Crowbars? for what? & how?

[oldtools]

Found 2 Crowbars? for what? & how are they used??
Marked "08954-W-U.S.O.M.C. PROTO made in USA."
about 3' long...

[Lostmind]

Those are for prying leaf springs open enough to grease them. I had mentioned them earlier in the RR
post about the bar with the weird end. In later years they used nylon or plastic inserts and eliminated the need
to lube the springs.

[oldtools]

Wow!! Never would have guessed for leaf springs!!! looked it up, finally found something...
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-pre-proto-plomb-2110-grease-292318812

Thank you..

[lbgradwell]

From the 1950 catalogue:




Airbuff101 (Rob) over at the GG explained:

They were called Grease Bars or Shackle Bars and used to twist leaf spring stacks back an forth whilst attempting to get grease to enter the end eyelets. Many were made by Springfield and private labelled for most tool companies of the era. Also very handy for twisting old metal bumpers back to straight....or just about anydamn thing that heretofore dint' want to be ..Twisted. :)
Great prybars but don't sell for much. I've had a few similar but the last one was a 48" Springfield that now resides on my sons shop wall....fer emergencies..........
The narrow yoke and stout forgings make these things pretty handy every now and then.
Some had dropped yokes but many had a shallow angle instead.
airbuff

1937 Herbrand:



This illustration (kind of) shows what Rob was describing above...


1948 Craftsman:

[oldtools]

Thank you Kijiji King,  They have come in handy for straightening frames & bumpers, great to pull up floor boards... (Too bad the mouth wasn't wider, could be used to un-twist 2x4s for framing.).