Fine Tooth Ratchet history

[twostall]

Who first came up with the concept of finer teeth for product differentiation and when did that happen?

Were any of the "good" tool companies noted for being especially slow in adding fine tooth ratchets to their product line?

 

[byoungblood]

Most of the early fine tooth ratchets were all round head. Williams had a dual pawl, 82 effective tooth ratchet back in the 50s, and Wright soon followed in the 60s. Craftsman/Moore Drop Forge had their own design (the RHFT ratchet referred here numerous times) starting in the early 70s.

Most of the pear heads seem to have only come around in the past 10 years or so. I'm guessing that the casting/forging/machining processes needed to inexpensively produce the fine tooth pawls and gears only became available in that time frame.

 

[wawaw]

S&K was the firat I remember in the early sixtys. I was an A&P mechanic at a major airline & everybody bought a S&K 3/8 ratchet.

 

[2oolhound]

Not sure if the onus was for product differentiation or just plain necessity. A shorter arc swing was becoming a necessity when engine compartments started filling up with more automation and pollution control. The advantages of compact design became more apparent in all phases of mechanical engineering and design. Then there's just plain old progress "if you build it better they'll buy it" which is the one upmanship you're referring to. What ever the reason, I love my dual 80!

 

[vssjim]

The SK ratchet was patented in the thirties and has had different shaped handles but the head stayed the same other than black finish vs all chrome parts. Alloy Artifacts has the year but it was first by many years.

 

[2oolhound]

Sweet, I just looked it up. 50 tooth gear with a cam-ed pawl with 3 teeth each side cira 1934.

 

[Pumpman1968]

Love those old S-K ratchets. I have them 60 plus years old (and older) and still use them! Great stuff!