The first 6 digits of the serial number are the date code. The first 2 digits are the month of manufacture. The second 2 digits are the day of the.
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Patent CluesThe first break in identifying 'Maker V' came via the patent notice on a 'V' series ratchet,specifically for the Haznar 1969 patent.This patent describes the ratchet mechanism used in the Craftsman dual-pawl fine-tooth ratchetsand has an explicit assignment to Moore Drop Forging,providing a clear link between Moore and the 'V' series line.Our next clue also came from a patent document,this time for design patent,issued to R.W. Vose in 1959 with assignment to Moore Drop Forging.This patent describes and illustrates a distinctive 'V'-shaped shift lever for ratchets,and an example of a ratchet with the patented shift lever can be seen as the.These popular and familiar ratchets were sold beginning in 1959 and continuing into the early 1960s.The next clue was found in a court document for the caseSorry, dead link ?litigation arising from the patent for the well-known quick-release mechanism on Craftsman ratchets.In the court transcript Moore Drop Forging is described as the 'custom manufacturer of wrenches' for Sears.
Patents Used for Craftsman Tools Patent No.InventorFiledIssuedNotes and ExamplesF.A. HaistMethod of Making Adjustable WrenchesA.T. MurrayWrench Set HolderJ.J. ReardenMethod for Broaching SocketsW.J. JohnsonAdjustable Wrench Locking MechanismR.W.
VoseDesign for Ratchet Shift LeverR.W. VoseDesign for Ratchet Shift LeverR.W. VoseChain Pipe WrenchP.M. RobertsQuick Release MechanismH.J.
HaznarPawl Reversing MechanismH.J. HaznarQuick Release Mechanism. Manufacturer's Codes, Mid 1940s to 1970s CodeDescriptionManufacturerUsage PeriodExamples and NotesAZ-Circle'AZ' in a CircleJ.H.
Williams1950s to 1960sFound on.B-Circle'B' in a CircleUnknown1940s to 1960s?Found onand.BFBlock LettersJapanese Maker1960s to 1970s?Known on wrenches and pliers, typically with 'Japan'.D.I.Block LettersDuro/Indestro1950s to 1970s?Found on ratcheting box wrenches with raised '=Craftsman=' panel.E.g.G-Circle'G' in a CircleUnknown1950s to 1960s?Found on.JWBlock LettersJ.H. Williams1960s to 1970sStamped marking on adjustable wrenches.E.g.LCBlock Letters1930s to 1960s?Stamped code observed on primarily on pliers,e.g.Usage appears to overlap with 'A.0.' Code,e.g.LCBlock Letters1950sForged-in code observed on economy wrenches,e.g.N-Square'N' in a SquareUnknown1930s to 1940s?Found on chisels and punches, e.g.Also noted on.P-Circle'P' in a Circle1940s to 1960sStamped or forged, often noted on pliers.Less commonly observed on wrenches.VBlock LettersMoore Drop Forging1938 OnwardGenerally stamped, but may be forged on early tools.WFBlock LettersWestern Forge1965 OnwardGenerally forged into tools.Y-Circle'Y' in a CircleUnknown1950s to 1960sForged-in code found on Craftsman and Dunlap adjustable wrenches.
Craftsman Early 'V' 5/8x3/4 Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail,ca. 5 shows an early Craftsman 5/8x3/4 offset box wrench in the panelled style,stamped with the Craftsman double-line logo and fractional sizes on the front panel,with 'Forged in U.S.A.'
And the fractional sizes on the reverse panel.The shank has a forged-in 'V' code visible at the right.The overall length is 10.0 inches,and the finish is cadmium plating,with extensive losses due to wear.The cadmium finish suggests a manufacturing date in 1945. Craftsman Early 'V' 3/4x7/8 Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail,ca. Mid to Late 1940s.Fig. 6 shows a Craftsman 3/4x7/8 offset box wrench in the panelled style,stamped with the Craftsman double-line logo on the front panel,with 'Forged in U.S.A.'
On the reverse panel.The shank has a forged-in 'V' code visible at the right.The overall length is 12.0 inches,and the finish is chrome plating.The chrome finish with a forged 'V' (rather than stamped) suggests a manufacturing datein the early post-war years. Early Craftsman 'V' No. 3 5/8x11/16 Tappet Wrench, with Inset for Reverse,ca. 1938 to Mid 1940s.Fig. 15 shows a Craftsman 'V' No. 3 5/8x11/16 tappet wrench,stamped with the Craftsman underline logo and 'No. 3' on the left face,with 'Forged in U.S.A.'
And a '-V-' code stamped on right face.The reverse faces are stamped with the fractional sizes.The overall length is 9.8 inches,and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.The use of the 'V' code with the Craftsman underline logo suggests that this is early productionby Moore Drop Forging,or possibly a transitional form before the tappet wrench markings were updated to the double-line logo.(Later tappet wrenches weren't made with raised panels,so they continued to use the older face marking.). Craftsman 'V' 1/2-Drive Ratchet with 'V'-Shaped Shifter, with Insets for Reverse and Side Views,ca.
1959 to 1960s.Fig. 18 shows a Craftsman 1/2-drive ratchet with a 'V'-shaped shifter,stamped with the 'Craftsman' double-line logo on the raised panel,with 'Forged in U.S.A.' And a 'V' code on the reverse panel.The overall length is 10.3 inches,and the finish is chrome plating.The ratchet head is fitted with an oil hole closed by a steel ball,as can be seen in the middle inset.Although not marked with a patent notice,the design of the V-shaped shifter is described by patent,issued to R.W. Vose in 1959 with assignment to Moore Drop Forging. Craftsman 'V' 3/8-Drive Ratchet with 'V'-Shaped Shifter, with Insets for Reverse and Side Views,ca.
1959 to 1960s.Fig. 19 shows a Craftsman 3/8-drive ratchet with a 'V'-shaped shifter,stamped with the 'Craftsman' double-line logo on the raised panel,with 'Forged in U.S.A.' And a 'V' code on the reverse panel.The overall length is 6.8 inches,and the finish is chrome plating.Although not marked with a patent notice,the design of the V-shaped shifter is described by patent,issued to R.W. Vose in 1959 with assignment to Moore Drop Forging. Craftsman 'V' 1/4-Drive Ratchet with 'V'-Shaped Shifter, with Insets for Reverse and Side Views,ca.
1959 to 1960s.Fig. 20 shows a Craftsman 1/4-drive ratchet with a 'V'-shaped shifter,stamped with the 'Craftsman' double-line logo on the raised panel,with 'Forged in U.S.A.' And a 'V' code on the reverse panel.The overall length is 5.2 inches,and the finish is chrome plating.Although not marked with a patent notice,the design of the V-shaped shifter is described by patent,issued to R.W.
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Vose in 1959 with assignment to Moore Drop Forging. Craftsman 'V' 3/8-Drive Quick-Release Ratchet, with Insets for Reverse and Side Views,ca. 21 shows a Craftsman 3/8-drive quick-release ratchet,stamped with the 'Craftsman' double-line logo on the raised panel,with 'Forged in U.S.A.' And a 'V' code on the reverse panel.The reverse panel is also stamped with a 'Pat. 3208318' patent notice.The overall length is 6.8 inches,and the finish is chrome plating.The patent notice refers to patent,filed by P.M. Roberts in 1964 and issued in 1965.This is the classic patent for the quick-release mechanism. Craftsman 'V' 1/2-Drive Quick-Release Dual-Pawl Ratchet, with Insets for Reverse and Side Views,ca.
22 shows a 1/2-drive Craftsman quick-release ratchet with a dual-pawl mechanism,stamped with the 'Craftsman' double-line logo on the raised panel,with 'Forged in U.S.A.' And a '=V=' code on the reverse panel.The reverse panel is also stamped with a 'Patent Pending' notice.The overall length is 10.4 inches,and the finish is chrome plating.The pending status refers to patentsand,issued to H.J. Haznar in 1969 and 1970 respectively,with assignment to the Moore Drop Forging Company.Note that this ratchet is not marked with a model number,but that a similaralso has a patent pending marking and is marked with the model number.These examples provide evidence that Craftsman model number markings were added in the 1968-1970 time frame. Craftsman 43788 'V' 3/8-Drive Quick Release Ratchet, with Insets for Reverse and Side Views,ca. 23 shows a Craftsman 43788 3/8-drive quick-release ratchet with a dual-pawl mechanism,stamped 'Craftsman' on the raised panel,with 'Forged in U.S.A.'
And a '-V-' code on the reverse panel.The reverse panel is also stamped with 'U.S. 34013'and 'Can. Patented 1971' patent notices.The overall length is 6.8 inches,and the finish is chrome plating.The first patentwas filed by H.J. Haznar in 1968 and issued in 1969,with assignment to the Moore Drop Forging Company.The describes a pawl-reversing mechanism for fine-tooth ratchets. Craftsman 43187 'V' 3/8-Drive Quick Release Ratchet, with Insets for Reverse and Side Views,ca. 24 shows a Craftsman 43187 1/4-drive quick-release ratchet with a dual-pawl mechanism,stamped with the 'Craftsman' double-line logo on the raised panel,with 'Forged in U.S.A.'
And a '-V-' code on the reverse panel.The reverse panel is also stamped with a 'Patent Pending' patent notice.The overall length is 5.2 inches,and the finish is chrome plating.The pending status refers to patentsand,issued to H.J. Haznar in 1969 and 1970 respectively,with assignment to the Moore Drop Forging Company.
Craftsman 4507 Combination Side-Cutting Pliers, with Insets for Reverse, Side View, and Marking Detail,ca. 1949 to 1960s.Fig. 25B shows a pair of Craftsman 4507 combination side-cutting pliers,stamped with 'Craftsman' and a B-Circle manufacturer's code,with '4507' and 'USA' below (see lower right inset).The overall length is 7.5 inches,and the finish is plain steel,with scattered pitting due to rust.Note that the rivet is flush with the surface on the cutting side,allowing the pliers to cut close to a surface. Craftsman 4-Position Waterpump Pliers, with Inset for Reverse Detail,ca. 26 shows a pair of Craftsman waterpump pliers with a distinctive 4-position adjustment mechanism.The pliers are stamped with the Craftsman double-line logo on the handle,with 'Forged in U.S.A.'
And an N-Square manufacturer's code on the reverse.The overall length is 9.9 inches fully extended,and the finish is chrome plating.The adjustment mechanism uses a tabbed pivot post operating in slotted holes.To change the setting,the handles are opened wide to align the tabs with the slots,allowing the handles to be separated and then reinserted in the desired hole. These pliers are copies of the more familiar,but were made with slightly different production and marking characteristics.Note that the parting line from the forging is visible through the impressedhandle pattern.Model 4476 battery pliers in this angle-nose style were listed in the 1947 Craftsman tool catalog,and this model continued to be offered through the 1962 catalog.Note though that the model number marking on these pliers is unusual for this era.The manufacturer of the B-Circle code has not yet been identified. Production by Wilde ToolThe Wilde Tool Company was the dominant supplier of pliers for the Craftsman brand in the post-war era.Wilde production can be generally be recognized by the rope-banded gripping pattern on the handles,and by a P-Circle manufacturer's code stamped on (or forged into) the tools.In this section we'll look at examples of Craftsman pliers presumed to be contract production by Wilde,including many examples with rope-banded patterns on the handles.Additional information on Wilde can be found in our article on the. Craftsman 11 Inch Waterpump Pliers, with Inset for Handle Pattern, ca. 28 shows a fairly recent pair of Craftsman 11 inch waterpump pliers with the rope-banded handle pattern,marked with the Craftsman double-line logo but without a model number.The pliers are also marked with a forged-in 'P' code on the underside of the handles (not shown).The overall length is 10.8 inches.The pliers are marked with the Craftsman double-line logo,but no model number is marked.Model numbers were generally marked on Craftsman tools after the late 1960s to early 70s,so these pliers were probably made in the 1960s. Craftsman 6 Inch 'Arc-Joint' Tongue-and-Groove Angle-Nose PliersThe next several figures show examples of Craftsman 'Arc-Joint' tongue-and-groove pliers.The tongue-and-groove design dates back to the classic 1934 patentby the Champion De Arment (now Channellock) company.This patent expired in the early 1950s,paving the way for competitors to make use of the design.Sears first offered 'Arc-Joint' tongue-and-groove pliers in the 1953 Craftsman catalog,and the rear cover illustrates Craftsman 'Arc-Joint' pliers with the P-Circle code visible.
Craftsman 10 Inch 'Arc-Joint' Tongue-and-Groove Waterpump Pliers,with Insets for Handle Pattern and Marking Detail,ca. 31 shows a pair of Craftsman 10 inch 'Arc-Joint' tongue-and-groove waterpump pliers with therope-banded pattern,marked with the Craftsman double-line logo,but without a model number.The underside of the handles is also marked with a forged-in 'P' code (see left inset),representing the P-Circle manufacturer's code for Wilde.The overall length is 10.0 inches,and the finish is chrome plating. Craftsman 6.5 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail,ca. 32 shows a pair of Craftsman 6.5 inch slip-joint combination pliers with the rope-banded pattern,stamped with the double-line logo and a small 'P' code near the pivot,and with 'Alloy Steel' forged into the underside of the handles.The overall length is 6.7 inches,and the finish is chrome plating.The lower inset shows the forged-in 'P' code on the underside of the handles,representing the P-Circle manufacturer's code for Wilde. The jaws of the pliers have a drilled recess and milled grooves to hold the endsof a hose-clamp spring (see middle inset),adding another useful feature to these otherwise conventional combination pliers.The handles of these pliers have a double-chevron gripping pattern,similar to the older Herringbone pattern used by Danielson for a number of years.An example of this pattern on Proto production can be seen as the.The forged-in 'C35' is a Danielson date code probably indicates production in 1965,although a later decade may be possible. The wrench has a bright plated finish that resembles zinc,and the finish is soft enough to leave a mark on paper.The upper inset shows a close-up of the Y-Circle logo forged into the shank.We hope to be able to identify the manufacturer behind the Y-Circle code in the near future.One construction detail noted is that the screw pin is threaded on the outside (slotted) end,the type of pin generally used by Danielson and Utica.In contrast, Crescent and Diamond used a screw pin threaded on the inside end. Craftsman 8 Inch Locking Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail,ca.
36 shows a Craftsman 8 inch adjustable wrench with a locking pin,marked with 'Patd in U.S.A.' And the Craftsman double-line logo forged into the front,with 'Made in U.S.A.' And an AZ-Circle logo forged into the reverse.The overall length is 8.2 inches,and the maximum opening is 1.0 inches.The head thickness was measured at 0.47 inches.The finish is chrome plating,with minor losses due to rust and wear.The middle inset shows a close-up of the AZ-Circle logo forged into the shank. The upper inset shows a side view of the wrench,illustrating the square shoulder used for the sliding jaw and keyway.The square shoulder is a feature patented by J.H. Williams in the 1930s(see patent )and is not known to have been used by any other manufacturers.The patent notice refers to patent,filed by W.J. Johnson in 1953 and issued in 1955.This patent describes a locking mechanism for adjustable wrenches,actuated by pushing a locking pin (visible in the photograph) through the thumb knurl.An example of a Williams wrench with this locking mechanism can be seen as the. Craftsman 10 Inch Locking Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail,ca.
37 shows a Craftsman 10 inch adjustable wrench with a locking pin,marked with 'Patd in U.S.A.' And the Craftsman double-line logo forged into the front,with 'Made in U.S.A.' And an AZ-Circle logo forged into the reverse.The overall length is 10.2 inches,and the maximum opening is 1.2 inches.The head thickness was measured at 0.60 inches.The finish is chrome plating,with some losses due to rust and pitting.The middle inset shows a close-up of the AZ-Circle logo forged into the shank. The upper inset shows a side view of the wrench,illustrating the square shoulder used for the sliding jaw and keyway.The square shoulder is a feature patented by J.H. Williams in the 1930s(see patent )and is not known to have been used by any other manufacturers.The patent notice refers to patent,filed by W.J.
Johnson in 1953 and issued in 1955.This patent describes a locking mechanism for adjustable wrenches,actuated by pushing a locking pin (visible in the photograph) through the thumb knurl.An example of a Williams wrench with this locking mechanism can be seen as the. Craftsman 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. 38 shows a Craftsman 8 inch adjustable wrench,stamped 'Forged' on the front with 'Made in U.S.A.' And 'JW - Alloy' on the reverse.The reverse shank also shows a forged-in code 'L' next to the hole.The overall length is 8.2 inches,and the maximum opening is 1.0 inches.The head thickness was measured at 0.50 inches.The finish is chrome plating with polished faces.The upper inset shows a side view of the wrench,and a close look shows the square shoulder for the sliding jaw and keyway.The square shoulder was a patented feature of the J.H. Williams adjustable wrenches,and is not known to have been used by any other manufacturers. Craftsman 'V' 12 Inch Chain Pipe Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail,ca.
42A shows a Craftsman 12 inch chain pipe wrench,stamped with the Craftsman double-line logo on the raised panel,with 'Forged in U.S.A.' 2944452' plus a 'V' code on the reverse panel.The overall length of the handle is 12.0 inches,and the length of the chain is 16.3 inches.The finish is chrome plating.The patent notice refers to patent,filed by R.W. Vose in 1959 and issued in 1960,with assignment to Moore Drop Forging.
Craftsman Snap-Ring Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.Fig. 43 at the left shows a pair of Craftsman snap-ring specialty pliers with rope-banded handles,stamped with the Craftsman double-line logo and 'USA',and with a small 'P' in a circle code.The overall length is 9.0 inches,and the finish is chrome plating.The lower inset shows the forged-in 'P' code (in a circular depression)on the inside of the handles.The rope-banded handles and P-Circle code indicate production by Wilde. Dunlap 'LC' 3/8x7/16 Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View, Reverse, and Marking Detail,ca.
48A shows a Dunlap 3/8x7/16 offset box wrench with gently-sloped depressed panels,marked with 'Dunlap' and the fractional sizes forged into the front panel,with 'Forged in U.S.A.' And the fractional sizes forged into the reverse.The front panel also has a forged-in code 'X' at the left and 'LC' at the right end,seen as a close-up in the middle inset.The overall length is 6.9 inches,and the finish is chrome plating. Dunlap 'LC' 5/8 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail,ca. 1950s to 1960s.Fig. 49 shows a Dunlap 5/8 combination wrench with depressed panels,marked with 'Dunlap' and the fractional sizes forged into the front panel,with 'Forged in U.S.A.' And the fractional sizes forged into the reverse.The front panel also has a forged-in code 'T' at the left and 'LC' at the right,shown as a close-up in the middle inset.The overall length is 7.1 inches,and the finish is chrome plating.
Dunlap 10 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.Fig. 50 shows a Dunlap 10 inch adjustable wrench,marked with the Dunlap double-line logo and 'Dependable Quality' forged into the shank,with 'Forged in U.S.A.' Forged into the reverse.The shank is also marked with a forged-inlogo,visible at the right near the hanging hole.The overall length is 10.0 inches and the maximum opening is 1.1 inches.The finish is chrome plating.The forged-inlogo is believed to be the manufacturer's code,but the maker has not yet been identified.The Y-Circle logo also appears on Craftsman adjustable wrenches,as for example the.
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