Billings & Spencer Hand Drills

[Clinebenson]

I have 2 hand drills that were used on the Northfork & Western rail road before they became Nothfork & Southern and I've been trying to find out when they were made. Take a look at the pics and if anyone can help me out on this I would really appreciate it. Thanks

[Plyerman]

Welcome to Tool Talk Cline! Sorry I can't help with your question, but I'm sure someone a lot smarter than me will be along soon.

[Lewill2]

Welcome Cline to the forum, Alloy Artifacts doesn't mention anything about Billings & Spencer making ratchet drills, that said they probably made them under someone elses patent. The pictures are a little dark and I can't tell much from them as to the detail of the ratchet mechanism. What are the markings on them? There are several atents in the 1890's - 1910's time frame for ratchet drills. They carry a master catagory of 408 in the patent classifications. The larger section on the back side of the drill head unscrews to apply pressure on the drill bit. This would have to be braced against something solid to do this. I have a few in my collection but none like yours.

[mvwcnews]

Pg. 331 of December 1913 MACHINERY has a "new product announcement" for a Billings & Spencer No. 0  double acting ratchet drill.    ( http://books.google.com/books?id=IscfAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA331 ).
This is one of those google book digitizations.
The illustration does not match yours exactly, but they are showing the smallest size & the larger sizes may have varied a bit.  Or yours could be another model in the overall B&S ratchet drill product line.    But the listing at least gives an approximate time frame for production of such tools.

[scottg]

No idea about when.........
 But tools that look and function like that are generally called joist braces. For drilling in tight spaces, as in, inbetween floor joists. I am sure there are million places on a train that are cramped for working too.
   I have seen a lot of drills. Never saw these.
 
  Those square drill bits have to be as rare as the drills too. Some sort of nose augers. I expect you would have to start the hole with a chisel or something. They don't appear to have a center point.   
    yours Scott
 

[Lewill2]

Found a Billings patent, #260,359, Patented July 4, 1882

[sumner52000]

Also called packer ratchets, and boiler drills.

[mvwcnews]

Found a Billings patent, #260,359, Patented July 4, 1882

I should have looked harder -- I had entered that patent into DATAMP!!