Coes Wrench Company

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Coes Wrench Company was the quintessential 19th century maker of screw-adjusting wrenches, with roots going back to an 1840s partnership between brothers Loring and Aury Gates Coes.

Company History

Fig. 1. 1888 Advertisement for L. Coes "Knife Handle" Wrenches.

The scan in Fig. 1 shows an ad for L. Coes "Knife Handle" patent wrenches, as published on page 73 of the June 14, 1888 issue of The Iron Age.

The text notes that the wrenches were manufactured by the Coes Wrench Company, and provides the patent dates for the 1880 and 1884 "knife handle" patents.

The sales agent is noted as J.C. McCarty & Company of New York. This ad ran frequently in The Iron Age.

Fig. 2. 1907 Advertisement for Coes Wrench Company. [External Link]

Fig. 2 shows an advertisement for the Coes Wrench Company, as published on page 47 of the 1907 Railway Shop Up To Date.

Patents

Trademarks

References and Resources

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

The Coes Wrench Company and the earlier Coes brothers operations are listed in American Wrench Makers 1830-1930, 2nd Edition by Kenneth Cope (Astragal Press, 2002). The book includes information on the early history of the companies, and shows illustrations of some of their early products.

Catalog Resources

Industrial Distributors

Coes wrenches were widely available from industrial distributors, and we'll add references as time permits.

Selected Tools

We have several examples of Coes wrenches and are preparing them for display.

Coes Wrench 10 Inch "Knife Handle" Screw-Adjusting Wrench

In 1880 Loring Coes received patent 229,673 for a method of attaching a wooden handle to a screw-adjusting wrench, which was followed by an improved design in the 1884 patent 301,681.

These two patents were widely used for the company's "Knife Handle" wrenches.

Fig. 3. 1891 Catalog Listing for Coes Wrenches.

The scan in Fig. 3 shows a catalog listing for Coes "Knife Handle" wrenches, as published on page 81 of the 1891 John H. Graham & Company catalog.

The wrenches were offered in either black or bright finish in sizes 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, and 21 inches.

Fig. 4. Coes Wrench "Knife Handle" 10 Inch Screw-Adjusting Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1890s.

Fig. 4 shows a Coes Wrench "Knife Handle" 10 inch screw-adjusting wrench, stamped with "Coes Wrench Co." and "Worcester, Mass. U.S.A." on the upper jaw, with "Mfd. Under L. Coes Pats." and "Steel" on the back side.

The overall length is 10.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The "L. Coes Pats." marking is likely a reference to the Coes 1880 patent 229,673 and 1884 patent 301,681, which describe the wooden "knife" handle.

Coes Wrench 15 Inch "Knife Handle" Screw-Adjusting Wrench

Fig. 5. Coes Wrench "Knife Handle" 15 Inch Screw-Adjusting Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1900s.

Fig. 5 shows a Coes Wrench "Knife Handle" 15 inch screw-adjusting wrench, stamped with "Coes Wrench Co." and "-Steel- Worcester, Mass." on the upper jaw, with "L. Coes" and "Patd. Apr. 30, 1895 May 15, 1900" on the back side.

The overall length is 14.8 inches and the maximum opening is 2.6 inches. The finish is plain steel.

The first patent date refers to patent 538,411, filed by Loring Coes and Frederic L. Coes on September 26, 1894.

The second patent date refers to design patent D32,656, filed by Loring Coes on April 16, 1900.