Somewhat OT-Why are older wrences made in an S shape?

crossthread · Mar 18, 2019

Good morning. Just as the title asks..why were older open end wrenches mostly made in an S shape. I inherited quite a few of them and most of the wrenches in old magazines advertise this style. Was there considered to be an advantage or was it just the style of the day? Thanks.

atomarc · Mar 18, 2019

While I don't know for sure I would think that the 'S' design allowed them to function better around obstacles in their way...sort of like a starter wrench.

Stuart

ewlsey · Mar 18, 2019

I don't know. I have a few odd shaped wrenches that are made for removing starters and injection pumps. They are box end wrenches. All of the major tool companies have them.

L Vanice · Mar 18, 2019

It was for clearance with adjoining features. The wrench could be applied in either of two ways to the fastener if curved. That is also why straight open end wrenches usually have angled ends.

Larry

crossthread · Mar 18, 2019

I agree that the curve would make it easier to get around obstructions. The old adds I have seen don't mention any special purpose however. It seems like they were all made that way.
I was looking at a 1920 Popular Science magazine on line and it had four different ads for wrenches. All of them were the S style and none were shown that were straight. I guess when a set of wrenches was a major investment, people wanted the option of avoiding obstacles.

PeteM · Mar 18, 2019

Modern Wrenches and Their Antecedents - Scientific American

History of the wrench - 1835 Wrench

The US was once full of clever young (mostly) men trying to earn their fortune with a mechanical or tools patent. While I've heard the "to clear obstruction" explanation, I've also heard that it was somewhat a matter of happenstance and fashion.

I'd guess the S wrench went out of fashion when wrench makers learned they could make more by offering sets of tools -- and the present form of open ended wrench turned out to be more compact to pack in a kit.

We do product teardowns with young children at the local Children's Museum -- maybe ages 5-8. Local recycling group donates appliances, game consoles, stereo's, power tools, etc. that have died. The teardown sparks a bit of curiosity in many. It's also surprising to we older folks that so many don't know which way to turn a wrench or screwdriver -- and are completely baffled by explanations of clockwise and counter-clockwise. All of 'em can pull up an app on a smartphone, though.

Good news is that it isn't long before most kids can tell things like Torx from hex screws . . . and want to take some prize bit inside as part of their triumph at learning what makes things go . . .

moonlight machine · Mar 18, 2019

PeteM said:
Modern Wrenches and Their Antecedents - Scientific American

History of the wrench - 1835 Wrench

The US was once full of clever young (mostly) men trying to earn their fortune with a mechanical or tools patent. While I've heard the "to clear obstruction" explanation, I've also heard that it was somewhat a matter of happenstance and fashion.

I'd guess the S wrench went out of fashion when wrench makers learned they could make more by offering sets of tools -- and the present form of open ended wrench turned out to be more compact to pack in a kit.

We do product teardowns with young children at the local Children's Museum -- maybe ages 5-8. Local recycling group donates appliances, game consoles, stereo's, power tools, etc. that have died. The teardown sparks a bit of curiosity in many. It's also surprising to we older folks that so many don't know which way to turn a wrench or screwdriver -- and are completely baffled by explanations of clockwise and counter-clockwise. All of 'em can pull up an app on a smartphone, though.

Good news is that it isn't long before most kids can tell things like Torx from hex screws . . . and want to take some prize bit inside as part of their triumph at learning what makes things go . . .

The reason most of them don't know how to tell time off a old fashioned clock. Sad but true.

rustyironism · Mar 18, 2019

My thought on the S bend wrenches is a matter of position and leverage.
Imagine reaching arm's length to a nut and getting far around the nut to get the maximum rotation as you pull.

A straight handled wrench would be angled far away from you, while an S bent wrench would have the handle closer to you, with the jaws in the same position.

Probably not a good answer, but, maybe that's because my watch has hands that go clockwise, and that is because I live life in a circular time.

The planets spin, and orbit spinning stars.

Whether it's day/night, seasons, karma or history, what goes around, comes around.
If it happened once, it will happen again.

A digital watch makes me think in linear time.
Starts here and goes in a straight line to the end.

But, I learned New Math in Detroit Public Schools, so, nevermind….

Mike

jim rozen · Mar 18, 2019

crossthread said:
Good morning. Just as the title asks..why were older open end wrenches mostly made in an S shape. I inherited quite a few of them and most of the wrenches in old magazines advertise this style. Was there considered to be an advantage or was it just the style of the day? Thanks.

The real reason of course is for the same reason spokes on old-time pulleys are curved.

Aejgx6 · Mar 18, 2019

With a s shaped wrench you make it longer or shorter with a torch.

Bill D · Mar 18, 2019

jim rozen said:
The real reason of course is for the same reason spokes on old-time pulleys are curved.

I agree but, wrenches are forged not cast. Why are older clock hands "S" shaped as well?
Bill D

muckalee · Mar 19, 2019

Modern commercial wrenches (small sizes)are forged, drop forged, etc If you find a very old wrench, cast and then finished to sized is what you will find. As Jim pointed out.

Mal01 · Mar 19, 2019

jim rozen said:
The real reason of course is for the same reason spokes on old-time pulleys are curved.

Spokes are curved so that they act like springs. I’m not clear why it would be an advantage to have a wrench do the same. Could you explain please?

Mal

neilho · Mar 19, 2019

Why are older wrences made in an S shape?

I prefer older wenches, myself.

Pull on a S shaped wrench and it's more likely to track, less likely to slip off.

Always thought curved cast spokes were to minimize the effects of shrinkage during cooling. Speculation on my part.

And a curved shape is just more pleasing to the eye. Imagine a straight sided Bugatti, or stick female human form.

gustafson · Mar 19, 2019

I'll bet if you didn't have ratchet you would find those curved wrenches pretty useful, and when you don't need them they don't hurt anything

9100 · Mar 19, 2019

neilho said:
Always thought curved cast spokes were to minimize the effects of shrinkage during cooling. Speculation on my part.

And a curved shape is just more pleasing to the eye. Imagine a straight sided Bugatti, or stick female human form.

The explanation I have heard and makes sense is that the early founders had trouble controlling stress and put the curves in spokes to reduce it by allowing some flexibility.

Bill

crossthread · Mar 19, 2019

Thanks for all the replies. They certainly are more elegant looking then the straight ones.

John Garner · Mar 19, 2019

Open-end wrenches with s-curved shanks usually have the wrench openings in line with the shank centerline at the head-to-shank interface. The shank's s-curve serves much the same purpose as angling the opening of a modern wrench's opening with respect to the shank centerline, in that flopping the wrench allows full wrench rotation of the fastener when there's not enough clearance around the fastener to swing the wrench a "full flat".

The ideal angular offset of the wrench opening -- whether that offset be achieved by angling the wrench opening or bending the wrench shank -- is 1/4 the angle than the fastener head must be rotated between flats -- 15 degrees for a hexagonal head, 22 1/2 degree for a square head.

steve-l · Mar 19, 2019

John Garner said:
Open-end wrenches with s-curved shanks usually have the wrench openings in line with the shank centerline at the head-to-shank interface. The shank's s-curve serves much the same purpose as angling the opening of a modern wrench's opening with respect to the shank centerline, in that flopping the wrench allows full wrench rotation of the fastener when there's not enough clearance around the fastener to swing the wrench a "full flat".

The ideal angular offset of the wrench opening -- whether that offset be achieved by angling the wrench opening or bending the wrench shank -- is 1/4 the angle than the fastener head must be rotated between flats -- 15 degrees for a hexagonal head, 22 1/2 degree for a square head.

That's the right answer!

kustomizingkid · Mar 19, 2019

I just wish I could go back in time to when there was one set of fasteners and miles of room to access everything. I love working on old farm tractors just for the pure simplicity.

Right up until you have to chase threads made before standardized threads existed...

Modern times there are so many different fasteners it makes your head spin. I have straight, 16/60 degree, 22 degree, flex head, open end, box end, ratcheting, e torx, spline drive, half moon, obstruction, and a handful of specialty wrenches that are only good for one thing.

Somewhat OT-Why are older wrences made in an S shape?

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