Billings and Spencer Brace Drive Socket Set

[ssdave]

Very rarely do I run into something I can't find on the net, and usually can find it in Alloy Artifacts. Not this set; I have a set of sockets, old USS system (designated by bolt diameter, not across the flats) that are set up for driving with the tapered square drive of a brace, similar to old auger bits. Anybody know anything about them? Or collect them? Not my thing, but I couldn't pass them up, figured someone else would love to have them!

 

[LXCam]

Those are pretty cool. My grandpa had a wood drill speed handle that used that style drive i wonder if those were made for that.

 

[twertsy]

Very rarely do I run into something I can't find on the net, and usually can find it in Alloy Artifacts. Not this set; I have a set of sockets, old USS system (designated by bolt diameter, not across the flats) that are set up for driving with the tapered square drive of a brace, similar to old auger bits. Anybody know anything about them? Or collect them? Not my thing, but I couldn't pass them up, figured someone else would love to have them!

Wow. Those are VERY cool!

 

[tombell572]

A broad range of tools were once made to be chucked in a brace. Screwdrivers, reamers, twist drill bits, countersinks, gasket cutters come to mind in addition to those great sockets you found, and I'm sure much more. Probably most tools that needed to be rotated to do their job.

Tom B.

 

[DOlsen]

I am interested in these. Please let me know what you want for them.

Dan

 

[gungatim]

I bet those would have been used in a ratcheting brace. I had one once and always wondered what the ratchet was for unless it was for drilling in wall studs maybe...

anyway, cool find!

 

[jumbojak]

I have a few old Samson ratcheting braces along with a growing collection of Billings wrenches but no brace sockets to go along with them. Nice find! I like to hand people one of those old wrenches and watch their expression as they try to figure out why the wrench is so much larger then the stamped size.

 

[woody 73]

Very interesting find.

 

[ssdave]

The interesting thing to me is that they aren't more common. They obviously went to some effort to make up dies to forge them, you'd think a fair demand existed at the time.

I've owned auger bits, screwdriver bits, twist drill bits, and pipe reamers in tapered square shank before, just never seen the hex nut sockets. I have seen homemade or shopmade square nut sockets before, they didn't look manufactured like these.

 

[DOlsen]

These sockets were typically used with a brace, but Billings & Spencer also offered an accessory drive handle for them. It had two tapered square openings.

 

[ssdave]

Nice collection, there Dan! I'll keep an eye out for those drivers, I think I've seen them before and not known what they were.

 

[stewed baker]

The ratcheting brace was used when there wasn't room to get a full swing with the handle of the brace. Say when the hole was situated close to a wall or other obstruction.
There was also a bit brace that operated like a modern ratchet when space for a long drill bit was limited. [see #737]
I always called it an angled bit brace but Miller falls calls it a corner bit brace. [see #502]
http://oldtoolheaven.com/brace/brace5.htm