The Antique Wrench Patent Archive

Every grip the nineteenth century took on a nut

Ratchet wrench

Patent drawing of a ratchet wrench showing an oval-handled top view with a round socket head containing hexagonal opening and ratchet teeth, alongside a side view of the elongated stock with a removable socket and screw catch mechanism.IMPROVEMENT IN RATCHET-WRENCHESWilliam Pirsson · May 29, 1866Technical patent drawing showing a hand gripping a ratcheting nut wrench with a toothed wheel and adjustable jaws, alongside top, bottom, cross-section, and alternate jaw-adjustment views labeled Figs. 1 through 5.IMPROVEMENT IN WRENCHESE. J. Leyburn · October 13, 1868Patent 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, 1872Patent drawing of a crank-handled wrench with a curved handle ending in a breast-piece, a ratcheting lever mechanism with labeled pawl, ratchet, and jaws, and a small funnel-shaped oil-can mounted near the jaw assembly.IMPROVEMENT IN WRENCHESWilliam R. Moore · October 27, 1874Patent drawing of a railroad wrench showing a ratchet handle mounted in a clamp frame with curved side bars, eccentrics, and a foot-piece hook designed to straddle a rail while tightening fish-plate nuts.Fish-Plate-Nut WrenchesJames R. Finley · July 6, 1875Patent drawing of a combined wrench and vise showing a ratcheting head with two clamping jaws atop a long ruled handle, with a cross-sectional detail of the internal bolt, spring, and bridge mechanism.Combined Wrench and Vise.Homer Tompson Gates · December 18, 1877Patent drawing of a wrench with a circular handle end holding a removable pentagonal-cogged nut-holder, shown in front elevation, exploded nut-holder view, and rear elevation with internal spring and catch mechanism.IMPROVEMENT IN WRENCHESGurdon S. Goodspeed · May 7, 1878Patent drawing of a ratchet wrench showing five figures: a perspective view of the assembled tool with adjustable jaws and knurled screw, two cross-sectional views revealing internal pawls and ratchet teeth, a small circular cross-section, and an enlarged perspective of the head with parts broken away to show the sliding jaw mechanism.WRENCH.Ernest Frederick Rettberg and Charles Carroll Ellis · February 2, 1886Patent drawing of an 1891 ratchet wrench showing a bulbous wooden handle, a bifurcated ratchet handle with pawl, a cylindrical shank, and adjustable sliding jaws with a milled nut for tightening, alongside a detail view of the pawl rod assembly.WRENCH.Charles H. Driver · April 7, 1891Patent drawing of a combined pipe, ratchet, and monkey wrench showing a long flattened screw-stem handle with an adjustable jaw mechanism at top, a curved bail-shaped frame with cog-spur gear plate, a pivoting lever handle with an inverted T-slot, and several detail insets of the detachable ratchet plates, lock bolts, and jaw components.COMBINED PIPE, RATCHET, AND MONKEY WRENCH.Samuel M. Friede · September 4, 1894Patent drawing of a ratchet wrench showing a sectioned side view with internal ratchet, pawl, spring, and wooden handle, plus front and rear detail views of the ratchet head and pawl.RATCHET-WRENCH.Henry Markel · September 24, 1895Patent drawing of a ratchet monkey wrench showing the long handle, a rotatable jawed head with sliding jaws, an internal ratchet ring, and detail views of the linkage bolt and dog mechanism.RATCHET MONKEY-WRENCHClayton E. Frederickson · June 7, 1898