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Keystone Manufacturing was a tool maker operating in Buffalo, New York. The company's products included ratchets, ratchet drills, adjustable wrenches, and socket sets. One of their better-known products was the Westcott adjustable "S" wrench, originally produced by the Westcott company but made by Keystone from about 1900 onward.
Keystone Manufacturing was in business by 1892, based on the notice in Fig. 1, published on page 585 of the September 29, 1892 issue of The Iron Age.
The text notes the election of the board of directors and officers of the company, with G.A. Schaefer as president.
Fig. 2 shows an early ad for Keystone ratchet wrenches, as published on page 61 of the December 28, 1893 issue of The Iron Age.
Fig. 3 shows another ad for Keystone Manufacturing, as published on page 130 of the May 8, 1902 issue of The Iron Age. The illustration shows a "Monarch" ratchet drill and Westcott "S" pipe and nut wrenches.
Patent No. | Inventor | Filed | Issued | Notes and Examples |
---|---|---|---|---|
446,072 | C.H. Myers | 11/14/1889 | 02/10/1891 | Combined ratchet and screwdriver |
539,423 | J. Emig | 04/10/1894 | 05/21/1895 | Ratchet drill |
1,534,537 | E.S. Miller | 05/20/1924 | 04/21/1925 | Holder for Socket Wrench Sets |
1,671,159 | E.S. Miller et al | 06/30/1925 | 05/29/1928 | Holder for Socket Wrench Sets |
1,694,444 | E.S. Miller et al | 06/27/1925 | 12/25/1928 | Holder for Socket Wrench Sets |
1,761,263 | F.A. Haist | 08/09/1927 | 06/03/1930 | Method of Making Ratchet Wrenches |
2,199,984 | C.H. Chur | 11/07/1938 | 05/07/1940 | Wrench Set Holder |
In 1907 Keystone received the "Westcott" trademark #62,642 on May 21 for pipe and nut wrenches, the "Monarch" trademark #63,021 on June 4 for hand ratchets, and the "Keystone" trademark #63,022 on June 4 for hand ratchets and nail sets.
Text Mark or Logo | Reg. No. | First Use | Date Filed | Date Issued | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Westcott | 62,642 | 01/01/1897 | 02/23/1907 | 05/21/1907 | Pipe and nut wrenches |
Monarch | 63,021 | 02/21/1907 | 06/04/1907 | Hand ratchets | |
Keystone | 63,022 | 01/01/1897 | 02/21/1907 | 06/04/1907 | Hand ratchets and nail sets |
SocKit | 190,109 | 02/16/1924 | 03/27/1924 | 10/07/1924 | Kits of socket wrenches
Serial 194,543. Published 07/29/1924. |
Photographs and observations of particular tools are based on items in the Alloy Artifacts Collection.
Fig. 4 shows a Westcott No. 78 8 inch adjustable "S" wrench, marked with "Westcott" and "The Keystone Mfg. Co." forged into the handle. The lower inset shows the model number and size forged into the reverse side, which is also marked "Buffalo NY USA" (not shown).
The overall length is 7.9 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.1 inches. The finish is black paint.
Fig. 5 shows a Westcott No. 80 10 inch adjustable "S" wrench, marked with "Westcott" and "The Keystone Mfg. Co." cast into the handle, with "10 Inch No. 80" and "Buffalo NY USA" cast into the reverse.
The overall length is 10.2 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.5 inches. The finish is black paint.
Fig. 6 shows a Westcott No. 82 12 inch adjustable "S" wrench, marked with "Westcott" and "The Keystone Mfg. Co." cast into the handle, with "12 Inch No. 82" and "Buffalo NY USA" cast into the reverse.
The overall length is 11.8 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.7 inches. The finish is black paint.
Fig. 7 shows a 1/2-hex drive Keystone M1555 ratchet, with "Ratchet Wrench" forged in the handle, and with "The Keystone Mfg. Co." and "Buffalo, N.Y. U.S.A." on the reverse.
The overall length is 7.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel.
The next several figures show a Keystone 1/2-hex drive socket set in a folding metal case.
Fig. 8 shows a 1/2-hex drive Keystone socket set in a compact folding case, as seen from the side and top. The set consists of an M1555 ratchet, an ell handle, eight sockets, and the metal case.
In Fig. 9 the metal holder has been opened to show the sockets in place. Note how the sides have been folded over and cut with scalloped openings to secure the sockets in place.
The sockets are broached with 12-point openings. The socket sizes are, from the left, 15/16, 7/8, 3/4, 11/16, 5/8, 9/16, 1/2, and 7/16.
Fig. 10 shows the 1/2-hex drive M1555 ratchet and ell handle from the Keystone socket set.
The ratchet is shown with the 1/2-hex drive stud. The forged handle has raised-letter markings "Ratchet Wrench M1555" on one side, with "The Keystone Mfg. Co." and "Buffalo, N.Y. U.S.A." on the reverse. The overall length is 7.5 inches.
The ell handle is unmarked and has an overall length of 7.1 inches. The straight end of the handle does not have stop tabs, making it possible to push the handle through the ratchet for use as an extension.
Fig. 11 shows a closeup of three 1/2-hex drive sockets from the Keystone set. The sockets have a band of cross-hatched knurling around the base, and are marked with only the fractional sizes.
The sizes are, from the left, 7/16, 5/8, and 15/16.
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