Old Cornwell 3/4" ratchet.

[alan camby]

Anyone have any information on age of this Cornwell ratchet?
Drive is 3/4" and the square has to be pushed out and flipped over to reverse ratchet.

I also got me an old Jack.. it is just kinda in the picture. The store owner said it was for a model A.

 

[Ton ton]

Interesting looking ratchet.

 

[alan camby]

Here is that reversible square to change the ratchet rotation. I am sure it was a common design but the first I have seen in my 44 years.

 

[Ton ton]

What is the overall length of the ratchet?

 

[alan camby]

Right at 20". I bet it has at least 80 teeth on the main gear. Extremely fine and very few degrees between clicks. Also very odd, it seems to be swaged together. I see no way of taking it apart.

 

[alan camby]

200 clicks per rotation!!!!!! What in the heck

 

[Ton ton]

Sounds very interesting. It's hard to find a fine tooth 3/4" ratchet.

 

[3baygarage]

That ratchet is 1930’s-40’s. The early Cornwell tools have a nice look.

 

[bubinga]

Here is that reversible square to change the ratchet rotation. I am sure it was a common design but the first I have seen in my 44 years.

Oh. You have to take it out all together, and put it in from the other side?
I'm 66, never saw one like that.

 

[Clutchsmoke]

Man I love that ratchet! Lube it up on the inside and throw it in your rotation.

 

[alan camby]

Paid $20 today for it at an Antique store.
Hard to pass up brand name tools at that price.

 

[KnurledNut]

@alan camby
Some of those early Cornwell ratchets were gearless. I found one many years ago and was quite intrigued. The clicks you're feeling might be the sprag mechanism.

 

[alan camby]

It would be interesting to see what the inside looks like. It might be a modified sprag with little teeth. Definitely has a ratchet sound.
Tried making several videos but the server dosnt seem to like attaching them.

 

[Jacobs976]

Any model number on the other side? Someone probably has the patent papers so they could show the internals design.

 

[alan camby]

I found a USA and 6-6 or 9-9.

 

[alan camby]

Any model number on the other side? Someone probably has the patent papers so they could show the internals design.

Fairly sure everything has been posted as far as numbers. Will clean it up over next few days and maybe something else will show up. I doubt it as I have looked it over fairly well.

 

[Jacobs976]

I found the ratchet on http://alloy-artifacts.org/cornwell-quality-tools.html. Appears to be gearless but no patent design on there.

Guess they didn't have an official model no. but the design patent pics might be out there somewhere.

 

[bubinga]

It would be interesting to see what the inside looks like. It might be a modified sprag with little teeth. Definitely has a ratchet sound.
Tried making several videos but the server dosnt seem to like attaching them.

Upload to YouTube, link to it here.

 

[bob15]

Might even want to try contacting Cornwell and see if they can give you any info on it (I doubt it, but it doesn't hurt to ask).

 

[Ton ton]

.

 

[alan camby]

I measured the square to be sure. .740"
So it isn't the 7/8".

 

[RTM]

Similar topic here. They didn’t find the patent either.

Vintage Cornwell No. 85 3/8" Ratchet

A new piece arrived for my collection today! It's an old 3/8"-drive No. 85 Cornwell gearless ratchet. It's a cute little guy, only 6 1/8" from bow to stern... I can't find any references to this model online, but AA features a similar No. 55 1/2"-drive and dates it to 1926-1934. Now there are...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[KnurledNut]

Similar topic here. They didn’t find the patent either.

Vintage Cornwell No. 85 3/8" Ratchet

A new piece arrived for my collection today! It's an old 3/8"-drive No. 85 Cornwell gearless ratchet. It's a cute little guy, only 6 1/8" from bow to stern... I can't find any references to this model online, but AA features a similar No. 55 1/2"-drive and dates it to 1926-1934. Now there are...

www.garagejournal.com

Thats the same ratchet I've got. I’d post a pic, but I have no clue where I put it.

 

[Burt Uwe Redetzki]

I found a USA and 6-6 or 9-9.

Just picked up the same (I think) ratchet at a garage sale for $15…

3/4” push-through (female) drive
20” overall length
“CORNWELL PAT APPLIED FOR”
Does not have “66” (or “99”) stamp
Does not have “USA” stamp
Back side has a very blurry “W” stamp

Not able to find much info beyond what I’ve come across on “Alloy Artifacts”, indicating it might be “gearless”, probably early 1930s. It appears Cornwell also made a 7/8” version (which might be stamped with “10” (instead of “66” or “99”), but mine is definitely 3/4”.

Curious if anybody has come across any more info on this ratchet since these 2022 posts (?).

Cleaned it up with wire wheel and it looks great. I’m unable to see any way of opening it and I’m curious if it needs to be lubed (?) Considering laying it flat and simply pouring a small amount of oil (unsure what type (?)) over the area that moves and letting it soak in (?).

On the other hand, it seems to work exceptionally well for a tool that’s nearly 100 years old, so maybe… If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

If anybody is still following this thread, any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

If the action isnt great, I'd submerge it in light oil and spin it for awhile with a drill till stuff stops coming out

 

[woody 73]

I had to laugh when GJ poster Bob15 said try contacting Cornwell for any information,lol. I spent a long time a few years ago on the phone with them and the nice lady said...Wait for it, wait try contacting the AA website.lol

Anyhow an old post story of mine for you guys/gals on this nice warm night:

Eugene Cornwell

If you ever have noticed a recurring theme to some of my tool stories in that the owner started out in a blacksmithing trade first and later moved into full time hand tool production. Well Eugene Cornwell was no exception he started out as a blacksmith in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He founded his...

www.garagejournal.com