Billings & Spencer Holdup in Colorado

[Joe Malone]

Good evening to everyone.
I am pecking away here in Southern Colorado on a comfortable summer evening of 75 degrees with a light breeze. I live out here where the buses will never run with my wife Debra and my dog Annie. I keep myself busy with old trucks, older cars and even older tools.
This last and latest interest has brought to me to the purchase of an early (1915-1920?) Billings & Spencer 1/2" pressed steel socket set.  The ratchet wheel and its associated female drive parts are missing leaving a 11/16" circular hole in the teardrop shaped head. In the attached image ( I hope) you will see the the incomplete ratchet positioned below another, larger 1/2" female drive B&S ratchet  (CA?)which is , judging from the logos / trademarks, somewhat newer. I should also point out that this larger ratchet will not fit in the original wooden box. The incomplete ratchet, on the other hand, fits rather nicely. For these reasons I conclude that this incomplete and smaller ratchet is the original tool that came with the set.
However, how a 1/2" female drive ratchet wheel  and parts would fit into an 11/16"+ housing, I have no idea.
Do any of you gentlemen have an image or a catalog rendering of this model ratchet with its teardrop head that would give me some answers?
While the Alloy Artifacts website was very helpful in dating the approximate age of my set, it provided no information or images regarding this set.
Thank you,
Joe Malone

[Northwoods]

Can't help you with your B&S mystery; in fact I have one of my own.
Same problem with an old F-70-M Snappy from 1951.  In light of your post, my present theory is that someone in the past half century, or so, neutered some perfectly good ratchets for their own evil purposes.
BTW, welcome to Papaw's place from the great Northwoods of NE Kansas.

[mikeswrenches]

Hi Joe, Welcome from Florida.

I looked through a 1939 B & S catalog and by then that ratchet was apparently no longer being produced, nor were the pressed steel sockets. I also checked another site but no luck there either. I put the link below for that site. A lot of good information there too.

http://toolarchives.com

Mike

[Joe Malone]

Many thanks for your effort. As Sherlock would say, "The game is afoot!"
Joe