Schulz #825

[rustcollector]

One more of the great tools that were amongst those I bought last week. This isn't really in my realm of collecting, but I really like the old thing. For those that don't have the Schulz book, it was patented Aug 9, 1881 to Wm Phillips of Ashland, Ne

[Papaw]

Interesting multitool.
I'd be on the lookout for one.

[rustcollector]

Not sure how it made it's way to New York, being that it was born in Nebraska, but kind of glad it did. It's nice to find some odd stuff here once in a while to go with the more local stuff. I would think you would have a better chance to find one in Texas than I would have up here.

[Plyerman]

Whoa, that's a nice one! I've never seen one of those for sale before, but now I'll be keeping a better eye out.

Question: what is the pokey-looking thing sticking off the end of the one plier handle?

[rustcollector]

Best guess would be a screwdriver tip/staple puller. I'm thinking more screwdriver though, as it is a bit wider than you would need for a staple puller.

[Plyerman]

Yeah, I was thinking screwdriver too. But dang, that makes the tool very similar to the Capewell tool, patented 10 years earlier.

Capewell's patent doesn't mentioned electrical. From the patent:

Thus it will be seen that in one instrument I have pliers, two open square wrenches, a gas-burner wrench, a pipe-wrench and nail-drawer, a pipe-wrench of large grasp, a box-wrench, hand-vise, and screw-driver, all combined in a simple and useful manner. Or, if desired, the combination tool above described may be modified (see figs. 3 and 4) by constructing the same without the screw-bolt j and projections n n, thus producing a less expensive but at the same time extremely useful implement.

Here's are three variations from by stuff all marked May 16, 1871:

[rustcollector]

ahhh, but now we've added a hammer, so we've "improved" the idea. They are close in a lot of areas, but enough differences where it probably kept him out of trouble with any infringement problems.

[Plyerman]

Yep, I bet you're right about that.

[Plyerman]

Well for crying out loud......I went back and re-read your first post and saw that William Phillips name again. Started thinking, where have I seen that name before?? Then I popped over to Datamp and typed in the name. Bingo! The same guy who patented your tool also patented the Louderback tool that I just posted pictures of last week! Heh-heh, small world I guess.

Link = http://www.papawswrench.com/vboard/index.php?topic=7639.0

Seems like there sure were a lot of different combination tools around in the late 1800's/early 1900's. I picked up my first one of these a few years ago. According to some old advertisements I've found online it was called the Louderback Combination Tool.





According to Datamp, this tool was patented by Robert Erdman and William Phillips in 1883.