A mysterious vintage tool.

[woody 73]

Ok I admit when I am stumped I will throw in the towel because this tool would make for a great story but I can not find the patent, the company, or the inventor...So I turn to the GJ hive for answers and yes I think this will be another American company to be added to the wonderful list on the GJ.

So my first problem is what do I call this tool ?

A Pin vise?
A sliding pin vise?
A pin vise collet?
A pin holder?
A vise pin holder?
A syringe Holder?
A push in syringe type holder?
A screw holder?

I have no idea what it is used for until I can see the patent.

So it could be for a watchmaker?
Clockmaker?
Car tool?
Machine shop tool?

What I can tell you is several things:

First it reads C & R MFG. Co. St. Louis mo.
A little smaller then a pencil
One heavy duty mother of all springs
The collet runs the entire length of the tube.
Well made.
Very vintage (just from the writing alone).
Chrome plated.
Pat. pending.

That's it for clues.

Like I said I would love to do a story on it but I am in the dark on this one, thanks for any help in this puzzle.

Woody

 

[quattro_sinko]

Reverse threaded?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I would definitely call it a pocket or pin vise, Woody. I get where you're going with the other names because of the way it works on the back end, but its function appears to be the same as a more typical pocket or pin vise, and the business end is exactly like a pocket or pin vise.

Kind of nifty. Like a cross between a pin vise and a pickerupper or magic fingers tool for retrieving that small part you just drooped inside the carburetor!

 

[4xdog]

Not some funky holder for drafting leads, 'cause that would probably have a no-roll feature of some sort.

I wouldn't put that imprint as seriously vintage. I could see that being from the 1980s, even.

 

[txvwnut]

I’ll go with pin vise.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I agree, I think it is a pin vise.

 

[4xdog]

Industrial strength fly-tying vise?

 

[StinkinEngine]

What pokes out the end of the tool when pressed?

Looks like a mini metal fingered pickup tool.


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[davethorik]

What pokes out the end of the tool when pressed?

Looks like a mini metal fingered pickup tool.


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Yeah do the ends of the collet pop out and expand, Woody?

 

[quattro_sinko]

The hole in the tip, the reverse thread, and the marks on the shaft make me wonder if it was for twisting wires

 

[4xdog]

The hole in the tip, the reverse thread, and the marks on the shaft make me wonder if it was for twisting wires

That could help explain why the sides of the plunger button are knurled.

 

[woody 73]

First let me say if it were more modern in nature I would have found the company on the web by now, so that makes me feel in my gut (having seen enough vintage tools in my lifetime), that it is vintage but I could be wrong.

More pictures for you of it taken apart.

 

[ttpete]

The hole in the tip, the reverse thread, and the marks on the shaft make me wonder if it was for twisting wires

I think you've got it. Notice that the slots in the jaw are not symmetrical so it could be used with several sizes of safety wire. It's for wiring in restricted places.

 

[woody 73]

Ok if it is for wiring in restricted places what about the company I am not having any luck.

 

[quattro_sinko]

Ok if it is for wiring in restricted places what about the company I am not having any luck.

Thanks for the additional pictures. What I thought was the reverse thread was actually the spring.

I don't think its for restricted places, I think you put two wires in across the tip, hold the outer barrel, spin the knurl and the wires are beautifully twisted either clockwise, or counter clockwise, depending

 

[woody 73]

Spinning the knurl is like trying to take off a stuck lid on a jar your wife just handed to you, oh sure it can be done but the darn thing is tough as all get out to turn. One reason is that spring is the mother of all springs, like I told you in the very first post.

Whatever it clamps on to you can be sure it is not going to move on you!

 

[woody 73]

Sigh...not even close but I will keep trying...

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/c0/d0/b8/7e4b3f2412de08/US3186262.pdf

I guess you know the frustration of writing stories and then they vanish in a day sigh...

 

[matt stott]

It looks like a watch/clockmakers pin vise for holding hands while you broach the holes to size. It also looks like it is custom made for one size of hand, probably for a production line environment, or a repair dept of one company.

Search for K&D watch hand holding vise- looks very similar.

Matt

 

[notlob]

It looks like a watch/clockmakers pin vise for holding hands while you broach the holes to size. It also looks like it is custom made for one size of hand, probably for a production line environment, or a repair dept of one company.

Search for K&D watch hand holding vise- looks very similar.

Matt

Good job! If it's not for the same use, it's mighty close:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/K-amp-D-Specialty-Pocket-Watch-Watchmakers-Hand-Holding-Broaching-Pin-vise-Tool-/372477502820?item=372477502820&ViewItem=&nma=true&si=tCeGIGqDQyjjx0zXVjx2THPgxJs%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[StinkinEngine]

It looks like a watch/clockmakers pin vise for holding hands while you broach the holes to size. It also looks like it is custom made for one size of hand, probably for a production line environment, or a repair dept of one company.



Search for K&D watch hand holding vise- looks very similar.



Matt

Good info, thanks Matt. K&D Tools always seemed to think outside the box on their tools.

Top quality tools and underrated in my opinion.

My goto Snap-Ring pliers are the interchangeable model 445.
I’ve made a few sets of custom jaws to disassemble various ratchets.


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[StinkinEngine]

Another K&D fav, The 9” Long “Tight spot due to sausage fingers screw holder”






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[woody 73]

Notlob what is the patent number on that watch holding devise?

 

[woody 73]

I am losing sleep over this one getting a little closer but still in the dark...

https://patents.google.com/patent/U...tool&oq=patents+for+a+watch+crown+winder+tool

Watch Stem Setter and winder tool (close but no cigar).

 

[twertsy]

Looks like there was a G & R (are you sure it's not a G??) Mfg. Co. on Washington St. in St. Louis in the '20s, and the name changed to G & R Garment Mfg. Co. around 1936. They made silk underwear. Could it have held a needle??

Looks like they lasted into the '50s.

 

[Hchrist]

My guess is that it is a watch or clock spring holding, mounting or winding tool. That's the best I can do.

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[woody 73]

A big thank you I think you are right, how many nights I have lost sleep over my computer looking for that dang patent have just killed me...