The Billings & Spencer Company

Table of Contents

Introduction

Company History

Billings & Spencer began in 1869 as the Roper Sporting Arms Company, a partnership of Charles E. Billings and Christopher Spencer. Both founders were notable inventors, and Billings in particular was one of the pioneers of the drop forging process. The company's early products were drop-forgings for the arms and sewing machine industries.

The company was reorganized as the Billings & Spencer Company in 1873, and the company began producing open-end wrenches and other tools shortly after this. Some products were based on designs developed and patented by Charles E. Billings, and the company also licensed designs from other inventors.

Standardized Open-End Wrenches

By 1888 Billings was producing open-end wrenches in stock sizes, part of a standardization effort that is generally credited as beginning with J.H. Williams & Company.

Fig. 1. 1888 Catalog Listing for Billings & Spencer "S" Wrenches.

Fig. 1 shows a catalog listing for Billings "S" wrenches, as published on page 488 of the 1888 catalog from Dunham, Carrigan & Company of San Francisco. This is currently our earliest catalog reference for Billings.

The listing offers the wrenches in three models, No. 70 (5/16x3/8), No. 71 (7/16x1/2), and No. 73 (11/16x3/4).

Adjustable Wrenches

During the latter part of the 19th century adjustable wrenches were a particular specialty for Billings & Spencer. Billings produced many different styles of the smaller "bicycle wrenches", as well as pipe wrenches and tongs, pliers, and fixed wrenches.

By the early 20th century Billings & Spencer had become one of the largest tool makers, in addition to being a dominant force in the drop forging industry. Billings produced the heavy machinery for drop forging itself, and made a business of helping other companies set up their drop forge operations.

Expansion in 1915

In 1915 Billings & Spencer raised additional capital to fund expansion, and the company name was changed to "The Billings & Spencer Company" as part of a reincorporation.

Fig. 2. 1917 Ad for Billings & Spencer Drop Hammer.

An article on page 903 of the October 30, 1915 issue of Automobile Topics entitled Billings & Spencer Capital Increased notes that the capital had been increased to $300,000 and the company reincorporated, with a slightly different name.

This small change in the company name turns out to be useful in estimating manufacturing dates, as the marking on tools was updated to reflect the new name.

Fig. 2 shows an ad for Billings & Spencer, as published on page 1136 [External Link] of the October 13, 1917 issue of Automobile Topics.

The illustration shows one of Billings' giant drop hammers, with a selection of other tools in the background.

The company name is shown at the bottom of the ad as "The Billings & Spencer Co." in a slanted font.

The "Big Nine"

In 1918 Billings was one of the "Big Nine" of the forging industry: nine companies who together accounted for nearly all of the drop-forged wrench production. These companies jointly signed a Conservation Agreement to reduce manpower and materials, as requested by the War Industries Board.

1920s Operations

In the 1920s Billings began to stumble from its leadership position in the tool industry, as the company was late to recognize the importance of alloy steel in toolmaking. In addition, Billings took a step backwards by introducing a line of heavy forged male-drive sockets, at a time when the rest of the industry was rapidly switching to machined and broached sockets.

These miscues made the 1920s a lost decade for Billings from the standpoint of its competitive position, although the company continued to refine the production of its carbon-steel tools.

Socket Tools from Walden-Worcester

By 1930 Billings had discontinued their clunky line of male-drive forged sockets and had begun offering a new line of square-drive alloy steel socket tools sourced from Walden-Worcester. Walden continued as the major supplier of socket tools to Billings through the 1930s and into the early 1940s.

Billings stuck with this decision to use contract manufacturers for their socket tools, and later production was done by Herbrand in the 1940s to mid 1950s, and by Wright Tool from the late 1940s into the 1950s.

Reciprocal Sales Agreement with Husky Corporation

In 1930 Billings borrowed a page from the J.H. Williams playbook and entered into a reciprocal sales agreement with the Husky Corporation, a maker of sockets and drive tools then operating in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Fig. 3. 1930 Notice for Billings & Spencer.

The scan in Fig. 3 shows a notice for Billings & Spencer, as published on page 473 of the February 6, 1930 issue of The Iron Age.

The text first mentions a new office and warehouse being opened in New York City, then mentions in passing that Billings will act as a sales representative for the Husky Corporation line of socket tools.

Similar notices of a reciprocal sales agreement between Billings and Husky appeared in other trade publications around this same time.

The Husky sales agreement seems to fit into Billings' decision to use contract manufacturers for all of their socket tools, but it appears that very few tools were actually sourced from Husky.

An example of a tool possibly sourced from Husky can be seen as the Billings 5864 Extension.

The Husky Corporation failed in the early 1930s and was acquired by New Britain Machine. It's possible that the sourcing agreement with Husky may have continued under New Britain.

The Craftsman Contract

In 1930 Billings landed a major contract to produce alloy-steel wrenches for the Sears Roebuck "Craftsman" brand. Initially Billings supplied open-end and tappet wrenches marked with "Craftsman" and "Chrome-Vanadium", but by 1933 the production had been extended to box-end wrenches and had become the "Craftsman Vanadium" line.

The "Craftsman Vanadium" line was highly successful and helped establish Craftsman as a major tool brand.

Acquisitions

In later years Billings made some acquisitions to augment its own product lines. The 1939 catalog announced the acquisition of the Bemis & Call company (B&C), an old-line maker of adjustable wrenches and other tools. B&C had previously acquired the rights to the well-known Coes monkey wrenches, and thus both the B&C and Coes product lines were then available through Billings.

In the early 1950s Billings acquired the Peck, Stow & Wilcox (Pexto) company, another old manufacturer that had been a dominant force in the 19th century tool-making.

Later Operations

In 1962 Billings was acquired by the Crescent Niagara corporation, a holding company that had previously purchased Crescent Tools. Crescent Niagara subsequently acquired the tool operations of Barcalo Manufacturing and the Bridgeport Hardware Manufacturing company. The Billings product lines continued in production for some years under Crescent Niagara, but were eventually merged into Crescent's own product lines.

In 1968 Crescent Niagara was in turn acquired by the Cooper Tools conglomerate. Currently we're unsure whether the Billings line remained in production into the Cooper era, or if it had already been discontinued.

Patents

Billings received numerous patents over its many years of operations, and the table below shows only a small subset of the total.

Trademarks

Billings registered a number of trademarks for its tool-related operations, beginning with the B-Triangle logo, filed as a trademark in 1893 with the first use date noted as 1870. The table below lists the known registered trademarks.

Tool Identification

Billings tools are generally easy to identify, as they were typically marked with either the company name or the B-Triangle logo, or both.

B-Triangle Logo

Fig. 4. Billings B-Triangle Logo.

The well-known Billings B-Triangle logo goes back many years, as it was registered as a trademark in 1905 with a claimed first usage date of 1870.

The scan in Fig. 4 shows the B-Triangle logo as it was presented in the application for trademark #45,068.

This logo was typically forged into the shank or stamped on the face of wrenches and other tools.

Other Trademarks

Billings tools of later production may also be marked one of their other trademarks, "Life-Time" or "Vitalloy". The "Life-Time" trademark was registered in 1926 and appears to have been used to introduce the first line of Billings alloy steel tools. The first known reference to Life-Time in Billings publications comes from a discount sheet for the 1926 36th Edition catalog, which has an entry for "Molybdenum Life-Time Wrenches". The wrenches are listed as being on pages 32A-32H, apparently a supplement to the catalog.

In later usage the Life-Time mark reappeared to designate a second line of tools, possibly to be sold through other channels. (Billings tools were generally sold through industrial distributors.) The standard Billings catalogs of the 1930s through 1950s don't mention the Life-Time tools, although tools with the Life-Time mark were certainly being made during this period.

The "Vitalloy" trademark was filed by Billings in 1937 and was used specifically to indicate alloy-steel tools. ("Vita" is apparently a continuation of the "Life-Time" theme.) The Vitalloy mark is widely used in the Billings catalog illustrations.

Manufacturing Dates

Billings tools were generally not marked with any system of date codes, so the estimation of manufacturing dates must rely on other factors. Billings made a number of changes to the type and style of markings on tools over its many years of production, and these changes will provide guidelines for manufacturing dates.

Face Markings on Wrenches

The face markings on wrenches provide one very simple guide to the manufacturing date, at least for the tools where such markings are present.

Fig. 5. Billings Earliest Face Markings.

Fig. 5 shows the face markings of an early Billings wrench, believed to be representative of the earliest marking style on Billings open-end and S-shaped wrenches. The stamped markings use a "Typewriter" style font with both upper and lower case, placing "Billings & Spencer Co." on the top line, followed by "Hartford, Conn." with the B-Triangle logo centered below.

This example was taken from a Billings 662 S-shaped wrench shown later in this article. We'll refer to this as the "Earliest Face Marking" in the text.

Fig. 6. Billings Standard Early Face Markings.

The next variation uses a slanted uppercase font with "The Billings & Spencer Co." split into two lines with the B-Triangle logo at the right, with the text "Hartford, Conn. U.S.A." filling the second line.

An example of this logo is illustrated in Fig. 6, taken from a Billings 1568 textile wrench shown later in this article. We'll refer to this as the "Standard Early Face Marking" in the text.

A variant of this marking shortened the company name to the initials "B. & S." so it could fit on small wrenches.

Fig. 7. Billings Modern Face Markings.

In the mid 1920s, Billings simplified its face markings to include only the stylized "Billings" name, plus a B-Triangle logo below bracketed by "Made in U.S.A." (or "Made U.S.A."). Note the distinctive narrowed center of the "Billings" text.

Fig. 7 provides an example of this updated logo, taken from a Billings 1569 textile wrench shown in a later figure. This will be called the "Standard Modern Face Marking" in the text.

We can make estimates of the dates of usage for these three styles of face markings based on information from catalogs and trademark documents. Our earliest catalog reference for the marking in Fig. 5 is the 1888 Dunham, Carrigan catalog, and an example from this catalog can be seen in Fig. 1 above. Another catalog reference for Fig. 5 is the 1910 Chandler & Farquhar catalog, which shows this marking on open-end wrenches.

Notably, this latter catalog does not offer the familiar Billings 11xx series wrenches, and as a further observation, no 11xx-series wrenches have been found with the earliest face markings. However, many examples of 11xx wrenches have been found with the standard early face markings illustrated in Fig. 6, and these wrenches show several stages of improvements in production and finishing.

We note that the company name in the standard early face markings of Fig. 6 has a leading "THE", which matches the name adopted in Billings' 1915 reincorporation noted earlier in the History section. Thus it's likely that the markings on tools changed as part of the reincorporation, making 1915 a reasonable estimate for the beginning of the standard early face markings. The introduction of the 11xx-series wrenches probably occurred around this same time as well. Although the examples here show only face markings, it's very likely that the 1915 company name change also applied to forged-in markings.

Determining the beginning year for the modern face markings in Fig. 7 is more straightforward. The design of the modern face markings matches the illustration supplied with the application for the Billings #270,927 trademark, which listed 1926 as the first use date. Thus we'll use the 1926 date from the trademark application as the starting year for the modern face markings.

The modern face markings remained in use until the acquisition by Crescent Niagara in 1962. Crescent updated the Billings trademark to remove the B-Triangle logo, and tools produced after 1962 did not have the B-Triangle marking.

The list below summarizes the estimated usage dates for the three marking styles.

• Earliest Face Markings: 1880s to 1915
• Standard Early Face Markings: 1915 to 1926
• Modern Face Markings: 1926-1962

We'll update these estimates if better information becomes available.

Vitalloy Trademark

The Vitalloy trademark was introduced in 1937 and was widely used as a marking on Billings wrenches and other tools. This mark serves as a convenient dividing line between earlier and later production of alloy steel tools.

Depressed-Panel Wrench Style

In the mid to late 1930s Billings adopted a distinctive depressed-panel style for most of its wrench models, in particular the double-open "Engineer's" wrenches and the offset box wrenches. The markings were forged into the tool in raised letters, usually with "Vitalloy" and the B-Triangle logo. Examples of this style can be seen in the Billings M-1029 Wrench and Billings 8725B Wrench figures shown below. Based on a review of catalog illustrations, the depressed panel style appears to have been offered first for the open-end wrenches, probably in 1937 with the introduction of the "Vitalloy" trademark. By 1938 the depressed panel style had been extended to the offset box wrenches. (The straight shank box wrenches remained in an oval-shank design.)

The depressed-panel style remained in production until the mid to late 1940s, but by 1948 (or possibly earlier) had been replaced by a style with oval or flat shanks and stamped markings. Based on the current information, we'll estimate the production years for the depressed-panel style as 1937 to 1947.

References and Resources

Photographs and observations of particular tools are based on items in the Alloy Artifacts Collection.

Catalog Coverage

Product information was obtained from a number of Billings & Spencer catalogs, as summarized in the table below.

Industrial Distributors

Billings products were offered through a wide variety of industrial and automotive suppliers, and were even offered by name in some early Sears Roebuck catalogs! The list below shows some of these other references for Billings products.

• Dunham, Carrigan 1888. The 1888 catalog from Dunham, Carrigan & Company of San Francisco lists Billings & Spencer adjustable (bicycle) wrenches and open-end "S" wrenches on page 488. This is currently our earliest listing for Billings tools.

• Chanslor & Lyon 1910. The 1910 catalog from the Chanslor & Lyon Motor Supply Company, a West Coast dealer, lists Billings combination pliers on page 172, auto wrenches on page 174, bicycle wrenches in models "D", "E", and No. 97 on page 174, adjustable "S" wrenches on page 175, adjustable spanner wrenches on page 175, open-end wrenches on page 176, and open-end wrench sets on page 178.

• Chandler & Farquhar 1919. The 1919 catalog from the Chandler & Farquhar Company, an industrial distributor, offers an extensive selection with 40 pages of Billings tools. The listings include adjustable and fixed wrenches, wrench sets in canvas rolls, and one page of socket sets with pressed-steel sockets.

• Tool Specialty Company 1920. The 1920 catalog No. 4 from the Tool Specialty Company of Kansas City, Missouri lists Billings "Allen Friction" socket sets No. 9 and No. 21 on page 47. Other listings include Billings 13xx series check-nut wrenches on page 49, open-end and "S"-shaped wrenches on page 50, Tee and offset socket wrenches on page 51, and adjustable "S" wrenches on page 52.

• C.W. Marwedel 1922. The 1922 catalog No. 11 from the C.W. Marwedel Company, an industrial supplier, lists several Billings adjustable wrenches on page 323, including the Models A, B, D, E, and G. The Model G wrenches were available in sizes from 6 to 18 inches. Also listed are Billings adjustable spanner wrenches on page 321 and Billings Model M and Model CC pliers on page 400.

• Beckley-Ralston 1924. The 1924 Catalog No. 91 from Beckley-Ralston, an automotive supplies distributor, offered Billings open-end wrenches and other tools.

• Samuel Harris 1925. The 1925 catalog No. 51 from Samuel Harris & Company of Chicago has an extensive selection of Billings tools on pages 606-656, with scattered listings elesewhere in the catalog. The listings include tappet wrenches, open-end wrenches, wrench sets, Tee-handle socket wrenches, brace bit sockets, and male-drive sockets sets Nos. 50, 51, 52, and 53.

• Samuel Harris 1931. The 1931 catalog No. 57 from Samuel Harris & Company of Chicago lists Billings tools on pages 516 and 518-529. The listings include "Billings Molybdenum" open-end "S" brake wrenches on page 523, "Klose Kwarter" obstruction wrenches on page 524, ignition socket sets with sockets sourced from Husky on page 524, and chrome alloy socket tools in 1/2-drive and 1 inch hex drive sourced from Walden on pages 526 to 529.

• Sears Roebuck 1931. The 1931 Sears Roebuck (Spring and Summer) catalog lists two wrench sets from Billings & Spencer, a set of five S-wrenches or six open-end wrenches, both apparently older carbon-steel models. The set of open-end wrenches sold for only $0.65, compared with $1.85 for a set of alloy steel Craftsman wrenches.

Early Tools

The earlier tool production by Billings included items such as pipe tongs, pliers, bicycle wrenches and other adjustable wrenches, and open-end wrenches. These tools were all made of drop-forged carbon steel, the dominant technology for such tools.

Bicycle Wrenches

Billings was an early leader in the production of bicycle wrenches, a popular type of tool in the late 19th century.

Early 5 Inch Bicycle Wrench with 1879 Patent

Fig. 8. Billings Early 5 Inch Bicycle Wrench, with Inset for Back Side, ca. 1880 to 1915.

Fig. 8 shows an early Billings 5 inch bicycle wrench, marked "Billings & Spencer Co." and "Hartford, Conn." on the front, with "C.E. Billings" and "Pat. Feb. 18, 1879" on the back side. (The markings are very worn, and are difficult to read even with a magnifying glass.)

The overall length is 5.0 inches retracted and 6.0 inches fully extended. The finish is nickel plating, now worn away in some areas.

The sliding jaw of the wrench is marked with a ruler graduated in 32nds of an inch, a frequent feature of Billings wrenches of this design.

The patent date corresponds to patent #212,298, issued to C.E. Billings in 1879 and the earliest of his adjustable wrench patents. The patent illustration shows the wrench with an open slot on the back side, as is seen in the figure here.

Model A 4 Inch Bicycle Wrench

Fig. 9. Billings Model A 4 Inch Bicycle Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail, ca. 1880 to 1915.

Fig. 9 shows a Billings Model A bicycle wrench, stamped with the B-Triangle logo above "Billings & Spencer Co." and "Hartford, Conn." on the front. The back side is marked "C.E. Billings" and "Pat'd Feb. 18th, 1879", a reference to patent #212,298.

The overall length is 4.4 inches closed and 5.4 inches fully extended. The finish is nickel plating with losses due to wear and rust.

Model D 6 Inch Bicycle Wrench

Fig. 10. Billings Model D 6 Inch Bicycle Wrench, with Inset for Back Side, ca. 1880 to 1915.

Fig. 10 shows an early Billings Model D 6 inch bicycle wrench, stamped with the B-Triangle logo above "Billings & Spencer Co." and "Hartford, Conn." on the front. The back side is marked "C.E. Billings" and "Pat'd Feb. 18th, 1879", a reference to patent #212,298.

The overall length is 6.0 inches closed and 7.5 inches fully extended. The finish is polished steel, with some pitting due to rust.

Model E 7 Inch Bicycle Wrench

Fig. 11. Billings Model E 7 Inch Bicycle Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1915-1926.

Fig. 11 shows a Billings Model E 7 inch bicycle wrench, stamped on the upper jaw with the Billings early face markings.

The overall length is 6.8 inches closed and 8.5 inches fully extended. The finish is plain steel, with some of the original black paint remaining.

The use of the Billings standard early face markings suggests a manufacturing date from approximately 1915 to 1926.

Model 97 Bicycle Wrenches

In 1896 C.E. Billings filed a design patent for a compact bicycle wrench, and the resulting Model 97 wrench became one of the company's best-known products. The model 97 wrench was offered in both plated and painted finishes, and remained in production for many years.

Fig. 12. Billings Model 97 Bicycle Wrench, with Inset for Patent Detail, ca. 1896 to 1915.

Fig. 12 shows a Billings model 97 bicycle wrench, marked "Billings & Spencer Co." and "Hartford, Conn." with the B-Triangle logo.

The overall length is 4.2 inches retracted and 5.7 inches fully extended. The finish is nickel plating, though extensively worn in some areas.

The inset shows the patent notice "Patented Sept. 29, 1896" on the back side, and the corresponding patent turns out to be #D26,111, a design patent issued to C.E. Billings.

The use of the earliest face markings suggests a production date in 1915 or earlier.

Fig. 13. Billings Model 97 Bicycle Wrench, with Inset for Patent Detail, ca. 1915-1926.

Fig. 13 shows a later example of the model 97 wrench, marked "Billings & Spencer Co." and "Hartford, Conn. U.S.A." with the B-Triangle logo.

The overall length is 4.3 inches retracted and 5.7 inches fully extended. The original black paint finish is still present in a few spots, though most has now been worn off.

The use of the standard early face markings suggests a production date in 1915-1926.

Model G 6 Inch Auto Wrench

The next several figures show examples of Billings Model G auto wrenches, a popular model series offered in a range of sizes.

Fig. 14. Billings Model G 6 Inch Auto Wrench, ca. 1915-1926.

Fig. 14 shows a Billings Model G 6 inch auto wrench, the smallest model of the series. The movable jaw is stamped "The Billings & Spencer Co." and "Hartford, Conn. U.S.A." with the B-Triangle logo.

The overall length is 6.3 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.4 inches. The finish is black paint.

The use of the standard early face markings suggests a production date in 1915-1926.

The 1919 Chandler & Farquhar catalog offered the model G auto wrench with nominal sizes ranging from 6 inches up to 18 inches. The model G was also available with a serrated pipe jaw instead of the flat jaw illustrated here.

Model G 8 Inch Auto Wrench

Fig. 15. Billings Model G 8 Inch Auto Wrench, ca. 1915-1926.

Fig. 15 shows a Billings Model G 8 inch auto wrench with a forged steel movable jaw, stamped "The Billings & Spencer Co." and "Hartford, Conn. U.S.A." with the B-Triangle logo.

The overall length is 7.8 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.2 inches. The finish is black paint.

The use of the standard early face markings suggests a production date in 1915-1926.

Model G 11 Inch Auto Wrench

Fig. 16. Billings Model G 11 Inch Auto Wrench, ca. 1915-1926.

Fig. 16 shows a Billings Model G 11 inch auto wrench in a slight different style than the previous example. The markings forged into the handle include the B-Triangle logo and "The Billings & Spencer Co. Hartford, Conn.", with "Made in U.S.A." partially obscured by the jaw.

The overall length is 11.0 inches, and the finish is black paint.

The use of the company name with a leading "THE" suggests a production date from 1915 to 1926.

The 1919 Chandler & Farquhar catalog offered the model G auto wrench in a range of sizes from 6 inches up to 18 inches, although this particular 11 inch model was not listed in that reference.

8 Inch Locking Adjustable "S" Wrench

Fig. 17. Billings 8 Inch Locking Adjustable "S" Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1915-1926.

Fig. 17 shows a Billings 8 inch adjustable "S" wrench with a locking mechanism of the Tomlinson design. The handle is marked "The Billings & Spencer Co." and "Hartford, Conn." in forged raised letters, with "Steel Drop Forging" and "8 In." on the back side.

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The use of the company name with a leading "THE" suggests a production date from 1915 to 1926.

Although this example isn't marked with a patent notice, the design is covered by patent #804,351, issued to W.R. Tomlinson in 1905. The patent describes the use of a threaded pin to provide a locking mechanism for the wrench.

8 Inch Curved-Handle Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 18. Billings 8 Inch Curved-Handle Adjustable Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail, ca. 1915-1926.

Fig. 18 shows a Billings 8 inch adjustable wrench with a curved handle, marked with "The Billings and Spencer Co." and "Hartford, Conn. U.S.A." forged into the shank, with "Treated Steel Forging 8 In." and the B-Triangle logo forged into the back side. (The leading "THE" of the company name has been partially removed by the hole drilled in the handle -- thanks to a sharp-eyed reader for spotting this.)

The overall length is 8.1 inches, and the finish is black paint.

The use of the company name with a leading "THE" suggests a production date from 1915 to 1926.

Pliers

Early [Model M] 6.5 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers

The next figures show two generations of the Billings 6.5 inch combination pliers.

Fig. 19. Billings Early [Model M] 6.5 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers, with Insets for Back Side and Side Views, ca. 1901-1915.

Fig. 19 shows an earlier pair of Billings [model M] 6.5 inch slip-joint combination pliers, stamped "Billings & Spencer Co." and "Hartford, Conn." with the B-Triangle logo near the pivot. Although not marked with a model number, these were identified as model M pliers by a catalog listing.

The overall length is 6.6 inches, and the finish is polished nickel, with some losses due to wear and rust.

The pliers are also marked with three patent dates, "Pat'd. Jan. 25, 1876", "Pat'd Mar. 25 1884", and "Pat'd. Mar. 12, 1901". The first date refers to patent #172,649, filed by A.A. Pease in 1876 and issued later that year.

The second date refers to patent #295,885, filed by H.S. Pullman in 1884 and issued later that year. This patent describes the mechanism used for the familiar slip-joint in pliers.

The last date corresponds to patent #669,721, filed by W.H. Bruce in 1900 and issued the following year. This patent describes a pair of slip-joint pliers with a hole for cutting wire, as well as the conventional side-cutting edges, making the pliers useful for both plumbing and electrical work. (The cutting hole is visible on the back side, near the pivot.)

The use of the earliest face markings suggests a production date in 1915 or earlier.

Fig. 20. Billings [Model M] 6.5 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers, ca. 1915-1926.

Fig. 20 shows a later pair of Billings [model M] 6.5 inch slip-joint combination pliers, marked "The Billings & Spencer Co." with "Hartford, Conn. U.S.A." and the B-Triangle logo. Although not marked with a model number, these were identified as model M pliers by a catalog listing.

The overall length is 6.6 inches, and the finish is a black oxide coating.

The use of the standard early face markings suggests a production date in 1915-1926.

The pliers are also marked with the patent date "Pat'd. Mar. 12 1901", which was found to be patent #669,721. The patent describes a pair of slip-joint pliers with a hole for cutting wire (not shown in photograph), as well as the conventional side-cutting edges, making the pliers useful for both plumbing and electrical work.

The 1923 Billings catalog offered the model M pliers at a price of $1.15 in oxide finish or $1.25 for nickel plate.

6.5 Inch Box-Joint Combination Pliers with Side Cutters

Fig. 21. Billings 6.5 Inch Box-Joint Combination Pliers with Side Cutters, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1915-1926.

Fig. 21 shows a pair of Billings 6.5 inch box-joint combination pliers with side-cutters, stamped "The Billings & Spencer Co." and "Hartford, Conn. U.S.A." with the B-Triangle logo. The undersides of the handles are marked with "The Billings & Spencer Co." forged into one handle, with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the other.

The overall length is 6.7 inches, and the finish is polished steel.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the box-joint construction and the dimpled gripping pattern on the handles. Note that the center of the dimpled pattern has a B-Triangle logo.

"Plirench" Slip-Joint Nut and Pipe Wrench

Fig. 22. Billings Plirench Slip-Joint Nut and Pipe Wrench, ca. 1930-1931.

Fig. 22 shows a Billings "Plirench" slip-joint nut and pipe plier-wrench, stamped "Plirench" and "Pat. Appl'd For" on the upper jaw, with "Made U.S.A." and the B-Triangle logo near the pivot.

The overall length is 6.9 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The pending status refers to patent #1,799,622, filed by W.S. Stuart in 1930 and issued in 1931.

Pin Spanners

No. 0 Adjustable Pin Spanner

Fig. 23. Billings No. 0 Adjustable Pin Spanner, with Inset for Back Side Detail, ca. 1915-1926.

Fig. 23 shows a Billings No. 0 adjustable pin spanner, marked with "The Billings & Spencer Co." and the B-Triangle logo forged into the handle, with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.

The overall length is 7.0 inches, and the finish is black paint. (The tool appears to have been repainted.)

The use of the company name with a leading "THE" suggests a production date from 1915 to 1926.

Although not marked with a patent notice, this tool is described by patent #738,015, filed by J.C. Dufresne in 1902 and issued in 1903.

No. 1 Adjustable Pin Spanner

Fig. 24. Billings No. 1 Adjustable Pin Spanner, with Inset for Back Side, ca. 1915-1926.

Fig. 24 shows a Billings No. 1 adjustable pin spanner, marked with "The Billings & Spencer Co." and the B-Triangle logo forged into the handle, with "No. 1" and "Patented Sept. 1st 1903" forged into the back side.

The overall length is 9.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel, with traces of black paint.

The use of the company name with a leading "THE" suggests a production date from 1915 to 1926.

The patent date refers to patent #738,015, filed by J.C. Dufresne in 1902 and issued in 1903.

No. 2 Adjustable Pin Spanner

Fig. 25. Early Billings No. 2 Adjustable Pin Spanner, with Inset for Back Side, ca. 1902-1903.

Fig. 25 shows a Billings No. 2 adjustable pin spanner, marked with "Billings & Spencer Co." and the B-Triangle logo forged into the handle, with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.

The overall length is 9.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel, with traces of black paint.

Although not marked with a patent notice, this tool is described by patent #738,015, filed by J.C. Dufresne in 1902 and issued in 1903.

The use of the company name without a leading "THE" suggests production before 1915, and the absence of a patent notice suggests a date from 1902 to 1903 for this tool.

Hammers

Ballpeen Hammer

Fig. 26. Billings Ballpeen Hammer, with Insets for Head and Handle Detail, ca. 1915-1926.

Fig. 26 shows a Billings ballpeen hammer, marked "The B. & S. Co." with the B-Triangle logo on the head, and with the Billings name and "Genuine Hickory" on the handle.

The hammer head is 4.7 inches long, and the overall length is 14.0 inches.

The use of the (abbreviated) company name with a leading "THE" suggests a production date from 1915 to 1926.

Small Ballpeen Hammer

Fig. 27. Billings Ballpeen Hammer, with Inset for Marking Detail.

Fig. 27 shows a later Billings ballpeen hammer, marked "Billings" on one side, with "Made U.S.A." and the B-Triangle logo on the back side.

The hammer head is 3.2 inches long, and the overall length is 12.0 inches.

No. 21 9 Inch Forged Screwdriver

Fig. 28. Billings No. 21 9 Inch Forged Screwdriver, with Inset for Marking Detail, ca. 1915-1926.

Fig. 28 shows a Billings No. 21 9 inch forged screwdriver, marked "The B&S Co." and "Made in U.S.A." with the B-Triangle logo forged into one flange, and with "Hartford, Conn. U.S.A." forged into the opposite flange. The shaft is stamped with the "No. 21" model number, as shown in the inset.

The overall length is 9.4 inches, and the tip is approximately 0.5 inches wide. The finish is plain steel with red paint on the flanges, although the paint may not be original.

The use of the company name with a leading "THE" suggests a production date from 1915 to 1926.