triple socket buggy wrench

[rustcollector]

I just got this buggy wrench and was pleasantly surprised to find a patent date on it. However, it doesn't exactly match the Post patent from the date, and I can't access USPTO on my phone to look for other patents from the same date. Stan, Rusty or Bus have any info on it. I believe my wrench might be missing some components. Patent date is Feb.11, 1873.

[rusty]

The post patent is really just for including a rubber retainer into the socket. Your wrench has some kind of cut back area on one side of the socket, so it is not unreasonable.....
(datamp doesn't show any other promising patent for that date, it's obviously not a pipe wrench or a corn husker...)

Will look more when I get home....

[mvwcnews]

Looks like your wrench originally had a rubber roller nut retainer  ( per the POST patent  --  http://www.datamp.org/patents/displayPatent.php?number=135842&typeCode=0 ) on each of the three square box ends.   Since I've never seen a wrench matching the POST patent, this is really interesting. Congratulations.

[Lewill2]

Under class 81 there are 4 patents listed for that date, none seem to relate to the wrench.
Patent 135,856
           135,842
           135,773
           135,715

[turnnut]

another 1st for me, never seen one like that, nice catch.

will put that in the memory bank and keep my eyes open.

[rusty]

Looking in the basement...Lewell pretty much covered all the possabilities.
I find 293 patents issued that week. Three have 'wrench' in the title, the other has 'tool' in the title. There is also a wagon axle patent, but it shows no wrench.
Nothing else seems any better than the Post patent here...

[rustcollector]

I kept looking at the Post patent when I first found it but I didn't want to make that leap myself. There was just enough to make me think it might be right, but also just enough differences to make me question it. Somewhere along the line I lost my copy of Cope's book so I can't see the ad listed in the DATAMP entry for the patent. The lack of a spinner handle is a key difference to me. I've studied the wrench and don't even see a difference in the finish surrounding the hole to make me think this wrench ever even had a spinner on it.

All in all, just the design of the wrench, complete or not, is what intrigued me about it. I can't think of any other buggy wrench I've seen first hand that has multiple box sockets on it.

[jimwrench]

Cope shows a Scientific American ad from 1873 that's shows a single end  wrench that is a dead ringer for your wrench. He also gives Feb 11'1873 as patent date for Post wrench.
Great find.

[rusty]

This?

[rustcollector]

Thanks Rusty. Now I'm a bit more convinced it's the right patent for the wrench. Now,the question. is, did he make a regular single box end wrrench or a double or only the triple like mine?  Will be interesting to see if any others ever pop up.