Friday, November 14, 2008

Plugging Away

When I started adding wrench and pliers patents to DATAMP, I first set out to add "known" patents identified by old wrench enthusiasts over the years, and later used the U.S. Patent system "CCLs" (e.g. 81/ .. TOOLS) to examine patents by classification.

I eventually decided the most thorough way to cover the territory is to look at "every" patent. That can be done since the old U.S. patents are online, and one of the DATAMP project leaders has devised a searching tool to speed the process.

I currently have gotten up to January, 1889. Every once in a while, I come across a patent like 395,658 which escaped the notice of previous wrench patent compilers like Don Shockley and Steven Eckers.
In the process, I also come across things like Franklin's Never Slip Wrench which I have never seen. (Anyone have one they'd be willing to photograph & share a picture?) Franklin's Never-Slip


I'm also working on the December issue of the Missouri Valley Wrench Club Newsletter. In addition to information gleaned at the fall meeting, the newsletter has data from several farm implement repair parts manuals, and a "once in a lifetime" find from a former farm implement manufacturer's factory.

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