Found a new Whatzit

A wisconsin impact wrench.

SW

It's a early beading tool to turn the ends of boiler tubes. The "hammer" is hit with a larger hammer and the beading tool indexes around with each hit. Thank heaven for air hammers!

There is another one (maybe the same one?) pictured on this page:

about 1/4 of the way down, thumbnail link to larger image. He also says that it's a beading tool.

Can you tell us how the tool in positioned? It appears to me that the "loose" cylinder toward the heel of the tool might have bee inserted into a tube that was close by to help hold the whole tool in position?

Pete Stanaitis

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That's right. The "loose" one was inserted into an adjacent tube and allowed the tool to be used "hands free". That is comforting if you have someone with more enthusiasm than talent on the wooden end of the hammer.

FWIW I found a patent that looks very similar to this item, Patent No. 886,394. See:

I only gave it a cursory look, but I think the usage is explained...

I can't recall reading a clearer patent. Most patents are written in a strangely stilted, obfuscated manner, but not this one. This is how a patent should be written. Here's a bit of the OCRed text google has, the original image is easier for me to read ("Bang of Great Britain"? the text says "King...") but not so cut-n-pastable.

Be it known that I, George Edward Morris, a subject of the Bang of Great Britain, residing at Regina, in the Province of 5 Saskatchewan, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beading Implements; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to tube expanding and beading tools.

The object of my invention is to provide a tool which will properly expand the end of a tube and form a bead thereon in one movement, and which will be rotated by the operation of an impacting element.

A more specific object is to provide a pivot ally mounted supporting plate with a rotatable head carrying a suitable tool; and, further, to provide means on the head for normally maintaining the tool in raised position in the path of movement of the impact ing element, and for guiding the tool so that the tube operated on is expanded by a blow almost at right angles to the plate to which the tube is being attached. The advantage sought to be attained by this construction is that more or less unskilled operators may use the tool and produce proper work.

Elijah

------ "more or less unskilled operators may use the tool"

Seeing that you took the time to read that, you might also be interested in another one by the same gentleman. It is very similar with a few "improvements". Patent number 1,162,871:

I didn't find anymore by him though...

I see he is now a citizen of the US.

Elijah

------ no more subject of Bang

Boiler tube beading tool, it is! See the updated page, if interested:

Pete Stanaitis

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