Ever seen one of these?

[dryball_bob]

Good morning, All. I discovered your forum while trying to find information about a wrench that was given to me by a friend.

I got quite a bit off the web. It was made by the Adjustable Ratchet Wrench Company, Chicago, ILL. It has US Patent #1,101,381, granted 6/23/1914.

Here is the information from DATAMP - http://www.datamp.org/patents/advance.php?pn=1101381&id=42305&set=8

Has anyone got any more information about these tools, such as what years they were made, how many, what industry they were made for? Does anyone have a good idea what it is worth? I don't plan to sell it, but would like to know for the future. It was given to me by a friend as a thank you for doing some work for him and I did tell him that if it was worth a lot I'd return it.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. I'm not a tool collector, but I've been bitten by enough similar bugs to know what its like.

 

[Tarpley]

That's a cool wrench.

 

[porphyre]

Similar to patent 1,101,442.

Both at Alloy Artifacts, but no further info....

http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/selected-patents.html

 

[dryball_bob]

After doing some more digging, I found a closed auction on eBay for an almost identical wrench called the Mephisto. Couldn't get any more info on that.

 

[Lomotil]

That's got to be the coolest adjustable wrench I've ever seen.

 

[buening]

Prices seem to be all over the place on ebay, but below are ones similar to yours but not exactly the same

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OLD-ANTIQUE...318?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53ea4435be

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-old-Sp...547?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c21973b5b

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-USA-MA...682?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231639dad2

http://www.ebay.com/itm/UNUSUAL-USA...106?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a6c4b28aa

http://www.ebay.com/itm/UNUSUAL-OLD...524?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbdbc1c04

http://www.ebay.com/itm/COLLECTIBLE...701?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a6a74e45d

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Pat...345?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item519bad7da1

A cool other adjustable I found at a stellar price: http://www.ebay.com/itm/UNUSUAL-OLD...951?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbe141d07

 

[daveroy]

AN Index-able Adjustable wrench. OUTSTANDING!

 

[dryball_bob]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Pat...345?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item519bad7da1

This is the same as mine except under the Mephisto brand. I've never seen that brand before. Do you think it may have been licensed to them from the inventor?

 

[gordyzx9r]

So, found this old thread and figured I'd revive it...I just got these two ratcheting wrenches and need some help getting a part to fix one of them.

I bought them for the Mephisto, as that is what I collect. But of course, that’s the one that’s broken.

The Anderson works fine.

What is that “spring clip” I’m holding called?

That’s the piece that’s broken in the Mephisto wrench (it’s split in half at the head)…it goes between the two cams that allow the head to “ratchet”. It looks like what the Anderson has pne in it too, but I would rather not have to cannibalize it if I can find something similar.

 

[four.cycle]

^ You may want to also post your images in the Mephisto thread.

 

[rust in the eye]

Is this ratcheting or just indexable?

 

[gordyzx9r]

Is this ratcheting or just indexable?

A mixture...lol. I was trying to find a video to demonstrate the action. I'll see if I can take one and post it. But you flip that lever up to hold it in place if you're loosening or tightening a bolt, and you can ratchet it back to keep loosening/tightening.
I could not find a replacement spring clip. I tried to fab one from old feeler gauge spring steel I had but just couldn't keep them from breaking, even with heating them up at that bend and trying to get that eyehole at the top that keeps it place on top of the cams.
What I ended up using were these clamp clips by bending them around 180 degrees over itself while pivoting them over a large needle to get that eyehole shape. Then trim the little tabs off either side. It actually worked pretty well and functions the way it's supposed to now.

 

[gordyzx9r]

^ You may want to also post your images in the Mephisto thread.

Yeah, I need to get some good pics of all the Mephisto stuff I've accumulated.
I finally managed to get some of the red handled and yellow handled screwdrivers to go along with the really old black one I have that started this whole mess with collecting Mephisto stuff.

 

[gordyzx9r]

Is this ratcheting or just indexable?

 

[M.Jay]

Those actually look kinda handy. Bet they were expensive back in the day.