Gearwrench with "PAT" and without

[gdocktor3]

I bought 2 sets of flexible ratchet wrenches about a year ago from advance auto. Bought both sets at same time and picked up at store. One set has PAT etched into them while the other doesn't. The one with PAT also says FLEX, while the others don't. I also have reversibles with PAT and a few regular 0 offsets without PAT. The GEARWRENCH logo also seems to look better on the ones with PAT. Does anyone know anything about this or why they're different? One Taiwan the other China maybe?

Sorry they're upside down because I used iPhone and don't use tapatalk or photobucket.

 

[BMack37]

They stamp a mark on the reverse size, what is that mark? I've seen at least three different marks for China but only one for Taiwan. Taiwan is a "0" with a small "|" over the "0" and a "-" to the right of the "0".

It sort of looks like this but the vertical dash is centered and shorter.

|
0-

Chinese I recall a "0-" and a "K" but can't recall any others but I know there was at least one more.

 

[gdocktor3]

One has an -M- and the other has a K-

I was hoping someone could determine the manufacturer before I tell you which letter is on which wrench. This way no assumptions will be made. But here is a pic of some of the 0 degree offsets I have. Where are these made and is the gear on the 6mm normally that small?

 

[BMack37]

My 6mm looks like that proportionally.

 

[Loscaldazar]

PAT is almost always just an abbreviation for patent/patent pending. Usually once the patent has been approved they stop stamping it, or when the protection from the patent is over.

Snap On Flank drive plus wrenches also have a similar marking when they first came out, and then was removed later.

 

[gdocktor3]

PAT is almost always just an abbreviation for patent/patent pending. Usually once the patent has been approved they stop stamping it, or when the protection from the patent is over.

Well I am currently on Gearwrench's website and noticed both their sets of flex wrenches now have the "flex" on them, but no PAT marking. So that could be the reason. What's odd is the one I have without PAT also doesn't have the "FLEX". You'd think that would be the other way around. Either way I am going to email them and see what they can tell me.

 

[justme-]

PAT is almost always just an abbreviation for patent/patent pending. Usually once the patent has been approved they stop stamping it, or when the protection from the patent is over.

Snap On Flank drive plus wrenches also have a similar marking when they first came out, and then was removed later.

This is the answer..my sets are 10 plus years old and have that stamp while my replacements do not have the Pat stamp.

It's for patent

 

[gdocktor3]

This is the answer..my sets are 10 plus years old and have that stamp while my replacements do not have the Pat stamp.

It's for patent

I think that's pretty obvious.

If that is correct, it's hard to believe they still had sets around until last year.