c.1911 Malleable Iron Coupling Wrenches, Chain Belt Co., Milwaukee

I picked these up at my flea market this morning. See Pics 1 and 2.

I searched in vain through the old rotten wooden box for more, hoping for at least a third wrench (because one is just one, two is a pair, but three is a “partial set” and everything looks better in threes), but no dice.

With a little research, I discovered that they actually came in four different sizes. (I am missing the 7/16” and 9/16” wrenches.) See Pic 3 for a 1911 catalog excerpt.

These were in-house wrenches, made by the Chain Belt Company, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for use on the machinery they made for factories (everything from coal to grain to bottling), all based on chain belt technology (i.e., all types of conveyors, all types of elevators, etc). The only other tool listed in the back of the catalog – which in addition to all the chain belt related machinery itself, includes replacement parts (sprocket wheels to nuts and bolts and everything in between) - was a wire and rod cutter.

Any Pabst Blue Ribbon fans here? 

See Pics 4, 5, 6, and 7 for more catalog excerpts. And if you’re really interested in a walk through time in Milwaukee, circa 1911 (all of the examples of their conveyors and elevators are images of local Milwaukee businesses), or you're just into fin de siècle industrial art (all the figures are primitive photography or artist's renderings) here is a link to the catalog itself on-line.

I'm not holding my breath for completing this set - but if anybody runs into the 7/16" and 9/16" wrenches, please pick them up or give me a shout. Thanks!

Company is still in business, known as RexCon today. Link here.

Pretty cool wrenches you have there. I’ve had a lot of success using a vinegar bath for 12-24 hours followed by a wire wheel. Also I saw a cool YouTube trick where you can heat the metal with a torch and then submerge in motor oil which creates that old school “black” coloring.

JimFZR said:

I’ve had a lot of success using a vinegar bath for 12-24 hours followed by a wire wheel.

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?? There's not a spot of rust on these wrenches, Jim. The dark parts you see is the remains of original finish. Judging by the catalog figure and the wrenches, it looks to be black enamel, black japan, or the same kind of black rustproofing that one finds on similar tools from this era (Mossberg, Braunsdorf-Mueller, etc). As for a wire wheel, to each his own, but I never touch my collectible tools with a wire wheel. Evaporust, WD40, and 0000 steel wool.

Private Lugnutz said:

?? There's not a spot of rust on these wrenches, Jim. The dark parts you see is the remains of original finish. Judging by the catalog figure and the wrenches, it looks to be black enamel, black japan, or the same kind of black rustproofing that one finds on similar tools from this era (Mossberg, Braunsdorf-Mueller, etc). As for a wire wheel, to each his own, but I never touch my collectible tools with a wire wheel. Evaporust, WD40, and 0000 steel wool.

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This. A lot. A very lot.

Pretty classy old wrenches and to think at one time you could have bought a box of 100 for $7 - $10! If only old grampa would have known.