turn of the screw: The history of Stanley Screwdrivers part III, The

In the early 1900s, Stanley Company set out to improve the Hurwood screwdriver. The Hurwood name, by 1909, had become the recognized standard for screwdrivers, and George E. Wood, now the superintendent of Stanley's screwdriver division, saw that the rapid growth of the automobile industry created a multiplicity of new uses of the screwdriver.

This meant improvements could be made. George Wood went on to patent a new design of tool handle for screwdrivers with his patent of 23 February 1909 (Figure 1). The patent provided for an offset bend in the shank which slid in a slot in the wood handle. This prevented the shank from turning in the handle when the screwdriver was turning the screw.

Charles E. Mitchell, an engineer at Stanley, was also trying to improve the screwdriver structurally Apparently, Stanley was having problems with users striking the screwhead with the handle of the screwdriver to start the screw. This resulted in the wood handle splitting. Mitchell's patent of 13 April 1909 (Figure 2) increased the strength of the handle by placing a holding pin through the ferrule, handle, and shank. A reinforcing ring was pinned at the midpoint between the ferrule and the handle top.

At the same period of time (1909), the blades were being manufactured out of cold rolled steel. But the cold rolling process required that the steel be annealed or softened to keep the metal flexible and not brittle. This process oxidized and discolored the metal. Stanley found that if they carefully controlled a special gas used for heating the metal then oxidation was overcome. Thus, a smooth finish was achieved at a lower cost.

George Wood patented, on 5 August 1913 (Figure 3), an improved method of forming tools and avoiding injury to the screwdriver handle during the operation. The method he invented consisted of forming a head on a rod. This was then inserted into a formed handle and shouldered at the head. A ferrule was next placed over the rod and tightened against the wood handle. The shank was swaged, thereby securing the ferrule and handle.

George E. Wood's son, George A. Wood, patented on 11 May 1915 (Figure 4) an improved process for making screwdrivers. Wood's patent provided for securing the wood handle to the shank with no perceptible line of division between the ferrule and bolster. In this patent there is no head on the shank and the handle is secured by other means.

The improvements brought about by both Mitchell's and the two Woods' patents, while initially created for screwdrivers, ended up being applied to chisels as well.

While all this engineering was taking place, the Hurwood line of screwdrivers (described in Part II of "The History of Stanley Screwdrivers") remained the same throughout the teens and into the 1920s.

During this period a less expensive line of screwdrivers was produced, named "Defiance." Defiance screwdrivers were manufactured in a standard tip (no. 70) (Figure 5) and a cabinetmakers' tip (no. 75), and both had red handles. Sizes ranged from 2 1/2- to 18-inch blade lengths. The Defiance screwdrivers had a squared shank at the end that was forced into the handle. Then a pin was placed through the ferrule, handle, and shank to secure it.

In 1923, Stanley introduced the 4-Square line of household tools. With this line, four screwdrivers were offered. They were made in 1 1/2, 2 1/2- , 4-, and 5-inch blade lengths (Figure 6). The 4-Square screwdrivers were basically a Defiance no. 70 screwdriver but with a reshaped wood handle. The 4-Square screwdrivers remained in production to 1935.

Edmund Schade patented, on 6 May 1924 (Figure 7), a different arrangement for securing the handle to the shank. His approach was that the shank had the head end threaded to accept a cap. The cap had any amount of lugs which prevented the wood handle from turning (usually two or four). The main feature of this patent was that the blade in its entirety could be hardened and finished, ready for sale and then placed in the handle. Once in the handle, it would be pinned through the ferrule. Hardening of the entire blade reduced or nearly eliminated the blade bending while being used to pry something.

While Stanley engineers were working on ways to make their tough screwdrivers tougher, Christian Bodmer of Stanley filed, in January 1924, a patent for a ratchet screwdriver (Figure 8). This would launch Stanley as a competitor with North Brothers' "Yankee" brand of ratchet screwdrivers. These Stanley screwdrivers would be designated Stanley's no. 215 and 216 ratchet screwdrivers. These screwdrivers were nickel-plated and had rosewood handles. Number 215 (Figure 9) had a standard tip and was offered in six sizes ranging from 2- to 8-inch blades. The no. 216 (Figure 10) had a cabinet tip and was offered in five sizes ranging from 2 to 6 inches.

Stanley, by the mid- 1920s, was experimenting with cold swaged tips on their screwdrivers, after the blade went through regular forging. Figure 11 shows a 5inch no. 20 Stanley screwdriver with a cold-swaged tip dated 16 November 1925. The model no. 20 was their standard type Hurwood screwdriver.

The year 1925 would see the introduction of Stanley's no. 177 radio screwdrivers to meet the demand for radio work of all descriptions (Figure 12).' These screwdrivers had a 9/64-inch diameter shank and a cabinet tip. They were made in blade lengths of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 inches and had handles with a fluted part near the ferrule, so delicate adjustment of a screw could be made. These screwdrivers remained in the Stanley line until 1964 when their handles were replaced with plastic. They continue in the Stanley line today.

On 10 February 1927 (Figure 13) Christian Bodmer, an engineer at Stanley, filed a patent which introduced the bolster type construction on a screwdriver. In this type of construction, the shank of the screwdriver was forged and knurled on the handle receiving end and then tempered to the desirable hardness. This shank would then be driven into a bolster which had ribs on its outer side. The shank and bolster, with an insulating washer, were next driven into the handle through the previously fitted ferrule. The insulating washer was part of the patent and would be used on the new "100 Plus" line of screwdrivers. This patent was granted on 16 July 1929, but the bolster part wouldn't be used until 1932.

In 1927 Stanley introduced the "100 Plus" (Figure 14). These screwdrivers had a forged one-piece tempered blade including a bolster and special wings on two sides. The handles were hickory with leather washers at the top, similar to a chisel handle. The one-piece shank and bolster, with an insulating washer, was driven under pressure into the handle through a ferrule. Figure 15 illustrates a salesman's cutaway model next to a complete screwdriver. Notice the wings through the ferrule in the cutaway. The "100 Plus" line claimed to have the strongest handles on the market to withstand pounding. The "100 Plus" models included the no. 1001 with standard tip and the no. 1003 with cabinet tip.

The no. 680 square shank heavy-duty screwdriver (Figure 16) was also introduced in 1927. These were heavy duty screwdrivers with a similar construction to that of the "100 Plus" line but with a square shank that could be gripped with a wrench. These were advertised as "made especially for garage mechanics, millwrights and others who require a screwdriver that will stand up under severe usage."2 Handles were made of hickory with leather washers. No. 680 screwdrivers were made in 4-, 6-, 8-, 12-, and 16-inch lengths.

Stanley's 1931 automotive catalog introduced the no. 270, a twenty-five cent screwdriver for home use; it was Stanley first multi-color tool line.3 They were advertised to be the best twenty-five cent screwdrivers produced. The handles of these screwdrivers were colorful with two-color combinations. They came in red and black, orange and black, green and black, yellow and black, and blue and black (Figure 17). They were offered in 4-, 5-, and 6-inch shank lengths and were 1/4 inch and 5/16 inch in diameter.

In 1934, the no. 270 screwdriver handle was changed to a natural color, and the number of sizes increased to eight, starting with the 2 1/2-inch blade length. The largest was 12 inches. A new screwdriver number (no. 1070) with a smaller handle used the two-color combination. It was offered at a very inexpensive cost and was cheaper than the no. 270.

Another screwdriver, called the Grip-E-Grip, was introduced by Stanley in July 1931. This utilized Emerson Warner's patent for a unique hand-grip. Warner's patent, filed 26 July 1930, provided for grit-like sand to be applied in the lacquer finish on the handle of screwdrivers to enable a user with oily hands to get a better grip when using the tool. Warner's patent was granted May 1932 (Figure 18). The Grip-E-Grip screwdriver was numbered no. 700 and was first approved by the operations committee, Department 58 of Stanley Tools, on 9 September 1930. The handles of these screwdrivers were available in four colors-red, orange, green, or blueand had the words "Grip-E-Grip" on the handle (Figure 19). Six blade lengths were offered from three to ten inches. The Grip-EGrip was discontinued in 1933.

Nineteen thirty-two also saw the introduction of a new handle material which was advertised to be tough, non-flammable and a perfect insulator against electricity. The new line, designated no. 100, was called "Lastex" (Figure 20). They were available in six sizes, the usual 4-, 5-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-inch lengths. The tips were cross-ground to prevent slippage when in use. This was the first use of cross-grinding, which is an operation that produces crosswise ridges on the tip. This prevents the screwdriver from climbing out of the screw slot. Stanley claimed it was "one of the most important mechanical improvements ever made in the screw driver and was originated by Stanley."' The Lastex line was discontinued in December 1936.

The next article will discuss the introduction of the bolster type screwdriver, the beryllium line, and odd screwdrivers (flashlight screwdrivers and penknife screwdrivers).

Notes

1. The radio had become so important in American life that the 1930 U.S. census asked if the household owned a radio (question no. 9, under "Home Data").

2. 1929 Catalog 129, p. 124. Stanley Works. 3. Automotive Catalog, No. 27, 1 July 1931.

4. "I. Harden Stanley Screwdriver Blades." Stanley Tool Talks 16 (1939).

Walter Jacob writes a regular column on Stanley Tools for The Chronicle.

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