Wood Handle Tools-what are they?

[Lostmind]

You guys have been good at ID for me. Here are a three items I've had a long time,but not sure of there purpose.This may not be the correct section,but they have wood handles and I need to start somewhere!
The dark handled piece with the removable cap is marked" pat. pend.. 1884
The light handled one ,which is almost identical ,except differtent wood and a little lesser quality.
it is marked 'Buell Bros."
Both have similar interchangable bits.What was their original purpose?

The third piece looks like a hand vise or punch holder?Someone suggested a crimper.
Any one know its real purpose?

I held of selling these for years because I want to know about them first. Thanks for any help
Roy

[bird]

Sent you a PM about some of them....  I'm curious about the last one.  When I see something that looks kind of like a vice with a "V" shape to it, I think of it as being used to clamp something round. But, I have no idea what it is or was usued for.
cheers,
bird.

[rusty]

Tool handles with interchangable ends were very popular "multi-tools" at one point. There and hundreds of variations, and as many patents. Making some assumptions, the Pat Pend 1884 may perhaps be patent 292,620, which seems at least functionally similar.

3 reminds me of a watch case holder, to it seems a bit crude for that...

[mikeswrenches]

Hi Roy,

The dark handled one is pat. no. 303,478 issued to Granville Wright Aug. 12, 1884.  You don't see many of them.  I only have 2.

The lighter handled one is pat. no. 289,501 issued to Edgar Buell 12-4-1883.  These are a bit more common.  Buell Bros. was in Clinton, Conn.

Mike

[john k]

The little handvise looks like a home brew, because that handle is a dead ringer for a commercial file handle.  Most of the mutli tool bits and handles I find are stamped Germany.   These look nice and complete.

[Branson]

The little handvise looks like a home brew, because that handle is a dead ringer for a commercial file handle.

It looks home, and that does look like a file handle, but I've seen them before.  I think it was back in my stone cutting/jewelry making days in the '60s. Suffice it to say, this is a hand vise.

[mikeswrenches]

John,

I find it  interesting that you find mostly German variations of multi tool handles.  In FL I usually find mostly the Fray style(see pat. no. 360426), and when I get lucky Millers Falls and Bridgeports. 

The Fray's are usually maple, but occasionally rosewood,  the MF and BP's are usually larger and of rosewood.  The nice thing about collecting these is they can usually be had for very little money, and the rosewood ones are quite showy when cleaned and waxed.

Mike

[Lostmind]

Thanks for all the input. Mike ,you gave me just what I was looking for.
I'll have to spend some time learning about the patents search.
I didn't think about the vise being home made,but looks possible.
I haven't been checking back here every day , and sometimes I don't get the notice that there was a post.Not sure why it works sometimes and not always.
I will write this info down and keep it with the tools.
Might sell them off now and move on to something new and exciting.
Thanks to all who spent their time on this.
Bird , thanks for the PM , I did check that site out.Sorry I didn't give you a reply.
I get distracted jumping around to different places here.
I find it interesting that the Maple one is older than the Rosewood(?) one.
I had assumed opposite

Roy

[BruceS]

The bottom one looks like it could be clamped to the front ways of an old small engine lathe to stop the carriage movement.

[Aunt Phil]

Last one is a telco lineman's lashing wire clamp. 
It's used to hold the lashing wire so the wrapper can be thrown across the pole for it's trip to the next pole.

Wrapper gets thrown, rear gate closed and a foot of wire pulled and attached to the Fargo.  Front gate gets closed and the wrapper heads off wrapping to the next pole with a lineman waiting.  The tail from the arriving wrapper is wound into place after spacers are secured & strapped, wound around the bolt of the Fargo, bolt gets tightened, surplus gets cut and the temporary clamp goes in the toolbag for the walk to the next empty pole in line.

It's not a job you want.

[Lostmind]

Thanks Aunt Phil, nowhere but tool talk!I bought it from a fellow that had a lot of specialty tools.
I thought it might have a special purpose.Mystery solved.
On to the next quest.
Roy