R.F. Sedgley "Hexall" Hex-Drive Socket & Ratchet (K&S)

four.cycle · Dec 21, 2017

R.F. Sedgley "Hexall" hex-drive socket set Patent 1289558 Dec. 31, 1918

R.F. Sedgley, 2311 North Sixteenth Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

Founder and inventor Reginald F. Sedgley apparently manufactured these as early as January 24, 1916, according to the November 25, 1916 "Hardware Age" magazine advertisement and the patent document for his "Hexall" trademark.
Best known for their line of "Hexall" sockets, Sedgley also manufactured other tools (photos of which can be found at Alloy-Artifacts.org. and in a couple other threads on this site.)

R.F. Sedgley Hexall Socket Set - Hardware Age - November 25, 1916 pp 98.jpg

R.F. Sedgley Hexall Socket Set - Patent 1289558 - Dec. 31 1918.jpg

This 1/4" hex drive SAE socket set includes seven plain steel sockets, none of which have any markings, and an "ELL" wrench, which is marked only with the patent date of Dec. 31, 1918.

R.F. Sedgley 'Hexall' 1.4 hex drive SAE socket set - (patent 1289558 Dec 31 1918) 01.jpg

R.F. Sedgley 'Hexall' 1.4 hex drive SAE socket set - (patent 1289558 Dec 31 1918) 02.jpg

R.F. Sedgley 'Hexall' 1.4 hex drive SAE socket set - (patent 1289558 Dec 31 1918) 03.jpg

R.F. Sedgley 'Hexall' 1.4 hex drive SAE socket set - (patent 1289558 Dec 31 1918) 04.jpg

The sizes on the six-point sockets are 1/4", 5/16", 11/32", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", and the round knurled socket.

Similar sets were later manufactured by other tool makers, among them New Britain Machine Co., Duro Metal Products Co., and Indestro Mfg. Corp., as well as several offshore tool makers (presumably Japanese.)

see also: http://toolarchives.com/node/4171
see also: http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers-p3.html#sedgley

four.cycle · Dec 21, 2017

This is another R.F. Sedgley 1/4" hex drive SAE socket set, which unfortunately is not complete.
In this example, the sockets are stamped with their sizes, the "Master" socket is stamped "Made in U.S.A.", and the "ELL" handle is stamped with both the patent date and "Made in U.S.A."
Additionally, these sockets (and the "ELL" handle) appear to be plated, unlike the plain steel finish seen in the set above.
I believe it is reasonable to assume this set is of later vintage than the set above.

R.F. Sedgley 'Hexall' 1.4 drive SAE socket set (patent 1289558 Dec. 31 1918) 01.jpg

R.F. Sedgley 'Hexall' 1.4 drive SAE socket set (patent 1289558 Dec. 31 1918) 02.jpg

R.F. Sedgley 'Hexall' 1.4 drive SAE socket set (patent 1289558 Dec. 31 1918) 03.jpg

R.F. Sedgley 'Hexall' 1.4 drive SAE socket set (patent 1289558 Dec. 31 1918) 04.jpg

R.F. Sedgley 'Hexall' 1.4 drive SAE socket set (patent 1289558 Dec. 31 1918) 05.jpg

R.F. Sedgley 'Hexall' 1.4 drive SAE socket set (patent 1289558 Dec. 31 1918) 06.jpg

R.F. Sedgley 'Hexall' 1.4 drive SAE socket set (patent 1289558 Dec. 31 1918) 07.jpg

(* these photos are from the Ebay ad - I am awaiting delivery on this set *)
(* note that there is an oddball socket included in this set. my best guess is that it's probably New Britain/None Better or Duro/Indestro *)

four.cycle · Dec 21, 2017

Interesting anecdote from another GJ member:

Bdgjr215 said:
R.F. Sedgley also customized guns at their factory.There is a street named after him near
Where his factory was located in Philadelphia.

Mick56 · Dec 22, 2017

Nice looking sets. Hope you got a good deal on them.

PS I mailed the set this morning.

bbbarracuda · May 17, 2022

I recently bought what I thought was just random hex drive sockets and 3 handles in a box with a snap on ratchet. It was all so rusted I couldn’t read anything till after cleanup.
Turns out there’s a partial Sedgley 1/2” set
The L handle and 4 sockets. 1/2” 3/4” 7/8” and 1”
The same patent date on the handle

Private Lugnutz · Apr 14, 2024

I was ecstatic to find this Hexall No. 2 Ratchet Wrench set at the flea this morning. It's a complete 11-pc set in its original fiberboard cloth-bound case.

Here's an ad from 1918.

The case is in very poor condition, but the marking inside is very good.

The "PAT . MAY . 1 . 1917" marking refers to 1,224,223 and it was assigned exclusively to Sedgley. He was the co-owner of an earlier patent (1,140,167 / 1915) with Kolb and a later solo patent (1,289,558) in 1918, which is the basis for the L-handle type sets that have heretofore been the subject of discussion and examples on this thread.

If the ratchet reminds viewers of the ratchets found in the Will B. Lane sets, patented by Batholomay and then in a succession of patents by Willy B. Lane himself, it's because they were all more or less associated with a nexus of ratchet and socket wrench activity in Philadelphia, even sharing an address at one point. But the Hexall and Will B. Lane ratchets are not identical and they are not the same sets.

The sockets are steel, machined, and cold-broached, and they were aimed at the automotive market. The HEXALL ratchets and interchangeable socket sets, along with the Will B. Lane sets, were a significant step between the Contal (1902) Auto-Cle with pressed steel sockets and the later developments by Blackhawk, Walden, and Snap-on that would usher in the heyday of hot-forged, cold-broached sockets and improved ratchets in the 1920's.

These sets are pretty rare. AA, for example, has a very nice article on Sedgley, but no examples. The only other set of this type on GJ as far as I can tell belongs to @Old Radar, who has a No. 1, and I apparently missed him finding it back in 2022. I have asked him to post it here.

Old Radar · Apr 14, 2024

Ta Da! As requested.

I found this Hexall No. 1 set in July 2022. I can narrow the manf. date down to 1917-20. R.F. Sedgley incorporated in '20 and started using "Inc." at that time. This set pre-dates that event. The little curly wire holding the pawl is the subject of the 1917 patent. I can't swear the set is complete, but I believe it is.
The sockets have absolutely no marks--not even a size. The No. 1 set includes all of the items in Lugz's No. 2 set plus four 4pt sockets (3/8, 7/16, 1/2, & 5/8--measured, not stamped) and a second 1/2 hex which I can only assume is a coupling enabling the use of the extension and the two screwdrivers bits.
I would say that fiberboard and cloth are horribly ephemeral things to make a tool case from, but the damn thing has lasted over 100 years--although you can see someone handy with needle and thread has made a repair on one end.

four.cycle · Apr 15, 2024

The 1917 Automobile Trade Journal ad shows the Hexall No. 1 set that @Old Radar posted just above, but does not provide any details about the sizes of sockets included in the set.
The 1922 Automobile Trade Journal ad shows the Hexall No. 2 set that @Private Lugnutz posted just above, but again does not provide
details on sizes of sockets.

Posting the third ad because it mentions the "K & S" set (which looks like it may have preceded the No. 1 and No. 2 (? :headscrat

)

Private Lugnutz · Apr 15, 2024

four.cycle said:
Posting the third ad because it mentions the "K & S" set (which looks like it may have preceded the No. 1 and No. 2 (? )

No "may have" about it. The "K" is Korb a former "partner" with whom Sedgley owned a previous (1915) and similar ratchet patent I cited in post #6. The K&S versions, not dubbed HEXALL, but mechanically similar, definitely preceded the Sedgley-only HEXALL sets, but he apparently continued marketing them as well.

Private Lugnutz · Apr 15, 2024

Old Radar said:
I would say that fiberboard and cloth are horribly ephemeral things to make a tool case from, but the damn thing has lasted over 100 years--although you can see someone handy with needle and thread has made a repair on one end.

Yours is in considerably much better condition than mine!

I have a few sets in these kinds of cloth- or leatherette-bound cardboard cases, including a Mossberg and a Bog, and they are all in tatters. I don't like to handle them too often and I carried this one to my truck like an injured bird.

Old Radar · Apr 15, 2024

four.cycle said:
The 1917 Automobile Trade Journal ad shows the Hexall No. 1 set that @Old Radar posted just above, but does not provide any details about the sizes of sockets included in the set.

Interesting that the ad for the No. 1 set touts eight hex sockets. I guess technically that is true, but two of those sockets have 1/2" openings on both ends, and if counted strictly as "sockets" it begs the questions "Why the duplicate?" and more importantly, "How do I attach these screwdriver bits and/or the extension to the ratchet?" All of the hex sockets have a chamfer (really a cove) machined into the drive end circumference except--guess which ones? The two 1/2" "sockets". (Visible in @Private Lugnutz's post #6, above) Since Sedgley didn't stamp his sockets with sizes, I postulate this difference was to quickly visually or tactilely recognize one or both sockets that could be used as a coupling. You would need both if you wanted to use a screwdriver bit on the extension.

While re-familiarizing myself with the No. 1 set, I noticed an old 1/2" Ell stored nearby with a single hex socket. Under magnification I was able to see a patent date that corresponds to 4C's original post. The detent ball on the far right in the photo is there, but has been worn or ground flat. MADE IN U.S.A. is stamped on the opposite side from the patent date.
Although stamped Made in USA and 9/16, the socket is unlikely to be original as the knurling is unlike what has been posted before and it is a 12 point hot broaching.

four.cycle · Apr 15, 2024

@Private Lugnutz
^ thanks for the clarification on that. I have a couple other catalog pages which shows the Lane sets and the K&S, but no mention of "Sedgley".

I don't know how one would go about "repairing" one of those boxes. I have a Gilfillan set in that type of case and it's literally falling apart. I hate "fixing" stuff like that as I believe it compromises the piece, although I've had to effect some repairs to some cardboard boxes to keep them from disintegrating.

I just noticed the cause of some of my confusion: You have Henry's name misspelled. It's "Kolb". Hopefully this should be correct now:

K & S / ratchet marked "K & S" see Kolb & Sedgley /

Kolb / Kolb & Sedgley see Henry M. Kolb /

Kolb / Henry M. Kolb, 2311 North Sixteenth Street, Philadelphia, PA / ratchet / patent 1140167 Mar 18 1915 Henry M. Kolb and Reginald F. Sedgley / see also Sedgley, see also Will B. Lane / http://alloy-artifacts.org/rf-sedgley-incorporated.html / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/r-f-sedgley-hexall-hex-drive-socket-ratchet-k-s.378656/ /

Sedgley / R.F. Sedgley, Inc., 2311 North Sixteenth Street, Philadelphia, PA / "Hexall" / patent patent 1140167 May 18 1915 Henry M Kolb & Reginald F. Sedgley & 1224223 May 1 1917 & 1289558 Dec 31 1918 Reginald F. Sedgley / http://alloy-artifacts.org/rf-sedgley-incorporated.html / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/2022-garage-sale-thread.491610/page-79#post-9693099 / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/r-f-sedgley-hexall-hex-drive-socket-ratchet-k-s.378656/ / see also Kolb, Henry M. /

Oldtuleguy · Apr 15, 2024

Lugz you said " if the ratchet reminds viewers of the ratchets found in the Will B. Lane sets, patented by Batholomay and then in a succession of patents by Willy B. Lane himself, it's because they were all more or less associated with a nexus of ratchet and socket wrench activity in Philadelphia, even sharing an address at one point. But the Hexall and Will B. Lane ratchets are not identical and they are not the same sets." Were the companies actually affiliated? There are a lot of similarities to the lane ratchet.

four.cycle · Apr 15, 2024

Lane / Will B. Lane, 170 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL / "Lane Unique" / patent 876680 Jan 14 1908 James P. Bartholomay / http://alloy-artifacts.org/will-b-lane-company.html /

datamp.org said:
In early 1914, Lane gave a Philadelpia address; later the company's address was Chicago.

McCarty / J.C. McCarty & Co., New York, NY / "Lane's Unique" ratchet / patent 969379 Sep 6 1910 & 979862 Dec 27 1910 & RE13205 Feb 14 1911 Willey B. Lane / see also Will B. Lane, see also R.F. Sedgley /

Sedgley / R.F. Sedgley, Inc., 2311 North Sixteenth Street, Philadelphia, PA / "Hexall" / patent patent 1140167 May 18 1915 Henry M Kolb & Reginald F. Sedgley & 1224223 May 1 1917 & 1289558 Dec 31 1918 Reginald F. Sedgley / http://alloy-artifacts.org/rf-sedgley-incorporated.html / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/2022-garage-sale-thread.491610/page-79#post-9693099 / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/r-f-sedgley-hexall-hex-drive-socket-ratchet-k-s.378656/ / see also Kolb, Henry M. /

Private Lugnutz · Apr 15, 2024

Oldtuleguy said:
Were the companies actually affiliated? There are a lot of similarities to the lane ratchet.

Trade mag ads for Will B. Lane's first "Unique" set, the Kolb & Sedgley set, and Sedgley's "HEXALL" set all used the same address in Philadelphia. The building was a factory owned by Henry Kolb, a firearms maker. AA speculates that Sedgley and Lane both worked for Kolb. (Sedgley definitely did. As 4.c has pointed out, these drive tools were a sideshow compared to his later rifle manufacturing.) The scenario, of two machinists and the boss collaborating on automotive ratchet and socket wrench sets in their extra time, using Kolb's equipment, has a lot of charm and makes a lot of sense. But there are no letters of incorporation legally binding them, and, I have to re-emphasize, despite the resemblance, they are not identical (slightly different shape, different pawls and switches), and this is not really a matter of debate, because they were granted separate patents by the USPTO. That is to say, if you disagree, you're disagreeing with the USPTO, not me.

When Willey B. Lane moved to Chicago, he did establish his own company with the Bartholomay patent and his own improvement patents.

When Kolb died, Sedgley continued selling K&S sets, with its own version of the ratchet they all hatched in Kolb's shop, as well as HEXALL sets, with his own version of the ratchet. And it looks like he took over the entire business, including the guns.

As you know, I don't always agree with AA, and I think they have the sequence a little screwy, but their write-up is pretty good.

I also recommend going to DATAMP, plugging in the Bartholomay, Willey B. Lane and Sedgley ratchet patent numbers and bouncing back and forth with their hyperlinks. It will give you the gist of the similarities and also the differences right quick.

In summary, I would compare this situation not to Newton/King/Service Engineering, which were indeed all linked with corporate papers, but to something like Motor Specialty, Snap-on/Blue-Point, and MTF and FSP, or perhaps better yet, all the diemakers in Ohio with their skinny hex-throated angle wrenches.

four.cycle · Apr 15, 2024

^ thanks... I wasn't sure where to look but I recalled they were all in the same building at one point.

Private Lugnutz · Apr 15, 2024

Old Radar said:
Since Sedgley didn't stamp his sockets with sizes, I postulate this difference was to quickly visually or tactilely recognize one or both sockets that could be used as a coupling. You would need both if you wanted to use a screwdriver bit on the extension.

The Bethlehem Spark Plug Company "D" sets take the same approach. On the lid label, one of the 1/2" sockets are listed as a socket and the other is listed as a coupler, but they are indistinguishable. My HEXALL No. 2 set only came with one 1/2" socket so it has to do double duty as a socket and a coupler. My headscratcher is the two identical screwdriver bits.

Private Lugnutz · Apr 15, 2024

Since we've been talking about it, here is a later, Chicago era Lane (5/8-drive version, from my SUPER UNIQUE Style "G" set) and the just found HEXALL No. 2 Sedgley ratchet together. (I don't have an early Lane or an early K&S, which would be fun, seeing all of them together.) Again, yes, the resemblance is obvious, and the differences (pawl, switch, construction details) seem minute, but are we jaded? Don't the last set of ratchets "look alike" too?

four.cycle · Apr 16, 2024

^ I had no idea they were so much different in size!

And yes, a lot of ratchets "look the same", from a cursory view.

Private Lugnutz · Apr 16, 2024

four.cycle said:
^ I had no idea they were so much different in size!

Note that the Lane is 5/8-drive and the Sedgley is 1/2-drive, but yes, it's a little bulkier to begin with.

Oldtuleguy · Apr 16, 2024

Lane had an interesting terminology to describe their drive sizes.

Lesserstore · Apr 16, 2024

Not related to the tools, but I knew the name R.F. Sedgley sounded familiar.
From worldbayonets.com:

According to research by noted M1903 authority, Clark S. Campbell, published in the Society of American Bayonet Collectors (SABC) Journal, Volume 33, Fall 2000, 8,100 of these substitute rifles are believed to have been produced beginning in 1942 by R. F. Sedgley Inc., 2311 North 16th Street, Philadelphia, PA. These rifles were assembled using low-number M1903 receivers and parts scrapped by the Army, along with new barrels, stocks, and die-cast parts produced by Sedgley.

Sedgley is believed to have furnished 2,600 rifles to the Norwegian Contingent in Canada and 2,000 to the Dutch East Indies under commercial contracts. The remaining 3,500 rifles were furnished to the following organizations via the Ordnance Dept.:

1,500 Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
1,000 Minnesota State Guard
700 Virginia Military Institute (VMI)
300 Pennsylvania Military College

Rifles supplied via the Ordnance Dept. were withdrawn from service and scrapped following the War. Sedgley bayonets are scarce today, suggesting that most of the bayonets may also have been destroyed.

Private Lugnutz · Apr 17, 2024

Lesserstore said:
I knew the name R.F. Sedgley sounded familiar.

Yup. Same guy!

See post #3, and this from upthread...

Private Lugnutz said:
The building was a factory owned by Henry Kolb, a firearms maker.

Private Lugnutz said:
And it looks like he took over the entire business, including the guns.

...as well as these custom rifle-work references posted by 4.c in a Hexall discussion on the Perry-Fay thread.

They made revolvers as well.

Thanks for chiming in with the bayonets reference material. Very interesting.

Private Lugnutz · Apr 17, 2024

@Fred Knox posted a K&S ratchet on the Mega Ratchets thread a couple years ago here.

four.cycle · Apr 17, 2024

Sedgley

Oldtuleguy · Oct 16, 2024

Here's a fancy looking lane set

3baygarage · Oct 16, 2024

That's a neat set. It's been a while since seeing those.

MZC2 · Dec 27, 2024

I know this is an old thread, but its one of the only ones that mentions of the Will B Lane ratchet.
I picked up this set yesterday (it came in an old wooden Kraft cheese box).

The ratchet is easy, its a "Unique". I'm curious about the sockets. The 12-point sockets just have the size and "Made in USA", no maker. The 6-point sockets have nothing on them, not even the size. Does anybody know if Lane sockets were marked in any way?

Private Lugnutz · Dec 27, 2024

Only those five (5) 6-pointers are original. We have a 'Will B. Lane' thread. Here is a link to my Super Unique (5/8-inch drive) on that thread, with some close-ups of the sockets. Probably other sets on there will help you see what you have as well.

For future reference, the easiest way to find a thread, by topic, on the GJ vintage board, is to review the A-Z Index of Threads in the Sticky at the top of the board. It's a list of links to all major threads regardless of where they are between pages 2 and ***.

four.cycle · Dec 27, 2024

^ As far as I know, Lane's sockets were not marked at all. (see @Private Lugnutz 's set above in post #6 of this thread.)
I think what you have there - marked "MADE IN U.S.A." - are either Dunlap, Walden "Tomahawk", or G.M. Mfg. Co. sockets, all three of which are fairly indistinguishable from each other.

I can't speak to those in the lower row of your photo because I cannot see the sides of the sockets.

MZC2 · Dec 27, 2024

Private Lugnutz said:
Only those five (5) 6-pointers are original. We have a 'Will B. Lane' thread. Here is a link to my Super Unique (5/8-inch drive), with some close-ups of the sockets. Probably other sets on there will help you see what you have as well.

For future reference, the easiest way to see all a list of all the major threads (including those hidden on pages 2 through ***) on the GJ vintage board is to review the A-Z Index of Threads in the Sticky at the top of the Vintage Tool Discussion forum.

Thanks Lugnutz. I will check out the thread and the index!

Private Lugnutz · Dec 27, 2024

Yessir! Have fun.

MZC2 · Dec 27, 2024

four.cycle said:
^ As far as I know, Lane's sockets were not marked at all. (see @Private Lugnutz 's set above in post #6 of this thread.)
I think what you have there - marked "MADE IN U.S.A." - are either Dunlap, Walden "Tomahawk", or G.M. Mfg. Co. sockets, all three of which are fairly indistinguishable from each other.

I can't speak to those in the lower row of your photo because I cannot see the sides of the sockets.

None of the sockets in the lower row have any markings; not even sizes.

four.cycle · Dec 27, 2024

MZC2 said:
None of the sockets in the lower row have any markings; not even sizes.

exactly. nothing at all marked on them.

Steven 33 · Dec 18, 2025

Oldtuleguy said:
Here's a fancy looking lane set

I wonder how many different ones they made. Yours has less teeth then the one I bought recently

Oldtuleguy · Mar 3, 2026

More sedgley ,also posted on hex sockets thread

R.F. Sedgley "Hexall" Hex-Drive Socket & Ratchet (K&S)

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