The Ratchet Collection Thread

[teagueo]

Here's my stash:








My Aluminum and Titanium/Carbon Fiber Ratchets (England, Germany, USA):




The Japanese Beauties:



My favorite ratchet of all-time:

 

[davethorik]

Picked up this nice Mac V5R 1/2 ratchet today at an antique store, goes nicely with the X3R 3/8 I already had.

 

[3baygarage]

Post 1547 has me close to identifying my unmarked ratchet but I need a little push to reach the winning post. TIA

Same ratchet on Ebay in UK Humber.

Doesn’t exactly help with a manufacturer id, but it isn’t alone.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155458295396

 

[joshotto94]

Looking for some blackhawk ratchets to hang on this board if anyone has some spares let me know. Thank you Josh

 

[Irondonkey]

Is anybody aware of the existence of a repair kit for the 1990's Britool E77 half inch drive clutch ratchet or are they scrap when the bearings start to play up ?

 

[d42jeep]

I don’t know anything about this odd creation except that it’s 1/4” drive and I’ve never seen one before. The handle holds sockets and the drive part comes off the handle and becomes a fingertip ratchet.
-Don

Thanks to Big Texas Yard Sale my Litton Pocket Socket is complete with sockets.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Nice pocket socket! Here are some new britain dual pawl ratchets circa 1950

 

[AntiqueBen]

I bought a really old no. 1 Lowell ratchet. It's marked with a patent date of Dec. 6th 1864. I've seen just a few others here on GJ, but they all have a round handle. Mine is a little more crude with a flat handle. Also the no. 1 on mine is stamped in a different spot & a different shaped selector switch compared to all the others I'm seeing. I saw one conversation online that said the flat handle is an earlier version to the round handle. Is there any truth to this? I'll post better pics once I receive it. It also needs cleaned up. I don't see to many of this version. Are they considered rare?

 

[AntiqueBen]

One other thing I noticed is my Lowell no. 1 ratchet is not marked Worcester Mass like all the others I've seen. Is there a good reference out there somewhere to determine what the earliest no. 1's looked like??

 

[AntiqueBen]

I ran across the original patent drawing for the Lowell no. 1 ratchet & there in the drawing is the "flat" handle. Looks like the original handle design was flat.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Anyone recognize this? Not branded. I was thinking an also-ran (compared to Hinsdale or Indestro) or SK or Wakefield, but I don't recall seeing one that made no attempt to make a rounded head or separate the "head" from the "handle". I have to admit it was the oblong shape that attracted me to it. It's nearly rectangular.

 

[AntiqueBen]

Just a guess, but the metal looks Indestro to me. There is something about the look & feel of Duro/Indestro stuff that you can almost tell just by touch. Interesting design.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I know what you mean, Ben, especially when every other example you see in the wild tends to be Indestro, but Indestro was not the only mfgr making pressed steel ratchets in riveted halves. You'd be surprised. Go to AA and look at the early SK and Wakefield ratchets.

 

[AntiqueBen]

I looked at SK & Wakefield & I can definitely see the similarities. Isn't most SK & Wakefield stuff stamped at least with their name or logo (most of the time)? I think I read that Indestro was classic for not stamping their tools a lot of times. I guess partly because of their contract work. That's why I guessed Indestro. Maybe comparing how the rivot is done might give a clue.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Yes, they did a lot of contract production, and if it had a typical shape I wouldn't hesitate. Maybe @four.cycle will know. He hasn't been here in a few weeks and he did not reply to a PM from me about a week ago. I hope he's ok.

 

[d42jeep]

He has been focusing on some other things in his life. I imagine that he’ll be back.
These are my earliest S-K hex drive ratchets.
-Don

 

[AntiqueBen]

Yes, I'm sure he might have some input. I wander about Wizard/Western Auto too. The shape is what's throwing me off.

 

[AntiqueBen]

I was looking at the rivets used on SK, Wakefield & Indestro. I think it looks the most like SK, but yours are still recessed a little more.

 

[3baygarage]

Anyone recognize this? Not branded. I was thinking an also-ran (compared to Hinsdale or Indestro) or SK or Wakefield, but I don't recall seeing one that made no attempt to make a rounded head or separate the "head" from the "handle". I have to admit it was the oblong shape that attracted me to it. It's nearly rectangular.

New Britain Lugz

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks!

 

[3baygarage]

some have a dimple on the end
1952 None Better cat, archive.org

 

[AntiqueBen]

Does anyone have or know of a good information source for Lowell ratchets? I'm trying to find out more about my ratchet I posted in post #1768. My first question is D.M. Moore's patent #45,334 was granted on December 6, 1864 to Lowell Wrench Co. Lowell 's website says their company started in 1869. If so, how was the above patent granted to them 5 years before?? I know of many manufacturers working off of other previous patients, but this patent was granted directly to Lowell in 1864? I'm sure there is an explanation. That's why I'm trying to find a good info resource for Lowell's tools. Just not having any luck. Only finding company history.
Moore's 1864 patent to Lowell Wrench Co

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Not alot of early lowell info out there. Seems to have been mostly an industrial supplier.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

US Patent 45,334 was not granted or assigned to Lowell Wrench Company. It was granted to D.M. Moore with no assignments.

 

[AntiqueBen]

Why was Lowell Wrench Co listed as the Manufacturer?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Why was Lowell Wrench Co listed as the Manufacturer?

Lowell was the manufacturer. Famously. For many, many years. Beginning in 1869. That's why DATAMP is calling it the "Lowell ratchet". I have several Lowell reversible ratchets, all based on this patent. And there are several others on the 'Lowell' thread. See 'Lowell' in A-Z Index of Threads in Sticky. Mine are later when they ran a long screw down the round shaft to the selector, a knurled knob, at the end. With the selector in the middle, neither forward or reverse, it locks up both pawls and you can use the ratchet as a hex wrench.

Did you look at the patent itself? It was granted to Moore. Lowell Wrench Company either bought Moore out, paid him a licensing fee, or he had a hand in starting the company five years after he invented the ratchet. I don't know which.

 

[AntiqueBen]

Gotcha. I was looking at it like how are they mentioning Lowell in 1864 when they weren't established yet. Sounds like an interesting story. Would be nice to find specific info. Thanks Lugz.

 

[AntiqueBen]

I would like to find out when Lowell switched from the flat handle (like pictured in the patent) to the round handle?
We may never know....

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I was looking at it like how are they mentioning Lowell in 1864 when they weren't established yet.

I can see how that could be confusing. Often the patentees cited by DATAMP at the top are assignors for the companies listed as manufacturers down below. But not always. In many cases they are just individuals. Solo inventors who got bought out or licensed their designs. The way DATAMP does that, you won't know until you look at the patent, and their drawing composites are taken from the drawing, not the text of the document where the assignments are stated at the top, so again, you have to look at the patent.

I would like to find out when Lowell switched from the flat handle (like pictured in the patent) to the round handle? We may never know....

The only way I know how to research something like that for the tools I have where there was a major feature change that was not part of a patent evolution is to look through period ads. Search Google Books by 'Lowell Reversible Ratchet' and a different date until you find it.

 

[AntiqueBen]

I appreciate the info.
Down the rabbit hole I go....

 

[twertsy]

I appreciate the info.
Down the rabbit hole I go....

Interesting court case on the patent: https://www.google.com/books/editio..."+++Windsor&pg=RA1-PA1503&printsec=frontcover

 

[AntiqueBen]

Interesting. In this court case Moore indicates he made his ratchet in 1859. Over the next couple of years he used it openly at his place of employment & even let a few friends try it out. Sounds like if he was honest about it at the time of filing his patent application, the date of his patent could have been when he initially made it in 1859. Moore finally filed for his patent on October 1, 1864 & it was granted December 6 that same year. It appears that Moore made his example 3-4 yrs before J.J. Richardson did, but Richardson got his patent filed before Moore, technically making Richardson's ratchet the "first." Interesting side note: Did you know Richardson lived in Woodstock Vermont. Moore lived in Windsor Vermont. They only lived about 16 miles apart from each other. Makes you wander, if Moore let his buddies use it, I'm sure they talked around about it. Could have Richardson caught wind of such a tool & then created his own? Just a fun thought, but very possible.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Seems likely

 

[Private Lugnutz]

They only lived about 16 miles apart from each other.

This is not a one-off. It's the history of tools development. Think about the Southington/Plantsville, Conn. area, or Greenfield, Mass., or Jamestown, N.Y., to name only the first few off the top of my head. Often not by chance or nefarious but associative vis-a-vis industrial chambers of commerce and such.

 

[twertsy]

This is not a one-off. It's the history of tools development. Think about the Southington/Plantsville, Conn. area, or Greenfield, Mass., or Jamestown, N.Y., to name only the first few off the top of my head. Often not by chance or nefarious but associative vis-a-vis industrial chambers of commerce and such.

Or Milwaukee in the teens/twenties..................

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Milwaukee in the teens/twenties....

'Zackly.

 

[LesserSon]

Anyone recognize this? Not branded. I was thinking an also-ran (compared to Hinsdale or Indestro) or SK or Wakefield, but I don't recall seeing one that made no attempt to make a rounded head or separate the "head" from the "handle". I have to admit it was the oblong shape that attracted me to it. It's nearly rectangular.

That shape is unusual enough, it makes me think it is meant for a specific (design patent) kit, where the ratchet, or more often, the ell bar covers and retains the sockets from falling out of the steel tray/box.
I don’t see anything quite like it on Alloy Artifacts, and I’m sure other manufacturers stacked “Made in U.S.A.” on three lines, but I’m reminded of the similar way New Britain Machine stamped their hexdrive sockets, to the right of the fractions.
Except for the notch at the bottom, it does resemble this rat made by NBM:

 

[LesserSon]

How did I miss 3bay’s response? Hah!
Nice job.
Plus, we came to the same conclusion for different reasons.

Wait! HERE is the patent for the kit that doesn’t have the notch.

 

[AntiqueBen]

I have a silly question. Are the Packer drill ratchets reversible? I'm not seeing where or how to reverse the direction of the gear. I don't want to mess anything up. I've read the patent on its operation. Surely its reversible somehow. What am I missing here??

 

[isb cornbinder]

This is all I have.