Vintage “SPEED WRENCH “.

[alton1911]

This came from a box with quite a few vintage tools. Most were nice. This is the exception, only marked 150 mm / speed wrench. It’s not what I think of when I think of a “speed Wrench”... I usually think speed handle for sockets. The construction is stout but poorly finished. Any ideas about who made it? I assume it’s domestic, because of the lack of country of origin.

Thanks in advance,
alton1911

 

[alton1911]

Cropped pic for closer view.
Thanks

 

[four.cycle]

that looks like an Asian-made knockoff.

I believe one of the earliest variants of that type was made by Heller. I could well be wrong.

Heller Bros. Co., Newark, NJ / patent 1,533,602 1,634,908 / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers-p2.html#heller

Also see Lynchmead - the earliest ones were from Turlock.

They were also made by other companies, and in other countries. I see German-made models on Ebay now and then.

I've got one of those around here somewhere. I believe mine's an old Heller forged in Newark. If a guy was going to collect them, the one to look for is the one made in Turlock. The oldies have the horse on them.
Now that I think about it, I may have a Turlock version here... not sure.

 

[cgrutt]

Interesting, I have one of those that was my dad's made by Weil and stamped Japan. "ADJUSTAMATIC". I always thought it was for pipes, LOL...

 

[cgrutt]

Here it is in Popular Mechanics ad from 1966.

Which fits when my dad would have purchased it. He even lived near Woodmere NY at that time, lol...

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I believe one of the earliest variants of that type was made by Heller.

Masterrenches. I'm working on a set. Outlaw has a set going, too. I've never looked to see if they "improved" on an earlier patent owned by someone else or if they were the original. Kind of like a cross between an adjustable pin spanner and a pipe wrench, or an early ancestor of the snap-over action ratcheting wrenches that everybody was making in the 50's and 60's (I have a set from Herbrand).

Here it is in Popular Mechanics ad from 1966.

That's bizarre. Without doing any reading, my first thought would be that the Heller patents expired, but that's just a total guess. Who'd've thunk a mfgr would've revived something like that wrench in the 60's?

 

[woody 73]

Just in case you are needing anymore information:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=266236&highlight=heller

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks, woody. I didn't know Sears made a Craftsman knockoff, let alone that they trademarked a clever name (Clench) for the knockoff!

With four.cycle's "Lynchmead" tip in hand (also a first heard for me), I went straight to DATAMP. As usual, they have everything patent-related laid out nicely and comprehensively.

Summary for the lazy is...

Lynchmead was one of two companies formed in Turlock, CA by the inventors and patent owners, Mssrs Lynch and Mead, to make the wrench. The other company, called Masterench, was also located in Turlock. Heller is the only other mfgr cited. Heller did NOT own the patent as I have erroneously assumed. Lynch and Mead were granted several patents between 1925 and 1936 (2,028,406), all improvements on the same basic wrench.

It's not in DATAMP's purview to go beyond that, but I will when I get a chance. Questions are, did Heller eventually buy them out? (Note that Heller branded their wrenches "Masterench.") And, what was the cause of the proliferation of the design to all these other latecomer mfgrs? Expired patent? Heller being bought out? Or licensing? EDIT: And if so, by whom? The patent owners? Heller? Or a third party?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Attached below are my Heller "Masterench" examples of this type of wrench.

First thought: the markings sure make it seem like Heller owned the patents, despite the USPTO evidence showing that it was not originally assigned to them.

These are all from slightly different production eras.

They are all marked 'Masterench', and they all have a forged-in Heller horse logo, but two are marked Heller Brothers Co and Newark, N.J. and two are marked just Heller and MADE IN U.S.A., and the style and placement of the branding and the horse is different.

There are other distinctions.

The two wrenches at the top of the first group shot - a 10" and a 6" model, are marked (and doubtlessly made of) CHROME VANADIUM. They have a natural steel finish and the full company name and address as noted above.

The 6" CHROME VANADIUM wrench only has two patent dates on it, the 4-14-25 and the 7-5-27, implying it was made before the third patent (1929). (Or maybe they just ran out of space.) It has a 7/16" hex (6-point) box opening broached into the end of the handle.

The 10" CHROME VANADIUM wrench has all three patent dates on it, including the 11-12-29, and it also seems to be dated on the flip side ("7-11-41"). It has a 3/4" double-hex (12-point) box opening broached into the end of the handle.

The other two wrenches were found together and are almost certainly from the same production era, which is clearly later than the other two. They are less crudely forged, for one thing. Both are black japanned, both are marked simply 'Heller' (which is a stylized font) and 'PATENTED' (no actual dates). The two do have slightly different forge markings from each other. They both have eleven (11) forge dots, but the forge dots on the 6" wrench are in a pyramid pattern, and the forge dots on the 8" wrench are in lines. The only other tool I have ever seen with these kinds of forge marks (die number, mould number?) were IRWIN integral handle (colloquially, appropriated from H.D. Smith "perfect handle") screwdrivers, found on the through-shank under the wooden scales. Also wartime. The 6" wrench has a 5/16" square box end opening, and the 8" wrench has a 3/8" square box end opening. My hunch for these is wartime or maybe even late 40's or 50's, due to the finish, the lack of a CV composition branding, the COO marking, and the foregoing of the actual patent dates. But I don't know for sure.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Some shots of the jaws and the spring mechanism. If the production design changed with the patents over the years, it was something I would consider in the minutiae and negligible, or at least not glaringly obvious.

 

[bill300d]

You don't have any with the backwards N in Newark and NJ? Those are the ones I usually find.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

You don't have any with the backwards N in Newark and NJ? Those are the ones I usually find.

That's because they sent all the factory rejects to Pennsylvania!



(No, I haven't found one like that, yet, Bill.)

 

[four.cycle]

^ So you're still shy the "Turlock" model, right?

I think I bought one some time back. I can't remember now.

I see knock-offs of that design made by different companies listed on Ebay frequently - a lot of them made in Asia (or Germany, as I mentioned above.)

I'm not surprised that Sears had them stamped out under the Craftsman name - it's one of those perennial "new and improved" wonder tools that reappears in different disguises, kind of like the "ratchet action" open-end wrenches that have been made by at least a couple dozen outfits over the course of the last century.

I've been ignoring them, but I'll put them back on the radar screen and holler if I spot a Turlock model.

BK

 

[Mintgrun]

These are the two that I have. I figured I'd post pics since one of them was made in Germany.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I've been ignoring them, but I'll put them back on the radar screen and holler if I spot a Turlock model.

I'm only collecting the Hellers, BK, and only when I run into one at the flea market. It's the cheap, patient, fun-of-the-hunt approach. But thanks for the thought.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I figured I'd post pics since one of them was made in Germany.

...with a waste of a hanging hole being just a hanging hole. Like the OP's. Thanks for posting!

 

[Cf mtn]

hi all, i just have the 1.

 

[Mintgrun]

I don't want to come across as too fussy, but isn't it "MASTERENCH" ? (one R )

There is a difference in the jaws between the Heller and the German one, as can be seen in the photo above. The Heller has a flat spot on that one face, but the German one has teeth. Notice that those teeth are mangled... I'm guessing that the flat works better. Probably easier on the fasteners too.

Neat design, but I am not turning one nut on my car with them. I like fasteners to look untouched. : )

 

[bill300d]

Here is a pic of one of mine to show the you the reverse N. I have another and have seen more.

 

[four.cycle]

I don't want to come across as too fussy, but isn't it "MASTERENCH" ? (one R )

You are correct. "Masterench" has one R and no W.

However, if you are searching for them on Ebay you want to use at least three variants of the spelling:
Masterench
Masterrench
Masterwrench
as searches for each will return different results.

I had no idea there were so many variants!

You can have them with square holes in the end of the handle, or round holes in the end of the handle.
You can have them plated, or black finish.
You can have them marked with or without patent dates.
You can have them marked "Chrome Vanadium".
You can have them marked "Newark N.J."
You can have them marked "Newark N.J." with the "N" backwards.
You can have them marked "Turlock, Ca."
You can have them with no city name at all.
You can have them with smooth jaws or serrated jaws.
You apparently can have them in 6, 8, 10, and 14-inch lengths. (There might have been a 12 in there but maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention.)

This one turned up some new patent numbers:







patent date / number

04 14 25 1,533,602

07 05 27 1,634,908

11 12 29 1,735,257

11 01 32 1,885,616

01 21 36 2,028,406

 

[four.cycle]

Of over 60 listings, I only saw two of the "Turlock" models:



https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Heller-masterench-adjustable-variable-size-wrench/232646383809

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-MA...D-SPANNER-WRENCH-TURLOCK-CAL-USA/162853335601

too many different flavors for me! I'm still working on Indestro and Walden!

 

[alton1911]

Lugz,
I think you are correct, after looking at so many early examples, my wrench looks to be a copy of a copy. Probably from Japan ( still puzzled about them not saying so). Perhaps they were poorly marked somewhere.
Thanks again for so much information and so many ideas about origin from everyone.
alton1911

 

[Private Lugnutz]

This one turned up some new patent numbers:

patent date / number

04 14 25 1,533,602
07 05 27 1,634,908
11 12 29 1,735,257
11 01 32 1,885,616
01 21 36 2,028,406

All belonging to Mssrs Lynch and Mead, of Lynchmead Corporation and then Masterench Corporation, as I alluded to in summary upthread...

Lynch and Mead were granted several patents between 1925 and 1936 (2,028,406), all improvements on the same basic wrench.

As I said upthread, DATAMP has a great page that lays everything out concisely in terms of patents, which I failed to provide the link to. Now linked here.

What DATAMP doesn't explain is how and where Heller fits.

A quick Google Books search and some informative snippet views resolved that. Heller purchased Masterrench and the patent rights in 1927 and introduced their new (now brand name) Masterench line of wrenches in 1928. They were the exclusive seller through the 1950's. I don't have enough interest to find out when or how the same design was so proliferated by so many other mfgrs after that.

 

[four.cycle]

This one turned up some new patent numbers:

^ I should said "more" instead of "new" there.

I don't have enough interest to find out when or how the same design was so proliferated by so many other mfgrs after that.

I think that would be a bottomless rabbit hole from which there would be no escape. I'm sure you could find more constructive uses for your time, especially considering the number of them that were made offshore.

Again, I'm really surprised by the number of variants - who knew?

I think you've probably dug up more in the last couple days than anybody so far.

 

[twertsy]

That's because they sent all the factory rejects to Pennsylvania!
[emoji38]_hitti
[emoji481]

(No, I haven't found one like that, yet, Bill.)

Yes, very true Greg. NJ is full up with rejects already.

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

 

[notlob]

Having lived and worked in Turlock from ~ '86 through '92, I'd like to find a Turlock-made example of this wrench. Please let me know if you have one available for sale/trade. I believe I have a quite nice version made in Germany(?). I'll find it and post up a pic.

Turlock is/was a small, almost exclusively agricultural town located in the center of Califonia's huge Central Valley. The college in Turlock used to be referred as "Turkey Tech" (now Stanislaus [County] State University.) If you ate a butterball turkey for Thanksgiving, it likely was processed and packed in Turlock.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I think that would be a bottomless rabbit hole from which there would be no escape.

Agreed.

Yes, very true Greg. NJ is full up with rejects already.

Haha! Wait, we are still talking about tools, right? (A reminder that I was born and raised in Carbon County and I will be rooting for the Eagles tomorrow and always! )

notlob: Thanks for the background on Turlock! I hope Mssrs Lynch and Mead made a mint in selling out to Heller. Chances are it worked out better for Heller, but these small companies with their own patents have a way of frittering away into obscurity without a giant absorbing them, working out even worse.

 

[Cf mtn]

hi all, stopped by a sale between here and where i was supposed to be. this was sitting on the work bench, now i have 2. jaws are in good condition.

 

[ttpete]

Mine is marked CHROMAVAN ONEHANDER 6" Germany.

It's nicely forged and finished in black with bright ground surfaces and smooth jaws.

 

[CR888]

I've seen a late night T.V infomercial selling these as the latest all-in-one wrench that replaces a double stack 42" tool chest full of tools. I did like it though when a guy visited one to a metal pipe above his head and it suspended his body weight without slipping.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

You don't have any with the backwards N in Newark and NJ? Those are the ones I usually find.

That's because they sent all the factory rejects to Pennsylvania!



(No, I haven't found one like that, yet, Bill.)

Found my first example today at the Collingwood flea market, Bill! On the flip side of a Chrome Vanadium with 11.12.29 and 7.5.33 patent dates.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is the one I found this morning, complete with the Heller horse.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I have a few of that style, Don, with the horse in the middle (rather than the end), the reduced, simplified markings (no address, no patent dates), and a square opening in the end (instead of a 12-point box end opening). I have surmised that they are later. See an elaboration on all that and examples in post #9.

Is there a series of forged-in dots near the end? And is it black japanned or may have been black japanned at some time?

 

[d42jeep]

I have a few of that style, Don, with the horse in the middle (rather than the end), the reduced, simplified markings (no address, no patent dates), and a square opening in the end (instead of a 12-point box end opening). I have surmised that they are later. See an elaboration on all that and examples in post #9.

Is there a series of forged-in dots near the end? And is it black japanned or may have been black japanned at some time?

This one looks to have had a hard life. The finish seems to be plain steel. There may be a series of dots towards the wrench end but they are hard to see.
-Don