Bell system

[MisterEd]

Bridgeport Bell System KS-6854 3 1/2 Inch Screwdriver

There are lots of Internet Rabbit Holes, but few more vast than Bell System Practices. Found multiple entries for KS-6854, but none for “the 35 tool”.

Bell System Practices AT&T Standard, Section 074-256-117, Issue 1, January 1976
Tools; SCREWDRIVERS, STANDARD- DESCRIPTION
"KS-6854, Replaces the 35 tool. Forms a component part of the 221 tool used in the maintenance of central office apparatus."

 

[choonks13]

I picked up an antique cable puller today at the flea market. While this is not a "Bell System" tool, per se, in terms of markings, Western Electric was a division of Bell and operated as its equipment supplier. The marking is worn. I've included a naked close-up and a chalked close-up, but you really need a magnifying glass to read it. It's marked BUFFALO GRIP NO. 1, in a circle, and FROM / WESTERN ELECTRIC CO. / NEW YORK CHICAGO / PAT'D APR. 25, 1893 / CANADA 1898.

All of the examples I have seen on-line of this tool are newer, with the same model number (No. 1) or an even newer "No. 2", all a Nov. 29, 1910 US patent date, and a Canada 1911 patent date.

I'm stumped on the patent number itself. I can't find it anywhere on-line (DATAMP, Justia, Google Patents, etc) using the date. That is a valid patent date, but I haven't located the actual patent yet.

EDIT: Also, does anyone know anything about the "X"? What does it signify? (It almost looks like the crossed cannons of the Ordnance Dept.)

I just got one of these at an estate sale, except mine has pulleys on it. Anyway the patent number for the Nov. 29, 1910 one is 977,236 US977236 on Google Patents search

 

[GarageHobbyist]

Ended up with these at an estate sale I went to on lunch. There is more there, but I didn’t have much time.

I’m going to go back tomorrow, it’s 50% off day. That may be good or bad because the lady I paid was well under what stuff was marked already. We shall see.

 

[ctuai]

Didn't realize there was a Bell System's thread. Here's my axe.

 

[JMP]

I just learned that there is a following for these tools here. I picked up a hoard of tools from an estate sale including at least a couple dozen Bell Systems pliers, screwdrivers, hacksaw and other misc. The man who passed away used to be a technician and had lots of old phones, electronics, test equipment, etc. Here is some of what I picked up.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Didn't realize there was a Bell System's thread. Here's my axe.

Nice!

Here's an interesting (and also now un-confidentially funny) sidenote on Bell System axes...

As we have noted here many times in the past, Ma Bell has been aptly compared to the Army in many ways. From size to organization to uniforms to training to technical manuals, it can and has been said that they did it all with military-like structure and discipline. With good reason. It was modeled after the Signal Corps, and vice versa, and traces part of its roots to quasi-governmental operations in the West. That includes tools, including the debris clearing axe. That is a Dayton pattern No. 4 (4 lbs), which is the same axe that the US Army QMC, Ordnance Dept and Signal Corps specified and issued for their Pioneer Kits, which also included the D-handled shovel, put as a pair on 4 x 4 trucks.

When I outfitted my 1943 Willys MB, the axe in my pioneer kit, which can be seen mounted on the side in the pic below, was a "BELL SYSTEM" axe. It's a perfect specimen and the marking is facing the body. Unless it's removed from the holder, nobody would ever know!

 

[JMP]

Not sure if these count but I see some of the other tools here stamped with a part number starting with 'KS'. I've found a some specialty tools likely Bell or telecomm related but not stamped as 'Bell Systems'.

 

[Straightgrain]

I picked this up at an estate sale of a man who worked for AT&T, it doesn't appear to have ever been used.

His garage looked like a supply store for AT&T. I'm not sure how he was able to take the equipment and supplies home, as many were still in their original packages.

 

[RTM]

Not sure if these count but I see some of the other tools here stamped with a part number starting with 'KS'. I've found a some specialty tools likely Bell or telecomm related but not stamped as 'Bell Systems'.

Check up thread at #504, there is a link to an archive of Bell Systems documents.

 

[JMP]

Check up thread at #504, there is a link to an archive of Bell Systems documents.

Thanks, I was able to find most of these tools as well as some others in these documents.

 

[JMP]

I picked this up at an estate sale of a man who worked for AT&T, it doesn't appear to have ever been used.

His garage looked like a supply store for AT&T. I'm not sure how he was able to take the equipment and supplies home, as many were still in their original packages.

I talked to the family of the estate where I purchased a bunch of Bell tools and they told me that Bell very wasteful, although perhaps no worse than many large monolithic corporations. When they would decommission obsolete equipment there would be lots of valuable equipment or material like toolkits getting tossed in the bin, which is likely why I now have dozens of pliers and screwdrivers.

 

[username2]

I talked to the family of the estate where I purchased a bunch of Bell tools and they told me that Bell very wasteful, although perhaps no worse than many large monolithic corporations.

I go back and forth on that one. You can certainly argue that the percent of waste maybe isn't ridiculous, it's just the scale that's so large. The average family sure buys a lot of stuff they don't need.

It's amazing how big that company was. In a former life, I dealt with a subsection of their technical documentation (along with IBM's) in order to design things at my own nation-state sized company. Man, they churned out a lot of stuff.

Those Bell tools are cool though. I wonder what other big players spec'ed and used their own branded hand tools.

(geez louise...that sent me down the rabbit hole of IBM Selectric pliers)

 

[Outlawmws]

My Oldest daughter is "into" pay phones, so when this popped up at a TOO yardsale today for a buck I grabbed it!

 

[NYBODYMAN]

WOW @Outlawmws you definitely **** for that sign. I've been wanting to find one for my dad for a while now and they command pretty good money on Ebay. Getting that for $1 is unreal. Congrats.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

My old man came to visit yesterday and brought me a bag of Bell system goodies that he found laying around. He told me is a lot more he just needs to find. I'll never use most of this but I just love having the tools that my that my dad used to support our family and can't wait to pass them down to my son.
File card, flashlight, tone set, crescent pliers/cutters, Bridgeport, NY Tel. Co. flathead screwdriver, circuit tester (yellow tool), and a remover of some sort (chrome tool). I forgot what he said it did. The NYNEX and Telco Systems keychains were bonuses .

 

[Private Lugnutz]

File card,

I love the black plastic cases they were kept in! There were a couple file cards in that black toolkit I found a few years ago, both tucked inside their protective cases.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

I love the black plastic cases they were kept in! There were a couple file cards in that black toolkit I found a few years ago, both tucked inside their protective cases.

I think I have at least 5 file cards now. Most are brand new.

 

[B Halverson]

Here are some linesman's tools I have accumulated, some marked Bell such as the canvas tool bucket, the North Bros. brace, the Yankee screwdriver, some not but are tools that are related to the trade. If it is cheap, old and interesting then I will pick it up and enjoy learning about it. I think the winch is for drawing telegraph lines taught, it is pretty old, I think the patent date on it is 1880s about. An old timer a few blocks from me has some of the spikes for climbing poles and a set of the metal numbers used to mark poles with, or he did unless he got rid of them, I will have to check.

 

[JMP]

I just came across a great resource and thought I would share it: https://telephonecollectors.info/

The document of interest: Tools and Gauges

Searching from the main site doesn't necessarily do thorough search all of their documents. I did get a hit from one part number which led me to this document from 1954 with a treasure trove of great tool information.

I was able identify many of my Bell System tools and discover a few others I that did not know were Bell related. I'll need to look through my tools again as I likely have more Bell related tools. From what I can gather the "KS" prefix on many of these tools refers to the "KS" specification, whatever that means. Also tools stamped with the "WE" hallmark or stamped something like W.E Co. were manufactured or supplied by Western Electric for Bell System.

Here are a few that I have identified in my collection:










I have a bunch of random wrenches and it now seems that many are Bell related.

 

[MisterEd]

I just came across a great resource and thought I would share it: https://telephonecollectors.info/

Be careful! That trail leads to a Rabbit Hole with a very, very deep bottom.

 

[MisterEd]

And this one; https://www.telecomarchive.com/

 

[JMP]

Speaking of rabbit holes...

I finally figured out what this monstrosity is. It seems I have the contents of the 1014B Bell System tool kit. Everything pictured was fortunately stashed in a plastic Zip-lock bag, otherwise I doubt I would have been able to put this jigsaw puzzle back together.




I found a couple examples online:

 

[southalabama]

As a kid dad brought home notebook manuals from the Long Line Division of AT&T. Little did I know the material should have been saved. I trashed it for the notebooks. AT&T had a manual for everything.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I just came across a great resource and thought I would share it: https://telephonecollectors.info/

The document of interest: Tools and Gauges

Thanks! That will be very handy! 1954 is just a little past my sweet spot, but still extremely relevant, especially in a likely backwards compatible way.

FYSA, if you didn't already know, @RTM posted links to a similar, even larger and chronologically wider reference base called The Telecom Archives post #504 on page 13, linked here. Tools are spread all over the place in multiple types of manuals, and there are links within links (best approach is familiarize yourself with the directory and all the links before diving in...), but most of the tools are in Best Standard Practices (BSP's) and pre-1960 BSPs.

We should probably ask @Shelbylex to take your Telephone Collectors site links and RTM's Telecom Archives site links and consolidate them in post #1 under a nice big eye-catching REFERENCES heading. Not that many newbies follow protocol and read (or even skim) a thread from the beginning, but it will be much easier for all of us to access the links from there. RTM's links are already buried several pages back and yours will be, too, by this time next year.

 

[JMP]

Thanks! That will be very handy! 1954 is just a little past my sweet spot, but still extremely relevant, especially in a likely backwards compatible way.

FYSA, if you didn't already know, @RTM posted links to a similar, even larger and chronologically wider reference base called The Telecom Archives post #504 on page 13, linked here. Tools are spread all over the place in multiple types of manuals, and there are links within links (best approach is familiarize yourself with the directory and all the links before diving in...), but most of the tools are in Best Standard Practices (BSP's) and pre-1960 BSPs.

We should probably ask @Shelbylex to take your Telephone Collectors site links and RTM's Telecom Archives site links and consolidate them in post #1 under a nice big eye-catching REFERENCES heading. Not that many newbies follow protocol and read (or even skim) a thread from the beginning, but it will be much easier for all of us to access the links from there. RTM's links are already buried several pages back and yours will be, too, by this time next year.

Those are great suggestions. I knew about that post and am still getting familiar with things. I had searched the RTM Telecom Archives but just wasn't finding much of what I was searching for. Actually much of what I have found I got lucky and stumbled upon. On the Telephone Collectors site there is also a document on tools from the 1930's if that is more your speed: Tools and Gauges

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Oh, I will be dipping into it as time permits. I really appreciate you sharing your stumble. And I won't be the only one. The number of participants citing the Telecom Archives references picked up noticeably in the last couple years and I am sure the same will be true of the Telephone Collectors documents. Historical docs enrich the whole hobby.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Well not really totally Bell related, but definitely telephony material. I’ve had these tucked away for probably around 40 years. Still more tucked away but may look at trading some for other phone related articles.
This one I actually bought at an online auction. An Interphone made by Western Electric for Graybar.

This one is a Northern Electric which became Northern Telecom and then Nortel Networks and then did a disappearing act. Automatic Electric
Siemens - England
584 DX Ringer, I would imagine Northern Electric forgot to check.
I have a few more wall phones but a wack of desk phones that will need some shelves to display.

 

[JMP]

I thought this was just another regular old Snap-On wrench so I tossed it in my random wrench drawer but it turns out is another Bell related tool. I also have a pile of 31/32" open end wrenches from this group that I have yet to clean up and suspect are telecom related.





A couple more standouts from this group of tools. A special extra long 34" speeder wrench and an excellent pair of high quality safety wire pliers that looks almost new. I can't find any manufacturer marks on these safety wire pliers unfortunately.




"r3070" - various R- prefixed tools in the 1954 catalog but this number is not listed.


Many of these tools were personalized by the previous owner with "Ron 33". No idea what the number 33 meant.

 

[Provincial]

The safety wire pliers look like they were made by Milbar.

 

[d42jeep]

Found a pair of Utica dykes at today’s tool sale.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Here are a pair of Klein lineman’s pliers I found at an estate sale on Saturday. I found it interesting that one handle has a 1948 date and the other a 1950 date.
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

I found it interesting that one handle has a 1948 date and the other a 1950 date.

Now that is just weird! Factory must have bene using up some old parts. Coleman did this routinely for lanterns and stoves at least...

 

[d42jeep]

I have Danielson water pump pliers with different dates on each handle as well but not usually a two year gap.
-Don

 

[MisterEd]

Bell System, Simonds Files (47-116) purchased at different times and places.

 

[JMP]

Some new Bell finds





The other side of this staple gun is fully covered in corrosion but I'd assume a soft wire wheel would have this sorted out.

 

[Outlawmws]

A bell System mother lode!

 

[Outlawmws]

On the Heller stapler - this post made me pull my Heller (long gone for staplers) Bell System Stapler, and do some searching and Mine is supposed to get "TM" round wire U-shaped staples 3/16 wide and 3/8 long - Found a thread in a different forum that was searching for the same.

It turns out a T18 U shape DOES fit, and I had some; tested them and it works! not round wire staples though - these are flat, but I have a stick of them in it now for if and when

Comments in that thread were that current "station wire" is too big for these, you often catch the wire. but older wire, or other things should work fine.

 

[JMP]

More Bell finds.

 

[LNKMK8]

I bought a Kennedy tool box at a sale last month and found this "Wrench Kit" in the bottom. Given the number of Bell Systems screwdrivers there, I assume the owner had worked for SWBT.

 

[Cooter Brown]

I bought a Kennedy tool box at a sale last month and found this "Wrench Kit" in the bottom. Given the number of Bell Systems screwdrivers there, I assume the owner had worked for SWBT.

That's the first Japanese made "D Wrench Kit" I've seen.

Here are a couple of Bell/ATT docs describing the kit and its purpose: