Unlike with many other tools, the origin of wrenches, sockets and ratchets are rather well documented and also somewhat recent so there&#;s a lot of overlap with them all and a lot of improvements and novel designs in a short span of time. All of these tools were invented, or at least patented and put into widespread use, in the s &#; &#;s and there are as many similarities as there are differences. It does seem somewhat strange that a hand tool specifically dedicated to manipulate screws, bolts and so on appeared so long after the invention of screw threads, but there was never a need for a separate tool to do this. Threaded screw-like objects first appeared in approximately 400BC and we&#;ve actually examined some of this history in our blogs about screws and also screwdrivers so refer to those for more information. It&#;s rumored that screw mechanisms go back further to Roman times as part of door locking mechanisms and it should be noted that threaded screw-like fasteners were used in machines like wine and printing presses as far back as the 15th century. However, rather than being turned by a wrench or a separate tool, these screws in antiquity were loosened and tightened with bars, levers and wheels (which arguably looked cooler) that were often permanent parts of the machine. It wasn&#;t until the s when machining technology improved to allow screws and bolts small enough for machines to be made and special tools needed to be made to tighten and loosen them.
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The oldest of these tools for nuts and bolts is of course the wrench. While there may have been precursors to this tool, and in fact you can see an example of bone tools that act as a primitive wrench for putting leverage on various things, the oldest patented wrench arrived in and is credited to Solymon Merrick and it appears his design was based in part on English or early coach wrenches some of which date back to -. The first wrench of course brought joy to all Three Stooges fans residing in the future. This first wrench had a handle that one could screw up or down to change the size of the aperture to fit the nut or bolt being worked with. This design was definitely an innovation, however other designs cropped up like this piece by Ezra Ripley which adjusted by moving the handle like a lever. Taft and Mason introduced a wrench similar to Merrick&#;s in and another Merrick type popped up in made by Archibald Murray. Aury Coes of Coes Wrench fame also came up with another lever action adjustable wrench in . By Daniel Stillson had come up with yet another iconic design of wrench. So a lot of imitation and innovation was all going on simultaneously. There were so many different wrenches patented early on that it&#;s impossible to go through every one of them.
The year is also important because it&#;s often touted as being the first &#;monkey wrench&#; coming on the scene and there are many sources that attribute this to a non-existent Charles Moncky or just as falsely to boxer Jack Johnson (who actually did invent this wrench in ). The actual story of the monkey wrench is actually an interesting, though convoluted read explaining a possible (non)connection to a Charles Monk as well as use of the phrase in the s in England. It seems to have been in common use in the railroad industry. The article suggests that the monkey wrench has ties to a once popular children&#;s toy, &#;monkey on a stick.&#; It also details the probable origin of the phrase &#;throw a monkey wrench in the works&#;. A patent for an actual monkey wrench doesn&#;t seem to appear until and looks nothing like the wrench we associate with monkey wrenches. Most if not all Monkey Wrenches appear closer to Merrick&#;s design and have since evolved as most tools have. To make a long story longer, no one is 100% sure where the monkey wrench came from, but the allusions are that the name was already in use long before the patent was issued and no clear inventor can be named for whatever was in use in the s without more information. What is clear is that the common tales and misconceptions
The standard wrench also received a groundbreaking change with the introduction of a new style of adjustable wrench almost universally referred to as a Crescent wrench due to Crescent Tools introducing it. This was a major innovation as it was compact compared to the larger pipe and monkey wrenches, yet allowed on to adjust its size to work on multiple nuts or bolts. This style of wrench caught on so well that Ford included one with every Model-T and Charles Lindbergh said he&#;d had one with him on his transatlantic flight. Since then, many other companies have made a version of this style wrench with varying results. While a good tool, there are occasions (especially if using a cheap brand) where the Crescent-style adjustable wrench falls short, namely the thinness of the handle or how finicky the threaded adjustor is and it can be frustrating to use. Thankfully, new designs like Wera&#;s self-setting spanner still continue to rise up to make life easier. This wrench, part of the Joker family, allows you to get a better grip on the tool and easily adjust the opening to fit the nut or bolt your working all with an easy release.
In addition to the innumerable styles of conventionally-shaped wrenches we also had the invention of the ratcheting wrench bringing huge innovations to the use of sockets. Not long after wrenches were developed, the wrench got a little bit of a run for its money with the introduction of ratchets for use with sockets in . Sockets had been used with hand cranks for centuries, but J.J. Richardson developed the ratchet wrench to be used with interchangeable sockets which has become such a good match it&#;s almost unthinkable to think of them separately. Sockets were originally square-shaped but as machining techniques improved with technology, hex, Torx and many other shapes became possible. What Richardson&#;s ratchet wrench brought to the table was groundbreaking in that it allowed the sockets to be removed and more importantly that it allowed a nut to be turned without removing the tool from the nut and allowed for use in restricted space. Some claim that Robert Owen invented the ratchet wrench in , however this is a number of years after Richardson (and even Joseph Reams&#; ratchet wrench) and quite different in that it has two heads &#; one for each direction. There doesn&#;t seem to be as much action nor as many stories involved with the ratchet, however innovation has continued until even until today with probably the best designed ratchet -Wera&#;s Zyklop Ratchet. The Zyklop is loaded with features and has eliminated pretty much every possible headache that comes with using ratchets.
Wrenches, sockets and rackets have helped shape our world in incredible ways since they hit the scene in the late 19th century and even prior to that in their more primitive forms. Wrenches, sockets and ratchets have given us compact, easy to use tools that allow us to get a lot of leverage for tightening and loosening nuts and bolts with minimal effort and in recent years with toolmakers like Wera and others have made it even easier. We&#;re proud to carry every style of wrench (including many that weren&#;t mentioned like crowfoot, hook, Knipex&#;s excellent pliers wrenches, swivel head, strap and socket wrenches), ratchets, and more. You can ensure that whichever of these tools you&#;re looking for, they&#;re the best ones available.
The History of Spanners or wrenches goes a long way back to the 15th century. We&#;ve seen them in different shapes and forms throughout history. These hand tools are practical levers that assist us when we want to turn various types of nuts and bolts. A wide range of professionals such as mechanics, construction workers, plumbers, electricians, manufacturing workers, heavy equipment operators, agricultural workers, and DIY enthusiasts use these tools.
If you&#;re a history junkie like us and every now and then, while working with different tools, doze off and wonder &#;Who first thought of making this tool?&#; or &#;How did someone think of making this tool?&#; or &#;What did the first ones look like?&#;, this article is definitely for you!
Who Invented the Spanner?
if you are curious about the history of spanner, let&#;s first talk about what they do. A spanner is a hand tool designed for turning nuts, bolts, and other fasteners. It typically has a handle and one or both ends that are shaped to fit the profile of a specific type of fastener. The term &#;spanner&#; is commonly used in British English, while in American English, the tool is more frequently referred to as a wrench.
Who Invented the Wrench?
Hopefully, you&#;re not here looking for a single person who invented this tool because you&#;re not going to find it! But the story of wrenches goes way back and has changed a lot over the years. So, let&#;s find out more about the history of a wrench.
when was the wrench invented?
Around the 15th century, the Greeks made the first basic wrench-like tools. They used these tools to tighten nuts on wooden barrels. After that, people from different places, like the Romans and Egyptians, also had clever ideas to make tools even better. This teamwork and improvement over time made tools more useful for everyone. This is the starting point of invention and the gradual evolution of spanners.
Evolution of Wrenches
As far as we know, the first usages of spanners were clamping pipes, connecting different pieces of an armor suit, and winding up crossbow strings as they could tighten the strings tauter than any human being. It is interesting to know that there were no standard sizes for spanners and fasteners back then, and each blacksmith made the fasteners and spanners individually. This way of manufacturing fasteners and wrenches remained the same until the 18th century.
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A Revolution During the Evolution
The 18th century was the start of something great in the history of wrenches, which we call &#;The Industrial Revolution&#; now. The Industrial Revolution completely changed the way wrenches were made and also the number of productions. During this time, these tools diversified in type, size, and usage and the man was witness to many great innovations in spanners.
Many of the new types of wrenches we use today were invented in the 18th century. With the modern technology of that time, the wrought iron wrenches that blacksmiths made were replaced by factory-made, cast-iron spanners models. Because they were made industrially, their prices were much lower than hand-made versions.
Standardized Sizes
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was the year of wrench innovations where standard sizes for fasteners and spanners were developed. This was a great event because it would enable people to use one spanner on different nuts and bolts. It also meant that if you lost your tool, you wouldn&#;t have to go and get a blacksmith to make you a customized one. Manufacturers could also sell fasteners and wrenches separately, and people didn&#;t have to purchase them as a set. Although the standardized wrench had been produced since , Solymon Merrick patented the first wrench in .
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However, the spanners produced during this time were not quite accurate. This is why in , the engineer Sir Joseph Whitworth came up with a way to increase the accuracy of production and brought it to another level. The Whitworth standard was developed based on this new technology, and now every factory could reproduce spanners easily.
This standardized system of producing spanners was a turning point in the evolution of spanners. In the past, each machine had its own set of spanners. However, with the standardized spanners, any mechanic could work on any machine using his own set.
In , another patent was granted to Daniel C. Stillson. Stillson actually was the person who invented the pipe spanner. At the time, he was working at a heating and piping company and suggested that they manufacture a wrench that could screw pipes together. The company liked the idea, and after making several prototypes, he came up with the pipe wrench.
As the time went by and throughout the history of the spanner, many inventors introduced their own versions. You probably have heard of a &#;monkey spanner&#;. Funny you should know that the name actually has nothing to do with the animal. It actually derives from the name of its inventor: Charles Moncky. He invented the monkey spanner in the year .
Later on, the history and origin of wrenches shows us that Robert Owen patented the ratchet wrench in the year .
Nowadays, spanners and wrenches come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, and their quality is not even comparable to their older versions. Additionally, some of them are powered by pneumatic forces and electricity to provide the maximum comfort level for operators when working. From the 15th century to the 21st, they have come a long and amazing journey. But there is always room for improvement, and with modern technology, who knows what happens 10 years from now?
FAQs of Renches History
Why do Brits call it a spanner?
The Brits call it a spanner because it refers to the original function of the tool which is spanning or turning nuts and bolts. It also means applying force or leverage for tightening or loosening fasteners.
Is spanner American or British?
&#;Spanner&#; is more frequently used by the British whereas the Americans more commonly use the word &#;wrench&#;.
How has the wrench improved over time?
The wrench got better as people came up with new designs and ways to make it, making it easier to use and more helpful for different jobs.
when were wrenches first made?
Wrenches were first made around the 15th century, with the Greeks creating basic wrench-like tools for tightening nuts on wooden barrels.
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