Author Topic: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench  (Read 1549 times)

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Offline Plyerman

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Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
« on: March 04, 2018, 06:39:30 PM »
I've been after one of these for awhile, on account of how cool it looks. Finally scored this one at last spring's MVWC auction. It is stamped PAT. JUNE 10, 1902 which corresponds to patent 701,952 for a "Nut-Wrench"

I'm confused however, as the teeth look more like they were intended for grabbing round pipe, than a nut? Odd.
My friends call me Bob. My wife calls me a lot worse.

Offline p_toad

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Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2018, 06:44:01 PM »
Either way it's a nice looking wrench/plier?   Any indication of what holds those jaws in place?   Maybe they were interchangeable.

Offline lptools

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Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2018, 07:25:22 PM »
Very nice!! Thanks for sharing, Lou
Member of PHARTS-  Perfect Handle Admiration, Restoration and Torturing Society

Offline turnnut

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Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2018, 07:52:27 PM »
checking the patent, it sounds like the grippers are on tapered track that acts like a wedge.

Offline strik9

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Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2018, 11:23:10 PM »
Kind of like a gripping gator wrench.  Very nice find.
The only bad tool is the one that couldn't finish the job.  Ironicly it may be the best tool for the next job.

Offline stanley62

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Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2018, 08:27:53 PM »
Looks like the bottom rack of teeth is backwards...at least from my thinking.  Can they be reversed?

 Jim
Always looking for Stanley planes and parts, Mossberg and Plomb wrenches.

Offline turnnut

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Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2018, 09:22:51 PM »
 the patent write-up states that the gripper teeth are installed in opposite directions. 

Offline Plyerman

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Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
« Reply #7 on: March 06, 2018, 07:40:53 AM »
The jaw inserts are solidly attached with rivets. I doubt they were ever intended to be interchangeable or replaceable. (see pic)

Turnnut, I did see where the patent shows the grippers being on dovetailed tracks. Wow, that would have been tricky. Perhaps the economies of production meant that they had to go with a simpler means of attaching them?
My friends call me Bob. My wife calls me a lot worse.

Offline mvwcnews

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Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2018, 09:06:27 AM »
At that stage in metallurgy , getting alloys & heat treatment right was  not widely known, so one way to get a hard wear resistant jaw surface on a tough resilient (not hard & brittle) body was to make the pieces of separate alloys & rivet or screw them together.

When I was a kid, dad had two sets of plow lays.  One had hard, wear resistant (but brittle) tips for the "good ground" & the other had softer, easier to wear away (but not brittle) tips for the "rocky ground."

Offline Yadda

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Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2018, 07:50:27 PM »
Another nice addition to your collection! Thanks for sharing, Bob!
You might say I have a tool collecting problem....

Offline Chillylulu

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Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
« Reply #10 on: March 07, 2018, 04:16:05 PM »
Nice!

It looks like the T-=Rex of wrenches....

Chilly

Offline Plyerman

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Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2018, 08:22:45 PM »
Nice!

It looks like the T-=Rex of wrenches....

Chilly

Ha! Bus calls them "predatory tools" in his auction listings :grin:
My friends call me Bob. My wife calls me a lot worse.

Offline bonneyman

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Re: Smith Patent Nut-Wrench
« Reply #12 on: March 10, 2018, 04:00:18 PM »
Honestly that thing looks like the perfect angle for grabbing a tray of rolls out of a hot oven. lol
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