in stages. By the time they thought to add a socket with a 13/32" service opening, the next number they had available was A34. A35 (20/32") definitely seems like another oversight, as does A36 (1-1/32"), a size they had only offered for square fastener service prior.

- Note that my second set included an oval socket (A27). I have a Bay State set with an oval socket made by Mossberg, and they are roughly both the same size. The size is not marked on the Mossberg oval socket or the Chicago Mfg & Distr oval socket, but I measured them at ~3/8" x 1/2". Snap-on's mid-1920's 1/2-inch drive socket sets included an oval socket. Also not assigned an opening size, but its use was described explicitly for turning a Ford 2707-8 Cam Shaft Spindle Nut and Ford 2707-6 Cam Shaft Adjusting Cone. I suspect that early makers like Bay State and Chicago Mfg & Distributing Co included one for the same purpose in their sets.

- AA's Set No. 60 is no help. It's very small, smaller than Set. No. 50, and only includes the hex sockets.

See photos below.

Pic 1: Part numbers on hex sockets that are not part of Set No. 50
Pic 2: Sizes on hex sockets that are not part of Set No. 50
Pic 3 - 5: Close-ups
Pic 6: Part numbers on sockets in the second set that are also in Set No. 50
Pic 7: Sizes on sockets in the second set that are also in Set No. 50

REQUEST - Please take a look at your universal joint. As I noted in my first post, mine has two part numbers. One on the female piece (A10) and one on the male drive tang (A3, I think). AA either didn't see that or their universal joint is only marked A10 on the female piece. Please confirm by inspecting the male drive tang on your universal.

By the way, if you think you need any of these to replace your duplicates and fill in your set, just let me know, I’ll gladly send them to you, no cost.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 24, 2018

Here is the A27 oval socket next to an oval socket made by Mossberg that was in a Bay State set I have (in which ALL the sockets were supplied by Mossberg).

Private Lugnutz · Mar 2, 2020

I was going through old Sears, Roebuck, & Co catalogs recently for a completely different purpose when I ran into this ad in the 1922 edition. There is zero doubt they are made by Chicago Manufacturing & Distributing Company. The set included 3/4", 5/8" and 1/2" in square and hex sockets. I am missing the 1/2" hex socket.

Private Lugnutz · Jul 4, 2020

I was doing some Wilton research lately when I came across this vise, owned by Uncle_Charlie, posted on page 18, post #350, of the Wilton Vise Dating thread. See Pic 1.

Wilton vise parts exhibit a large number of different cast-in markings, typically monographs, thought to perhaps be different foundries. The large cast-in 'C' with a smaller 'H' on this body (See Pic 2 for zoom) looks suspiciously like the cast-in marking on Chicago Manufacturing & Distributing Company pieces, and heretofore, as far as I know, exclusively associated with Chicago Manufacturing & Distributing Company.

I suppose it's possible that Wilton subcontracted some casting work out to them.

But, there's no record of them still being in operation in the 40's, and there is another much more intriguing and reasonable possibility.

Some of us in the Roaring 20's collecting community have long wondered how the 'H' in the monograph represents an entity with the name Chicago Mfg & Distributing, whose logo/branding on labels (see post #1 for an example on my No. 50 Home Garage Kit set) features a large 'C', 'M', and 'D'. Perhaps it's not CM&D Co's logo. Perhaps it's the monograph for a Chicago area foundry who cast pieces for CM&D Co and later, for Wilton.

Provincial · Jul 6, 2021

Note: I posted this on the Chicago Manufacturing & Distributing Ratchet thread before I found this thread. I left it verbatim so you can see how I researched this. I wish I had found this thread first! I should have looked at the sticky instead of using the Search "function."

I found a couple of malleable iron sockets at the Flea last weekend. By using Alloy Artifacts, I traced the logo on one to the Chicago Manufacturing and Distributing Company. Intertwined C and H.

These sockets are interesting. The "common" ones (if one can call them that) are 5/8" external square drive. These are 1" external hex drive, and the bore is round and a little less than 3/4". There is a recess cast into one of the external drive flats for a retention device.

The sizes are cast into the exterior of the socket, and are "5/8H" hex, with 1-1/8" across the flats and "1/2S" square, with 15/16" across the flats. These openings would be about what would be expected for the era, about 1/16" over nominal size of the U.S. Standard fastener.

I am thinking that CM&D made a product that was a little heavier duty than the 5/8 square drive that was sold through Sears and Western Auto. The big question is did this size precede the square drive, or was it a parallel product?

I really doubt that I'll be able to put together a full set of these! :lol:

Private Lugnutz · Jul 6, 2021

Provincial said:
Note: I posted this on the Chicago Manufacturing & Distributing Ratchet thread before I found this thread. I left it verbatim so you can see how I researched this. I wish I had found this thread first! I should have looked at the sticky instead of using the Search "function."

It's not in the Sticky Index yet. I have a lot of threads to add to the next iteration!

Provincial said:
By using Alloy Artifacts, I traced the logo on one to the Chicago Manufacturing and Distributing Company. Intertwined C and H.

I am not convinced that the intertwined C and H is owned by Chicago Manufacturing and Distributing. It shows up on early Wilton vises as well. See Post #15.

Provincial said:
I am thinking that CM&D made a product that was a little heavier duty than the 5/8 square drive that was sold through Sears and Western Auto. The big question is did this size precede the square drive, or was it a parallel product?

The earliest ads I could find were a 1-inch square drive ratchet and drill, but by 1919 they were advertising 1-inch and 5/8-inch drive sets. I have a near-complete 1-inch drive set (missing the 1/2"-hex). See posts #4 and #14, which also includes an ad for the set from the 1922 Sears, Roebuck & Co catalog.

four.cycle · Jul 6, 2021

Provincial said:
I should have looked at the sticky instead of using the Search "function."

For reasons I don't understand, the "search" function lately is effectively useless.
I've been using the "sticky" thread to find stuff because searching for "indestro" or "black hawk" (and other names) by thread title doesn't return the results I'm looking for. :dunno:

Those are really interesting pieces, btw.

Provincial · Jul 6, 2021

The search function here seems to be patterned on late-stage Alzheimer's.

I believe that there is a way to use the major search engines to search a forum. I am researching a shortcut process at DuckDuckGo called Bang! that has potential. It would let you type in an exclamation point followed by a few letters to go directly to a discussion board, like Vintage Tool Discussion.

Private Lugnutz · Jul 10, 2021

Not to be contrarian, but I'm having better results searching GJ now than I did before, and I like the way the search and advanced search is set up now better than before. It's much handier to use the same button but limit your search to 'this thread' or 'this forum' selectively. But if you want to use a browser to search just GJ, I posted two effective strings in the Sticky.

wrenchguy · Jan 1, 2023

Recent 1" hex drive set to me.

wrenchguy · Jan 4, 2023

Private Lugnutz said:
I was going through old Sears, Roebuck, & Co catalogs recently for a completely different purpose when I ran into this ad in the 1922 edition. There is zero doubt they are made by Chicago Manufacturing & Distributing Company. The set included 3/4", 5/8" and 1/2" in square and hex sockets. I am missing the 1/2" hex socket.

Looks like the set I posted above has 9 sockets. Anyone have more info about larger 1" hex sets? thx.

Private Lugnutz · Jan 4, 2023

wrenchguy said:
Looks like the set I posted above has 9 sockets. Anyone have more info about larger 1" hex sets?

It wouldn't surprise me if they were selling a larger set than the set I found the Sears ad for in roughly the same era. What are the sizes? Please transcribe in a list. Some are hard to read.

MR.X · Apr 3, 2023

P.I.R. Swap meet.... found the mark in question on a 1925ish Cornwell pre tool no. (later 55) ratchet.

Private Lugnutz · Apr 4, 2023

Interesting.

Patrick Eubanks · Dec 26, 2023

MR.X said:
P.I.R. Swap meet.... found the mark in question on a 1925ish Cornwell pre tool no. (later 55) ratchet.

The ch symbol found on the cmd sets are actually a foundry mark. Cleveland hardware & Forging. They were a drop forge company back in the day. Contract work

Patrick Eubanks · Dec 26, 2023

Patrick Eubanks said:
The ch symbol found on the cmd sets are actually a foundry mark. Cleveland hardware & Forging. They were a drop forge company back in the day. Contract work

Actually back in the day they were just Cleveland hardware. Still in business today. Alloy artifacts has a nice write up on them

Patrick Eubanks · Dec 26, 2023

Private Lugnutz said:
I have a lot of admiration for these sets, from the composition to the finish to the interconnections mechanism. They are not as rare, as individual pieces, as some of the other sets in my Early Roaring 20’s collection, but complete sets of Chicago Manufacturing & Distributing Company are not common.

Here is a near-complete 20-pc set, No. 50, which they called a "Home Garage Kit". All the pieces are malleable iron with a rust-proof finish, probably black enamel. The only piece missing is the screwdriver bit.

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View media item 84238
Although all the pieces bear part numbers, all with an “A” prefix, and all the pieces are listed on the label, the part numbers are not listed on the label. Consequently, I'm not sure what A- number the screwdriver bit has.

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The set includes a ratchet wrench (A1), two spark plug wrenches (A5 and A6), a universal joint (A8, A10), six square sockets (A11 through A16), eight hex sockets (A17 through A24), an extension (A25), and a screwdriver bit (A?). This set uses an internal and external 5/8-inch square drive connection system.

Here are the handles and extensions:

View media item 84240
The ratchet wrench (A1) is female non-reversible, 9 inches long, with 11 teeth, marked with the mfgr’s name and location on one side and the patent info on the other.

View media item 84245
View media item 84246
View media item 84257
The two spark plug wrenches have square male drive tangs with 7/8” (A5) and 1-1/8” (A6) service openings.

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All the sockets (A11 through A24) have the same hollow square male drive tang. Sizes are exactly as specified on the label: 18/, 21/, 23/, 27/, and 29/32, and 1-1/32 square, and 17/, 18/, 19/, 23/, 25/, 29/, 31/, and 1-3/32 hex.

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Did you ever find the screw driver bit? I would love to see a pic. I’m working on a couple of sets

Patrick Eubanks · Dec 26, 2023

Here is another part that in one of my sets. Any idea?

Private Lugnutz · Dec 26, 2023

Patrick Eubanks said:
Did you ever find the screw driver bit?

Nope.

Patrick Eubanks said:
I’m working on a couple of sets

Cool. Looking forward to seeing them.

Patrick Eubanks said:
Here is another part that in one of my sets. Any idea?

Interesting. What does that set screw do?

Patrick Eubanks · Dec 26, 2023

Private Lugnutz said:
Nope.

Cool. Looking forward to seeing them.

Interesting. What does that set screw do?

I’m really not sure. It’s a set screw. I was assuming some sort of bit attachment

Patrick Eubanks · Dec 26, 2023

A little better look

Private Lugnutz · Dec 26, 2023

Definitely meant to hold something tight and a bit is a good guess. What's a little odd about that, though, is that it's not consistent with the retention mechanism in the other pieces, which is a pinned tension spring. Then again, that opening is tapered, as if to fit a tapered bit, unlike the others, which are square and meant to fit the square male tangs of the other attachments.

Patrick Eubanks · Dec 26, 2023

Private Lugnutz said:
Definitely meant to hold something tight and a bit is a good guess. What's a little odd about that, though, is that it's not consistent with the retention mechanism in the other pieces, which is a pinned tension spring. Then again, that opening is tapered, as if to fit a tapered bit, unlike the others, which are square and meant to fit the square male tangs of the other attachments.

I felt the same way. I ordered a rachet and socket set off eBay that was tagged Greene tweed. The sockets didn’t look like any Greene Tweed stuff that I own. They have a long tapered square neck.
I’m anxious to get them here as they look like they are cast.

RTM · Dec 26, 2023

That almost looks like a bit stock holder, like it would grab an auger bit, but with a notch.

Taytools Square Hand Brace Adapters for Auger Boring Drill Bits | Taylor Tools

Taytools Square Hand Brace Adapters for Auger Boring Drill Bits

taytools.com

Patrick Eubanks · Dec 26, 2023

RTM said:
That almost looks like a bit stock holder, like it would grab an auger bit, but with a notch.

Taytools Square Hand Brace Adapters for Auger Boring Drill Bits | Taylor Tools

Taytools Square Hand Brace Adapters for Auger Boring Drill Bits

taytools.com

That was my first guess but I have never seen a bit with 5/8 or 1/2 square shaft. That’s why I was inquiring earlier about the screw driver bit. I have never seen it and was wondering if this was part of the assembly. I know that cmd did all kinds of crazy drilling rigs. Lack of available ads sure makes it tough

Private Lugnutz · Dec 26, 2023

That's what I am referring to by "tapered bit," RTM, and I am assuming Patrick as well. As you know, they made them with screwdriver blades. I have several. But note that the other end is a drive tool shape. So perhaps what he has is an adaptor.

RTM · Dec 26, 2023

Private Lugnutz said:
That's what I am referring to by "tapered bit," RTM, and I am assuming Patrick as well. As you know, they made them with screwdriver blades. I have several. But note that the other end is a drive tool shape. So perhaps what he has is an adaptor.

Yup, in agreement, to put one of dozens of other drive tools in the driven end.

Patrick Eubanks · Jan 26, 2024

Sorry for the crappy photos but I found a screw driver bit for the Chicago set. It looks very much like the other tools and fits directly to the rachet if needed.

wrenchguy · Jan 27, 2024

Patrick Eubanks said:
Actually back in the day they were just Cleveland hardware. Still in business today. Alloy artifacts has a nice write up on them

Mark has been id'd as chicago hardware or a contractor of it in the past. It's also seen on some wilton vises and some smaller caterpillar tractor company castings.

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