What are these from Bonney?

[bwandco]

Hello.
New member of the forum and already looking for some help. Flea markets are a good place to find things...even if you don't know what they are. I ran across a couple Bonney items and am not sure what they are. Red plastic with coiled wire ends (sized). They are imprinted with sizes...3/16 - 7/32, and 3/8- 7/16. Also..BONNEY USA SND6 (SND3 on the smaller one). PAT 2664021. PAT PEND. Smaller one is approx 4 1/4 inches long, the bigger one is approx 4 1/2.
A friend and I have a bet...I thought they might be nut/bolt holders/starters. Not so much the beer I would have to buy him, but I hate it when he's right. Any help out there with infi, identification, or intended use?
Thanks!

 

[2oolhound]

They look like tubing benders. Slide them over the tubing and bend it how you like then twist them so the coils open to get them off. I've never seen them with plastic on them though.

and Welcome to the forum. Thanks for posting photos on your 1st post, many new members don't.

 

[Rileysan]

+1

They are tubing benders. Nice find!

Brian

 

[rlitman]

I don't see how. I'll agree that the ENDS look like tubing benders, but when the red shaft of the tool in the background is thicker than the spring, I don't see how it would work.
Do the shafts even bend?

 

[LesserSon]

The patent number is from 1951 for a nut holder/starter. https://www.google.com/patents/US2664021
In construction, I agree that it resembles a tube bender at the business end, but Bonney's part numbers for that are RF60 to RF65 in the 1967 catalog (on Todd's site). And like Rlitman says, tube benders have to flex in the long cylindrical portion, which the plastic conceals and seems like it would inhibit.
Without finding it in a catalog by part number or knowing the other patent number (maybe explaining the red plastic sleeve) it's hard to be sure what else it could be.

 

[bwandco]

Hello again,
Here is another photo...sorry...I could not seem to be able to get more than 1 pic to attach. The red plastic is not really flexible or bendable and is solid, not a sleeve. Both 'handles' are the same length, 6-sided, and measure 0.29 inches thick.
Kind of fun to learn new info, I typically accumulate vintage fountain pens and these were in the same box at the market. Couldn't resist. My dad had a set of Bonney combination box/open wrenches in high polish and they were fabulous.
Thanks.

 

[bwandco]

Sorry....now can't seem to attach any photo at all....will send when I find a bigger hammer to fix my iPad.

 

[bwandco]

Here we go.

 

[Know Wosad]

Booneydude will arrive shortly

 

[LesserSon]

That's a much better pic. I've never seen one before, but I'm more convinced than ever that it is for starting nuts and hex head bolts. I'll further guess that the solid plastic intentionally insulates the user from electric shock.

 

[twertsy]

The are nut starters as was suggested. Full patent document: http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNu...4,021.PN.%26OS=PN/2,664,021%26RS=PN/2,664,021

 

[bonneyman]

Interesting!