I know what I was told, but

[skipskip]

these two crescent tools are a bit different from the usual crescent offerings.



NOV 226 by skipskip, on Flickr



NOV 230 by skipskip, on Flickr



NOV 232 by skipskip, on Flickr



seller told me what he thinks they are, but I have been fooled before.

Skip

[mikeswrenches]

This was patented March 19, 1935 by Joseph P. Whalan.  Pat. No. 1,994,972 and assigned to the Crescent Tool Co.

It was called a Wire and Sleeve connecter tool.  The ones I have must be later as they have patent no. or date on them.  Don't know where they are at present.

Mike

[amertrac]

they must hold the cables and connector in place and leaves both hands free to clamp the connector

[Aunt Phil]

Commonly used tool in the 30s through 50s for splicing overhead wire on pole lines.  If you're in an area where polelines haven't been updated you see the splices every few thousand feet.

The wires are inserted into opposite ends of a tube I can best describe as a flattened round.  Tube is between 8 and 10 " long.  A pair of the twisting tools is then attached at the ends of the tube and locked down, providing an initial crimped grip.  The crimp is only sufficient to hold the wires in the tube.

The tools are then rotated 5 or more turns around the wires in opposing directions.  This twisting causes the tube to twist the wires into a very lengthened version of the Western Union Splice, which can then handle several thousand pounds of tension when the wire is strung.

Smaller versions of the twisted sleeved splice were employed on iron wire by both Western Union and Bell Telephone.