BigTJ
Well-known member
1650-1 round head ratchet. Can any one point me in the direction on where to find info on this ratchet, age or anything.
Fleet 1/2" drive ratchet
- Thread starter BigTJ
- Start date
MAD
Well-known member
Judging by the patent, probably late 1960s-70s
http://www.google.com/patents/US3290969?printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q&f=false
http://www.google.com/patents/US3290969?printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q&f=false
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PowderKeg
Well-known member
Fleet was a brand produced by Penens Corporation (trademarked in 1947 as "Fleet Quality Tools"). Penens itself had been purchased by Plomb in the early 1940's.
The Plomb and Proto pages at Alloy Artifacts, has info on the large Plomb/Proto/Pendleton family of tools:
Plomb - http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/plomb-gallery.html
Proto - http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/proto-empire.html
Have you pulled your ratchet apart yet? Going by the shape/size if the reverse bar on the head, it should be a Bergquist & Over design, patented in 1966 to Pendleton Tool Industries. This design has linear sliding pawls instead of a single pawl that rotates on a pin or pivot. It's Pendleton Tool Industries patent # 3290969, you can go to Free Patents Online to view/download it
http://www.freepatentsonline.com
I have a Vlchek that has the Bergquist head/guts, but with a knurled handle instead of the rubber Fleet one. The Fleet I have with the same rubber handle is presumably an earlier model (#1650) with a single pivoting pawl design. Haven't found the patent for it yet, if it exists.
Interestingly, the guts can be swapped between the Vlchek and the Fleet, despite the radically different pawl/ratchet designs - all the external head/gut dimensions, tooth count, et.al. appear identical. I could swap the guts between them and nobody would know different. The dual sliding pawls do seem to be a little smoother in action.
Hope that helps a little.
PK
The Plomb and Proto pages at Alloy Artifacts, has info on the large Plomb/Proto/Pendleton family of tools:
Plomb - http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/plomb-gallery.html
Proto - http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/proto-empire.html
Have you pulled your ratchet apart yet? Going by the shape/size if the reverse bar on the head, it should be a Bergquist & Over design, patented in 1966 to Pendleton Tool Industries. This design has linear sliding pawls instead of a single pawl that rotates on a pin or pivot. It's Pendleton Tool Industries patent # 3290969, you can go to Free Patents Online to view/download it
http://www.freepatentsonline.com
I have a Vlchek that has the Bergquist head/guts, but with a knurled handle instead of the rubber Fleet one. The Fleet I have with the same rubber handle is presumably an earlier model (#1650) with a single pivoting pawl design. Haven't found the patent for it yet, if it exists.
Interestingly, the guts can be swapped between the Vlchek and the Fleet, despite the radically different pawl/ratchet designs - all the external head/gut dimensions, tooth count, et.al. appear identical. I could swap the guts between them and nobody would know different. The dual sliding pawls do seem to be a little smoother in action.
Hope that helps a little.
PK