I've looked at, and have quite a few different hand vises but never one like this.  It was apparently made for a very special purpose...unfortunately that purpose eludes me.  This is a very high quality device, better than what you usually find in a typical hand vise.  It is marked Wm. Wilkinson & Sons.

In addition to the pulley setup on the end,  there are also two threaded holes  in the jaws.  Part of each hole is located in each jaw.  It looks like it was made to pull something but what?

Overall length is about 7 1/2 in.  Jaw width is 13/8 in.  Centerline of holes in the jaws is 1 1/8 in.
Vise it's self is 3 3/4 in. to the center of the pivot.

Opposite the ratchet lock mechanism is a 3/8 in. square drive that appears to have been used to turn the pulley.  I don't know if a wrench was included, but if it was it is long gone.

A google of the Wilkinson name finds not much.  There was a Wm. Wilkinson & Sons in Sheffield, England around 1790 but not much other information.

Any ideas what it may have been used for?

Mike

Fence stretcher or wire stretcher my guess.

> There was a Wm. Wilkinson & Sons in Sheffield, England around 1790
Est 1730, almost exclusively an edge tool maker, sheep/horse/show thatch shears, scissors, kitchen / butchers knives, Razors, other knives(?), scissors, and dressing case instruments  etc...also  Pruning shears and farriers' knives
Registered mark is their name spelled out, "William, not wm. and with Grimesthorpe (The town near Sheffield), so , unlikely....

The EAIA Directory of American Toolmakers lists William Wilkinson & Sons, 1894-1900; cutlery and farm tools; they made a range of shears/clippers for sheep, hedges, etc.  So, the fence stretcher idea would fit into that.

My guess was for "wire drawing".  Apparently jewelers did this for some of their parts.  The pulley is what makes me think that this was for drawing long lengths of wire.  A rope could have been threaded thru the hole and the other end made fast.  If a crank handle were placed on the 3/8 square, the wire could have been drawn fairly quickly thru the die.

Les, wire stretching would also make sense.

John, I took a look at the listing in the Directory to see where the Company was located, but that information is missing.  Also, based on what I found and what Rusty found, I think this entry is in error.  The Wm. Wilkinson & Sons that I found, and that Rusty found, were definitely an English manufacturer. 

An ad I found says the following:  Manufacturers of every description of SHEEP AND GARDEN SHEARS, Farriers', Butchers', & Shoe Knives, &c., &c." But no mention of any type of vise.

They appear to have won a prize at the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 that was held in Philadelphia, PA for Sheep and Garden Shears.  Maybe this is what led the EAIA astray during their research.

Thanks for the info.

Mike

Quote from: mikeswrenches on January 08, 2014, 08:30:49 PM
My guess was for "wire drawing".  Apparently jewelers did this for some of their parts.  The pulley is what makes me think that this was for drawing long lengths of wire.  A rope could have been threaded thru the hole and the other end made fast.  If a crank handle were placed on the 3/8 square, the wire could have been drawn fairly quickly thru the die.

Les, wire stretching would also make sense.

Mike

I don' t think it was for wire drawing.  That has pretty much always been done on a draw bench.  Wire drawing is how you size wire - basically you pull it through progressively smaller holes in a steel plate until you have the right gauge.  The plates can have different shapes in them also.






And a close up of wire being drawn:




Chilly

Chilly, Thanks for the information.  I have several hand vises with rings on the bottom, but none ever seemed like they were heavy enough to resist the forces involved in wire drawing, although that is what I was told they were for.  I never knew that this work was done on a bench.  I like the pictures!

Unfortunately it looks like I'm no closer to figuring out exactly what the purpose was of my vise.

Mike

The size and style of the vise is a sort generally made for jewelers, so I would hazard a guess that this tool was made for clock makers.

Telegraph/telephone wire strainer - too small for fencing use - however, similar to the the ratchet type strainer part (without the hand vice) are used in the UK for tensioning the supporting wires on interlocking, or wire mesh, fencing, e.g. as used on tennis courts...

e.g. see http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Telegraph-Draw-Vice-Wire-Strainer-Tensioner-WW1-Field-Kit-Old-Tool-Very-Nice-/321261620039?nma=true&si=BXDGElde4kHOeiX5BKgpzfDio1o%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Unable to post any images, will try again later..

Here is one with the handle.

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/telegraph-draw-vice-wire-tensioner-245289425

Mike,
Myself and a friend thought the same as you.  However it looks like Billman and HeelSpur are correct.

Thanks to everyone for their help on this, it is certainly appreciated!

Mike

Image finally loaded... It can be seen that some types of telegraph draw tongs are very similar to those used for wire drawing on a draw bench - hence the possible confusion..

Quote from: mikeswrenches on January 09, 2014, 02:56:32 PM
Mike,
Myself and a friend thought the same as you.  However it looks like Billman and HeelSpur are correct.
Mike

Yep.  They sewed up the mystery with steel twine.

Quote from: HeelSpur on January 09, 2014, 01:19:23 PM
Here is one with the handle.

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/telegraph-draw-vice-wire-tensioner-245289425

I thought the handle was added later.  The ad seems to confirm it.  They added it so it'd sell for $49.50.  Worth more than I would have guessed.

Chilly

Chilly,
     The handle looks like it could be correct except why make it from bronze?  Bronze  was an expensive alloy and you would normally expect to find it in a marine environment not in a kit where it could be easily lost.

Mike