Tool Talk

Wrench Forum => Wrench Forum => Topic started by: Plyerman on March 04, 2018, 06:39:30 PM

Title: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
Post by: Plyerman on March 04, 2018, 06:39:30 PM
I've been after one of these for awhile, on account of how cool it looks. Finally scored this one at last spring's MVWC auction. It is stamped PAT. JUNE 10, 1902 which corresponds to patent 701,952 for a "Nut-Wrench"

I'm confused however, as the teeth look more like they were intended for grabbing round pipe, than a nut? Odd.
Title: Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
Post by: p_toad on March 04, 2018, 06:44:01 PM
Either way it's a nice looking wrench/plier?   Any indication of what holds those jaws in place?   Maybe they were interchangeable.
Title: Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
Post by: lptools on March 04, 2018, 07:25:22 PM
Very nice!! Thanks for sharing, Lou
Title: Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
Post by: turnnut on March 04, 2018, 07:52:27 PM
checking the patent, it sounds like the grippers are on tapered track that acts like a wedge.
Title: Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
Post by: strik9 on March 04, 2018, 11:23:10 PM
Kind of like a gripping gator wrench.  Very nice find.
Title: Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
Post by: stanley62 on March 05, 2018, 08:27:53 PM
Looks like the bottom rack of teeth is backwards...at least from my thinking.  Can they be reversed?

 Jim
Title: Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
Post by: turnnut on March 05, 2018, 09:22:51 PM
 the patent write-up states that the gripper teeth are installed in opposite directions. 
Title: Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
Post by: Plyerman on March 06, 2018, 07:40:53 AM
The jaw inserts are solidly attached with rivets. I doubt they were ever intended to be interchangeable or replaceable. (see pic)

Turnnut, I did see where the patent shows the grippers being on dovetailed tracks. Wow, that would have been tricky. Perhaps the economies of production meant that they had to go with a simpler means of attaching them?
Title: Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
Post by: mvwcnews on March 06, 2018, 09:06:27 AM
At that stage in metallurgy , getting alloys & heat treatment right was  not widely known, so one way to get a hard wear resistant jaw surface on a tough resilient (not hard & brittle) body was to make the pieces of separate alloys & rivet or screw them together.

When I was a kid, dad had two sets of plow lays.  One had hard, wear resistant (but brittle) tips for the "good ground" & the other had softer, easier to wear away (but not brittle) tips for the "rocky ground."
Title: Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
Post by: Yadda on March 06, 2018, 07:50:27 PM
Another nice addition to your collection! Thanks for sharing, Bob!
Title: Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
Post by: Chillylulu on March 07, 2018, 04:16:05 PM
Nice!

It looks like the T-=Rex of wrenches....

Chilly
Title: Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
Post by: Plyerman on March 07, 2018, 08:22:45 PM
Quote from: Chillylulu on March 07, 2018, 04:16:05 PM
Nice!

It looks like the T-=Rex of wrenches....

Chilly

Ha! Bus calls them "predatory tools" in his auction listings :grin:
Title: Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
Post by: bonneyman on March 10, 2018, 04:00:18 PM
Honestly that thing looks like the perfect angle for grabbing a tray of rolls out of a hot oven. lol