The Antique Wrench Patent Archive

Every grip the nineteenth century took on a nut

19th century wrench

Patent drawing of a 19th-century monkey wrench showing a solid head and corrugated stem with a sliding jaw locked by an eccentric lever, plus a cross-section of the grooved stem and jaw.IMPROVEMENT IN WRENCHESJohan Fredrik Nordquist · April 26, 1870Patent drawing of an 1872 wrench showing a circular jawed head with four sliding jaws operated by an internal scroll, a hand-wheel for adjustment, and a handle with a pivoted ratcheting pawl and thimble near the shank.IMPROVEMENT IN WRENCHESOvide Bonneville · November 26, 1872Two side-by-side technical drawings of a monkey wrench: Fig. 1 shows the full wrench with adjustable jaw and screw mechanism, and Fig. 2 shows a cross-section revealing an internal cam labeled 'a' with a separate locking lever labeled 'b' running down the handle.IMPROVEMENT IN WRENCHESHenry R. Sloat · April 20, 1875Patent drawing of a pipe wrench showing a toothed revolving disk (B) paired with a pivoted hook-jaw (D) at the head of a long handle (A), with a rear view of the handle showing internal bolts C and E and a spring F, plus a small separate toothed insert piece G.IMPROVEMENT IN PIPE-WRENCHESEliphalet H. Adams and Asher F. Gates · January 18, 1876Patent drawing of a pipe wrench showing a handled shank ending in a toothed circular disk jaw, with a two-part hooked movable jaw pivoted eccentrically to grip a section of pipe, shown in side and edge views.IMPROVEMENT IN PIPE-WRENCHESSamuel W. Hudson · February 18, 1879