retroelectro
The Stillson wrench The first Stillson wrenches, built after Daniel Stillson’s 1870 patent, were heavy, rugged tools that instantly stood apart from anything that had come before. Designed specifically for gripping and turning pipes, these wrenches combined raw mechanical leverage with a clever self-tightening action that made them revolutionary. According to the company’s history, the wrench was added to its catalog in 1872. “The Fine Tooth Wrench is especially adapted for Connecting Steam and Gas Pipes. Ten inch and above have Double Springs. The Course Tooth Wrench is better adapted for Bolts, Nuts, Studs, etc.” – Walworth Catalog, 1878 At first glance, a Stillson wrench looks deceptively simple. A long, solid forged iron handle anchored the tool. At the head, a sturdy pivot frame held two jaws – one fixed,
Writer’s note: the legend has been told in two different ways. In the 1920s, the Walworth Manufacturing Company launched an advertising campaign that claimed Stillson twisted a 1 ¼” thick pipe into pieces within minutes. This is the story that leading historians tell. However, in 1920, Howard Coonley, then president of Walworth Manufacturing Co, shared the story of the Stillson Wrench by stating that it took ‘some days’ to twist a piece of ¾” pipe. The strength difference between ¾” pipe and 1 ¼” pipe is significant. While it does sound like an impressive feat of the strength to twist any pipe, ¾” pipe appears more realistic. That being said, the writer is certain that Daniel Stillson was a very large and strong man who could bend a pipe with his bare hands, for all the writer knows.
experiences shaped his abilities and helped create the world’s first truly one-handed adjustable wrench. Over a period in 1869, Stillson crafted a fully wooden concept piece for a new wrench. Green and Walworth, both intrigued by this latest improvement on the wrench, authorized the machine shop to fabricate several functional pieces. After the wrench was completed, Walworth handed it off to Stillson along with a length of pipe and instructed him to twist it into two or
break the wrench trying. Eventually, the pipe snapped, and Stillson brought it to Walworth’s offices, where they quickly authorized the necessary funds for Stillson to file his own patent for this new tool. It has been said that patent 95,744, ‘Improvement in Wrench’, was the most valuable patent of the nineteenth century. The patent was submitted in 1869 and was approved in 1870, but the tool does not appear in the 1870 Walworth Catalog.
“Listing for the Stillson Wrench in a 1878 Walworth Catalog.”
company exceeded a million dollars in revenue that year. Very quickly, the wrench became popular in the industry. “In 1872 Stillson patented some improvements, including a larger jaw and a tighter spring.” Additional improvements on the wrench Over the next several decades, only a few improvements were made. Retro Electro fun fact: Frank J Sprague attended the 1876 World’s Fair, and influenced his entire career. Learn more in the Retro Electro article “Frank J Sprague and the Richmond Union Passenger Railway.” (Link: emedia.digikey.com/ view/251481832/17 )
the other adjustable by a large knurled nut. Unlike earlier wrenches with smooth faces, both jaws were equipped with sharp, aggressive, serrated teeth. These teeth bit into the smooth surface of iron pipes, creating a mechanical lock that got tighter the harder you turned. The early Stillson wrench feels like a pure industrial muscle in your hand. It was heavy, built to survive the brutal realities of 19th- century steam fitting and plumbing work. The forged iron handle was slightly curved, allowing users to generate more torque without slipping. Turning the adjustment nut gives a gritty, mechanical satisfaction, adjusting the jaws to the needed size. The pivoting head would flex slightly as force was applied, clamping the pipe with an unstoppable grip, enabling workers
to focus on turning the pipe instead of wrestling with the tool. It was fast, efficient, and powerful. A good Stillson wrench could strip a fitting free in seconds when older tools would fail, slip, or damage the pipe, potentially injuring workers in the process. The Boston fire of 1872 In 1872, there was a great fire in downtown Boston. Seven hundred and seventy-six buildings were damaged, and the Walworth building had to be dynamited and demolished. Before the demolition, they could recover much of the finished Stillson wrenches for the scheduled release. The need for better steam heating systems during the rebuild following the fire spurred growth in the business. Despite the catastrophic fire, the
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