Fireman's wrench?

[OilyRascal]

I have the following unmarked wrench that has been kicking my tail for some time now in my attempts to positively identify it.  It does appear to have an ever so slight raised marking ( horseshoe logo?) on the shank, but I'm unable to make it out with certainty.  It measures 15" long, and has a 2-1/2" flat to flat on the 6 point opening.  The 5-point hole on the other working end certainly looks to fit a valve stem - hence my start at the fireman's wrench guess.

Is there something associated with firefighting that commonly has a 2-1/2" head?
Any thoughts here that might confirm or refute my guess on it's use?
If it is a fireman's wrench or associated with them - what is the use of the end (c-shaped two holes) opposite the 2-1/2" opening?

[scottg]

Definitely a fire wrench
 The pin holes are for the older pin lock fire hose connectors.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-1-2-Female-NST-x-1-1-2-Male-NPSH-FIRE-HOSE-HYDRANT-BRASS-ADAPTER-/320814459014?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab2082886
  All fire hose was pin lock since forever. All the connectors were heavy solid brass.
When putting hose back on the truck after a use, 2 or 3 guys do it. One or two walking the hose to the truck and the third guy up on the truck stacking it in the long zig zag way it lays, so it can be pulled back off fast. 
 As each pair of connectors nears the truck, the fireman on the ground nearest the truck calls "brass" meaning you have 2 connectors coming up, and don't whack your ankle with it as you put it away,
  because it really hurts like hell!!

Modern fire hose uses lugs on aluminum connectors 99% of the time.
 But we still call out..... brass..... so nobody gets hurt.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fire-Hose-1-X-50-w-Aluminum-Couplings-/350437203545?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5197af5e59


 The 2 1/2" hex end? I have no idea.
  yours Scott

[OilyRascal]

Thanks so much, Scott.  I've never seen a "pin lock" hose connector.  I do have formal training in the fighting of petro-chemical and electrical fires (not structure), but I'd never seen this connector that you speak of.  I've seen the exclusive use of a spanner type wrench for the hose connections with aluminum couplings.   

I have some relationships locally so now that I know it is fire fighter related I will swing by the FD and see if the folks there might be able to help with the 2-1/2" end.  I will offer it to them as wall hanger.

This is me in May of 2010 on the nozzle attempting to push back a Naptha fueled fire in a 55gal drum while trusting two teams to keep the pit fire below me pushed back  -  essentially mocking a storage tank and it's pit area on fire.  I can't tell you how worn out my wrist was from "popping" that fire (fog to direct VERY quickly).  Let off the fog for a milli-second to long, and you're it.  Stay on the fog constant, and you'd never put it out.

[keykeeper]

Sweet photo, Derek!

I also have some formal training in fire suppression, both industrial and structural. Nothing like pushing back a nice big flare of fire so someone can "shut off" the supply line!! If one person isn't paying attention, someone else is getting hot really quick....good times, good times!!

The wrench mentioned is for fire hose, as Scott G said. Most all the connectors now use a flat face spanner to loosen them, though. Some years back, I think the NFPA guidelines started standardizing everyones hardware on their apparatus, so there would be no confusion in mutual aid situations. (No need for adapters!)

[scottg]

Some years back, I think the NFPA guidelines started standardizing everyones hardware on their apparatus, so there would be no confusion in mutual aid situations. (No need for adapters!)

 Wow would that be sweet!!
Our stuff is mixed old and new. We are grateful to have anything that works!!
 Pretty much all of our 1 1/2" line is aluminum modern stuff.
2 1/2" is mixed both, and 3" supply line is all ancient pinlock. 
 
 The current project is refurbishng a small field compressor, and doing a number on our main firehall compressor.
At the moment we have no SCBA compressor and have to beg for county help (2 hours away) in a big emergency.  We keep a lot of spare bottles though.
  yours Scott

[rusty]

3" supply line is all ancient pinlock

Horrible nasty stuff, they wear out and leak, the levers get stuck, and if you pry them they snap off and you are screwed, and gawd help you if you get them in the snow and they freeze ...

[bunger]

I have been in the fire service for over 38 years.
I agree that the curved end would be for pin lock type hose connections, and the pentagon hole is for the hydrant fittings but I have no idea what the 2 1/2" octagon hole would be used for.
I have never seen anything fire related that uses a 8 sided fitting that big.
This wrench may be used in the pump/irrigation industry more so than the fire service.

[rusty]

I have seen those type of wrenches with 8 sided large openings before, but, still have not found a hint what it fits either. There were hose fittings way back that were octagonal, but a ring spanner would get stuck if you used it on a hose, so it has to be for something you can get it off of afterwards, like a valve, or a nozzle...kinda large for a valve, seems small for a nozzle, dunno..

(I have looked at old fire hydrant pictures, some had weird and bizzare fittings, but nothing like a 2 1/2 inch octagon..)

[OilyRascal]

I'm starting to think it may have been a service wrench that shipped with a truck, with the 2-1/2" hex made for something on the truck.  Just a hunch.  The local FD turned up nothing on the hex end.  My contacts in the local refinery fire brigade turned up nothing.  Bunger with 38 years service (my hat off to you for your service, Sir) turned up nothing.

[mvwcnews]

Look through old fire hydrant catalogs & I'm guessing you'll find some with octagon bosses on the "caps" over the outlets.

[Chillylulu]

The wrench mentioned is for fire hose, as Scott G said. Most all the connectors now use a flat face spanner to loosen them, though. Some years back, I think the NFPA guidelines started standardizing everyones hardware on their apparatus, so there would be no confusion in mutual aid situations. (No need for adapters!)

The standardization began in the late 1800's.  The NFPA standard is 1963, "Standard for Fire Hose Connections" By the mid 1960's an NFPA / ASA survey indicated that ~90%-95% of the fire districts had adopted the national standard thread.  We still have to be careful - for instance, where I live, all districts have NST threads on 2-1/2" hose threads and all but Denver use NST threads on 1-1/2" hose threads. Theirs is NPST on 1-1/2". Many major cities have their own thread standard on 2-1/2" hose adapters.

The spanner wrench you show is a universal type.  The 5 point opening is for hydrant stems. The large hex end is probably for 1-1/2" adapters, which are often made from 2-1/2" hex stock and have a hex wrenching point in the middle. 

Hoses come primarily with one of two wrenching configurations. Pin lugs are 2 pins on either side of the adapter body. They are a little larger than 1/2".  The holes on the spanner end go over one of the lugs to spin the coupling. The other configuration is sort of a flat tab, with grooves cut down the flat. A wrench with a hook grabs onto the lugs to spin the coupling.  Their are other variations,  like hammer lugs and long hand makeup lugs.

[HeelSpur]

Would this be a firemans wrench too?

[Chillylulu]

Yes, for firehose connections -see the middle fitting above.