old firefighters tool?

[kcmap]

My wife found a wrench today, marked "Peoria" "Malleable" on one side, number "320" and "Gas Shut off" on the other. Any thoughts?? Looks bronze like...

Thanks...

 

[LopezBart]

Malleable means it's made from ductile iron - tough and strong.

 

[LopezBart]

Vintage Peoria 320 Gas Shut Off & Fire Hydrant Hose Wrench - Excellent condition | eBay

Super clean. Excellent Condition.

www.ebay.com

 

[disston]

It looks like it is made to be hit with a hammer for those valves that are stuck.

 

[kcmap]

Gas Shutoff and hammer don't seem like they should be used together??

 

[bobg03]

The curved hook is similar to a "Hose wrench" used to tighten the smaller hoses used on a hydrant. I'm a dinosaur and have never seen one of these in the fire service but it may have been a "combi style" tool used in cities where gas was common in order to secure a building during a fire...

 

[jbfab]

It's a multi-tool. Spanner for tightening/loosening hose couplings, hammer I guess for - hammering, If you look at the face you will likely see a rectangular depression or hole - that's the gas shutoff. Also works as a door wedge for holding doors open during a search, small prybar for, well, prying, and some have a small spike embedded in them for a glass breaker.

 

[neverdone]

It’s a spanner wrench for 2.5” and 1.5 “ fire hose. The gas shut off is in a wedge end in case you need to pry something small. These are usually mounted in pairs with a hydrant wrench on fire apparatus. That said, the civil defense logo cast into it certainly makes it older and interesting.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Any thoughts??

A couple.

Your wife has a good eye..., for starters! Tell her I said, "Nice find!"

I found a similar antique fireman's tool last year. I'll re-post some photos, a patent, and some marked-up photos based on some research I did at the time and some intuition.

Mine was made by Akron Brass Manufacturing in Wooster, Ohio.



Here are the mark-ups...



(1) Those two hooks are the hook spanner for tapered curved lugs on fire hose couplings.
(2) The larger hook will also allow it to hang on a ladder rung.
(3) The ring is for clipping it to a fireman's personal equipment by a lanyard or strap.



(4) Judging purely by the shape, which reminds me of a crate tool or any large pry, I am surmising this end is for using it to get doors open when you shouldn't or can't just break it down. But that's just speculation.
(5) Following the same logic, to pry fasteners. Again, guessing.
(6) To pop open a bottle of beer at the end of the shift. (No, seriously, would also pry, I suppose, but again, just guessing.)

Here's the patent...



And here is what an actual fireman, expert and all-around good guy told me...

Lugz--that's a spanner for tightening and loosening couplings on 2 1/2" fire hose as shown in the patent drawing. It's also somewhat of a multi-tool, can be used to turn off a gas **** and for light prying. The loop on the end is to hang on the buckle of a firefighter's turnout coat. Primary makers are Akron Brass and Elkhart Brass, both old major manufacturers of firefighting nozzles and appliances. They are used in pairs on hose couplings and several sets are usually carried on their own specifically made base on pumpers. These haven't changed much over the years.

 

[Aaron_W]

Spanner wrench for fire hose.
The modern ones are made of pyrolite, an aluminum alloy. They still have the pry end and utility shut off but in my experience it is rare to see them used for anything but tightening / loosening hose couplings.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Nice find.

 

[kcmap]

Thanks for all the comments and information thus far. I collect and use tools from the 50's up to about 2000, when US manufacturing mostly stopped. Grand dad, and dad were both heavy equipment operators, asphalt pavers, so I guess tools are in my DNA, (which wife fully knows). Most manufacturers of the day were well represented in their toolboxes. The majority being S-K, Proto (Plomb) and Craftsman, but with Williams, Industro and others sneeking in for some specific tool.

Now I have a new type of tool to look for at garage sales / flee markets.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Yep, spanner wrenches. We still use the ones older than most of the guys at the station.

 

[BrandonV]

Interesting. Probably was part of a kit issued to auxiliary fireman for civil defense.

 

[nadogail]

Nice Find, enjoy it in Good Health.

 

[fullthrottle24]

It is a civil defense spanner. Due to the war rationing of materials like brass, a lot of the firefighting equipment was made from ductile iron or steel.