What is this wrench for?
- Thread starter Hal
- Start date
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Wild guess, but maybe that narrow end would be to turn a valve?
cvairwerks
Well-known member
Might be a bonnet wrench.
micromind
Well-known member
The narrow end would fit a pretty fair number of ball valves.
four.cycle
Well-known member
"The firm had been founded in 1868 by J.P. Upham, Albert Ball, and Roger Love, to manufacture diamond drills (invented by Ball) and other quarrying machinery, water wheels, and mill fittings"
^ That part there tells me that they would have had the capacity in house to produce a double-open-end wrench without much difficulty.
726 shows up in an old Williams listing, but with different size openings than what you've got there, which is most likely a special-made piece intended for repairing a particular machine.
^ That part there tells me that they would have had the capacity in house to produce a double-open-end wrench without much difficulty.
726 shows up in an old Williams listing, but with different size openings than what you've got there, which is most likely a special-made piece intended for repairing a particular machine.
Attachments
The company, founded in 1868, was known for manufacturing heavy equipment, including machinery for mining, quarrying, and construction. Tools like these would have been specialized for maintaining their specific machinery. The wrench was made by the Sullivan Machinery Company. The company was eventually sold and is now part of Sullair (owned by Hitachi), but the tools are considered vintage.These are not general-purpose tools. They were likely designed to fit specific nuts and bolts on Sullivan's industrial equipment, such as rock drills, compressors, or channeling machines. These tools were not mass-produced for general sale and were tied to specialized machinery,
I’ve been given grief on GJ for posting AI response. ** disclaimer ... this could be wrong. It’s AI generated **
The tool shown in image.png is a vintage, double-ended **open-end wrench** (often called a service or utility wrench) manufactured for or by the **Sullivan Machinery Company**.
Here is what it was used for:
### 1. Equipment Field Maintenance & Adjustment
The Sullivan Machinery Company (which later became part of Joy Manufacturing and survives today as Sullivan-Palatek) was a prominent producer of heavy industrial and mining equipment starting in the late 19th century. They specialized in:
* **Air compressors**
* **Rock drills and pneumatic jackhammers**
* **Coal cutters and mining hoists**
* **Diamond core drills**
### 2. Part of a Factory Toolkit
During the late 1800s through the mid-20th century, heavy machinery manufacturers bundled specialized, stamped-steel or forged wrenches directly with the equipment.
* **Purpose:** These wrenches were included so operators and field mechanics could perform routine adjustments, tear down equipment for maintenance, or tighten high-vibration parts directly on-site (such as in a mine or quarry).
* **The Markings:** The number **726** paired with **AB** likely corresponds to a specific part number or a standard sizing designation used in Sullivan's service manuals to match specific nuts, bolts, or packing glands on their machines.
In short, it’s a rugged piece of industrial history designed to maintain heavy-duty mining and pneumatic drilling equipment.
The tool shown in image.png is a vintage, double-ended **open-end wrench** (often called a service or utility wrench) manufactured for or by the **Sullivan Machinery Company**.
Here is what it was used for:
### 1. Equipment Field Maintenance & Adjustment
The Sullivan Machinery Company (which later became part of Joy Manufacturing and survives today as Sullivan-Palatek) was a prominent producer of heavy industrial and mining equipment starting in the late 19th century. They specialized in:
* **Air compressors**
* **Rock drills and pneumatic jackhammers**
* **Coal cutters and mining hoists**
* **Diamond core drills**
### 2. Part of a Factory Toolkit
During the late 1800s through the mid-20th century, heavy machinery manufacturers bundled specialized, stamped-steel or forged wrenches directly with the equipment.
* **Purpose:** These wrenches were included so operators and field mechanics could perform routine adjustments, tear down equipment for maintenance, or tighten high-vibration parts directly on-site (such as in a mine or quarry).
* **The Markings:** The number **726** paired with **AB** likely corresponds to a specific part number or a standard sizing designation used in Sullivan's service manuals to match specific nuts, bolts, or packing glands on their machines.
In short, it’s a rugged piece of industrial history designed to maintain heavy-duty mining and pneumatic drilling equipment.
finn
Well-known member
I’ve got a number of old, heavily constructed open end wrenches similar to that, in addition to the normal circa 1920s or 30s Nash, Ford, etc wrenches that I assume were shipped as part of automotive tool kits.
My grandfather worked in copper stamp mills in the 1910s through the 1950s, where copper bearing ore was crushed in huge drop presses as part of the copper bearing ore separation process. I can only assume the industrial looking wrenches were part of the setup and specialized maintenance tooling unique to that industry. They likely aren’t typical consumer or auto repair shop wrenches.
My grandfather worked in copper stamp mills in the 1910s through the 1950s, where copper bearing ore was crushed in huge drop presses as part of the copper bearing ore separation process. I can only assume the industrial looking wrenches were part of the setup and specialized maintenance tooling unique to that industry. They likely aren’t typical consumer or auto repair shop wrenches.
The same Albert Ball also invented a lever action carbine during the civil war ...It was made by E.G. Lamson &Co ,and was the only gun I ever heard of to use a horizontally split chamber ......this clever feature meant the gun didnt need an extractor..
four.cycle
Well-known member
provides no information that otherwise could not be found with a simple Google search.
the only thing "AI" did was add a lot of superfluous fluff.
RTM
Well-known member
This might help, but at quick glance I’m not seeing your wrench. I was hoping These manuals might include an owners manual, but not seeing it.
This is from the Manuals Library, a sister to the ITCL we love so much.
This is from the Manuals Library, a sister to the ITCL we love so much.