Author Topic: Primitive Ratchet?  (Read 2938 times)

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Offline harwill

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Primitive Ratchet?
« on: May 14, 2013, 12:08:43 PM »
Coming Out with my first whazzit...

Looks like a primitive ratchet, sort of.  Either free wheels or ratchets in one direction.  To reverse, it looks like you need to pull out the 1/2" drive stub and reinsert from opposite side. Has a patent number, barely readable, and Chicago, USA stamped on the handle.  Any guesses?  See picture.
"Sometimes I thinks Well..., and then again I don't know..."

Offline superzstuff

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Re: Primitive Ratchet?
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2013, 01:04:36 PM »
I have a set with ratchet just like that. It is not marked with maker but has Patent number 1798481 and Chicago USA. A few of the sockets are Blackhawk.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2013, 04:15:55 PM by superzstuff »
38 years a Tool and Die maker, forever a collector!

Offline rusty

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Re: Primitive Ratchet?
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2013, 04:28:41 PM »
McNaught's first practical ratchet design, for Duro(indestro)

Nice :)

http://www.google.com/patents?id=e4NUAAAAEBAJ
Just a weathered light rust/WD40 mix patina.

Offline harwill

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Re: Primitive Ratchet?
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2013, 11:43:00 AM »
Mine has the same patent Number!  They must be first cousins!
Any idea about when this was made?  Looks like I've got some history to read... Seems McNaught is the prime suspect?
"Sometimes I thinks Well..., and then again I don't know..."

Offline Bill Houghton

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Re: Primitive Ratchet?
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2013, 02:13:33 PM »
I have a 1/2" drive Craftsman ratchet that uses the same principle.  Simple, fewer parts, and with a significantly thinner head* than any of the reversing ratchets I've ever seen.

*The reason I've held onto it even though I have a Snap-On ratchet that's my main user tool; in case I run into a situation where I need to save 1/4" or so to make the ratchet fit.  Probably never happen; we've reached the age of having cars that didn't come to us pre-clapped-out.  Time was, I didn't even bother to look at cars with fewer than 100,000 miles on them, because we couldn't afford them, which then led to a lot of repair time.

Offline rusty

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Re: Primitive Ratchet?
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2013, 03:32:17 PM »
> Time was, I didn't even bother to look at cars with fewer than 100,000 miles on them

You know you have been working on clunkers when you are *surprised* that the brake caliper bolts still have hexagonal heads on them, not rounded heads from 40+ previous brake jobs...;P
Just a weathered light rust/WD40 mix patina.

Offline harwill

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Re: Primitive Ratchet?
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2013, 11:14:31 PM »
Hmmm,  the fly in the ointment here is that those good 'ol tools most likely won't do much on a new car.  It's metric, and torx, and computerized...
But, I've yet to see the caliper bolts on my 2007 Dodge diesel - approaching 100,000 on the original brake pads!
So we just do this stuff for the fun of it...
"Sometimes I thinks Well..., and then again I don't know..."