Tools that never quite made it

[Junkman]

This is about tools that never quite made it in the market place. I find lots of strange tools at flea markets, but this is one of the strangest stories (as told by the person that I purchased the tool from) that I had ever heard. This fellow invented this ratchet system, and then sold the idea to a manufacturer, who made the tools. Then he was partially paid for his "invention" in tools that he could sell. Unfortunately, the tool never gained any popularity, and he was left to sell them at flea markets for whatever he could get. I bought a few of them back in the early 1980's for $5.00 each and gave them as Christmas presents to friends. I have never used this, but keep it as a reminder of a good idea that never worked. It is a 3/8" drive ratchet that you squeeze the handle to turn the socket. It came with an adaptor and some screw driver bits, so you could also use it as a screwdriver.
Post your strange tools ....

 

[bmwpower]

I don't know what the inventor was thinking, but it's much easier to turn a ratchet that squeeze one of those things all day long....lol.

Sorry, I don't have a contribution...no strange tools here.

 

[ImportTuner]

This one may have made it; I bought one .. it's called a Sidewinder ratchet; you can turn the T handle or you can use the regular handle ..
Put it in the tool box and have not used it yet ... maybe someday

 

[Junkman]

I don't know what the inventor was thinking, but it's much easier to turn a ratchet that squeeze one of those things all day long....lol.

Sorry, I don't have a contribution...no strange tools here.

I believe that the thought was for working in tight quarters, hence the squeeze action ratchet.

 

[the intimidator]

umm does that really say squeez 8 times for 1 revelution of the socket? I would guess that is were he gets the six times gripping force lol I guess it would have a good amount of torque but It would take a long while to get a bolt out.

 

[PAToyota]

I think I actually remember seeing one of those. I have to say that there have been a couple times one of those would come in handy - tight quarters where you just cannot swing a ratchet...

 

[Piper]

I think I actually remember seeing one of those. I have to say that there have been a couple times one of those would come in handy - tight quarters where you just cannot swing a ratchet...

isn't that why air ratchets were invented ????


Piper

 

[AndrewM]

Strap an LED on top, package it with a Gator Grip socket, and sell it on late night TV with a tagline "lets you see your work, grabs any nut or bolt, fits in tight spaces!". Instant millionaire...

Probably the 'strangest' tool I have is a closed end wrench where the closed end is attached to the bar with a pin, and the bar pushes on the nut and slips, allowing you to turn the nut without removing the wrench. It's horribly cheaply made (it was given to me), so I have never used it.

 

[trainer]

I had a set of sockets given to me once that used a hex drive instead of a standard square drive arrangement.


What about all those tools that "make it" because they are marketed to wives and children at fathers day and christmas?

Things like the endless varieties of multi- tip screwdrivers, cold heat soldering iron, boa grip strap wrench.

 

[brianpgriset]

I think I actually remember seeing one of those. I have to say that there have been a couple times one of those would come in handy - tight quarters where you just cannot swing a ratchet...

I actually used an almost identical item to this when I was co-oping at Honda R&D, and it was a life saver. Many times while I was working there I had to remove the SRS main unit out of some Ridgelines and Pilots, they use T30 Torx bits, and have maybe an inch and a quater clearance above the head before you start hitting HVAC stuff. Using a tool like this was the ONLY way to get that SRS unit out without having to take apart some of that HVAC stuff.

The only difference I see was that the one I used had a female hex drive head in it, instead of a male 3/8" drive.

 

[PAToyota]

isn't that why air ratchets were invented ????


Piper

Yep, but at the time I was a poor college student without a shop and access to air...

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

I first heard of squeeze-to-turn ratchets in the 1960's, probably from Popular Science/Mechanics magazines. Their reason for being at that time was for use in space, as in repairing space stations and such. This may have been very early 1960's, when we were barely into space at all but NASA and ol' Werner von Braun had lots of highly publicized long range plans.
The reason for this action was that it allowed torque to be applied to a bolt without torque reaction to the person floating in weightless space while turning it! I have no idea if the wrench itself was considered a new invention at that time or whether it was simply an application of a known earlier design.

 

[Richard D]

I remember a ratchet set about fifteen or twenty years ago, had a large spline with a hole in it (where the reverse switch usually is)to attach the socket, and you could use it on nuts with really long bolts sticking through, the bolt went right through the ratchet, .

 

[ImportTuner]

I remember a ratchet set about fifteen or twenty years ago, had a large spline with a hole in it (where the reverse switch usually is)to attach the socket, and you could use it on nuts with really long bolts sticking through, the bolt went right through the ratchet, .

Gearwrench still makes a pass through socket/ratchet combination; Sears has been advertising it for awhile now ..