W.Lyon hand wrench ID.

Boringgeoff · May 28, 2019

Hello,
I've had this small hand wrench for a few years but have been unable to find the original patent for it. It is marked "W.Lyon Pat 1874". I've trawled through all the US patents for 1874 and don't think I've missed any. Could be incorrectly dated or maybe not US patented? It has a square socket to fit old style square tapered tang auger bits or more likely square or hex bolt and nut sockets. The handle swings up and down to engage/disengage the five notches. Any ideas will be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Geoff.

sfriedberg · May 28, 2019

Wrench, or compact breast drill? That's more of a palm knob than a breast plate, I suppose. Not seen a tool like that before.

Can't help with the patent question. Name might be English or French.

L Vanice · May 29, 2019

For many years, until around 1930, US products specified the exact date (always on a Tuesday) that the patent was granted. I can't recall seeing anything with just the year. I suspect the tool was patented in England or a colony, if the colonies did their own patents. A French product would say depose instead of patent.

It should be easy to tell the difference between a nut/bolt socket and a drill/auger socket.

Larry

Boringgeoff · May 29, 2019

Thanks for your reply Larry, I've added a photo of the type of sockets I think it is designed to drive. I've tried it out tightening and loosening a bolt and nut and apart from the annoyance that the socket of the wrench doesn't lock onto the shank of the tool being driven it works quite well. I realise the US patent office only issued patents on a Tuesday but have seen plenty of tools with an incorrect date on them and also tools with only the year stamped on them.
As a collector and researcher of braces (carpenters braces not the kind that hold your pants up)and brace tools, a valuable site for patent research, and which I also contribute to, is DATAMP. From time to time I'll enter a date shown on a tool and get the "not a Tuesday" response.
Some manufacturers may have deliberately falsified the date on the tool to give them some kind of advantage over their opposition or it could just be an honest mistake.
I had the idea that W Lyon may have been Wallace Lyon who has at least two patents to his name, US30487 issued in 1860 when he resided at Deep River CT the other in 1881, US250670, residing at Bridgeport CT and assigned to the Millers Falls Co.
Cheers,
Geoff.

Lester Bowman · May 30, 2019

I think it is a specialty tool for driving wood screws into those heavy Victorian hinges seen in the old mansions.I have quite a variety of those old tapered shank Screw drivers, Screw reamers and countersinks. I can see this tool be very useful for this application..slow precision torque and control.

Boringgeoff · Jun 1, 2019

Thanks Lester, I totally agree. In my collecting I like to find out how a tool was designed to be used and to my mind finding the patent is quite important. You can see what the patentee was thinking and whether it was original or an improvement to a earlier idea or perhaps a modification or refinement of someone else's invention. I have uncovered a number of patents in this way. For instance, when reading the text of George R. Stetsons 1886 (US333689) patent he makes a reference to his earlier 1877 (US195963) patent of which I was, until then, unaware.
In my original post I said that I had trawled through all the US patents for 1874, this took me nearly two years. Starting at the beginning of 1874 then whenever I had a spare few minutes checking them one by one. Any of interest that I found along the way were noted. This search is looking for the tool rather than a name. I have now got into 1875 and have decided to continue on searching. I've always been an early bird so whenever I wake at four in the morning and can't get back to sleep I can sit here spend an hour or two ploughing through a few hundred patents.
Cheers,
Geoff.
Cheers,
Geoff.

Lester Bowman · Jun 1, 2019

Geoff..since you collect Braces would you like to see some odd countersinks and related tooling for driving screws? I have a very early iron Brace you may be able to identify. I could include that as well

Greenwud · Jun 2, 2019

Boringgeoff said:
Thanks for your reply Larry, I've added a photo of the type of sockets I think it is designed to drive. I've tried it out tightening and loosening a bolt and nut and apart from the annoyance that the socket of the wrench doesn't lock onto the shank of the tool being driven it works quite well. I realise the US patent office only issued patents on a Tuesday but have seen plenty of tools with an incorrect date on them and also tools with only the year stamped on them.
As a collector and researcher of braces (carpenters braces not the kind that hold your pants up)and brace tools, a valuable site for patent research, and which I also contribute to, is DATAMP. From time to time I'll enter a date shown on a tool and get the "not a Tuesday" response.
Some manufacturers may have deliberately falsified the date on the tool to give them some kind of advantage over their opposition or it could just be an honest mistake.
I had the idea that W Lyon may have been Wallace Lyon who has at least two patents to his name, US30487 issued in 1860 when he resided at Deep River CT the other in 1881, US250670, residing at Bridgeport CT and assigned to the Millers Falls Co.
Cheers,
Geoff.

It seems a lot like an early joist brace...

The socket on the tool is like the tapered ratchet drills used by railways and ironworkers for many years, where feed is ensured by a turning a threaded sleeve and centre bearing to put pressure against a convenient or arranged support. The square taper is larger than a bitstock taper.
I have one of these and use it to drive large slotted screws (16 gauge + ) using tapered shank screwdriver bits, which happened to come from the same workshop as the ratchet. As Lester suggests, it works very well and would be better still with a hand pad.
IME, large slotted wood screws were used by a few trades such as coachbuilding and stair joinery, and all the large screws and screwdrivers I own have come from these types of specialist workshop.

Boringgeoff · Jun 2, 2019

Lester Bowman said:
Geoff..since you collect Braces would you like to see some odd countersinks and related tooling for driving screws? I have a very early iron Brace you may be able to identify. I could include that as well

Lester I'd love to see your Brace and brace tools. I like when someone shows a tool that I haven't seen before, that means if there's one out there then there's probably more.

Boringgeoff · Jun 2, 2019

Greenwud said:
It seems a lot like an early joist brace...

The socket on the tool is like the tapered ratchet drills used by railways and ironworkers for many years, where feed is ensured by a turning a threaded sleeve and centre bearing to put pressure against a convenient or arranged support. The square taper is larger than a bitstock taper.
I have one of these and use it to drive large slotted screws (16 gauge + ) using tapered shank screwdriver bits, which happened to come from the same workshop as the ratchet. As Lester suggests, it works very well and would be better still with a hand pad.
IME, large slotted wood screws were used by a few trades such as coachbuilding and stair joinery, and all the large screws and screwdrivers I own have come from these types of specialist workshop.

Hi Greenwud
Like this one maybe? Driving a one inch bit with large square tapered drive tang. When I worked on the railways in the early 70's the old timers told me about using the big ratchet drills to bore holes for fish-plated joints.
The W. Lyon in my first post is tiny in comparison.
Cheers,
Geoff.

Lester Bowman · Jun 2, 2019

Geoff..a few pics of the more interesting forms of screw related pieces I have collected here and there. Most have the smaller taper normally used in more modern Braces.

If possible can you enlightened me with whom may have manufactured my Brace ? I have another all Iron " Spofford's Patent" Brace but it is altogether different. Thank you

Boringgeoff · Jun 2, 2019

Lester, I've got a brace that looks identical to yours. On the opposite side of the elbow to that in your third photo mine is branded I. WILSON. J.TAYLORS PATENT. I believe this refers to one of the very earliest US brace patents by Jeremy Taylor of Hebron CT on June 30 1836 (US.5115). The I.WILSON refers to the Increase Wilson MFG Co of New London CT.
There is a very handy book for brace collectors written by the late Ronald W. Pearson titled "The American Patented Brace 1829-1924".This is where I sourced my information about the Taylor brace. While you're down the bookshop purchasing a copy of Pearson another handy publication for brace tool collectors is U. S. Bitstock Tools by James E. Price. This enabled me to identify your first countersink as that patented in 1887 by H. Clark of Syracuse NY (US358731) and the three countersinking gimlets as those patented by H.C. Lewis of Essex CT in 1866 (US60207).
The screwdriver bit on the far right appears to have a flat tang?
Cheers,
Geoff.

Lester Bowman · Jun 2, 2019

Thank you Geoff ! That Brace belonged to my Great Grandfather and I am fortunate enough to own his wooden planes as well. There is a lot of family history associated with it. Yes..the last pics show a flat tang. One a blacksmith made out of a file, the other a commercially made bit marked Germany. I actually use this one fairly often. Thanks so much for the identification. Lester.

Boringgeoff · Jun 3, 2019

Glad to be of help Lester. I reckon it's great being able to trace a tool way back to your Great Grandfather. If only it could talk?
Geoff.

Greenwud · Jun 4, 2019

Boringgeoff said:
Hi Greenwud
Like this one maybe? Driving a one inch bit with large square tapered drive tang. When I worked on the railways in the early 70's the old timers told me about using the big ratchet drills to bore holes for fish-plated joints.
The W. Lyon in my first post is tiny in comparison.
Cheers,
Geoff.

That's the beast- I have also seen them with a morse taper socket but don't own one. Railways workshops seem to have been the native home, both for hardwood and metal.
The one I own was made by Williams and has a handle maybe 8" long

Boringgeoff · Jun 4, 2019

The one I showed was made in England by Nettlefolds and has the differential pattern ratchet patented by T.A.Weston of Buffalo NY in 1868 (US75092). Nettlefolds made this model, the "AK" in a variety of different sizes. According to their 1936 catalogue also made a model that took Morse round taper bits.
I've not heard of Williams but I've got a box full of them somewhere in my shed, at least one of them has a Morse round chuck, I'll dig the box out and have a look at them.
The Nettlefolds seem to be the most common here in Aus'.
Cheers,
Geoff.

W.Lyon hand wrench ID.

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