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Purpose of vintage steel claw by Mechanics Engineering Co.?

Cannonmn

Stainless
Joined
Jun 25, 2016
This claw opens and closes by turning the knurled knob. Tag says "Mechanics Engineering Company Jackson, Michigan, patent pending. All I can find on the company is their spark-plug socket wrench ca. 1943. Purpose of this claw? It is about 13" long. Big screw on top locks claw shaft from rotating. And, contrary to popular belief, I don't post anywhere near the number of unknown (to me) items I find. For example, the last three before this I decoded myself-A Rockwell T-200 brake slack adjuster, Greenlee conduit bender pins, and Cogsdill precision ID rollers.

img_59321.jpg
 
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Thanks, cool. I hit up Mr. Google but he let me down this time, you must have the magic touch. But I didn't use the words vise or clamp, I think that doomed my searches.
 
Neat to find that link, but it still doesn't really identify it.

The "swivel shield clamp/vise" was apparently made up by the person who listed it on Worthpoint; the actual markings on the unit itself just say that it is a "N 101".

It looks pretty light-duty; it would be interesting to find out what it's for.
 
It looks like the jaws are notched? If so I would guess a valve spring compressor for engine work. I have something similar but not as nicely designed or made.
Bill D
 
It could compress or hold open a big circular spring if each end of the spring had a sharp angle near the end. Or pick a bottle with lugs on the neck then rotate to pour contents. Or something else.
 
Wasn't there a special tool to pull together the ends of flat belts so you could insert the rod that joined the ends, rather like an hinge pin. I can't see how that tool would be used to do it, but it was a similar action.
 
Cable splicer

This claw opens and closes by turning the knurled knob. Tag says "Mechanics Engineering Company Jackson, Michigan, patent pending. All I can find on the company is their spark-plug socket wrench ca. 1943. Purpose of this claw? It is about 13" long. Big screw on top locks claw shaft from rotating. And, contrary to popular belief, I don't post anywhere near the number of unknown (to me) items I find. For example, the last three before this I decoded myself-A Rockwell T-200 brake slack adjuster, Greenlee conduit bender pins, and Cogsdill precision ID rollers.

img_59321.jpg

Did you ever find instructions on use?
 








 
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