Thursday, September 19, 2024

Barcalo Buffalo Nail puller prybar


This carpenters nail puller seems like an unusual tool for the Barcalo operation who made mostly wrenches and tools for mechanics. Too bad this one is quite corroded, but it looks like a good solid pry bar. We covered Barcalo in this 2016 post.
 



Isotta Fraschini

The Isotta Fraschini pushrod inline eight cylinder engine was introduced immediately after WW1 in this Tipo 8 luxury car. The engine was enlarged and improved over the years and was still in use 20 years later.
 

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

O.I.T. wrench


 Here's another middling-quality wrench from an unknown Taiwanese toolmaker. Maybe someday people will collect these unloved imported tools and we'll find out more about the manufacturers.



Sandow engine

 Detroit Motor Car Supply Co. of Detroit built a line of Sandow-named engines from 1912 till 1920. 

More info on the Sandow engine here.





Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Brooklyn Navy Yard drydock


 Another very early photograph. Taken in 1846, this photograph shows the Brooklyn Navy Yard's first dry dock being constructed. It was completed in 1850 and has been in operation ever since. The image below is from a 2018 article in Curbed New York. 




Allen brand ratchet


In 1910 William G. Allen  patented a setscrew with an internal (socket) hex for tightening the screw, this became known as the Allen screw and the Allen Manufacturing company was set up in 1913 to produce the setscrews and accompanying hex keys.  Although Mr. Allen left the company shortly thereafter, the company prospered, branching out into regular wrenches and related tool sets. Somewhere along the way they became part of the Armstrong tool company which was swallowed up by Danaher in 1994. In 2012, Danaher sold their tool business and it became part of Apex Tool Group. 

This ratchet has the Danaher era logo so must have been made post 1995. 

datamp.org


Monday, September 16, 2024

1934 Austin Seven

I didn't hear the story, but how can something like this have survived this many decades without disappearing or being fully restored? British Car Day 2024.



thanks, Bruce!

 

1912 Airshow, loop the loop!

112 years later, the current world record is 2,368 consecutive loops, held by David Childs of North Pole, Alaska.

Sunday, September 15, 2024

Side cot Sunday


 Ride hard, sleep right where you want.


thanks, Rolf!



Saturday, September 14, 2024

Guarantee Motor Co.


 The company seems to have dealt in marine engines at the beginning of the last century. I suspect it was a short lived venture, no information comes up. That area of the city has been built over, anything industrial is long gone. I’d like to see the engine trouble book.

Friday, September 13, 2024

Dynamic Fab


 It seems there is a neverending list of companies that made C clamps, but maybe, as they say, you can never have too many clamps.

  Once again no information for the name online, just a couple on ebay.




Torpedo boat USS Alarm

The USS Alarm was built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and launched in 1873, an attempt by the Navy to introduce experimental new technology to the military. Times were changing, newfangled steam power was being accepted as well as breech loading guns. The Alarm was to be a fast sleek Torpedo boat, and featured a 24 foot long ramming bow. The torpedos were attached to extending spars at the bow. An attack would consist of the torpedo boat ramming an enemy ship while extending explosives on spars towards the ship. There was a single forward firing 15 inch Dahlgren gun to increase the firepower. Provisions for filling the hull with water to decrease its silhouette were also tried. 

Instead of paddle wheels or propellers, the ship was fitted with a new design "Fowler Wheel" which was a vertical shaft with 4 paddles attached. The paddles were feathered by a cam till they approached the starboard where the paddle wheel extended to provide forward motion. It was not successful, it was very inefficient and the boat never achieved the speed anticipated. There were additional modifications tried but the boat was reduced to a gunnery training vessel, probably never used and scrapped in 1898. Pretty sure this was an exercise in deadends. More here.

Also here.

 

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Ideal 45-079 cable cutter


Armored cable (BX cable) cutter with compound cutting action.

Patent  US 2246350 A



Know your Renault Dauphine


 Not sure how many made it to Canada, but Renault made about 2 million of these 850cc four seaters.

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Calrad Morse code practice terminal

 Not much call for these Morse code devices any more... Is it used at all any more?




Harley patent 1,510,937 1924


This is an advanced concept for 1924. A one piece welded pressed steel frame for a motorcycle. As far as I know it was never built.




 


Tuesday, September 10, 2024

American Snowmobile Oil

 I knew that logo looked familiar (we don't have it in Canada). In 1985, American changed its corporate name to Amoco (from American Oil Company) and kept the red, white and blue Torch logo. In the mid-twentieth century it was ranked the largest oil company in the United States. 




 

Monday, September 9, 2024

Monday Mystery, Unreadable logo


This is a British-made open end wrench but the script-type logo is a mystery. Guesses?


Monday Mystery, a something-Anchor


 They look like some sort of longitudinally clamping device, and apparently a patent was applied for. Any guesses before we do a Google image search?




Sunday, September 8, 2024

Phoenix Mfg. C Clamp


 Nice old 6" clamp, with wing nut. Once again, no company information online that I could find.