Allen Universal Wrench Set No. 51

Private Lugnutz · Jul 17, 2019

The Allen "Universal" Wrench Set No. 51 has a uniquely functioning ratchet wrench...

...which gives the wrench and the entire set…

…its name.

Mr. F.R. Allen (this is not the same Allen as the eponymous hex keys or wrenches), who founded the company with two partners in 1913, was one of those 'better mousetrap' type of inventors. His first patented ratchet (1,000,878, granted in 1910), called the "Friction Ratchet", was gearless, alternately catching and releasing a drive wheel with a cam.

His second patent (1,261,092, granted in 1918) was the "Universal Ratchet Wrench“. This time around it had a gear. But Allen’s new twist on it, quite literally, was to have the gear head gimbaled. Appearing at first to be broken, it actually floats semi-freely inside the opening of the ratchet frame, capable of swiveling almost 45* in any direction. In order for each of the eleven (11) teeth to make contact with the pawl regardless of the orientation of the gear, the teeth are suitably whorled rather than straight.

Figures 1 and 2 in the patent diagram shows the construction, and Figure 4 - along with the two photographs I led with - shows the swiveling action.

MORE TO FOLLOW

Private Lugnutz · Jul 17, 2019

The sets featuring the "Universal" ratchet went into production in 1915, with extensions, a universal joint, plenty of pressed-steel sockets, plus a screwdriver bit, but they were all ancillary to the ratchet wrench itself, as this early Automtive Trade Journal ad illustrates.

Ads for a set No. 41 can be found in numerous trade journals of the day through at least 1922.

But I have not been able to find any ads for Set No. 51 yet, which is what I have.

This particular set was sold through Schuchardt & Schutte, a well-known dealer and importer/exporter with offices in NYC and abroad, initially headquartered in Germany.

MORE TO FOLLOW

Private Lugnutz · Jul 17, 2019

It's a very large set with twenty-one (21) sockets from 5/16" to 1" by 32nds, plus 1-1/32", 1-3/32", 1-5/32", and 1-9/32". The three square sockets are 13/32", 17/32", and 21/32". A large majority of the sockets are unbranded, with a few bearing the Mossberg < M >. No doubt contemporaneous replacements. The spark plug socket (29/32") is also a Mossberg replacement. The sizes markings are applied almost comically haphazardly.

The male drive tools in the set (the extensions and the universal joint) are 1/2-inch drive, the opening in the ratchet is 1/2-inch drive, and the sockets are driven from the inside. Unlike the more typical Mossberg and Walden connection system, which featured an 11/16-inch female drive opening in the ratchet for external drive (around the base of the pressed steel sockets) and 1/2-inch male internal drive tools.

The ratchet and extensions are nickel-plated. The sockets, universal joint, and screwdriver bit are rust-proofed with a black phosphate that was common in this era.

Private Lugnutz · Jul 17, 2019

Alloy Artifacts has an Allen Friction Wrench Set, based on the "Friction Ratchet", and points out that Billings & Spencer was the OEM for that ratchet. They also have an orphan Allen "Universal Ratchet" without a socket set, but they fail to point out that it, too, is made by Billings & Spencer, based on their Model CA ratchet frame, which has been modified for the gimbaled head.

Odes reported a ratchet on the ‘Ratchet Thread’ here on GJ back in 2018 here. Todd also has the ratchet wrench and a write-up on it on Tools Archive. When TA is back on-line, I look forward to adding this set.

ganymede · Jul 17, 2019

Ahh! So jealous here. Rhode Island tools are an area of extra interest to me.
I know Billings was probably the oem but so what.
That is cool !

Odes · Jul 18, 2019

The set is really cool nice find

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Private Lugnutz · Jul 18, 2019

ganymede said:
Rhode Island tools are an area of extra interest to me. I know Billings was probably the oem but so what.

'So what' is right. Allen was a Rhode Islander through and through and he owned the patent. Also, I'm not sure if Billings made anything but the ratchet. (And they forged things for lots of mfgrs, including forges themselves!) So, definitely Rhode Island pedigree.

Odes said:
The set is really cool nice find

Thanks, Odes. I'm glad you checked in. Seeing your ratchet was an inspiration.

Private Lugnutz · Jan 16, 2020

As first reported in the 2020 Garage Sale thread, I found an orphan Allen "Friction Wrench" ratchet today.

As I mentioned in post #1, the "Friction Wrench" ratchet was Fred Allen's first patent (1,000,878), granted in 1911, preceding the "Universal Wrench" ratchet patent (1,261,092), granted in 1918, that turns the sockets in the No. 51 set (the subject of this thread) with a gimbaled gear action.

The "Friction" ratchet is gearless. The cam-shaped end of the handle, with that pin as a stopper, simply engages the exterior surface of the drive wheel. It was included in earlier No. 21 sets.

Like the Allen "Universal" ratchet, these were made by Billings & Spencer, and in return for the favor, perhaps, they can be found in early B&S sets as well.

Private Lugnutz · Jan 16, 2020

This one is gummed up around the drive wheel inside the head, which is now soaking. When it frees up, I will take more photos of the ratchet in various positions to show the action. I am speculating that the "17" on the handle is a date. These were succeeded by the "Universal Ratchet" wrench on 1918.

four.cycle · Jan 17, 2020

WOW!

I completely missed this one during my hiatus.

That model 51 set definitely gets the "WOW!" award, and I'm saying that after I had to go change my shirt after drooling all over myself looking at Old Radar's most recent Indestro acquisition.

Great job on the research. :thumbup:

This is the kind of stuff that makes me keep coming back here.

Private Lugnutz · Jan 19, 2020

Thanks, 4.c!

Now that the drive wheel is freed up and I can play with it, I like this "Friction Wrench" ratchet even more than before. The patent language is painfully arcane and neither the AA or DATAMP description do anything to improve upon that.

This is essentially a non-reversible freewheeler. See that groove in the drive wheel (Pic 1)? That is where the cam-shaped end of the handle rides. When a socket in the drive opening engages a fastener, the drive wheel is pressed against that and will not turn in the same direction, but it will free wheel in reverse in order to gain another bite, again and again, providing the ratcheting action gearlessly. If you want to go the other way, you flip the ratchet around as with any non-reversible.

It would've been used to turn pressed steel sockets, as shown in the No. 51 set (See Pic 2), before being replaced with Allen's gimbaled gear "Universal Wrench" ratchet (See them both together in Pic 3). Interestingly, I found it in a 50's Snap-on top box (See Pic 4), with a Billings push-through drive plug (See Pics 5, 6 & 7). So somebody else really liked the freewheeling action as much as me and was using it with modern sockets.

Private Lugnutz · Jan 19, 2020

Just as a quick addendum: it's interesting that the title for the 1933 patent (1,936,640, Pfauser) that Blackhawk used for its famous and popular gearless "Freewheeling" branded ratchets included the term "Friction Clutch."

woody 73 · Jan 19, 2020

I am only guessing but I would think back in 1915 at $8.00 per set that was maybe a whole weeks pay ??? Very nice set did you pick it up on Ebay?

Would you happen to know anymore about Mr. F.R. Allen ?

Farmer J. · Jan 19, 2020

That's a nice set Lugz, and both are interesting ratchets. Thanks for posting, and the Patent research and advert puts in in context too.

Private Lugnutz · Jan 20, 2020

woody 73 said:
Would you happen to know anymore about Mr. F.R. Allen ?

If you mean biographical details (place of birth, wife's name, etc), no. As you know by now, I tend to concentrate my research on tool-relevant details (patents, company info, etc)

Thanks, J.!

Cruzan80 · Sep 21, 2020

Edit: Just saw the request for more pics in the Garage Sale thread. Just let me know what you want to see more of.

Just picked up this Allen Universal set off Craigslist for $10. All of the sockets are marked Mossberg, and the box looks original. From AA's comments, I read it as they were first working with Billings & Spencer, but stopped the relationship during the Universal Wrench time. Best guess is that it is a 41 set, missing a few sockets. I find it hard to believe someone with an original box, drive plugs and ratchet got a full set of another manufacturers sockets to put in them, as opposed to Allen sourcing them from Mossberg.

The top lid of the box has nothing on it. Probable a PO put polyurethane on the box, as it is definitely sealed with something. Maybe that is when the name/decal was lost? I know I am missing the double male extension, and spark plug socket. AA lists all their Mossberg spark plugs as 29/32, so that is what I will aim for.

What is in the box is as follows:
Allen Universal Wrench (Pat. Pend. so between 1914-1918)
1/2 drive plug
1/2drive plug screwdriver bit
Universal Joint
3/8, 13/32, 15/32 (square), 15/32, 19/32, 5/8, 21/32, 23/32, 25/32, 13/16, 27/32, 7/8, 31/32, 1 3/32, 1 5/32, 1 9/32

So I know I am short 3 sockets (besides the spark plug). One is the 5/16 mentioned in the ad, but any ideas on the other two? I have a Mossberg 1 in the spares drawer, but not sure if it would be in there. Seems like the 15/32->19/32 would need at least one in there to fill the gap, if not both 15 and 17.

The thing that really boggles my mind is how revolutionary this ratchet seems for its time. Anyone know when the first flex head ratchets came about? My WAG is about 1950, or so. Before that it was only breaker bars. This thing has an incredible range of motion, especially for its timeframe. So what if it is only 12tooth? It has about a 10-15deg range of motion in all directions! The picture is shot from the end of the handle, and I tried to get the head "flat" left/right to show the range.

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Cruzan80 · Sep 21, 2020

Couple pics of the ratchet and its home in the tray. I do like how you can still see the forstner bits they used!

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Private Lugnutz · Sep 21, 2020

Cruzan80 said:
I find it hard to believe someone with an original box, drive plugs and ratchet got a full set of another manufacturers sockets to put in them, as opposed to Allen sourcing them from Mossberg.

I support this theory. I have several other socket sets that use the Mossberg system (1/2-inch internal drive / 11/16-inch external drive) and they all have a large majority of Mossberg sockets. I think outfits like Triumph, Bay State, Allen and others knew they would make their hay on a new ratchet, a new handle, etc, and then filled out the set with Mossberg sockets.

Cruzan said:
I know I am missing the double male extension, and spark plug socket. AA lists all their Mossberg spark plugs as 29/32, so that is what I will aim for...[ ]...So I know I am short 3 sockets (besides the spark plug). One is the 5/16 mentioned in the ad, but any ideas on the other two?

The spark plug socket is 29/32". See Post #3. That might help for other sockets.

Cruzan said:
The thing that really boggles my mind is how revolutionary this ratchet seems for its time. Anyone know when the first flex head ratchets came about? My WAG is about 1950, or so. Before that it was only breaker bars. This thing has an incredible range of motion, especially for its timeframe. So what if it is only 12tooth? It has about a 10-15deg range of motion in all directions! The picture is shot from the end of the handle, and I tried to get the head "flat" left/right to show the range.

I tried to show the same thing in post #1, but including the drive stud as you have helps illustrate the range even better. The patent diagram (also shown in post #1) shows the range of motion the opposite way: with the handle in two extreme positions.

As for the ingenuity, did you see posts #8, 9, and 11? The gimballed head was Allen's second idea and patent! His first idea and patent was essentially almost 40+ years ahead of Blackhawk's gearless freewheeling ratchet. Allen called it a "Friction" ratchet, which doesn't do it justice. The man was a mechanical savant.

Cruzan80 · Sep 21, 2020

Thanks, missed where you had listed the sockets. So it looks like I need the 5/16, 1 1/32, 1 7/32 and not sure of the 7/16 and 1/2. Does yours have the two last ones in it? If so, not sure which would have made the cut for a reduced set. Ad also shows them going the reverse of the pic, which may help on fitting them in (along with the single square at the end) as well as determine which ones are missing.

I did see the earlier gearless one. I knew someone else had made one, but wasnt sure of the timing. Agree this person was a genius! More than a flex-head, it seems like this was the original roto-ratchet!

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Private Lugnutz · Sep 21, 2020

Cruzan80 said:
...not sure of the 7/16 and 1/2. Does yours have the two last ones in it?

Yes. Literally, "13/32", "7/16" (14/32), "15/32", "1/2" (16/32), and "17/32".

RTM · Nov 15, 2021

While flipping around looking for something else Allen, I found this thread, and then this catalog page, and they don’t appear to have met. Problem solved.

Allen-Universal Socket Wrench Sets : 1920 : Allen Wrench & Tool Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

1 p., illus., 25.7 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

four.cycle · Nov 15, 2021

There will be a lot more material available at ITCL in the very near future.

all I have on Allen:

Allen / Allen Wrench & Tool, Providence, RI / patent 1000878 Aug 15 1911 & 1261092 Apr 2 1918 Fred R. Allen / "Eureka" / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers.html#allen-wrench / http://www.toolarchives.com/index.php/allenwrench / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/allen-universal-wrench-set-no-51.426349/ /

1914 Allen Friction Wrench ad (patent 1,000,878).jpg

1914 Allen Wrench & Tool Co., Providence RI (patent 1000878) advertisement

1920 Baker Hamilton & Pacific Co. catalog Allen Bay State Sedgley K & S Hexall Williams ad pp ...jpg

1920 Baker Hamilton & Pacific Co. catalog Allen Bay State K&S Sedgley Hexall Stickit Williams advertisement pp 4149

1923 Baker Hamilton & Pacific Co. Allen Sedgley K&S ratchet (patent 1140167) ad pp 196.jpg

1923 Baker Hamilton & Pacific Co. catalog Allen Sedgley K&S ratchet advertisement pp 196

Private Lugnutz · Nov 16, 2021

One of my Top 3 early wood box era sets and inventors. Can you imagine inventing the first Freewheeler and the first Roto-Ratchet in a span of five years? That's what F.R. Allen did. And he did it at a time when Blackhawk and Snap-on weren't even making hot-forged cold-broached sockets yet.

Not to diminish the individual achievement, but it was representative of the scale and scope of innovation writ large in that era, long before everything became so homogenized.

Most people are familiar with President Eisenhower's grave and now famously prescient caution about the "military-industrial complex" from his 1961 farewell address. But that same farewell address also bemoaned the death and dearth of "the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop" being overshadowed by R&D task forces and a "scientific-technological elite." He was primarily talking about government and the caution was in the captive effects it might have on free ideas and open discovery in the major muscle groups (power, agriculture, medicine, defense, etc), but his point does carry over into the commercial and tools worlds.

The modern era has some examples, but they're few and far between. The story of the 18-year-old Sears store clerk Peter Roberts inventing the quick release ratchet mechanism comes to mind. Instead of acknowledging it and giving the young man an office and a shop and a salary and a budget to see what else he can come up with, they buy him out of his patent on the cheap unscrupulously.

four.cycle · Nov 16, 2021

True, but on the flip side, you have a Gerhard Assenmacher or a John Badiali who both, notwithstanding a marketplace domineered by multi-national corporate giants, successfully beat the odds, invented new and ingenious widgets, and ran successful businesses.

four.cycle · Nov 16, 2021

I ran out of edits!
Let me add to that:
I'm not so sure about the "few and far between" part there. I would agree with you that's true in the context of hand tools.
During the last two decades of the 19th century and the first two decades of the 20th century you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting the inventor of some new wrench.
It's not wrenches in the current era - it's high-tech stuff. Gizmos that turn all the lights on in your house with voice command (that neither my girlfriend or I could figure out how to operate.)
I think the old "Yankee ingenuity" thing is alive and well - they're just inventing a different kind of widget these days.

Private Lugnutz · Nov 16, 2021

Concur in many if not most sectors.

Leviton · Feb 16, 2023

four.cycle said:
There will be a lot more material available at ITCL in the very near future.

all I have on Allen:

Allen / Allen Wrench & Tool, Providence, RI / patent 1000878 Aug 15 1911 & 1261092 Apr 2 1918 Fred R. Allen / "Eureka" / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers.html#allen-wrench / http://www.toolarchives.com/index.php/allenwrench / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/allen-universal-wrench-set-no-51.426349/ /

Any idea why "Eureka" is included with the Allen listing? I have something I am trying to track down related to Eureka and I'm trying to figure out what the connection is that is suggested here?

four.cycle · Feb 17, 2023

you got me.
there was a reason, but I cannot figure out why at the moment.
probably something from an old trade journal....
only "Eureka" I can find in my files right now is a spiral screwdriver made by the Decatur Coffin Company, but under "Eureka" there's an entry that says "see Allen" so..... obviously there was some reason I put that there.... I just don't know what it was at the moment. :dunno:

Allen Universal Wrench Set No. 51

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