Alloy Artifacts

Later Socket Development

In 1919 Mossberg released an important new of set heavy-wall sockets combined with a speeder handle, the No. 45 socket set. This was a landmark product in the development of socket tools, although it turned out to be at best a modest commercial success.

The new style of sockets for the No. 45 set were circular on the service end and had much heavier walls than the older pressed-steel sockets. The construction technique appears to have been a hybrid of forging and pressing, possibly a hot blank of seamless steel forced into a die.

Mossberg No. 360 1/2-Drive Short Speeder Handle

Fig. 57. Mossberg No. 360 1/.2-Drive Short Speeder Handle, with Inset for Detail, ca. 1918-1920.

Fig. 57 shows a 1/2-drive Mossberg No. 360 short speed handle or brace, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the M-Diamond logo.

The overall length is 11.5 inches.

The drive end has a detent ball and four pinched tabs as stops, typical construction for early tools of this type.

The circular end cap is marked "Patent Pending", and a similar but later Mossberg tool showed the patent date to be March 20 of 1920. A search of the patent records found the corresponding patent to be #1,335,408, titled "Brace Construction" and issued to W.I. Tuttle. Based on the filing date of October 3 in 1918, this particular tool was likely made between 1918-1920.

This was the type of speeder (though not the exact model) included in the No. 45 socket set of 1919.

Mossberg Heavy-Wall Sockets

The next figure shows examples of the new style of heavy wall sockets used in the No. 45 socket set.

Fig. 58. Mossberg Heavy-Wall Sockets, with Inset for Interior.

Fig. 58 shows two Mossberg sockets made with a new style of heavy-wall construction, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the M-Diamond logo.

The fractional sizes are marked but a bit difficult to read. The left hand socket marking appears to be 1-1/64 and measures 1.016 inches, and the right hand socket is apparently 1-9/64 and measures 1.140 inches.

Note that the intended service size for these sockets would have been 1 inch and 1-1/8 respectively. Mossberg was apparently able to improved the size tolerance for the dies used in making these sockets, and as a result the marked oversize allowance was reduced to 1/64. (Recall that the pressed-steel sockets were specified as 1/32 oversize.)

Although the sockets are constructed with a square base resembling the pressed-steel sockets, these sockets were designed to be driven by the 1/2-square inner opening. Note that a hole has been drilled in the side to help secure the socket with a friction ball.

Mossberg No. 363 3/4 Speeder Socket Wrench

Fig. 59. Mossberg No. 363 3/4 Speeder Socket Wrench, with Insets for Socket and Marking Detail.

Fig. 59 shows a Mossberg No. 363 3/4 speeder socket wrench, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the M-Diamond logo. The socket is marked 49/64, the actual size when the 1/64 oversize allowance is added. (Earlier pressed-steel sockets required a 1/32 oversize allowance.)

The speeder has a throw of 4.2 inches and an overall length of 13.0 inches.

This speeder wrench is basically a standard 1/2-drive short brace with a permanently attached socket. The rotating hand grip and end piece are made of seamless tubing, swaged to the shank diameter, and the hand grip is held in place by two pins (not shown in photograph). The finish is nickel plating.

The left inset provides a close-up of the socket attachment, showing a standard socket attached with a pin to the square-drive speeder. The socket is marked "Made in U.S.A." with the fractional size (49/64) and the M-Diamond logo, the standard markings for Mossberg sockets.

Mossberg No. 367 1/2-Drive Speeder

Fig. 60. Mossberg No. 367 1/2-Drive Speeder, with Insets for Marking Detail, ca. 1922-1929.

Fig. 60 shows a 1/2-drive Mossberg No. 367 speeder, marked "Frank Mossberg Corp." and "Attleboro, Mass. U.S.A." with the M-Diamond logo. The speeder has a throw of 4.2 inches and an overall length of 19.6 inches.

The rotating end piece is constructed from rolled sheet metal held in place with crimped end caps. Although not noted on this tool, the handle construction is covered by patent #1,438,970, issued to W. Tuttle in 1922.

Rotating hand grips of this type are characteristic of Mossberg's construction in the mid to late 1920s.

"Ever-Wear" Male Drive Sockets

In the early 1920s Mossberg introduced a new style of male-drive sockets under the "Ever-Wear" brand. The sockets were forged from a slug of chrome-manganese alloy steel and then machined on one end to form an approximately 11/16 square drive stud, a size designed to fit the ratchets and drive tools used for pressed-steel sockets.

"Ever-Wear" Sockets

Fig. 61. Mossberg "Ever-Wear" Male Drive Sockets, with Insets for Broaching and Marking Detail.

Fig. 61 shows several examples of the Mossberg "Ever-Wear" male drive sockets, each stamped on the base with the M-Diamond logo and fractional size.

The sizes are, from the left, 7/16 square, 7/16 hex, 11/16 hex, and 31/32 hex.

"Ever-Wear" 5/8 Socket

Fig. 62. Mossberg "Ever-Wear" 5/8 Socket, with Insets for Broaching and Marking Detail, ca. 1920s.

Fig. 62 shows a Mossberg "Ever-Wear" 5/8 socket, stamped on the base with the fractional size and two M-Diamond logos.

The finish is plain steel.

Alloy Steel Sockets

In later years Mossberg recognized that pressed-steel sockets could not offer the strength and durability needed professional service, and the company began producing heavy-duty machined sockets made of chrome molybdenum steel. These sockets were offered in sets of varying size.

Mossberg 1/2-Drive 5/8 Alloy-Steel Socket

Fig. 63. Mossberg 1/2-Drive 5/8 Socket, with Inset for Broaching.

Fig. 63 shows a 1/2-drive Mossberg 5/8 hex socket, marked with the fractional size and M-Diamond logo.

This socket is an example of the chrome molybdenum alloy steel sockets produced by Mossberg.

Mossberg 371 11/16-Drive To 1/2-Drive Adapter

Fig. 64. Mossberg 371 11/16-Drive to 1/2-Drive Adapter, with Inset for Top View, ca. 1920s.

Fig. 64 shows a Mossberg 371 adapter to convert 11/16 female drive to 1/2-drive, marked on the top with the M-Diamond logo.

This adapter allows the older Mossberg 11/16 female drive ratchets (e.g. No. 350) to be used with the newer 1/2-drive sockets.

Mossberg 1/2-Drive Ratchet Adapter

Fig. 65. Mossberg 1/2-Drive Ratchet Adapter, with Inset for End View, ca. 1920s.

Fig. 65 shows a 1/2-drive Mossberg ratchet adapter, used to provide a clutch-style release action to any drive tool. The tool is marked "Mossberg" and "Attleboro, Mass. U.S.A." on the barrel.

The overall length is 2.8 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.

The APCO Merger and Later Tools

In 1927 the Frank Mossberg Company merged with the Auto Parts Company (APCO) to become the APCO-Mossberg Company. APCO was based in Providence, Rhode Island and specialized in automotive parts and service tools for the Model T Ford.

APCO tools are mentioned in some early automotive specialty catalogs. One notable product was an offset box wrench for Model T connecting-rod bolts, offered as early as 1922 and currently the earliest known box wrench made with a double-hex (12-point) broaching. An example is shown in the next figure.

APCO Early 5/8 Double-Hex Offset Box Wrench

Fig. 66. APCO Early 5/8 Offset Box-End Wrench, with Inset for Side View, ca. 1922.

Fig. 66 shows a rare early APCO 5/8 double-hex (12-point) offset box wrench, marked with "APCO" and "Pat. Applied For" forged into the handle.

The overall length is 6.7 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

This model was listed in the Western Auto 1922 "Ford Owner's Supply Book" catalog for connecting-rod applications.

The patent pending notice is believed to refer to patent #1,424,069, issued to F.W. Blackmar in 1922. The patent describes the construction of deep offset wrenches with 12-point openings and has a rather interesting history, as it was later acquired by Snap-On around 1930.

This APCO wrench is mentioned in a new-product notice appearing in the February 1, 1922 issue of The Commercial Vehicle. A brief article on page 28 (at the lower right) mentions the intended use for the fourth connecting rod of the (Model T) Ford, although incorrectly referring to it as a ratchet wrench. The article notes the double-hex broaching of the opening and lists the price as 75 cents.

APCO-Mossberg No. 206 5/8x11/16 Tappet Wrench

Fig. 67. APCO-Mossberg No. 206 5/8x11/16 Tappet Wrench.

Fig. 67 shows an APCO-Mossberg No. 206 5/8x11/16 tappet wrench, stamped with "APCO Mossberg Tappet Set" with the M-Diamond logo.

The overall length is 7.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

APCO-Mossberg 3011 Offset Box Wrench for Chevrolet Main Bearings

In the late 1920s Mossberg began offering specialty box wrenches with Bonney acting as the contract manufacturer. The next two figures show examples of these rare wrenches.

Fig. 68. APCO-Mossberg 3011 13/16x7/8 Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1928.

Fig. 68 shows a rare Mossberg 3011 13/16x7/8 offset box wrench designed for Chevrolet main bearing service. The reverse shank is stamped "APCO-Mossberg" and "Attleboro, Mass. U.S.A." with the M-Diamond logo at the left, shown as a close-up in the lower inset.

The overall length is 14.2 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

This wrench is basically identical to the early production of the Bonney 2540 Main Bearing Wrench, and in fact some of Bonney's forged-in markings are still faintly visible on this example. (The top shank has a faint "CHR" of "CHROME" visible between the 5.0 and 5.5 inch marks, and the "3011" model number is stamped over the "BON" of Bonney.) Unfortunately the Bonney date code has been ground off, but the round shank style places it close to 1928 in Bonney's production.

APCO-Mossberg 3014 Specialty Box Wrench

Fig. 69. APCO-Mossberg 3014 9/16x13/16 Specialty Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, 1928.

Fig. 69 shows a rare Mossberg 3014 9/16x13/16 specialty box wrench, intended for Chevrolet connecting-rod and main bearing service. The shank is marked with the M-Diamond logo plus "APCO-Mossberg Corp." and "Attleboro, Mass. U.S.A." in forged raised letters. The shank also has a forged-in code "IT" near the small box end, as shown in the lower right inset.

The overall length is 14.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

This wrench was recently identified as contract production by Bonney Forge & Tool, based on the similarity of features with early Bonney specialty box wrenches, such as the Bonney 2540 Main Bearing Wrench. The identification was confirmed by the presence of a forged-in code "IT", a mark representing Bonney's date code system. (Similar marks can be found on most of Bonney's forged tools.)

The year code "T" in the Bonney Date Code System indicates production in 1928, somewhat earlier than had been first estimated.

APCO-Mossberg 971 Single-Offset Box Wrench

Fig. 70. APCO-Mossberg 9711 7/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 70 shows a rare Mossberg 971 7/16 single-offset box wrench, stamped "Chrome Molybdenum" and "Patent No. 1424069" on the top, with "APCO-Mossberg" and "Attleboro, Mass. Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 8.4 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The patent notice refers to patent #1,424,069, issued to F. Blackmar in 1922 and later acquired by Snap-On. The patent describes the construction of deep offset wrenches with 12-point openings, and has been noted on 12-point wrenches made by Blue Point, Bonney, and Williams, in addition to the present example.

The single-offset wrench style was popular in the late 1920s and 1930s and appears to have originated with Blue Point. Examples of single-offset wrenches from other makers include the Blackhawk 2924, Blue Point X-20, Bonney 2818, Walden-Worcester 2114, and Williams 8128.

APCO-Mossberg 974 Single-Offset Box Wrench

Fig. 71. APCO-Mossberg 974 5/8 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 71 shows a rare Mossberg 974 5/8 single-offset box wrench, stamped "Chrome Molybdenum" and "Patent No. 1424069" on the top, with "APCO-Mossberg" and "Attleboro, Mass. Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 10.2 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The patent notice refers to patent #1,424,069, issued to F. Blackmar in 1922 and later acquired by Snap-on. The patent describes the construction of deep offset wrenches with 12-point openings.

APCO-Mossberg 975 11/16 Single-Offset Box Wrench

Fig. 72. APCO-Mossberg 975 11/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 72 shows a rare Mossberg 975 11/16 single-offset box wrench, stamped "Chrome Molybdenum" and "Patent No. 1424069" on the top, with "APCO Mossberg" plus "Attleboro, Mass." and "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 11.1 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The patent notice refers to patent #1,424,069, issued to F. Blackmar in 1922 and later acquired by Snap-on.

APCO-Mossberg 976 Single-Offset Box Wrench

Fig. 73. APCO-Mossberg 976 3/4 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 73 shows a rare Mossberg 976 3/4 single-offset box wrench, stamped "Chrome Molybdenum" and "Patent No. 1424069" on the top with "APCO Mossberg" and "Attleboro, Mass. Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 11.7 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The patent notice refers to patent #1,424,069, issued to F. Blackmar in 1922 and later acquired by Snap-on.

APCO-Mossberg 979 Single-Offset Box Wrench

Fig. 74. APCO-Mossberg 979 15/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 74 shows a rare Mossberg 979 15/16 single-offset box wrench, stamped "Chrome Molybdenum" and "Patent No. 1424069" on the top, with "APCO-Mossberg" and "Attleboro, Mass. Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 13.8 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The patent notice refers to patent #1,424,069, issued to F. Blackmar in 1922 and later acquired by Snap-On.

APCO-Mossberg 1/2-Drive Extension

Fig. 75. APCO-Mossberg 1/2-Drive 10 Inch Extension.

Fig. 75 shows a 1/2-drive Mossberg extension, marked "APCO-Mossberg" and "Attleboro, Mass. Made in U.S.A." on the shank.

The overall length is 10.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

References and Resources

Photographs and observations of particular tools are based on items in the Alloy Artifacts collection.

As a notable business leader, Frank Mossberg was included in the 1915 publication Who's Who in New England by Albert Nelson Marquis (A.N. Marquis & Company, 1915). Biographical information for Mossberg is listed on page 770 of that publication.

The Frank Mossberg Company and the earlier Mossberg Wrench Company are listed in American Wrench Makers 1830-1930, 2nd Edition by Kenneth Cope (Astragal Press, 2002). The book includes information on the early history of the companies, and shows illustrations of some of the early Mossberg products, obtained from period advertisements and trade magazines. Also included are a number of patent dates.

Catalog Resources

Industrial Distributors

Mossberg tools were carried by a number of industrial distributors and automotive dealers, and the catalogs of these companies provide valuable information on Mossberg products.

• Central Automobile Supply 1916. A 1916 catalog from Central Automobile Supply (Des Moines, Iowa) lists a number of Mossberg socket sets, including the No. 7, No. 10, No. 11, No. 14, and No. 15A sets. It also lists several models of fixed socket wrenches, including Nos. 623 and 630, plus the No. 17 set of fixed socket wrenches in a canvas roll.

• H. Channon 1916. The 1916 catalog No. 80 from the H. Channon Company lists Mossberg socket sets No. 10, No. 13, and No. 14, as well as a number of other Mossberg tools. One notable listing is for the No. 355 ratchet, the earliest known reference to this model. The No. 355 ratchet was priced at $1.00, compared with $2.00 for the No. 350 ratchet.

• Harron, Rickard & McCone 1918. The 1918 catalog No. 2 from Harron, Rickard & McCone, an industrial distributor, lists two Mossberg pressed-steel socket sets, the No. 1 "Auto Cle" set and the No. 14 set. The description includes a table of all of the socket sizes in the set, along with the bolt or nut types (e.g. U.S.S., S.A.E.) handled by that size.

• Chandler & Farquhar 1919. The 1919 catalog from the Chandler & Farquhar Company, an industrial distributor, lists a number of Mossberg pressed-steel socket sets. The sets include the No. 1 "Auto Cle" and Nos. 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, and 30 standard sets, plus the No. 19 and No. 20 "Large Series" sets.

• Cragin & Company 1921. The 1921 catalog No. 2 from Cragin & Company of Seattle lists several pages of Mossberg pressed-steel socket sets, with models including No. 7, No. 10, No. 11, No. 14, and No. 15A, plus the No. 20 "Heavy-Duty" set. One useful detail is that the catalog descriptions itemize the contents, even listing part numbers for the individual sockets.

• C.W. Marwedel 1922. The 1922 catalog No. 11 from the C.W. Marwedel Company, an industrial supplier, includes several listings of Mossberg socket sets. The listings include the "Auto-Cle" socket sets No. 1 and No. 2, and two heavy-duty "Large Series" socket sets, No. 19 and No. 20.

• Samuel Harris 1925. The Samuel Harris Company catalog No. 51 from about 1925 lists several pages of Mossberg socket sets and accessories, including the pressed-steel socket sets Nos. 9, 10, 13 and 14. The catalog also offers the "Ever-Wear" socket sets Nos. 65 and 70, sets based on Mossberg's later male-drive sockets.

• Williams Hardware Company 1925-1926. The 1925-26 catalog for the Williams Hardware Company (not to be confused with J.H. Williams & Co.) lists two of the Mossberg Socket Wrench Sets, the No. 10 and No. 14 models, and provides a helpful listing of the contents.

• McMaster-Carr Supply 1928. The 1928 catalog No. 28 from the McMaster-Carr Supply Company, a Chicago-based industrial distributor, lists several pages of Mossberg tools. The catalog offers a number of socket sets based on heavy-wall chrome molybdenum sockets, including sets No. 81 and No. 82 for professional use, and smaller sets Nos. 80, 83, and 84 for automobile owners.

  Mossberg pressed-steel socket sets were also still available, and the catalog lists sets Nos. 9, 10, 13, 14, and 30, plus the No. 20 "Large Series" set. These sets were packed in steel cases at this time, instead of the wooden boxes used earlier.

Advertisements

Mossberg placed advertisements in a number of popular magazines and publications of the time.

• An ad in the 1918 Automobile Blue Book, Volume Five (Midwest Region) shows a Mossberg No. 14 Socket Wrench Set at the bottom of page 33. A careful look at the illustration shows that the Tee-handle has a removable handle secured by a nut, a feature of older versions of the No. 14 set.

• A similar ad in the 1918 Automobile Blue Book, Volume Two (New England Edition) shows a Mossberg No. 14 Socket Wrench Set at the bottom of page 56. The illustration for this set shows the Tee-handle with a permanently attached handle, indicating a later version of the No. 14 set.

• An ad in the January 1919 issue of Popular Science Monthly shows a Mossberg No. 45 Socket Set on page 137 at the top left, along with some of the other tools offered by the company. Note the 1/2-drive speeder included in the illustration; this socket set marks one of the earliest moves to replace fixed socket wrenches with interchangeable models.

• The April 1919 issue of Outing magazine has a nice full-page ad for Mossberg Wrenches and Tools on page 52. The illustration shows the No. 14 socket set along with open-end wrenches, auto wrenches, a hub puller, and other tools.

Patents and Trademarks

Patent information was obtained from the U.S. Patents and Trademarks Office (USPTO) web site at uspto.gov. Patent documents were obtained from sites offering free downloads, notably freepatentsonline.com.

Feedback

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