help to identify sockets

[kring]

My first thread, my apologies if this is covered somewhere in the Forum already.

I travel all over and buy huge lots of vintage sockets, normally i can search the interwebs and find what i have , but this weekend i found some that i cant identify, they might not even be old, if they are old i might regret that because i was in a hurry and i didnt take the time to get all of them.

I found pictures of Ray Sockets, but none that look like these

 

[jdewitt]

The poor quality and inconsistency of the grinding on the beveled part might indicate an aftermarket modification?

 

[kring]

The poor quality and inconsistency of the grinding on the beveled part might indicate an aftermarket modification?

I thought that too, that they might just be some junk foreign sockets, but they were in a box with Hinsdale , (WW) Stevens Walden, and -D-I sockets

 

[kring]

I was looking at them again, one of them is a 31/32 .....if that helps to date them. I havent tried to clean them up, the goldish colored plating was put on after they were beveled

 

[nelstomlinson]

Looks as if the corners of the hex are relieved, like flank drive? Not terribly old, if so.

I've never before seen sockets which were tapered on the drive end like that.

 

[Bighead38]

Ray from Montana made them in his garage.

 

[3baygarage]

Those had to be of a much higher quality for the time. Better than pressed steel sockets.

Ray tools are old, from the teens and 20’s. I don’t think AA says when the company ended.

Here are some other pics off the web that look like your sockets.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[kb1982]

From Alloy Artifacts....


1912 Notice for Packer Auto Specialty. [External Link]

The small notice at the left was published on page 1099 of the May 9, 1912 issue of Automotive Industries and notes the founding of the company with $2500 of capital stock. The founders are listed as William Bangs, Laird Bell, and William C. Bayden.

[http://books]

1913 Notice for "Ray" Socket Wrench Set. [External Link]

The notice at the left appeared on page 1201 of the May 23, 1912 issue of The Automobile. The text describes an early "Ray" socket wrench set with a barrel-type ratchet and twelve sockets, and the illustration includes details of the ratchet construction. The company address is given as the Old Colony Building in Chicago.

A 1913 report from the Illinois Secretary of State listed the company's incorporation date as April 29, 1912.

[http://books]

1917 Notice for Packer Auto Socket Set. [External Link]

The notice at the left appeared on page 46 of the January 1, 1917 issue of The Horseless Age and describes a Packer Auto "Ray" socket set in a roll-up canvas carrier.

Packer Auto Specialty remained in operation under this name until 1927, at which time it merged with two other companies to form a new corporation. A 1927 issue of American Exporter notes the three-way merger of Packer Auto Specialty, George H. Rives Manufacturing, and the Standard Motor Part Company to form the Auto Accessories Corporation of America. The notice offered copies of the new company's catalog listing their combined products, including "Ray" brand socket wrenches



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[kring]

Those had to be of a much higher quality for the time. Better than pressed steel sockets.

Ray tools are old, from the teens and 20’s. I don’t think AA says when the company ended.

Here are some other pics off the web that look like your sockets.

Welcome to the forum.

Thank you, i couldnt find any decent pictures like you did, comparing my sockets to one of those ray pictures, i think these are the real deal . There were other pieces to this set in the box that i didnt grab, and one i remember was a female square adapter that went from 1/2 to 5/8

 

[Handyandy23]

So basically Snap On's "patented" flank drive is just a modern day rip off of a design dating back to 1917?

 

[DadsTools]

You might think about posting these also in the Vintage tool section. I think there's some folks there that could contribute but don't normally wander into the General section.