North German Lloyd Line Wrench

[mrvincepar]

I have a heavy, 2 sided adjustable wrench that opens & closes by turning the 8 sided handle. As the handle turns, the worm drive opens/closes the 2 sided head which is divided by a flat iron bar attached to the worm drive at the bottom & the wrench head at the top. The 2 sides of the head are the same in size, shape, and design. Both are flat, have no teeth or other gripping surface. Each side is almost 1 1/2 " in length.

On one side of the head is printed "Norddeutscher Lloyd' (North German Lloyd). On the flat iron bar is a logo consisting of the letter "S" which ends at the bottom swirl in the shape of a dolphin. Below that is printed "Ganz Geschmiedet."

The wrench is apparently intended for marine use & seems specialized to a particular task or type of machinery.

Does anyone know anything about the wrench, the logo or the name?

[Lewill2]

Welcome to Tool Talk, Post some pictures of your wrench and it will help with any replies. Sonds like it is a double jaw adjustable that was made in Germany. This same design was made in other European countries.

[Northwoods]

Anything like this?

https://assets.catawiki.nl/assets/2020/10/14/e/3/9/e3906dd5-43f3-46de-8a88-b9b2e276831d.jpg

[mrvincepar]

Thanks for the photo & response. Looks like the wrench is not as rare/unusual as I thought.

Close, especially the double jawed head. Mine is entirely metal w/ a "pushbar" in the middle that goes up & down as you turn the handle. Single worm drive in the middle turns as you twist the handle.

[mvwcnews]

Anything like this?

https://assets.catawiki.nl/assets/2020/10/14/e/3/9/e3906dd5-43f3-46de-8a88-b9b2e276831d.jpg

That style with the side rods to keep the jaws aligned & the left / right hand central threaded shaft was referred to as 'French style" in German tool literature.  (I just spent two months researching  German (pre-WWII) wrenches through the materials available in Google books & the HATHI Trust.) 

[mvwcnews]

After a bit of research, I wonder if the  "S & dolphin" could have been a maker mark.  "Norddeutscher Lloyd" appears to have been a steamship line that operated between Bremen, Southampton & New York City. I found an 1865 ad.  If my surmise is correct the "Norddeutscher Lloyd" would have been an ownership mark.

[mrvincepar]

Thanks for the info on differentiating the design between the French & German style. I'm certain mine is German by both construction & everything written on it is in German. It was probably the property of the North German Lloyd line & used by a machinist/sailor /"black gang" member while on board.

As for the S shaped dolphin, I did a lot of research bot on German toolmakers & the shipping company but could find nothing even close. I'll probably stumble upon it completely by accident looking for something else. I feel certain it's a German tool makers' mark.

The Lloyd line used to dock in Hoboken, NJ rather than NYC. Don't know why. research showed they joined w/ another German shipping company about 1950 & now sail as Hapag-Lloyd. Mostly container ships I think.

Thanks for spending time trying to help me out