Mystery antique wrench

[Skyman]

This one's a mystery to me. Who can identify its purpose?



Steve

 

[Lesserstore]

Early Bonney S wrench. The sizes on the wrench reference USS thread standard bolts. The milled openings are 5/16 and 13/32. Here's a page from the 1914 catalog:

Edit: 1914 not 1915.

 

[Skyman]

Thanks! I'd found the Bonney name stamped on it, but found nothing with a web search on the number. So it looks as though this was made about a century ago.

Thanks for the answer.

Steve

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here's a similar one

 

[Shiftless]

Purpose?
Wrenches shaped like that are called obstruction wrenches used for more easily accessing fasteners in difficult or awkward positions in tight quarters.

Thats the smallest one I’ve ever seen.

 

[Skyman]

Yes, it's obviously an obstruction wrench. What threw me was the mismatch between the fractional size stamps at the ends, and actual sizes of their associated openings. That had me wondering if this was some sort of special purpose wrench for pipe plugs, or some such.

Steve

 

[leg17]

I don't think they are 'obstruction wrenches'. The opening is still inline with the 'other end' and would function same as straight. Obstruction wrenches have the 'other end' at some angle to the working end.
Just "S" shaped for strength.

 

[Farmer J.]

The 'S' shape is just how old wrenches were made back in those days, I have quite a few old farm machine ones from horse drawn implements. Square nuts and bolt heads were common, and the angle of the heads makes it easier to get a fresh swing on the nut so they're not 'obstruction wrenches' per se, just made with heads at an angle for the same reason as modern conventional wrenches.