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Private Lugnutz
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That might be how he got from there to LOC-RITE!
The Lugzsonian - A Virtual Tour
- Thread starter Private Lugnutz
- Start date
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Private Lugnutz
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FOURTH WAVE
This wave - see the pink band in the late 1960's on the chart - is a little befuddling. It occurred before the last wave of patents expired, and both Hinkle and Kavalar cited a few of the patents from the THIRD WAVE. Kavalar cited himself (CAM-LOC), Diebold, and Petit. Hinkle cited Henot, and, of all people, Kavalar, from just two years earlier. Knudsen et al over at Snap-on cited only Kavalar within this family of patents in the US, and a German with a British patent (Boenhoff, GB 508,761 / July 5, 1939) and a Frenchman (Boreau, FR 1,102,053 / July 13, 1952), that nobody else (i.e., Hinkle, Ward, Evans, etc) who followed cited.
It can only mean that the patent examiners found sufficient reason for novelty in their designs, a feat of infinitesimal distinction, that seems, again, beyond our ken.
Ten years after Alfred Kavalar designed the CAM-LOC, he decided to re-visit the concept with the LOC-RITE (3,125,910 / March 24, 1964). Whereas the CAM-LOC was for ratcheting, the LOC-RITE was for better gripping, more accurate torque, and non-marring. Covering his bases, in addition to his CAM-LOC patent, he cited Petit and Diebold, but nearly quadrupled the number of flats-bearing lobes. As we said in our Intro, LOC-RITE predates Flank Drive and was cited by Knudsen et al of Snap-on in their patent application. Not to overstate, but Kavalar cited Diebold, and Diebold cited – you guessed it, Carpenter.
We don’t know much about Walter F. Hinkle of Glendale, Calif., and we don’t know if he ever produced his wrench. We have never seen one or found a record of one. His importance to us for the purposes of this study is in his patent (3,242,775 / Mar 29, 1966) informing the Ward (“Lockjaw”) and Evans (“Speed Wrench”, “BEVCO CHARLY”, and “Evans T&R”) patents of the 70’s.
Snap-on's first ever "Flank Drive", patented in 1966...
...was not TM’ed as a term until 1980, they claimed first commercial use in 1967, and it was indeed very helpfully tracked down to the 1967-P Industrial Catalog by @tin medic.
This wave - see the pink band in the late 1960's on the chart - is a little befuddling. It occurred before the last wave of patents expired, and both Hinkle and Kavalar cited a few of the patents from the THIRD WAVE. Kavalar cited himself (CAM-LOC), Diebold, and Petit. Hinkle cited Henot, and, of all people, Kavalar, from just two years earlier. Knudsen et al over at Snap-on cited only Kavalar within this family of patents in the US, and a German with a British patent (Boenhoff, GB 508,761 / July 5, 1939) and a Frenchman (Boreau, FR 1,102,053 / July 13, 1952), that nobody else (i.e., Hinkle, Ward, Evans, etc) who followed cited.
It can only mean that the patent examiners found sufficient reason for novelty in their designs, a feat of infinitesimal distinction, that seems, again, beyond our ken.
Ten years after Alfred Kavalar designed the CAM-LOC, he decided to re-visit the concept with the LOC-RITE (3,125,910 / March 24, 1964). Whereas the CAM-LOC was for ratcheting, the LOC-RITE was for better gripping, more accurate torque, and non-marring. Covering his bases, in addition to his CAM-LOC patent, he cited Petit and Diebold, but nearly quadrupled the number of flats-bearing lobes. As we said in our Intro, LOC-RITE predates Flank Drive and was cited by Knudsen et al of Snap-on in their patent application. Not to overstate, but Kavalar cited Diebold, and Diebold cited – you guessed it, Carpenter.
We don’t know much about Walter F. Hinkle of Glendale, Calif., and we don’t know if he ever produced his wrench. We have never seen one or found a record of one. His importance to us for the purposes of this study is in his patent (3,242,775 / Mar 29, 1966) informing the Ward (“Lockjaw”) and Evans (“Speed Wrench”, “BEVCO CHARLY”, and “Evans T&R”) patents of the 70’s.
Snap-on's first ever "Flank Drive", patented in 1966...
...was not TM’ed as a term until 1980, they claimed first commercial use in 1967, and it was indeed very helpfully tracked down to the 1967-P Industrial Catalog by @tin medic.
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Private Lugnutz
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Before we move on to the FIFTH (and FINAL) WAVE, of which we have plenty, this would be a great time to post your Loc-Rites and Flank Drives, because we don't have any!!!!
d42jeep
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Here you go.
-Don
Flank drive flare nut wrenches
Flank drive combo wrenches
-Don
Flank drive flare nut wrenches
Flank drive combo wrenches
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Bonney Loc-Rite
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Private Lugnutz
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I knew someone would come through! Thanks, guys.
Farmer J.
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Interesting thread.. and pleased you included Walter and the British 'Fastnut' branch of the story!
ref. the Snap On combination wrenches, I have 4 of the 'Flank Drive Plus' ones with the open end is also formed in order to grip on the flats of a hex. Mine are marked 'Patent Pending', so early on in the production. I don't have them with me now but I think I posted pics of them on the Snap On thread a few years ago, but can't find the post to get the pics.. Is this the time to include examples of those? Not ratcheting type of course but they do have the feature of gripping the flats.
ref. the Snap On combination wrenches, I have 4 of the 'Flank Drive Plus' ones with the open end is also formed in order to grip on the flats of a hex. Mine are marked 'Patent Pending', so early on in the production. I don't have them with me now but I think I posted pics of them on the Snap On thread a few years ago, but can't find the post to get the pics.. Is this the time to include examples of those? Not ratcheting type of course but they do have the feature of gripping the flats.
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Private Lugnutz
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The surpans/flats/flank openings evolved from/with the ratchet action openings. Like two genera of the same family. Or maybe two species of the same genus. In conversations here on the GJ VB, all the odd milled openings on end wrenches tended to become mixed up and even conflated, and not without good reason it turns out, because the inventors were using the same principles and citing some of the same prior art. Hence my asterisk in the chart.
We think the Flank Drive Plus came out much later than 1967, when the original Flank Drive was introduced, but we don't mind you posting them. We won't get to the FIFTH (and FINAL) WAVE until later this evening.
Farmer J.
Well-known member
Username already in use kindly found my pictures and post from the past, thank you.
They have a 1991 date code so must have come out around then. I bought them new off the Snap On van, the first of the 'Flank Drive Plus' wrenches to become available. They weren't even patented then so are marked PAT PEND.
A full set of these were so eye wateringly expensive that I only bought the 4 most common sizes in use here at that time, the 10,13,17 and 19mm AF (for M6,8,10 and 12 bolts). They've been my most used wrenches ever since and yes, the open end does grip way better than a standard one.
They have a 1991 date code so must have come out around then. I bought them new off the Snap On van, the first of the 'Flank Drive Plus' wrenches to become available. They weren't even patented then so are marked PAT PEND.
A full set of these were so eye wateringly expensive that I only bought the 4 most common sizes in use here at that time, the 10,13,17 and 19mm AF (for M6,8,10 and 12 bolts). They've been my most used wrenches ever since and yes, the open end does grip way better than a standard one.
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Private Lugnutz
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Oh, he's Mr. Find-It. He probably rues the day he gave me his phone number.
I wouldn't know.
I started this whole investigation with the Evans T&R adjustable wrench you see on the right (with the USA 1776-1976 Bicentennial Celebration logo underneath it) in the photo of my Curator's Corner #9 title post (#923 on page 24) and worked my way back to the Carpenter "Cycle- Grip" you see on the left (with the USA Centennial 1776-1876 Celebration logo underneath it..., cheating by a few years!) in the same photo. Those were my bookends, so to speak, for everything in between.
It strikes me that if someone were interested in taking it from 1976 to the Present (not me!), he'd probably end up with another whole chart filled with interconnected patent triangles and citation lines, which is where the Craftsman Quick-Wrench would be placed, too.
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Private Lugnutz
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FIFTH WAVE Part I (Evans Patents 1 of 5 thru 4 of 5)
It’s safe to say that James Preston Evans of Oklahoma City was obsessed with ratchet action end wrenches. He was relentless. With multiple patents and several companies to his name, all related, we’re convinced that his intellectual forebear, Daniel H. Carpenter, would be proud.
Between November 16, 1971 and May 11, 1976, he was responsible for five different patents all getting after the same principle. In terms of branding, his “Speed Wrenches” were made by his Specialty Tools, Inc., Oklahoma City company. Somehow in that same time period he was making “Evans T&R” (for Evans Torque and Ratcheting) wrenches under the Evans T&R Wrenches, Inc., company banner in Portland, Oregon. The term “CHARLY” was TM’d by the Beverage Equipment Corporation (BEVCO)(1,117,571, May 8, 1979) #73173964 in Portland, Oregon, for wrenches bearing the Evans T&R design. They sold equipment, apparently including tools, for servicing the machines associated with the beverage making industry.
Evans cited Hinkle, Wilder, and Diebold, but his creations most resemble the Wilder design, with just a little different geometry. Essentially the object of all his work was to provide a combination torqueing and ratcheting wrench having the means of applying increased torque to fasteners and fittings while at the same time providing a means of ratcheting the fasteners and fittings without lifting the wrench. His wrenches represent, in our opinion, the epitome of the coalescence of both principles.
It’s safe to say that James Preston Evans of Oklahoma City was obsessed with ratchet action end wrenches. He was relentless. With multiple patents and several companies to his name, all related, we’re convinced that his intellectual forebear, Daniel H. Carpenter, would be proud.
Between November 16, 1971 and May 11, 1976, he was responsible for five different patents all getting after the same principle. In terms of branding, his “Speed Wrenches” were made by his Specialty Tools, Inc., Oklahoma City company. Somehow in that same time period he was making “Evans T&R” (for Evans Torque and Ratcheting) wrenches under the Evans T&R Wrenches, Inc., company banner in Portland, Oregon. The term “CHARLY” was TM’d by the Beverage Equipment Corporation (BEVCO)(1,117,571, May 8, 1979) #73173964 in Portland, Oregon, for wrenches bearing the Evans T&R design. They sold equipment, apparently including tools, for servicing the machines associated with the beverage making industry.
Evans cited Hinkle, Wilder, and Diebold, but his creations most resemble the Wilder design, with just a little different geometry. Essentially the object of all his work was to provide a combination torqueing and ratcheting wrench having the means of applying increased torque to fasteners and fittings while at the same time providing a means of ratcheting the fasteners and fittings without lifting the wrench. His wrenches represent, in our opinion, the epitome of the coalescence of both principles.
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Private Lugnutz
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We have an example of Evans' first "Speed Wrench" patent before it was granted...
...and a whole set of first patent "Speed Wrenches" in its original pouch after it was granted and subsequent patents were submitted.
...and a whole set of first patent "Speed Wrenches" in its original pouch after it was granted and subsequent patents were submitted.
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Private Lugnutz
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We also have a whole set of Evans' third patent "Speed Wrenches", in metric (10mm-19mm), and stamped stainless steel construction. (These definitely vie for our favorite wrenches in this entire genre!)
@Leviton has some excellent examples of the BEVCO CHARLY, all with the fourth (3,850,057) patent on the flip side, and we've appropriated some of his research below, as well!
@Leviton has some excellent examples of the BEVCO CHARLY, all with the fourth (3,850,057) patent on the flip side, and we've appropriated some of his research below, as well!
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Private Lugnutz
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If anyone has more examples of Evans' first patent they would like to show off, Evans' second patent (which we don't have!), Evans' third patent in the forged paneled style with imperial fractional markings (which we don't have!), or other examples of Evans' fourth patent, please post them! (I KNOW they're out there! )
We're going to cover the Ward "Lockjaw" and Evans' fifth patent ("Evans T&R") later today.
)We're going to cover the Ward "Lockjaw" and Evans' fifth patent ("Evans T&R") later today.
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Farmer J.
Well-known member
Well, you do now! Another instance of what my family refers to as "clogging their minds with esoteric knowledge" This time i have got some of it in to your thread too..
Sorry.Got it. Oh yes, I noticed the USA Bicentennial thing. I remember the occasion, I managed to get included on a school trip to the exhibition in London, and also saw the Greenwich Meridian and the Cutty Sark sailing ship. Drove the teachers mad by leading the teenagers astray by also looking at things outside of the exhibition...
Yup, the modern times are full of c**p like that!
I have a Snap On 8" adjustable which is also 'Flank Drive Plus' with teeth on the jaws, and not much better than using a pipe wrench on the nuts. Similar era as the combination wrenches , so unless you request it I will leave it unposted..
FIFTH WAVE cont.
PATENT PENDING
The set of four came in a green plastic pouch.
PATENT (third) 3762244
The set of four forged wrenches came in a red plastic pouch
PATENT (third) 3762244 METRIC
The set of four stamped wrenches came in a purple or lilac plastic pouch
All of the pouches I have seen are marked “PATENTS PENDING” on the back side.
CADMIUM PLATING ?
A couple of earlier patent pending examples seem to have a yellowish tint, suggesting a cadmium based plating, rather than the familiar blueish tint of chrome.
BARCALO SUPPLIER ?
It is awfully tempting to simply pronounce Barcalo as the maker of these forged wrenches for Specialty Tools.
PATENT PENDING
The set of four came in a green plastic pouch.
PATENT (third) 3762244
The set of four forged wrenches came in a red plastic pouch
PATENT (third) 3762244 METRIC
The set of four stamped wrenches came in a purple or lilac plastic pouch
All of the pouches I have seen are marked “PATENTS PENDING” on the back side.
CADMIUM PLATING ?
A couple of earlier patent pending examples seem to have a yellowish tint, suggesting a cadmium based plating, rather than the familiar blueish tint of chrome.
BARCALO SUPPLIER ?
It is awfully tempting to simply pronounce Barcalo as the maker of these forged wrenches for Specialty Tools.
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Private Lugnutz
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Same as mine.
Nice.
Of course you outdid me with the pouch! Love it.
Interesting. I don't know if that's by design, largesse, or de facto fait accompli - because they were always essentially in a state of having patents pending! Seriously. If you break it down, there was not any time in their existence and production where that would not have been true.
Wow. That would be hard to argue with.
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Private Lugnutz
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We're beginning to wonder if they second and fourth patents were ever made.
Here is a very clean set of 3rd patents that @Old Radar owns that he sent us and gave us permission to post for him.
Here is a very clean set of 3rd patents that @Old Radar owns that he sent us and gave us permission to post for him.
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Private Lugnutz
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FIFTH WAVE (Ward)
Funny how Ward (3,785,226 / Jan 15, 1974) managed to somehow squeeze himself in between Evans' 3rd and 4tth patents, citing only Hinkle, which we have no examples of! But I have to admit, these Tool Dynamics, Inc. "Lockjaws" might be my favorite in the whole collection.
Funny how Ward (3,785,226 / Jan 15, 1974) managed to somehow squeeze himself in between Evans' 3rd and 4tth patents, citing only Hinkle, which we have no examples of! But I have to admit, these Tool Dynamics, Inc. "Lockjaws" might be my favorite in the whole collection.
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Private Lugnutz
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The Ward "Lockjaw" packaging is creative (check out the 1st person voice!) and most instructive!
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Private Lugnutz
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FIFTH (and final) WAVE (back to Evans)
The language in his last patent (3,955,450 / May 11, 1976), which stated, “by repeated reciprocal motion of the wrench body, a symmetrical convex polygon member (hexagon, octagon, or square nut or bolt) may be ratcheted without removing contact of the wrench from the member” may be fancier and more technical than Carpenter’s (“re-engage an object without bodily removing the wrench from said object”), but there’s no mistaking the ancestry.
The language in his last patent (3,955,450 / May 11, 1976), which stated, “by repeated reciprocal motion of the wrench body, a symmetrical convex polygon member (hexagon, octagon, or square nut or bolt) may be ratcheted without removing contact of the wrench from the member” may be fancier and more technical than Carpenter’s (“re-engage an object without bodily removing the wrench from said object”), but there’s no mistaking the ancestry.
I have only seen the ##107 and the ##244 in the wild.
That sounds like a good wonder.
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
I'll close this out with these two pics. All different wrenches.
Cruzan80
Well-known member
Though not ratcheting, would be curious to see if the Metrinch sets share any of these same patents. Simply about trying to grab off corner, in the same way most of these do.
Sorry if this would be thread drift, tried to wait until the end to ask.
Sorry if this would be thread drift, tried to wait until the end to ask.
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Good question, but I did not look at anything past 1976. I am not exactly sure when Metrinch was introduced, but I am pretty sure it was after that. It's possible they cited some of the 5th or 4th wave or even earlier. As I was saying to Farmer J., if someone wanted to look at 1976 to the Present, it would be a busy chart.
The only reason you couldn't kinda sorta get a ratchet action going with any lobe style wrenches designed to work on flats instead of corners is if they're flare or box. You do have to take the Surpans and the Nutmasters off a nut to backswing, but not as far off or as onerously as a regular open end wrench with a ***********.
The only reason you couldn't kinda sorta get a ratchet action going with any lobe style wrenches designed to work on flats instead of corners is if they're flare or box. You do have to take the Surpans and the Nutmasters off a nut to backswing, but not as far off or as onerously as a regular open end wrench with a ***********.
Cruzan80
Well-known member
Looks like 85-86, so just outside your timeframe
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
I got curious myself and came up with 1982. The term "METRINCH" was trademarked (Serial # 73348727) by SureLab Superior Research for wrenches on March 10, 1992, and their TM app claimed first use in 1982. So yeah, very close. I could not find a patent, though. And there seems to be a number of different companies making or at least selling it in Popular Science etc type trade mags in the 90's. That's as far as I am going to go with that, though.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
So here are mine that I could find. There may be more...
Definitely dupes for the Craftsman and Thorsen:
But one orphan:
A couple of my Surpans (I have more in the TVan...):
The Imperials and a Kelsy Hays:
and outside Lugz's Waves; the Gearwench:
and not talking about the Box end - Look closer:
Definitely dupes for the Craftsman and Thorsen:
But one orphan:
A couple of my Surpans (I have more in the TVan...):
The Imperials and a Kelsy Hays:
and outside Lugz's Waves; the Gearwench:
and not talking about the Box end - Look closer:
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Ohhh, I wasn't think about snap-overs. I found and sold a set of the Imperials a couple years ago for a bunch of pretty pennies. And I still have a full military Herbrand set. They don't ratchet, but they do grab flats.
Oh, I saw it. Someone should do 1976 - Present! Metrinch, Quick Wrench, Gear Wrench, etc.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Hmm. I don't remember the Imperial doing that but I'll take your word for it. My Herbrand don't.
d42jeep
Well-known member
Look what I found at a Tahoe moving sale today.
-Don
-Don
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
I'm beginning to wonder if they ever put the patent on them.
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
The Acquisition Dept wasn't too far off the mark when he thought this surveyor's hand sight level...
...found at the flea this morning might be military. The makers, Swift & Anderson, of Boston, Mass...
...who became Swift Optical in 1963, refer to it as an "Army type" hand sight in the instructions the Curator just appropriated from an online sale (at 2,300% markup!) of one still in its box...
...and sharp-eyed Lugzsonian thread followers may remember the name Swift & Anderson as the makers of the little detective's magnifying glass inside that 1940's US Army fingerprint dusting kit we showed off back in May, linked here.
It's a simple, but fine, and effective device.
When you look through here...
...this bubble (dang, either this "earthen" floor is even less level than we thought, or this 41-C15 cabinet is!) on the top of the hand sight...
...is superimposed, via an angled mirror reflection, on these reticles (technically, stadia lines)...
...something like this.
...which you can use for leveling, determining differences in elevation, and for establishing a grade, which is 13" for every 100' per stadia line, or 1-1/2%.
Although we suspect its greatest use will most likely come in the hands of the Curator's grandsons having some old-fashioned fun.
Here's looking at you, Mrs. Curator!
...found at the flea this morning might be military. The makers, Swift & Anderson, of Boston, Mass...
...who became Swift Optical in 1963, refer to it as an "Army type" hand sight in the instructions the Curator just appropriated from an online sale (at 2,300% markup!) of one still in its box...
...and sharp-eyed Lugzsonian thread followers may remember the name Swift & Anderson as the makers of the little detective's magnifying glass inside that 1940's US Army fingerprint dusting kit we showed off back in May, linked here.
It's a simple, but fine, and effective device.
When you look through here...
...this bubble (dang, either this "earthen" floor is even less level than we thought, or this 41-C15 cabinet is!) on the top of the hand sight...
...is superimposed, via an angled mirror reflection, on these reticles (technically, stadia lines)...
...something like this.
...which you can use for leveling, determining differences in elevation, and for establishing a grade, which is 13" for every 100' per stadia line, or 1-1/2%.
Although we suspect its greatest use will most likely come in the hands of the Curator's grandsons having some old-fashioned fun.
Here's looking at you, Mrs. Curator!
RTM
Well-known member
Those are fun, I grabbed a Dietzgen a few months back. I can rotate the level's projection so it appears different places on the image seen.
Edit: Apparently I was doing something wrong last time. There is no way I can see to do that now. Guess I should have played with it more before writing.
Edit: Apparently I was doing something wrong last time. There is no way I can see to do that now. Guess I should have played with it more before writing.
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Outlawmws
Well-known member
Nice find Lugz!
I also have one - a round tube version painted OD, (all brass) and marked:
"A. Frese & Co.
Los Angeles."
I found a reference for them :
"Adolph Frese Optical Co. - The company is composed of Adolf Frese, president, treasurer and manager, and Otto F. Harms, vice president. Their store is located at 126 South Spring street."
I also have one - a round tube version painted OD, (all brass) and marked:
"A. Frese & Co.
Los Angeles."
I found a reference for them :
Los Angeles Herald, Volume 32, Number 337, 3 September 1905
"Adolph Frese Optical Co. - The company is composed of Adolf Frese, president, treasurer and manager, and Otto F. Harms, vice president. Their store is located at 126 South Spring street."
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
We would love to see the Dietzgen and Frese models when you guys have the opportunity.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Here is mine:
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
That's cool looking. Much more like a scope or spyglass with that shape.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
No magnification, so very single purpose.