Unknown Old Socket Set

[oldmantaylor]

Old means older than I am. There are no manufacturer's marks on any of these parts. The label is about gone, but I believe I read in part

Packer Axxxx Special
Chicago USA

Any ideas as to the maker?

 

[alton1911]

Very Cool.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Packer Auto Specialty Company is the maker, Jim. They branded these "Ray" socket sets. Later versions with more conventional ratchets (some of them made for them by Indestro) were marked Packer Auto Specialty and had a cool logo with the word Ray and a field of radiating lines behind it. Yours is earlier.

Is it 5/8-inch drive?

If that's a barrel type ratchet with a reversible rolling clutch action and a folding handle (not visible in pic?), I'd love to see a couple close-ups. The early Mossberg Auto-Cle ratchet was the same style. By the way, you said there are no mfgr's marks but it looks like it's marked to me.

Very nice find! I have never seen one in the wild.

 

[oldmantaylor]

Packer Auto Specialty Company is the maker, Jim. They branded these "Ray" socket sets. Later versions with more conventional ratchets (some of them made for them by Indestro) were marked Packer Auto Specialty and had a cool logo with the word Ray and a field of radiating lines behind it. Yours is earlier.

Is it 5/8-inch drive?

If that's a barrel type ratchet with a reversible rolling clutch action and a folding handle (not visible in pic?), I'd love to see a couple close-ups. The early Mossberg Auto-Cle ratchet was the same style. By the way, you said there are no mfgr's marks but it looks like it's marked to me.

Very nice find! I have never seen one in the wild.

That matches what I can read. Yes, the "ratchet" has a folding handle, and it has marks. I'm not sure it's actually a part of this set. I will try to remember to get closeups tomorrow.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The first Packer sets had an Auto-Cle type "barrel" or "pipe" ratchet with a folding handle. If you search Google Books on "Packer Auto Specialty" you'll see period ads that show it. Whether yours is or not, I don't know, but their first sets had those type ratchets. What do the markings say?!

 

[3baygarage]

The ratchet looks to be an F.H. Ayer.

AA says they and Packer were compatible.

 

[oldmantaylor]

It's hard to read the markings, but it says:

MADE BY
F.H. AYER MFG CO
CHICAGO HEIGHTS ILL USA
PAT SEP ??? SEP 26, 1916

The only markings on the sockets are the size, and an A with a circle around it. Size is 1/2" drive.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks for the photos. Yes. Same type of ratchet, mechanically. Sweet. Makes sense to me, with both Ayers and Packer located in Chicago. Later Packer sets had Indestro-made rats, also a Chicago mfgr. So I'd say it's original to the set.

 

[Cruzan80]

Taylor, I just got a box with the same row of sockets. Trying to figure out largest/smallest. Biggest I have is just over 1" and smallest is marked 17/32. How about yours?

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