Model 1916 Sturgis & Burns Mfg. Co.

 

 This is part of a WW1 American soldiers kit. The little tin can with hinged lid held a field ration of cured bacon or salt pork. Not sure how bacon got the name “Model 1916” or why the label never went into colloquial use.

S&B was the can manufacturer.

Sidecar Sunday

 Duckhams introduced Q 20-50, the first Multigrade oil in 1951.

Peavey parts

  I’ve never had to replace any mechanical parts on a peavey or cant hook, can’t imagine breaking the hook but it’s good to know they’re available…
 

Budd wheels

 Budd was on the move in the 1950s, making railway cars, car bodies and just about anything for transportation. This ad came from National Geographic, an unlikely medium for  a heavy manufacturer with little direct contact with the buying public.

The company was founded by Edward Budd in 1912. They were known for their work with stainless steel in train cars. In the seventies the company was acquired by Thyssen, later Thyssen Krupp and closed in 2012.

Copper nails

 You'll need them for your wooden boat-building...

Fashion Friday, swimming with a horse

  Lone ranger? Knight in- uhmm...- shining armour? I can't get my head around any reason for the appearance of a horse in a bathing suit ad. Can't picture a bunch of suits sitting around a boardroom table, agreeing, "Yup, that's the one."

Scout hatchet

Here's a genuine Scouts of America hatchet, once owned by someone named...something King

 

CB200

 1975 CB200. Only imported one year for Canada and I can't believe how many have survived. It was notable only for the cable operated front disc brake and everyone passed it by as they bought the CB360 and the Fours.

 

C. Palmer sinker mold

Save money! Make your own fishing accessories at home! 

WARNING: This comment is known to the state of California to contain chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm...

 

One of my vices is vises, 4 inch Wilton

 

Morgan racer

H.F.S. Morgan at the wheel of his 1100cc racer, probably in the mid 1910s...

 

Camping by Plymouth

I am conflicted, you'll have to do your caption.

 

Webco sping tester

 Seen at the VFT sale trade buy site, this Webco valve spring tension tester, complete with instructions. I'll probably never have to measure a valve spring for length and tension but it would make a great addition to any shop. 

And now I'm trying to design/adapt a variation of this-using a torque wrench- to measure fork and shock springs.

VFT site here, scroll down...

 

Booming times

  You want 30% growth? A quick Google indicates that the US GDP grew from roughly $300 billion to $543.3 billion during the 1950s. In 1960 the country manufactured 40% of the global output. 

Sidecar Sunday

 Australian Alan Bruce took the world's sidecar record from Ernst Henne at 123.15 mph in 1932 on this supercharged Brough Superior with Bruce Goulding sidecar.
 

American Machine Co. Ice Chipper

Be it known that I, HERMANN ALBRECHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in ice chipping tools, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists, mainly, of an icepick in which a guard, handle, and blade are combined, substantially in the manner described hereinafter, the object of the implement being to chip from blocks of ice, without pulverizing the same, fragments approximating to uniformity in size. 

In the accompanying drawings, (bottom image) Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved ice-pick; Fig. 2, a vertical section; and Fig. 3 a rear view, looking in the direction of the arrow.

 The American Machine Co. facility manufactured various consumer and industrial products starting in 1879. It was acquired by the North Brothers in 1894 and served as the unified manufacturing base for the company, enabling them to expand into hardware lines like ice cream freezers and eventually what they were best known for, the Yankee line of hand tools.

 

Cargo ship cruises...

My idea of a cruiseship. Sailing around exotic locations, watching other people work. 1954

 

Stanley Plane #45

  Back when decorating castings added to the value of a tool. I didn't find a name or model on this one, but googling seems to indicate the model 45. It's missing quite a few parts- the fence and supports, but no matter, this is a tool bought for looking at, rather than working...

 

Erector Set

  The Erector line of metal girder construction sets was introduced in 1913, quite a bit later than the similar Meccano made in Britain. The sets were popular and after a redesign in 1924 made the kits more versatile , also electric motors, wheels etc. were all added to make more complex toys. In this 1958 starter kit it is implied that you could make a 3 foot tall robot, probably piggybacking off Robbie the Robot in the movie Forbidden Planet. Sorry, kids, you'll have to buy a bigger kit!

We had Meccano sets as kids, the Erector sets seemed cheap in comparison. The interest in this sort of building set declined in the seventies, and we know where kid's interests are today. The line was discontinued in the eighties. Meccano bought the rights in 1990.

 

Norton 850 Commando

 

One of the prettier Nortons I've seen lately, Just parked on the street like a real bike...

Promotional sparkplug gapper

Nice little promotional item from AC Sparkplugs. Model number GG10.

 

Flagstaff holder

 Here we have two different flagstaff holders based on patent US661643 of Nov 13, 1900. I've never given much thought to flagstaff holders, I'm not a yachtsman and I never considered a motorcycle to be a flag displaying-type of vehicle. But it looks well thought out, no-tool angle adjustment, rope retention with a good solid base. 

 I think I'd maybe add a setscrew to retain the actual flagstaff, though.

I'll take the thrilling Bel Air Sport Coupe please...

 

One of my vices is vises...

 (Even the little clamp-on ones that the manufacturer couldn't be bothered to put their name on.)

Gulflube Single

 

 Gulf making a fancy presentation for a single grade oil in a multigrade world. It was introduced in about 1960, the SB classification says for engines before 1951. It disappeared when Gulflube merged with Chevron in 1985.

Monday Mystery, Ken Tool S17

     Apologies for the poor images, I see Ken Tools (formerly Kennedy Tools) has been in business since about 1920 making tire changing tools, but I can't find any reference to this one.  Basically just a bar with 4 different-sized square knobs on both ends. Any ideas what it could have been used for?

Solved! a multi-tool for removing recessed square head drain plugs.

Kennedy catalog 187. Thanks, Dave!

 

Lenk No. 222 Alcohol Blotorch

  A very cool looking alcohol burning torch from Lenk, out of Boston, Massachusetts. Pretty sure it was part of Buck Rogers' collection of weapons. It was apparently capable of making enough heat for silver soldering or light brazing.

  I'm not really sure how it works and, as a face-saving measure, I'm not inclined to try it without more information.  For an earlier sample of their offerings, see Unusual Tools:  Lenk Improved Automatic Torch.

Below, an ad for a very similar tool from the American Products Corporation:

Popular Mechanics, February 1951

1955 Pontiac