H-P Tool Manufacturing Corporation

The H-P Tool Manufacturing Corporation was a maker of chisels, punches, wrenches, and other tools, operating in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and active during the latter part of the 20th century. The company sold products under the H-P and "Blue Line" brands, the latter being a registered trademark issued in 1961.

Tool Identification

HP-Shield Logo

Fig. 183. HP-Shield Logo.

Fig. 183 shows the HP-Shield logo, as found stamped on a tool.

H-P Tool "Blue Line" CW-22 11/16 Combination Wrench

Fig. 184. H-P Tool "Blue Line" CW-22 11/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 184 shows an H-P Tool "Blue Line" CW-22 11/16 combination wrench, stamped with "Blue Line" and the H-P Shield logo on the shank.

The overall length is 8.3 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

H-P Tool "Blue Line" CW-24 3/4 Combination Wrench

Fig. 185. H-P Tool "Blue Line" CW-24 3/4 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 185 shows an H-P Tool "Blue Line" CW-24 3/4 combination wrench, stamped with "Blue Line" and the H-P Shield logo on the shank.

The overall length is 9.3 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

H-P Tool Four-Way Offset Screwdriver

Fig. 186. H-P Tool Four-Way Offset Screwdriver.

Fig. 186 shows an H-P Tool four-way offset screwdriver, stamped "H-P Tool Corp." on the center face.

The overall length is 5.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

H & E Wrench Company

The H & E Wrench Company (sometimes written as HandE) operated in New Bedford, Massachusetts as a maker of slide-adjusting nut and pipe wrenches. The company was founded in the early 1920s by G.E. Hemphill and E.J. Evans, two inventors who provided the patents for the wrenches as well as the "H" and "E" for the name.

The company's slide-adjusting nut wrench was described by patent 1,391,179, filed by Evans and Hemphill in 1920 and issued on September 20, 1921. This patent was assigned to the Universal Tool Company, a Utah corporation and presumably an earlier venture by the inventors.

A slide-adjusting pipe wrench operating on similar principles is described by patent 1,449,386, filed by Evans and Hemphill in 1922 and issued on March 27, 1923.

H & E Wrench "HandE" 10 Inch Slide-Adjusting Nut Wrench

Fig. 187. H & E Wrench 10 Inch Slide-Adjusting Nut Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1920s.

Fig. 187 shows an H & E "HandE" 10 inch slide-adjusting nut wrench, stamped "HandE Wrench Co." and "New Bedford, Mass." on the fixed jaw, with a "Pat'd Sept. 20, 1921" patent date at the top (see middle inset).

The overall length is 10.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The patent date refers to patent 1,391,179, filed by Evans and Hemphill in 1920 and issued on that date.

Handee Wrench Manufacturing Company

The Handee Wrench Manufacturing Company operated in Mansfield, Ohio during the mid to late 1920s. The company's main product was an eight-way multi-socket wrench described by patent 1,571,148, filed by John Sisolak in 1924 and issued in 1926.

Handee Wrench 7 Inch 8-Way Multi-Socket Wrench

Fig. 188. Handee Wrench 7 Inch 8-Way Multi-Socket Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail, ca. Mid 1920s.

Fig. 188 shows a Handee Wrench 8-way multi-socket wrench in the 7 inch nominal size, marked with "The Handee" forged into the shank, with "Mansfield Ohio" forged into the back side.

The overall length is 7.1 inches, and the finish is black paint.

The socket sizes are 11/16, 3/4, 13/16, and 7/8 on the left cluster, with 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, and 5/8 on the right cluster.

Although not marked with a patent notice, this tool is covered by patent 1,571,148, issued to J. Sisolak in 1926.

Handee Wrench 8 Inch 8-Way Multi-Socket Wrench

Fig. 189. Handee Wrench 8 Inch 8-Way Multi-Socket Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail, ca. 1924-1926.

Fig. 189 shows a Handee Wrench 8-way multi-socket wrench in the 8 inch nominal size, marked with "The Handee" and "Pat Appld" forged into the shank, with "Mansfield Ohio" forged into the back side.

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

The (measured) socket sizes are 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, and 5/8 on the left cluster, with 3/4, 7/8, 15/16, and 1 inch on the right cluster.

The patent pending status refers to patent 1,571,148, filed by J. Sisolak in 1924 and issued in 1926.

Hartford Special Machinery Company

The Hartford Special Machinery Company operated in Hartford, Connecticut and is currently known only for the unusual pliers in the next figure.

Hartford Special Machinery Ring-Forming Pliers

Fig. 190. Hartford Special Machinery Ring-Forming Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.

Fig. 190 shows a pair of Hartford Special Machinery patented ring-forming pliers, stamped "The Hartford Special Machinery Co" and "Hartford, Conn. U.S.A." on the underside of one handle. The other handle is stamped with a "Pat. No. 1067876 Hartford, CT." patent notice (see middle inset).

The overall length is 6.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The lower left inset shows a closeup of one jaw, illustrating the round groove used to form a wire ring. The tip of the jaw appears to have been chipped off.

The patent notice refers to the patent 1,067,876, issued to J. Merritt in 1913.

Hawkeye Wrench Company

The Hawkeye Wrench Company was a tool maker operating in Marshalltown, Iowa during the early 20th century. The company is best known for a line of alligator wrenches with thread-cutting dies in the center.

The Hawkeye alligator wrenches were based on the Benesh 1903 patent 720,554, filed by C. Benesh in 1902.

By 1904 the wrenches were in production and were being advertised, as the next figure indicates.

Fig. 191. 1904 Ad for Hawkeye Wrench.

Fig. 191 shows an ad for the Hawkeye wrench, as published on page 192 of the September 1, 1904 issue of The Iron Age.

Fig. 192. 1905 Ad for Hawkeye Wrench.

Fig. 192 shows another ad for the Hawkeye wrench, as published on page 10 of the July 1, 1905 issue of Domestic Engineering.

Hawkeye Wrench "Crocodile" 8 Inch Alligator Wrench with Thread-Cutting Dies

Fig. 193. Hawkeye Wrench "Crocodile" 8 Inch Alligator Wrench.

Fig. 193 shows a Hawkeye Wrench "Crocodile" 8 inch alligator wrench, stamped "Hawkeye Wrench Co." and "Marshalltown, IA." on one end, with "Crocodile" and "Made in U.S.A." on the other end.

The overall length is 8.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The center of the wrench is equipped with three thread-cutting dies, marked for size and pitch 5/16-18, 1/2-13, and 3/8-16.

One end of the wrench is equipped with a screwdriver tip, the defining feature for the "Crocodile" models.

Henry & Allen Company

The Henry & Allen Company was founded in 1898 as a maker of agricultural implements and operated in Auburn, New York.

Fig. 194. 1898 Notice of Incorporation for Henry & Allen. [External Link]

Fig. 194 shows a notice of incorporation for Henry & Allen, as published on page 20 of the September 15, 1898 issue of The Farm Implement News.

The text notes the company capital as $25,000, and the directors are listed as William J. and Mary E. Henry along with Gorton W. and Ada R. Allen.

The company's early products included mower and reaper knives, and in later years the company produced tools such as tin snips and pipe wrenches.

Fig. 195. 1923 Ad for Henry & Allen Pipe Wrench.

The scan in Fig. 195 shows an ad for a Henry & Allen Stillson-pattern pipe wrench, as published on page 82 [External Link] of the September 29, 1923 issue of Domestic Engineering.

Trademarks

In 1923 Henry & Allen filed a trademark application for "HA" in a stylized (slanted) font, and the company received trademark #176,557 on November 27, 1923.

Henry & Allen 14 Inch Stillson-Pattern Pipe Wrench

Fig. 196. Henry & Allen 14 Inch Stillson-Pattern Pipe Wrench, with Insets for Edge View and Marking Detail, ca. 1920s.

Fig. 196 shows a Henry & Allen 14 inch Stillson-pattern pipe wrench, marked with "Stillson Wrench Mfd By Henry & Allen" and "Auburn, NY U.S.A." stamped on the handle, and with the company's "HA" trademark forged into the movable jaw.

The overall length is 12.0 inches closed and 14.2 inches fully extended.

The finish is plain steel.

Hi-Test Premier Products, Inc.

Hi-Test Premier Products was an importer and mail-order retailer of tools and other goods operating in New York City. Online references report the company address as 361 Broadway in New York City.

The company was in business by the late 1950s based on copyright filings for its catalogs, and operations are believed to have continued into the 1970s.

Fig. 197. 1957 Notice of Copyright. [External Link]

Fig. 197 shows a notice of a copyright application for catalog No. 57, as published on page 1181 of the 1957 Catalog of Copyright Entries.

As an importer the company arranged for contract production of tools marked with its "Hi-Test" brand, and is believed to have sourced tools primarily from Japanese manufacturers, although products from Poland and Spain have been reported as well.

Tools known to have been offered include adjustable wrenches, open-end wrenches, socket sets, pliers, and vises.

Fig. 198. 1959 Notice of FTC Action. [External Link]

Fig. 198 shows a notice of a "cease and desist" enforcement action by the FTC regarding Dutch masonry drills, as published on page 2140 of the 1959 Federal Trade Commission Decisions.

From this notice we can add masonry drills to the list of known products, and the Netherlands as a known country of origin.

Currently we don't have much information on Hi-Test beyond what is noted above. If any of our readers have a copy of any of the company's catalogs, please let us know via email.

Trademarks

Hi-Test Premier Products registered "PRO-FORGE" as trademark #831,768 on July 11, 1967 for use with long-nose pliers.

Hi-Test 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 199. Hi-Test 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Inset for Back Side.

Fig. 199 shows a Hi-Test 8 inch adjustable wrench, marked with "Hi-Test" and "Chrome Molybdenum" forged into the front, with "Fully Drop-Forged" and "Highest J.I.S. Indust. Stand." plus the JIS-Circle logo forged into the back side.

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The Japanese maker of this wrench has been identified as the Yamaco Company.

Hibbard Spencer Bartlett & Company

Hibbard Spencer Bartlett (sometimes abbreviated H.S.B.) was a major wholesaler and retailer of hardware goods from the mid 19th century onward. The company sold tools and other hardware under both the manufacturer's brands and under several of their own brands, including the True Value line of hardware still known today.

One of the company's well-known brands from the early 20th century was called "Revonoc" or "Rev-O-Noc", a reversed form of the name Conover. In 1906 the company registered "Rev-O-Noc" as trademark #54,059.

This brand was probably derived from the name of Charles Hopkins Conover, a long-time employee of the company who began in 1871 as a buyer and in 1914 became the company's president. (Background information on Conover was found in a 1914 Annual Report published by the Chicago Historical Society.)

Trademarks

Revonoc (H.S.B.) 10 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers

Fig. 200. Revonoc (H.S.B.) 10 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. Early 1900s.

Fig. 200 shows a pair of early Revonoc 10 inch Button's pattern pliers, stamped with the Revonoc brand and "H.S.B. & Co." near the pivot.

The overall length is 9.9 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

"Hibbard's True Value" 6 Inch Bent Thin-Nose Combination Pliers

Fig. 201. "Hibbard's True Value" 6 Inch Bent Thin-Nose Pliers, with Insets for Back Side, Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1930s.

Fig. 201 shows a pair of Hibbard 6 inch bent thin-nose combination pliers, stamped with "Hibbard's True Value" in a script font near the pivot.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the dimpled gripping pattern.

The overall length is 6.7 inches. The finish is plain steel with pitting due to rust, but with traces of nickel plating.

The company registered "Hibbard's True Value" as trademark #297,084 on August 30, 1932.

Hinckley-Myers Company

The Hinckley-Myers Company operated in Chicago, Illinois as maker of automobile specialty equipment and tools. Their products included items such as cylinder reboring machines, and their customers were probably automobile dealers and repair shops. Currently we don't have much information on the company, but have found a few references in trade publications from the 1920s and 1930s.

Some later references to the company give a location in Jackson, Michigan, suggesting that the company may have moved, or possibly opened a branch office.

Hinckley-Myers J956 1/2x1/2 Tappet Wrench

Fig. 202. Hinckley-Myers J956 1/2x1/2 Tappet Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Marking Detail, 1934.

Fig. 202 shows a Hinckley-Myers J956 1/2x1/2 tappet wrench, marked with "J956" and "Tappet Adj." forged into the shank, with "Hinckley-Myers" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side. The shank is also marked with a forged-in code "EZ..." at the right, which closely resembles the format of the Bonney Date Code.

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.

The forged-in code and general construction of this wrench allow us to identify the maker as Bonney Forge & Tool, and an example of the equivalent Bonney model can be seen as the Bonney CV 402 Tappet Wrench. The "Z" year code in the Bonney date code system would indicate production in 1934.

Hinckley-Myers J552-2 9/16x9/16 Tappet Wrench

Fig. 203. Hinckley-Myers J552-2 9/16x9/16 Tappet Wrench, with Inset for Back Side, 1935.

Fig. 203 shows a Hinckley-Myers J552-2 9/16x9/16 tappet wrench, marked with "HM Co" and the model number on the shank, with "Chrome-Vanadium" on the back side. The shank is also marked with a forged-in code "BM..." at the left, which closely resembles the format of the Bonney Date Code.

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The forged-in code and general construction of this wrench allow us to identify the maker as Bonney Forge & Tool, and an example of the equivalent Bonney model can be seen as the Bonney CV 403 Tappet Wrench. The "M" year code in the Bonney date code would indicate production in 1935.

Hoe Corporation

Fig. 204A. 1924 Ad for Hoe Self-Adjusting Pipe Wrench.

The Hoe Corporation was founded in Poughkeepsie, New York by 1919 and initially operated as the maker of ironing boards.

By the mid 1920s the company was producing a self-adjusting pipe wrench patented by F.P. Robert. The Robert wrench design was originally produced by the Robert Wrench Company of New York City, but the patent rights were later acquired by the Hoe Corporation.

The scan in Fig. 204A shows an ad for the Hoe No. 8 self-adjusting pipe wrench, as published on page 110 [External Link] of the May, 1924 edition of Popular Science Monthly.

A 1924 directory published by the A.S.M.E. listed Robert Hoe as the president of the Hoe Corporation, and a member directory for the Harvard Club of New York City listed Robert Hoe in the class of 1900.

Fig. 204B. 1924 Ad for Hoe All-Purpose Wrench.

Fig. 204B shows a full-page ad for Hoe "All-Purpose" wrenches, as published on the front cover of the December, 1924 edition of Hardware News.

The illustration shows the Hoe wrenches in four sizes, including a small model with a wooden handle.

The text notes the drop-forged construction and lists the available sizes as 6, 8, 10, 14, 18, and 24 inches.

Other Products

In addition to wrenches, the Hoe Corporation also produced domestic appliances such as clothes washers, ironing boards, and ironing machines.

A 1925 edition of the Hendricks' Commercial Register listed the Hoe Corporation as the maker of an ironing machine.

A 1927 compilation of trade names listed the Hoe Corporation as the maker of "Merybel" and "Meryway" clothes washers.

Trademarks

The Hoe Corporation filed a trademark application on April 6, 1921 for "ALUMOPRESBORD" in a design like an ironing board, with the first use date given as July 24, 1919. The application was published with serial 145,784 on December 27, 1921, and the trademark was issued as #152,823 on March 7 of 1922.

Hoe 14 Inch Self-Adjusting Pipe Wrench

Fig. 204. Hoe 14 Inch Self-Adjusting Pipe Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail, ca. 1920s.

Fig. 204 shows a Hoe 14 inch self-adjusting pipe wrench, marked with "Hoe Corporation" and "Poughkeepsie, N.Y." forged into the shank, and with "Patented Feb. 21 1922" on the back side.

The overall length is 15.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The patent date refers to patent 1,407,578, filed by Frederic P. Robert in 1921 and issued in 1922.

A similar but earlier example of this design can be seen as the Robert Wrench Self-Adjusting Pipe Wrench.

Hol-Set Manufacturing Corporation

The Hol-Set Manufacturing Corporation was a maker of socket wrenches operating in Rochester, New York during the 1920s. Its primary product was a hex-drive brace wrench designed so that the sockets could be stored on the wrench shank.

The Hol-Set brace wrench was based on patent 1,662,424, filed in 1922 by J.J. Judge and issued in 1928. We found this patent by accident and immediately recognized the tool from the patent illustration.

Fig. 205. 1928 Catalog Listing for [Hol-Set] "Combination Wrench Set".

By 1928 the Hol-Set wrench was available from Montgomery Ward.

The scan in Fig. 205 shows a catalog listing for a "Combination Wrench Set", as published on page 481 of the 1928 Montgomery Ward Spring and Summer catalog.

The illustrated set is easily recognizable as the Hol-Set brace socket wrench set.

Hol-Set 1/2-Hex Drive Brace Socket Wrench Set

Fig. 206A. 1930 Catalog Listing for Hol-Set Wrenches.

The Hol-Set tools were apparently still available in 1930.

The scan in Fig. 206A shows an illustration of the Hol-Set wrench set, as published on page 230 of the 1930 H. Channon catalog No. 101.

The illustration shows the set with six standard sockets, one deep socket, a universal joint, a valve grinder attachment, and a separate Ell-handle.

The set was offered for a $4.50 price.

Fig. 206. Hol-Set 1/2-Hex Drive Brace Socket Wrench Set, with Inset for Marking Detail, ca. 1922-1928.

Fig. 206 shows a Hol-Set brace socket wrench set, consisting of a 1/2-hex drive brace wrench with four hex sockets stored on the shank, plus a universal joint (not pictured).

The circular end piece is stamped "Hol-Set Mfg. Corp." and "Rochester, N.Y." around the outside, with "Pat's Appl'd For" and "Made in U.S.A." near the center (see inset).

The overall length is 20.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The wrench set came supplied with a hanging hook visible near the center, a nice convenience feature.

The sockets acquired with the set consist of three standard sockets and one deep socket; however, as might be expected by the extra space on the shank, the original set included more sizes (see below). The sizes in the photograph are, from the left, 5/8, 3/4, 7/8, and 31/32 (deep). The sockets are unmarked, and the finish is plain steel.

The patent applied notation is a reference to patent 1,662,424, filed in 1922 by J.J. Judge and issued in 1928. The pending status suggests production between 1922 and 1928, assuming that the company would have marked the patent number or date once issued.

Hol-Set 1/2-Hex Drive Universal

Fig. 207. Hol-Set 1/2-Hex Universal, with Inset for End View, ca. 1920s.

Fig. 207 shows the unmarked 1/2-hex drive universal joint from the Hol-Set brace socket wrench set, accidentally omitted from the group photograph in the previous figure.

The overall length is 1.8 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The universal is missing the detent ball for its drive stud, as can be seen by the empty hole. This is easy enough to repair, requiring just a ball bearing of the right size and a small spring.

Hudson Forge Company

We added this entry as a place to display tools bearing the "Hudson Forge" marking, but have suspected for some time that the "Hudson Forge Co" was a brand rather than an actual tool company.

This suspicion was recently (2021) confirmed with the discovery of trademark #230,183, which displays the text "Hudson Forge Co" in a circular logo. The trademark was issued to the W.T. Grant Company in 1927.

Fig. 208. 1927 Listing for 'Hudson Forge Co' Trademark 230,183.

Fig. 208 shows the listing for trademark #230,183, as published on page 311 of the July 12, 1927 issue of the Official Gazette. The image shows the text "Hudson Forge Co" along curved arcs.

The trademark was filed by the W.T. Grant Company on May 3, 1927 and issued on July 12, 1927.

The W.T. Grant Company was a department store and mail-order retailer, similar in operation to Sears, Roebuck but on a smaller scale.

Hudson Forge 723 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 209. Hudson Forge 723 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail.

Fig. 209 shows a Hudson Forge 723 3/8x7/16 open-end wrench, stamped "Hudson Forge Co." on the shank, with "Made in U.S.A." on the back side.

The overall length is 4.3 inches.

Hudson Forge 94A 5/8x3/4 Tappet or Check-Nut Wrench

Fig. 210. Hudson Forge 94A 5/8x3/4 Check-Nut Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail.

Fig. 210 shows a Hudson Forge 94A 5/8x3/4 tappet or check-nut wrench, stamped "Hudson Forge Co." on the shank, with "Made in U.S.A." on the back side.

The overall length is 8.0 inches.

Hudson Forge Slip-Joint Thin-Nose Pliers

Fig. 211. Hudson Forge Slip-Joint Thin-Nose Pliers, with Insets for Nose and Handle Detail.

Fig. 211 shows a pair of Hudson Forge thin-nose pliers, stamped "Hudson Forge Co." and "Made in U.S.A." near the pivot.

The overall length is 6.5 inches.

The gripping pattern on these pliers closely resembles the checkered pattern used by the J.P. Danielson Company, which provided contract manufacturing for a number of companies, including Sears, Roebuck. See for example the Fulton Thin-nosed Pliers made by Danielson for the Sears Fulton brand.

George L. Hunt Manufacturing Company

The George L. Hunt Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1920 in Boscobel, Wisconsin and is known primarily as a maker of gear pullers.

Fig. 212. 1920 Notice for George L. Hunt Manufacturing Company. [External Link]

Fig. 212 shows a notice of the incorporation of the George L. Hunt Manufacturing Company, as published on page 1245 of the November 4, 1920 issue of The Iron Age.

The capital was noted as $25,000, and the principals were listed as George L. Hunt, H.E.G. Kemp, and Charles A. Blair.

In 1922 George L. Hunt filed a patent application for a gear puller, and the patent was issued as 1,456,735 in 1923, with assignment to the George L. Hunt Manufacturing Company. Gear pullers became an important product for the company.

By 1926 the company was doing well enough to retain an agent to handle foreign sales.

Fig. 213. 1926 Notice for George L. Hunt Manufacturing Company. [External Link]

Fig. 213 shows a notice of the appointment of Benjamin Hacker as the manager for foreign sales, as published on page 120 of the June, 1926 edition of American Exporter.

The text notes the company as a maker of gear pullers, mechanics' tools, and garage equipment.

Operations in Davenport, Iowa

In 1927 Hunt established the George L. Hunt Automotive Equipment Company in Davenport, Iowa.

H.D. Hunter & Company

H.D. Hunter & Company was established around 1950 in Los Angeles as the maker of a screw-holding screwdriver, and initially operated at 3499 East 22nd Street in Los Angeles.

Hunter's screw-holding screwdriver was described and illustrated in a notice published on page 286 of the April 20, 1950 issue of Hardware Age, which noted its patented design based on a rotating pin within the shaft. The screwdriver was based on the 1943 Hagness patent 2,324,153, which describes a small rotating blade within a hollow screwdriver shaft. Hunter referred to their product as "Magic-Tip" screwdrivers.

The Hagness patent is similar to other patents for screw-holding screwdrivers, including the 1930 Mueller patent 1,781,470 and the 1939 Pearson patent 2,150,184. The Mueller patent is not known to have been produced, but Pearson patent screw-holding (or screw-starting) screwdrivers are known to have been sold by New Britain Machine and other companies. An example can be seen as the New Britain SS-5 Screw Starter.

"Smitty" Folding Hex Driver Set

By late 1950 the company had begun offering a line of "Smitty" folding hex driver sets based on design patent D156,677, issued in 1949 to Benjamin H. Smith. These sets offered multiple (typically five or six) hex drivers that folded into a handle for storage, similar to a jackknife.

Compared to the alternative of loose Allen wrenches, the Smitty sets offered convenient storage for commonly used sizes, and the metal holder provided a handle for the driver in use. The 1964 Hunter Tools catalog claimed that the Smitty sets were the first to use the idea of folding hex key sets, which had become popular by that time.

Fig. 214. 1954 Ad for Hunter "Smitty" Folding Hex Drivers.

The scan in Fig. 214 shows an ad for Hunter "Smitty" folding hex drivers and other tools, as published on page 345 of the October, 1954 issue of Popular Mechanics.

By this time the company referred to itself as "Hunter Tools" and was located in Whittier, California.

By 1960 the company was located at 9851 Alburtis Avenue in Santa Fe Springs, California.

Hunter Industries

By the mid 1960s the company was operating as the Hunter Tools division of Hunter Industries. A Hunter Tools catalog from 1964 (available for Download from the ITCL) provides a long list of Hunter family members within the company, making it clear that this is the successor to the earlier H.D. Hunter & Company entity. The catalog lists "Magic-Top" and regular screwdrivers, "Smitty" hex driver sets, hex drivers, nut drivers, pliers, wire strippers, and various other tools.

A separate Hunter Tools catalog 1964a-1965a (also available for Download from the ITCL) lists a wide variety of specialized pliers and assembly tools for the electronics industry.

By 1964 "Magic-Tip" screwdrivers were being offered in the Sears Craftsman tool catalog.

Marshall Industries

By the early 1970s Hunter Tools had become a division of Marshall Industries, a major distributor of electronic components based in Marshall, Indiana. We haven't found a precise date for the acquisition by Marshall, but the trade press provides numerous references to Hunter Tools as a division of Marshall from 1971 onward.

As a division of Marshall, Hunter Tools listed its address as 9674 Telstar Avenue in El Monte, California.

Marshall Industries filed a trademark application for "Hunter Tools" in 1974.

Later Operations

In 1979 Hunter Tools was acquired by K-D Tools, a well-known maker of automotive specialty tools. By the late 1980s K-D had been acquired by EASCO, and EASCO continued to use the Hunter brand.

EASCO was later swept into the Danaher conglomerate and ultimately bundled into the Apex Tool Group.

Trademarks

On October 7, 1974 Marshall Industries filed a trademark application for "Hunter Tools" in a design with a stylized hand, with the first use date given as May of 1974. The application was published with serial #33,861 on November 9, 1976, and the applicable tools were listed as pliers, screwdrivers, hammers, socket wrenches, knives, and scissors. The trademark was issued as #1,057,411 on February 1, 1977.

Selected Tools

Smitty P-5 Folding Hex Driver Set

Fig. 215. 1964 Catalog Listing for "Smitty" Folding Hex Drivers.

The scan in Fig. 215 shows a catalog listing for "Smitty" folding hex drivers, as published on page 8 of the 1964 Hunter Tools catalog. (The 1964 Hunter Tools catalog is available for Download from the ITCL.)

The text box in the upper right corner claims that the "Smitty" folding driver sets were the originator of this type of tool, which later became popular and were widely copied by other tool companies. In later years folding key sets provided spline and Torx drivers as well as hex drivers.

Fig. 216. Smitty P-5 Folding Hex Driver Set, with Insets for Top and Bottom View, ca. Early 1950s.

Fig. 216 shows a "Smitty" P-5 folding hex driver set with five drivers, stamped with "H.D. Hunter & Co." and "Los Angeles 23, Cal." plus "Made in U.S.A." on the bottom.

The driver sizes are not marked, but based on a catalog listing are 3/32, 1/8, 5/32, 3/16, and 7/32.

The set is also marked with a patent number, a reference to design patent D156,677, issued to Benjamin H. Smith in 1949.

The Los Angeles marking suggests that this example was produced in the early 1950s, before the move to Whittier.

Imperial Tool Company

The Imperial Tool Company was founded in Bloomington, Illinois in 1915 as the maker of an "Any Angle" adjustable wrench and other tools.

Fig. 217. 1915 Notice for Imperial Tool Company. [External Link]

Fig. 217 shows a notice of the founding of Imperial Tool, as published on page 24 of the March 6, 1915 issue of American Artisan and Hardware Record.

The text notes the founders as A.C. Eddy, C.C. Gilliland, and J.E. Ijams.

Bovee Patent Wrenches

In 1916 Ransom Y. Bovee was granted patent 1,205,149 for an adjustable wrench with a novel handle arrangement that allowed the handle to be set at different angles. The patent document notes an assignment to the Imperial Tool Company of Bloomington, Illinois, and based on published references, the initial production of the "Any Angle" wrench was by Imperial Tool.

Fig. 218. 1915 Notice for Imperial Tool Company Wrenches. [External Link]

Fig. 218 shows a notice for three wrenches produced by the Imperial Tool Company, as published on page 995 of the May 6, 1915 issue of The Iron Age.

The middle illustration shows the "Any Angle" wrench.

In addition to the "Any Angle" patent, Ransom Bovee also received patent 1,125,946 for a pipe wrench, and patent 1,240,171 for another pipe wrench design. This second pipe wrench patent resembles the third wrench in the illustration.

Fig. 219. 1918 Notice for Imperial "Any Angle" Wrench. [External Link]

Fig. 219 shows a notice for the Imperial "Any Angle" wrench, as published on page 55 of the March, 1918 issue of Iron Tradesman.

The illustration shows the ability of the wrench head to be set at different angles.

The text notes an apparent sales agent in New York City.

Fig. 220. 1918 Notice for Riflaw Wrench & Tool. [External Link]

Fig. 220 shows a notice of the formation of Riflaw Wrench & Tool, as published on page 1368 of the November 28, 1918 issue of The Iron Age. The text notes that the company had acquired the patent rights to a "hand wrench" from Ransom Y. Bovee, and this may be a reference to the "Any Angle" wrench. (However, Bovee also had other wrench patents.)

The Automatic Transmission Company

By 1921 the production of the "Any Angle" wrench had apparently shifted to the Automatic Transmission Company of Lima, Ohio.

Fig. 221. 1921 Notice for Automatic Transmission Company. [External Link]

Fig. 221 shows a listing for the "Any Angle" wrench by the Automatic Transmission Company of Lima, Ohio, as published on page 459 of the 1921 Engineering Directory.

The next figure shows an example of the "Any Angle" wrench produced by the Automatic Transmission Company.

"Any Angle" Bovee Patent 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 222. "Any Angle" Bovee Patent 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail, ca. 1920s.

Fig. 222 shows an "Any Angle" 8 inch adjustable wrench of the Bovee patented design, marked with "Any Angle Wrench" and "Lima O. U.S.A." forged into the shank, with "Drop Forged Steel" forged into the back side. The shank is also marked with a "Patent Nov. 1916" patent notice.

The overall length is 8.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel with traces of black paint.

The patent date refers to patent 1,205,149, filed by R.Y. Bovee in 1913 and issued on November 21, 1916.

This example of the "Any Angle" wrench is not marked with a company name. However, the forged-in reference to Lima, Ohio indicates that this example was produced by the Automatic Transmission Company of that city.

Irland Pipe Wrench Company

The Irland Pipe Wrench Company was a maker of pipe wrenches operating in Boston, Massachusetts during the early 1900s.

Fig. 223. 1906 Notice for Irland Pipe Wrench. [External Link]

The notice in Fig. 223 shows a notice illustrating the operation of the wrench, was published on page 150 of the July 1, 1906 issue of the Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal.

The text gives the company address as 15 Court Street in Boston.

The company's products were based on patents issued to D.H. Irland, beginning with patent 732,858 on July 7, 1903.

Irland 11 Inch Automatic Pipe Wrench

Fig. 224. Irland 11 Inch Automatic Pipe Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1905-1915.

Fig. 224 shows an Irland 11 inch pipe wrench, stamped with "Irland Pipe Wrench Co." and "Boston, Mass. U.S.A." on the side.

The wrench is also marked with a patent notice "Pat. July 7 - Sept. 22 1903 ??? 1905", but the text is only partially readable due to extensive pitting.

The overall length is 11.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel, with pitting due to rust.

The first date ("July 7 1903") refers to patent 732,858, filed by D.H. Irland in 1902 and issued on that date.

The second date ("Sept. 22 1903") refers to patent 739,316, filed by D.H. Irland in 1903 and issued in later that year.

The third patent date is not readable, but was found by a search to be patent 800,850. This patent was filed by the estate of D.H. Irland in 1905 and issued on October 3, 1905, with assignment to the Irland Pipe Wrench Company.

The Irland patents describe progressive refinements to a distinctive pipe wrench design, which uses a lever handle to control the spring-loaded upper jaw. When the lever is depressed, the jaw opens to allow a pipe to be grasped, after which the jaw grips the pipe by cam action.

W.A. Ives Manufacturing Company

The W.A. Ives Manufacturing Company was founded in 1830 as a maker of auger bits and operated in Wallingford, Connecticut. The company was incorporated in 1889.

Succession and A Name Change

height="291" Fig. 225. 1904 Notice for Hamden Manufacturing.

By around 1904 the Ives company had been acquired by the Hamden Manufacturing Company of Hamden, Connecticut.

The scan in Fig. 225 shows a notice announcing price discounts on the Ives line of auger bits, as published on page 42 [External Link] of the October 13, 1904 issue of The Iron Age.

The text identifies Hamden Manufacturing as the successor to W.A. Ives & Company.

However, the Hamden company apparently realized that the name recognition of the earlier company was much better, and by 1906 Hamden Manufacturing had changed its name to the W.A. Ives Manufacturing Company.

The "Mephisto" Trademark

On January 27, 1909 Ives filed a trademark application for "Mephisto" in a distinctive font, and the application was published as serial #40,156 on March 30, 1909. The trademark was registered as #73,964 on June 1, 1909.

Kilborn & Bishop Company

The Kilborn & Bishop Company was established in 1896 in New Haven, Connecticut as a merchant drop forger and maker of tools. An 1897 publication of the State of Connecticut reported the company's incorporation date as April 18, 1896. The officers were G.A Kilborn, president and E.R. Bishop, secretary and treasurer.

Fig. 226. 1896 Notice for Kilborn & Bishop. [External Link]

Fig. 226 shows a notice announcing the incorporation of Kilborn & Bishop with $15,000 in capital, as published on page 19 of the April 30, 1896 issue of Stoves and Hardware Reporter.

Fig. 227. 1896 Notice for Kilborn & Bishop. [External Link]

Fig. 227 shows a notice for Kilborn & Bishp, as published on page 126 of the July 16, 1896 issue of The Iron Age.

The text notes that the company had acquired the drop forging operations of the Miner & Peck Mfg. Company, and that they would be specializing in forgings for bicycles.

Soon after their founding the company was ready to expand.

Fig. 228. 1899 Notice for Kilborn & Bishop. [External Link]

Fig. 228 shows a notice of the purchase of land adjacent to their existing location, as published on page 44 of the April 25, 1899 issue of Hardware.

The company's location was noted as the corner of Lloyd and River streets.

In 1905 Kilborn & Bishop published their catalog No. 4, which was announced on page 32 of the July 27, 1905 issue of The Iron Trade Review. The catalog offered tools such as pliers, sawsets, and box openers, and also mentions the ability to produce custom drop forgings.

A 1908 directory listed their product line as forged tools such as wrenches, pliers, and chisels, as well as custom forgings.

Later Operations

The company remained in business at least into the 1930s, but currently we don't have much information on their later activities.

Trademarks

The company received trademark #74,378 for saw-sets on July 6, 1909. The application was filed on January 25, 1909 with serial 40,119, and published on May 4, 1909.

Kilborn & Bishop 601 3/8x1/2 S-Shaped Wrench

Fig. 229. Kilborn & Bishop 601 3/8x1/2 S-Shaped Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail.

Fig. 229 shows a Kilborn & Bishop 601 3/8x1/2 S-shaped open-end wrench, marked with "Drop Forged" and the K&B logo forged into the shank, with the model number forged into the back side.

The overall length is 6.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Kilborn & Bishop 4 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 230. Kilborn & Bishop 4 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail.

Fig. 230 shows a Kilborn & Bishop 4 inch adjustable wrench, marked with "K & B Co." and "New Haven CT. U.S.A." forged into the shank, with "Adjustable" and "22 1/2" forged into the back side.

The overall length is 4.1 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

King Pressed Steel & Manufacturing Company

King Pressed Steel & Manufacturing was a maker of socket sets and automobile accessories active during the early 1920s. The company was located in Newton, Massachusetts, a city in the suburbs of Boston. (Newton is a mostly residential city, but has had some light industry over its long history.)

A notice of the company's incorporation can be found on page 1090 [External Link] of the April 8, 1920 edition of the Iron Trade Review, which lists the founders as Joseph F. King, Amato Pescosolido, and Rocco Sementilli. The capital was stated as $50,000.

The location was noted only as Newton, Massachusetts, but page 332 of the 1922 Massachusetts Manufacturers' Directory gave the address as 13 Hawthorn Street in Newton. This directory noted six employees and a business of steel stampings and auto accessories.

A 1920 issue of The Iron Age also noted that the company had been chartered as a maker of automobile accessories.

Although King Pressed Steel is known mostly for its socket sets (if it is known at all!), the company also made other automobile-related products.

Fig. 231. 1920 Notice for King Valve Lifter. [External Link]

Fig. 231 shows a notice for a valve lifter tool, as published on page 84 of the October, 1920 issue of the Accessory and Garage Journal.

The text decribes the use of the valve lifter tool for servicing Ford engines.

King Socket Sets

By April of 1921 the company was offering socket sets for automobile service, with sockets turned from bar steel and then broached and hardened.

Fig. 232. 1921 Notice for King Socket Wrenches. [External Link]

Fig. 232 shows a notice for the company's socket wrench set, as published on page 37 of the April 1, 1921 edition of the Automobile Trade Journal.

The text describes the King socket wrench set, which consisted of a Tee handle, an offset handle, an extension, a universal, and 12 sockets^*. The illustration shows the set in a finger-jointed wooden box. (The text continues in the original document beyond what is shown in our clip.)

Although not mentioned in the description, the set was based on 7/16-hex drive tools. The Tee handle was designed with a 7/16 hex opening in the center and at one end, with the other end broached for 3/8 hex. The end broachings allowed the Tee handle to be used as a straight driver handle (with the extension) or as a 3/8 hexagon socket. (^*The count of 12 sockets was a bit deceptive, as it included the ends of the Tee handle as "sockets".)

The description also mentions a patented compact universal joint, but we have not yet located the patent.

An early advertisement for the above set can be seen on page 275 of the April 7, 1921 issue of Motor Age. The company used the tag line "For Every Nut On Every Car!" in its ads.

The most glaring weakness of the set was the lack of a ratchet. From the dawn of the automobile age, socket sets had almost always included some kind of a ratchet — think Auto-Clé, Miller "Giant", Syracuse Wrench "Champion", Bay State Autokit, Walden-Worcester, Lane "Unique", and so on. Another potential weakness was that the 7/16-hex drive tools were at best suitable only for light work.

Note that despite the "Pressed Steel" in the company name, the sockets were described as machined and broached from bar steel, and none of the other tools were made of stamped or pressed steel.

Metal Stamping

However, the company did have facilities for metal stamping, as the advertisement in the next figure shows.

Fig. 233. 1922 Ad for King Pressed Steel Stampings. [External Link]

Fig. 233 shows an ad soliciting business for the company's stamping operations, as published on page 66 of the July 6, 1922 issue of The Iron Age.

Chessboards and Clam-Shell Cases

In early 1922 King Pressed Steel made a splash with full-page advertisements for their newly packaged socket sets. The sets were now being provided in clam-shell metal cases decorated with a chessboard design, and the interior of the case was furnished with a wooden insert to organize the tools.

Fig. 234. 1922 Ad for King Socket Wrenches.

The scan in Fig. 234 shows an example of a full-page ad, as published on page 123 [External Link] of the January, 1922 issue of Hardware World.

Note the company's motto "for every nut on every car" at the lower left corner.

The company continued its advertising blitz with smaller ads appearing every month in this same publication.

Despite the attractive new packaging, the tools in the socket sets were the same as before, with the same weaknesses noted above. Thus we could regard the adoption of consumer-oriented packaging as a tacit admission that the tools would not hold up to the demands of professional use.

With the fancy new clam-shell cases, we can see that King Pressed Steel was finally pressing some steel.

Socket sets with 7/16-hex drive are not very common, and most of our other examples were made by Bog Manufacturing, such as the Bog "Jumbo" Set from later in the 1920s. The "Jumbo" set was also supplied in a clam-shell case, with an insert for organizing the tools similar to the King sets.

The Bog sets were sold through Western Auto Supply (Bog was basically the "house brand" for Western Auto), which raises the question as to whether the King sets were ever offered by Western Auto. We can't recall having seen them in the catalogs, but will check again as time permits.

Financial Problems in 1923

By late in 1923 business was not going well for King Pressed Steel and the company was in financial trouble. Their problems began when three creditors seeking payment of $1,985 filed a petition for bankruptcy.

Fig. 235. 1923 Notice of Bankruptcy Petition. [External Link]

Fig. 235 shows a notice of a bankruptcy petition on behalf of three creditors, as published on page 1405 of the November 22, 1923 issue of Iron Trade.

From there, things went downhill quickly.

Fig. 236. 1923 Notice of Bankruptcy Auction. [External Link]

Fig. 236 shows a notice announcing a court-ordered public auction of the estate of King Pressed Steel, as published on page 1724 of the December 27, 1923 issue of The Iron Age.

Some time later, King Pressed Steel & Mfg. was mentioned in the Chapter 213 [External Link] section for corporate dissolutions, part of the Massachusetts Acts and Resolves of the General Court for 1925.

With the court-ordered auction to satisfy the creditors and subsequent dissolution, it would seem that our drama has come to an abrupt end. But we'll invoke deus ex machina and magically allow King Pressed Steel to continue operations. (More on this below.)

The King socket sets were still available in 1924, based on a listing in the Waterhouse & Lester catalog of that year.

Fig. 237. 1924 Catalog Listing for King Socket Set "A".

The scan in Fig. 237 shows a catalog listing for the "King Socket Wrench Set", as published on page 362 of the 1924 Waterhouse & Lester catalog No. 20.

The King socket set was also listed on page 166 of the 1926 catalog No. 25 from J.M. Waterston of Detroit.

A Chilton Buyer's Guide Directory from 1929 listed the company at 13 Hawthorn Street in Newton, Massachusetts.

The Second Life of King Pressed Steel

How does a company come back to life after being dismembered by public auction and officially dissolved? We don't have a definitive answer, but can offer a clue in the acronym "dba".

A Google search for the founders of King Pressed Steel turns up some interesting references. It seems that in 1924 two of the original founders, along with a new partner, created a new company called Newton Pressed Steel & Mfg. in Newton.

Fig. 238. 1924 Notice for Newton Pressed Steel.

Fig. 238 shows a notice for Newton Pressed Steel & Mfg., as published on page 1585 of the June 12, 1924 issue of Iron Trade.

Further searches show that a prior incarnation of Newton Pressed Steel existed as early as 1919, with Amato Pescosolido as president, but that this first version of the company had been dissolved by 1923.

With the knowledge of the creation of the second Newton Pressed Steel, we can surmise that the founders had purchased the production equipment of King Pressed Steel at the bankruptcy auction in late 1923, then put it back into operation with their new company.

Since the King brand had been advertised extensively and had some degree of brand recognition, it would have made sense to continue using the King name for their products. In this arrangement Newton Pressed Steel dba ("doing business as") King Pressed Steel would allow King products to remain on the market, even without a formal King Pressed Steel entity.

We're probably missing some details, but regarding Newton Pressed Steel as effectively the successor to King Pressed Steel would explain the continued availability of the King socket sets. We'll add more details as they become available.

Early King Socket Set

After seeing the ads for the fancy chessboard cases, some readers will be disappointed to learn that our set is apparently an early example, and it's in a plain box which is probably not even original. But the set is complete and provides a snapshot of the company's early production.

Fig. 239. King Pressed Steel 7/16-Hex Drive Socket Set, ca. 1921.

Fig. 239 shows a King 7/16-hex drive socket set, consisting of an Ell handle, a Tee handle bar, a universal, a long extension, and 10 hexagon sockets from 7/16 to 7/8.

The Tee handle bar and the Ell handle are stamped "King Pressed Steel & Mfg. Co." and "Boston 58, Mass. U.S.A." on the shank. The other tools are unmarked, except for a small "crown" logo stamped on the sockets.

The socket sizes are, from the left, 7/8, 13/16, 25/32, 19/32, 3/4, 11/16, 5/8, 9/16, 1/2, and 7/16. The sockets are marked only with a small crown logo, without even the fractional size, which is a bit of a nuisance.

The 7/16 socket was intended both as a service socket and as a connector, to allow the extension to work with the Ell handle.

The Tee handle bar is broached with 7/16-hex openings in the center and at one end, with a 3/8 broached opening at the other end. The extra openings allow it to be used as a straight driver (with the extension) or as a 3/8 socket (with the Ell handle).

The extension (not shown separately) is 9.3 inches long.

We acquired the set in the metal box shown in the photograph, but it's probably not the original box. (This type of folded and spot-welded box didn't become common until the late 1920s or 1930s.) We think it's likely that the set originally came in a wooden box, and when the box fell apart, the former owner moved the tools into this box.

The dimensions of the box are 10.9 inches wide by 3.8 inches deep by 1.7 inches high.

King 7/16-Hex Drive Ell Handle

Fig. 240. King 7/16-Hex Drive Ell Handle from Socket Set, with Inset for Marking Detail, ca. 1921.

Fig. 240 shows the 7/16-hex drive Ell handle from the King socket Set, stamped with "King Pressed Steel & Mfg." and "Boston 58, Mass. U.S.A." on the shank.

The overall length is 8.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

King 7/16-Hex Drive Tee Handle Bar

Fig. 241. King 7/16-Hex Drive Tee Handle Bar, with Inset for Marking Detail, ca. 1921.

Fig. 241 shows the 7/16-hex drive Tee handle bar from the King socket Set, stamped "King Pressed Steel & Mfg." and "Boston 58, Mass. U.S.A." along the bar, with a small "Crown" logo above.

The photograph shows the 7/16 hexagonal opening in the center of the bar. The ends of the bar are broached for 7/16 and 3/8 hexagonal openings (not shown).

The overall length is 6.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The typical use for this tool would be as a Tee handle, with the extension fitted in the center opening. The extra openings in the ends of the bar would also allow it to be used as a straight driver, or as a strange kind of 3/8 socket.

King 7/16-Hex Drive Universal

Fig. 242. King 7/16-Hex Drive Universal, ca. 1921.

Fig. 242 shows the unmarked 7/16-hex drive universal from the King socket Set. The universal is configured as male-female, so that it can connect directly to one of the sockets.

The overall length is 2.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The universal seems to be well made, but it's not obvious that there are any patentable features.

King 7/16-Hex Drive Sockets

Fig. 242B. King 7/16-Hex Drive Sockets, with Inset for Top View, ca. 1921.

Fig. 242B shows the three largest sockets from the King socket Set, marked only with a stamped "crown" logo. The sizes are, from the left, 7/8, 13/16, and 25/32.

The sockets have a wide groove with a gentle radius at the base, an unusual feature that may have been simply decorative, or possibly intended to make the sockets easier to pick up with greasy hands.

The inset shows the broached interior of the sockets. Note the irregular mass of chips at the bottom of the broached area, possibly a sign of early production.

Kipton Industries

Kipton Industries was founded around 1950 in Kipton, Ohio as the maker of a line of "Palm-Grip" tools with a flat ratcheting handle.

A 1950 report from the State of Ohio listed the officers of the company as George C. Kratz[sic], Paul Sandrock, W.S. Dawson, and Grover L. Severs. (The first name listed should be George C. Fratz, the co-inventor of the founding patent.)

Fig. 243A. 1950 Notice for Kipton Palm-Grip Ratchet.

The scan in Fig. 243A shows an early notice for the Kipton ratchet driver, as published on page 197 of the September, 1950 issue of Popular Science.

The text uses the term "palm-grip" in a descriptive manner, suggesting that the "Palm-Grip" trademark name had not yet been selected.

The "Palm-Grip" ratchet was based on patent 2,620,001, filed by George C. Fratz and Paul W. Sandrock on March 31, 1950 and issued on December 2, 1952.

The premise of the patent (and of the company itself) was that a larger diameter insertable handle would provide greater turning leverage for tools such as screwdrivers. The tool handle was designed as a palm-sized ratchet with a lobed outline for a firm grip, and the connection was made by means of a 3/8-drive stud to allow use with standard sockets.

The ratchet selector switch was given a middle position to lock the drive stud.

Patents

Trademarks

Palm-Grip 3/8-Drive Ratchet

Fig. 243B. Palm-Grip 3/8-Drive Ratchet, with Inset for Bottom View, ca. 1950s.

Fig. 243B shows a [Kipton] Palm-Grip 3/8-drive ratchet from the top and bottom, stamped with "Palm-Grip" and "Patented U.S.A. and Canada" on the bottom.

The ratchet has a three-position switch lever on the bottom, and the middle position locks the drive stud.

The overall width is 2.8 inches, and the height is 1.1 inches. The finish is polished chrome.

Palm-Grip 3/8-Drive 58-R 12 Inch Flat Screwdriver

Fig. 243C. Palm-Grip 3/8-Drive 58-R 12 Inch Flat Screwdriver, with Insets for Construction and Marking Detail, ca. 1950s.

Fig. 243C shows a [Kipton] Palm-Grip 3/8-drive 58-R 12 inch flat screwdriver, marked with "Palm-Grip" and "58-R" on the handle.

The right inset shows the 3/8-drive opening at the end of the handle, allowing use with the Palm-Grip ratchet or another 3/8-drive tool.

The overall length is 11.8 inches.

Larco Wrench & Manufacturing Company

Larco Wrench & Manufacturing was founded in Chicago around 1919 as a maker of pipe wrenches, pipe cutters, and related tools. The founder was John V. Larson, whose surname put the "Lar" in Larco. The company was initially located at 213 West Austin Avenue in Chicago.

Fig. 244. 1920 Listing for Larco Wrench & Manufacturing. [External Link]

Fig. 244 shows the entry for Larco Wrench & Manufacturing on page 537 of the 1920 Certified List of Domestic and Foreign Corporations, published by the State of Illinois.

Fig. 245. 1922 Listing for Larco Wrench & Manufacturing. [External Link]

Fig. 245 shows the entry for Larco Wrench & Manufacturing on page 677 of the 1922 Certified List of Domestic and Foreign Corporations, published by the State of Illinois.

The officers are listed as John V. Larson and Winsor Chase.

Note that by 1922 the capital for the company had increased from $150,000 to $250,000, suggesting that a new investor had joined the company.

Fig. 246. 1919 Ad for Larco Pipe Wrench. [External Link]

Fig. 246 shows a full-page ad for the Larco pipe and monkey wrenches, as published on page 46 of the June 28, 1919 issue of Domestic Engineering.

Somewhat curiously, the ad was taken out by John V. Larson personally, suggesting that the company was still getting organized at this point.

The Larco pipe wrench was based on patents by Charles A. Dies, an inventor with a number of patents related to pipe fittings and pipe wrenches.

Patent 1,155,136 was issued in September of 1915 and describes a pipe wrench that can also be used as a pipe cutter. One of our readers reports that this patent date is marked on the jaw of every Larco pipe wrench.

Patent 1,389,581 was issued in September of 1921 with assignment to John V. Larson. This latter patent was filed in March of 1919, around the time that Larco Wrench was being formed, suggesting that it may have provided the basis for the company.

Fig. 247. 1920 Notice for Larco Pipe and Monkey Wrench. [External Link]

Fig. 247 shows a notice for the Larco pipe and monkey wrenches, as published on page 165 of the December 1, 1920 issue of Automobile Trade Journal.

Despite the claims of a "new principle of design" or "greatest improvement in wrench construction", the Larco wrench was basically a Stillson-pattern variant. The main difference between the Larco wrench and the countless Stillson copies extant at the time was that the Larco jaw carrier was constructed of folded sheet metal instead of a malleable iron casting.

The ability to construct the jaw carrier from sheet metal might have given Larco a small cost savings, but also raises questions about whether their wrenches would hold up under hard use.

At some point Larco began using interlocking dovetails on the folded seam of the carrier, a detail not shown in the patents. This suggests that earlier production might have had problems with the seam separating under load.

Fig. 248. 1922 Ad for Larco Pipe Wrench.

The scan in Fig. 248 shows an advertisement for the Larco pipe wrench, as published on page 137 of the October, 1922 edition of Rock Island Magazine. (The ad has been rotated 90 degrees clockwise from its published orientation.)

This ad has a stunningly clear illustration that shows an interesting production detail for the Larco wrench. Note that the seam where the jaw carrier closes has meshing dovetail cutouts to provide extra strength.

Acquisition of Cochran Pipe Wrench

In 1920 Larco purchased the plant and wrench business of Cochran Pipe Wrench Manufacturing, including the Cochran pipe wrench and the "Speednut" wrench. By that time the Cochran company had changed its name to Cochran Manufacturing & Forging, and the forging business had recently been reorganized into the Great Lakes Forge Company.

Fig. 249. 1920 Notice for Larco Wrench.

Fig. 249 shows a notice of the purchase by Larco Wrench of a forging plant on Woodland Avenue, as published on page 40 [External Link] of the July 31, 1920 issue of Chicago Commerce.

A later notice clarifies that the purchased plant was that of Cochran Manufacturing & Forging, and that the purchase included the Cochran wrench business as well.

Fig. 250. 1920 Notice for Larco Wrench. [External Link]

Fig. 250 shows a notice of the purchase of the Cochran Mfg. and Forging plant and business, as published on page 1707 of the December 23, 1920 issue of The Iron Age.

The text notes that the forging business of the Cochran company had been reorganized as the Great Lakes Forge Company at 119th Street and Racine Avenue in Chicago.

Based on notices in trade journals, it appears that the purchase of the Cochran factory and business was primarily intended to increase the production capacity for Larco's own products. But Larco Wrench did announce its intention to continue production of the Cochran pipe wrench and Speednut wrench.

A Management Change

By 1923 the management of Larco Wrench had changed. An entry for Larco Wrench & Manufacturing on page 528 [External Link] of the 1923 edition of the EMF Electrical Year Book notes the company as a maker of wrenches and drop forgings, and lists the management as president F.F. Corby, vice-president B.T. Bochtel, secretary-treasurer Winsor Chase, and general manager H.E. Robertson.

Note that John V. Larson, the company's founder and president in 1922, is no longer listed at all.

The Second Life of the Speednut Wrench

Within a few years of the acquisition of the Cochran company, it appears that Larco's founder John V. Larson had become keenly interested in (if not downright obsessed with) the Speednut wrench. Larson made a minor improvement to the wrench by adding an external spring to bias the head, and then worked on a more refined switchable spring mechanism.

By 1924 Larson had gone a far as setting up the Speednut Wrench Corporation to promote the improved wrench.

Fig. 251. 1924 Ad for Speednut Wrench.

Fig. 251 shows a full-page ad for the Speednut wrench, as published on page 165 of the August, 1924 issue of Popular Mechanics.

A close look at the illustration shows that it cites a May 2, 1916 patent date as well as noting a pending patent. The pending patent was 1,602,620, filed by John V. Larson in 1924 and issued in 1926.

Another close look at the illustration shows a small tab protruding from the handle, visible just to the upper right of the "D" in "GUARANTEED". This tab allowed an external spring to be used to bias the head in the closed position, which made the wrench somewhat easier to use.

Larson developed a more elegant spring bias mechanism and filed a patent for it in 1924 (the pending patent noted), but the earlier wrench in the illustration used the outboard spring.

We think that the establishment of the Speednut Wrench Corporation is closely connected to the management change noted previously. There seem to be two main possibilities: Larson may have resigned from Larco to spend more time on Speednut marketing his Speednut obsession, or Larson may have been booted from the company by the other investors, for the same reason.

In either case the question comes up as to whether Larson was able to acquire the patent and trademark rights (and possibly production equipment) for the Speednut wrench as part of his departure. Copyright records indicate that Larson was the owner of the Speednut Wrench Corporation, but we haven't found any records to indicate a transfer of patent or trademark rights.

Financial Failure

By 1928 Larco Wrench & Manufacturing had gone bankrupt, and the assets of the company (including patents) were sold at auction on March 2, 1928.

Fig. 252. 1928 Notice of Bankruptcy Auction. [External Link]

Fig. 252 shows a notice of the sale of the assets of Larco Wrench, as published on page 667 of the March 8, 1928 issue of the Iron Trade Review.

But wait! There's more ... please see our article on Chicago Manufacturing & Distributing to learn about the third life of the Speednut wrench.

Postscript: The Larc-O-Matic Wrench

The failure of Larco Wrench seems not to have daunted Larson's enthusiasm for the Speednut wrench. Within a few years he had received patent 1,830,033, ostensibly for improvements to the Speednut design, but really just a codification of the design differences from the original Eifel patent. This patent seems to have been intended primarily to keep the wrench under patent protection.

A decade later Larson got yet another patent for the Speednut design, and the wrench went back into production under the name Larc-O-Matic! We'll add details as time permits ...

Fig. 253. 1945 Notice for Larc-O-Matic Line of Tools.

The scan in Fig. 253 under the heading "New line of Hand Tools" describes a new series of tools to be offered by the Oscar W. Hedstrom Corporation, as published on page 30 of the September, 1945 edition of Mechanical Engineering.

The tool series was developed by John V. Larson and includes the "Larc-O-Matic" wrench, a companion "Speed-O-Matic" wrench, the "Rockerench" pipe wrench, the "Fulco-Matic" automatic "plierench", the "Grip-o" companion to "Rockerench", and the "Over-Grip" nut wrench.

Fig. 253B. 1946 Notice for Larc-O-Matic Wrench.

The scan in Fig. 253B describes the new "Larc-O-Matic" self-adjusting wrench available from the Oscar W. Hedstrom Corporation, as published on page 106 of the May 13, 1946 edition of Steel.

Patents

Trademarks

Selected Tools

Larco Wrench & Manufacturing has been added to our coverage as an important bridge between the early Cochran Speednut wrenches and the later production by Chicago Manufacturing & Distributing. An example of this later production can be seen as the C.M.&D. Speednut Wrench.

Products by Larco Wrench & Manufacturing itself would include Larco brand pipe wrenches, as well as Speednut wrenches showing the 1926 Larson patent, but without the later 1931 patent.

Larco 8 Inch Stillson-Pattern Pipe Wrench

Fig. 254. Larco 8 Inch Stillson-Pattern Pipe Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Bottom View, ca. 1919-1921.

Fig. 254 shows a Larco 8 inch Stillson-pattern pipe wrench, stamped with "Larco" over a "W" outline on the jaw carrier, with "Pat. Pend." below.

The paneled shank is also marked with "Larco" and "Chicago U.S.A." forged into the front panel, with "Drop Forged" forged into the back panel.

The top inset shows the wrench viewed from the bottom, illustrating the dovetail-like tabs securing the seam of the jaw carrier.

The overall length is 8.0 inches closed and approximately 9.2 inches fully extended. The finish is plain steel.

The patent pending notation refers to patent 1,389,581, filed in 1919 and issued in September of 1921.