Another of my Strange Wrenches. An adjustable this time.

[mikeswrenches]

I picked this up at one of the Flywheeler shows last year.  It is patented although the only thing I can make out is PATD. stamped on the head.  In addition I can make out an "M" stamped on the head.  The wrench is 4 3/8 in. long, and has a unique adjustment set up.

It appears that there should also be another knurl in the rectangular hole in the lower part of the handle.  This looks like it would have been used to operate a retractable screwdriver that would have come out the bottom end of the wrench.  You can see where a plate was riveted over the slot that was milled in the side to guide the screwdriver(?).

Has anyone seen one of these before or know anything about it?

Mike

[rusty]

The idea of sticking a screwdriver bit in the end of a wrench handle seems to have occurred only to the American Saw Company, tho they tried it twice. The first patent is known , with examples and looks very different from your wrench, the second has no examples I can find, but looks quite a lot like your wrench , making allowences for the slightly more ergonomic handle shape.

http://www.datamp.org/patents/search/advance.php?pn=486759&id=41672&set=17

[mikeswrenches]

Rusty,  That sure looks like it could be it.  We know that companies often manufactured something that looked completely different from their patent drawings, which appears to be the case here.  The basic idea, however, is the same and that is what counts.  Thanks very much for the help!!!

Mike

[Lewill2]

John Moffit Patent, Patented April 6, 1880, Patent 226,339, There should be a small butterfly shaped piece that locks the screw driver tip extended or retracted. I have a complete one in my collect. I'll try to post a picture later.

[rusty]

Thus the ever important example...sigh

[mikeswrenches]

Lewill2,

Thanks for the help.  I'd like to see a picture if you get time to post one.  Particularly of the screwdriver "hole" and the retaining portion on the screwdriver.  I may try to make one for mine. 

This is another example of the patent drawing not quite conforming to the reality.  The patent drawing wrench looks to be much nicer than the actual, although sans screwdriver.

Mike

[Lewill2]

This is the only picture I have at the moment. Not very good for the screw driver part. I'll try to get a better one tonight. By the way it is a hard to find little wrench with the screw driver intact.

[Bus]

Lewill2,
Below is the The DATAMP picture of your Moffet Patent wrench at:

http://www.datamp.org/patents/displayPatent.php?number=226339&typeCode=0

[Bus]

Another adjustable wrench with a screwdriver that extends from the end was patented by Williams Dicks on Nov. 21, 1893 and made by Spaulding Machine Screw Co. - Buffalo, NY. Mine is 5" long with the screwdriver retracted.

http://www.datamp.org/patents/displayPatent.php?pn=509151&id=17781

[mikeswrenches]

Bus,

Thanks for posting that picture.  Looks like there were more with screwdrivers than I thought.

Mike

[Lewill2]

I tried to get a closeup of the butter fly on the top of the screw driver blade.

[mikeswrenches]

Lewill2,

Thanks for posting the pictures of the butterfly.  That is not how I envisioned it working.  It makes much more sense now that I see the picture.

Mike

[oldtools]

Wow!! Never seen anything like that here in Hawaii...