Rectangular tap wrench ID made - Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co.

[skmbabon]

Hi,
Picked this up at an estate sale yesterday. Marked “M.T. D??M Co. PAT. FEB. 23”. “O", "28” & “A28” on the blocks, “28” on handle. Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[four.cycle]

Morse / Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co., New Bedford, MA / drills, taps & dies / patent 87133 Feb 23 1869 Benjamin F. Bee / http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgIndex/detail.aspx?id=4891 /

datamp.org entry for patent 87133 Feb 23 1869 Benjamin F. Bee (diestock)

1892 Iron Age pp 62 Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co.

1893 Iron Age pp 152-153 Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co.

1897 American Machinist pp 14 Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co.

1897 American Machinist pp 14 Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co. (factory)

Just a wild guess, but "28" might be the thread count (?) (e.g. 1/4-28)

 

[humber2]

^ Great period ads but the 28 is unlikely to refer to the TPI as any tap could be fitted.

I suspect that the sliding and fixed inserts were hardened and reunited into the handle.

 

[four.cycle]

Morse / Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co., New Bedford, MA / drills, taps & dies / patent 87133 Feb 23 1869 Benjamin F. Bee / http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgIndex/detail.aspx?id=4891 / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...-id-made-morse-twist-drill-machine-co.490751/ /


1892 Iron Age pp 62 Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co.

1897 American Machinist (various pages) Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co.

1897 American Machinist (various pages) Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co.

1897 American Machinist pp 40 Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co.

1897 Iron Age pp 44 Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co.

patent 87133 Feb 23 1869 B.F. Bee

(* I'm leaving the genealogy stuff for you, Woody! *)

 

[skmbabon]

Thank you, four.cycle, that's the right company for sure.
"Patent 87133 Feb 23 1869 Benjamin F. Bee" matches, as does this line from the DATAMP entry:

"A tap wrench with markings including this patent date and "M.T.D. & M. Co." has the distinctive jaws, with the clamping force supplied by a separate screw rather than the screw incorporated in the handle."​

The DATAMP entry includes the illustration on page 48 of the Frasse & Co. Catalogue 1875, indicating "No. O, fitting taps from 7/64 to 1/4 inch..." and "No. A, " " " 1/4 " 5/8 " ..."
Still unsure of the "28" marking. A picture at DATAMP shows a similar wrench, but stamped "322" on both blocks and the handle.

Still going through the box it was in so maybe something related will appear.

Oh, and I just noticed that both blocks move on V shaped ridges along the long sides (on the inside of the frame) and there are slot head set screws on both sides, presumably to fix in place the block that the locking bolt does not bear on. I'll take some pictures when there is better light.

 

[skmbabon]

Found the Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co. (M.T.D.&M. Co) catalogue No. 63 from 1915 here:

Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co. - Publication Reprints | VintageMachinery.org

Below is page 274. Although the manufacturer's stamp is different, it would seem the tap wrench I acquired is a No. 1146-A. The length matches. Still nothing definite about the "28" stamp, but it since every example I've seen pictures of has a different number, but always identical on the blocks and handle, perhaps it was a type of serial number to keep a set of fitted parts together?

 

[leg17]

...........perhaps it was a type of serial number to keep a set of fitted parts together?

BINGO

 

[skmbabon]

Thanks leg17.
Hope you are doing OK there.

 

[RTM]

Yup, keep the pieces together number.