Draper Tools.

[woody 73]

Many thanks to my GJ Brothers in the UK; Dave 455 and richfinn for their help, Still waiting for Moose-LandTran.
Special thanks to my good friend over at the shop for picking this tool up for me, I did manage to clean up all the heavy rust and I did find a name, so this bud is for you today

From what I can tell you is that Draper tools is a Tool & Garage wholesaler, they got their start in England in 1919, the company was started by Bert Draper & his wife Emily.

Starting in the 1920's Tool Delivery begins.

In the 1940's their headquarters were in Kingston Upon Thames.

1961 they had their first catalog.

1963 Norman Draper becomes the Chairman, A new HQ. in Chandlers Ford Hampshire.

In 1990 John Draper becomes the new Chairman. (Please see the link for more detailed info) https://www.drapertools.com/about-us

The following tool is a bicycle wrench that is only 4 1/2" in length; it is simply marked Draper Made in Germany; not sure who the company was that made the wrench in Germany? Or even what year or decade it was made?

I so hope you will enjoy the pictures of this very small wrench, with the split shaft and the small screw that holds everything in place, on this nice windy cold fall day.

 

[four.cycle]

Thanks Woody!

Draper / pullers, wrench / est. 1919 / https://www.drapertools.com/about-us / https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Edmund_Draper_and_Co / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/draper-tools.505302/

would greatly appreciate your posting that unit in the "bicycle wrench" thread - that screw split all the way up the middle is not something I've seen before.

 

[four.cycle]

I have to wonder if perhaps Mr. Draper had that unit made in "west" Germany post war.

 

[woody 73]

I thought long and hard and I also thought post war time period.

 

[Dave455]

Many thanks to my GJ Brothers in the UK; Dave 455 and richfinn for their help, Still waiting for Moose-LandTran.
Special thanks to my good friend over at the shop for picking this tool up for me, I did manage to clean up all the heavy rust and I did find a name, so this bud is for you today

From what I can tell you is that Draper tools is a Tool & Garage wholesaler, they got their start in England in 1919, the company was started by Bert Draper & his wife Emily.

Starting in the 1920's Tool Delivery begins.

In the 1940's their headquarters were in Kingston Upon Thames.

1961 they had their first catalog.

1963 Norman Draper becomes the Chairman, A new HQ. in Chandlers Ford Hampshire.

In 1990 John Draper becomes the new Chairman. (Please see the link for more detailed info) https://www.drapertools.com/about-us

The following tool is a bicycle wrench that is only 4 1/2" in length; it is simply marked Draper Made in Germany; not sure who the company was that made the wrench in Germany? Or even what year or decade it was made?

I so hope you will enjoy the pictures of this very small wrench, with the split shaft and the small screw that holds everything in place, on this nice windy cold fall day.

That’s a “Steinadler” wrench.

Don’t know anything about them, but I have seen identical wrenches so marked, so I assume they were the makers.

The same wrench was imported to the U.K. by Carl Kammerling (C.K.) and I’ve seen those too.

It’s essentially a copy of a Joseph Lucas “Girder” pattern adjustable, which are relatively common in the U.K. Although Lucas are the most common maker, there are others.

Never heard of one being called a “bicycle wrench”, though they were probably used for that purpose. The Lucas versions were available in several sizes were supplied as standard equipment in many motorcycle and car tool kits, including Rolls Royce!

The only Steinadler versions I’ve seen have been the small ones.

 

[woody 73]

Very good now we have a company name that goes with motor bike wrench (not bicycle wrench my bad).
Good job Dave455, you get top billing in my book.

Weather here is turning cloudy, and my chickens are not happy campers today.

Woody

 

[four.cycle]

interesting.... were bicycles as big a deal in Great Britain between 1880 and 1900 as they were in the U.S. ??

 

[Dave455]

Here’s a Joseph Lucas example. No.2 Pozidriv for scale.

This is a 7 inch, but they made them up to about 9 inch if memory serves, and down to maybe 3 inch. I have quite a few around.

They’re relatively decent to use, as the jaws are quite rigid, but they are not as “clunky“ as the “King ****” pattern.

The German tool would have been a cheaper option, but the quality didn’t seem bad on the example I saw.

 

[four.cycle]

so... Dave... if it's not a "bicycle wrench" in the UK, is it just a "spanner" ??

 

[woody 73]

so... Dave... if it's not a "bicycle wrench" in the UK, is it just a "spanner" ??

The Unknown Wrench.

I feel silly having to do this post over again, but it seems a few people took offence and reported me, not sure if it was the name of the wrench, the funny link, or someone cracking a political joke? Sigh...:rolleyes::rolleyes: So, let's see if I can call this the "Unknown Wrench" and leave it...

www.garagejournal.com

We call it a bicycle wrench, they call it...a spanner, crescent shifter, fish belly, fish belly spanner, adjustable spanner, or pick a name from some other country.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I was of the understanding that "shifter" was more an Australian term than British.

 

[Dave455]

so... Dave... if it's not a "bicycle wrench" in the UK, is it just a "spanner" ??

It’s technically a “Girder Patten” Adjustable Spanner.

It’s not a “Crescent Shifter” since nobody this side of the pond calls a spanner a ”shifter”, and this pattern was not, as far as I’m aware, ever produced by Crescent.

It’s not a “fish belly” spanner either, since the term “fish belly” isn’t used here, and it’s got straight sides rather than a “fish belly” shape anyway!

Generally speaking, all these tools are “adjustable spanners” of some sort, sometimes with reference to the actual pattern.

Sometimes the American term “wrench” is used, generally if the pattern is an American one - e.g. ”Monkey Wrench”!

 

[Dave455]

interesting.... were bicycles as big a deal in Great Britain between 1880 and 1900 as they were in the U.S. ??

Yes, very much so. In fact probably even earlier than that.

The traditional “Penny Farthing” (technically a “High Bicycle”) dated back to the 1870’s. A lot must have been made since they are still relatively common, and still turn up unrestored.

Cycling became really popular in the mid 1880’s with the introduction of the “safety” bicycle, with two wheels the same size!

In Victorian Britain, you could get to most places by train and bicycle, so there was pretty good mobility for an era when the only other option was a horse and cart!

My Grandmother told me about going on “picnics” in her youth, when the whole family would cycle to the station, catch a train into the country, then go on a bicycle ride before stopping for a lunch they bought with them. This would have been in the Edwardian era, but was obviously a well established pastime.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Cycling during that 20-year period in the U.S. was huge. Big business.

I didn't know if was as big a deal in the UK as here.

Pretty sure "shifter" is almost exclusively an Australian term.

Interesting that so many different monikers are assigned to them, and that so many of them are incorrect!

 

[Dave455]

^ Cycling during that 20-year period in the U.S. was huge. Big business.

I didn't know if was as big a deal in the UK as here.

Pretty sure "shifter" is almost exclusively an Australian term.

Interesting that so many different monikers are assigned to them, and that so many of them are incorrect!

I briefly worked in Coventry, and was told that by 1890 there were 250 separate companies producing bicycles, or bicycle parts, in Coventry. Don’t know what the output was, but obviously considerable.

Many British car and motorcycle manufacturers started off as bicycle makers, but sometimes earlier than you think. The first “safety” bicycle in 1885 was called the “Rover”, and the company that produced it later took that name. We know them as Rover Cars.

The small distinctive logo’s of some British car companies came about because originally they were small badges designed to be riveted to the front of bicycle frames.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Okay... sounds like along the same lines as what happened here, then.
Here's a somewhat comprehensive list of American bicycle brands and manufacturers which at first glance appears to be endless.
One of the founders of one of the biggest bicycle manufacturers, Gormully & Jeffery, makers of the popular "Rambler" bicycle, went on to build the "Rambler" automobile.

Interesting point on the headset badges. Mr. Jeffery apparently chose to use a different type of badge for his Rambler automobile. (photos: ebay)

 

[pelletman]

interesting.... were bicycles as big a deal in Great Britain between 1880 and 1900 as they were in the U.S. ??

Bigger, bicycle development in the USA basically stopped after 1869 and didn't start again until Colonel Pope imported his first bikes in 1877. England was about 2 years ahead in development. Remember our population was much smaller then and England was the center of the bike industry (which was the auto industry of the day) and the universe

 

[pelletman]

I briefly worked in Coventry, and was told that by 1890 there were 250 separate companies producing bicycles, or bicycle parts, in Coventry. Don’t know what the output was, but obviously considerable.

Many British car and motorcycle manufacturers started off as bicycle makers, but sometimes earlier than you think. The first “safety” bicycle in 1885 was called the “Rover”, and the company that produced it later took that name. We know them as Rover Cars.

The small distinctive logo’s of some British car companies came about because originally they were small badges designed to be riveted to the front of bicycle frames.

Coventry Machinists Company where James Starley worked was one of, if not the, first manufacturers of bicycles in England. Rudge, Singer and a bunch of other manufacturers were there. Starley came up with the first safety bike, the Rover mentioned above. It is generally thought today the the first actual highwheel was developed in France by Meyer & Co (I think - going from memory here) but the French got busy fighting the Germans.....

 

[Ayrhead]

Bottom 2 Spanners are Draper. Both part# 8100 but the end size on the one is: 0BA & 3BA. The other one is: 3BA & 5BA. These were some of the wrenches that I got from a gentleman that was a mechanic and worked on a socks machine & a Knitting machine.

 

[Ayrhead]

Bottom 2 Spanners are Draper. Both part# 8100 but the end size on the one is: 0BA & 3BA. The other one is: 3BA & 5BA. These were some of the wrenches that I got from a gentleman that was a mechanic and worked on a socks machine & a Knitting machine.

After a quick search, I found this…apparently they were used for magneto spanners. Same part # for a series of magneto spanners.