Britool Hexagon ratchet

[zardoz]

I bought this Britool 'hexagon' ratchet with the number 2073 on the handle. In case you cant see on the picture, the end where a ratchet would normally have a square shaped bit to affix onto a socket, there is a hexagon shaped hole. So my question is, what would this be used for (the tool seems quite old)

PS: off on my holidays soon. The past few years have seen me amass quite a lot of Britool spanners to add to my collection of British and German only spanners. I have a few gaps to fill in my open end/ring set to fill so I've got a full set, but of course i always buy them whatever size they are, as long as they are Britool. A few spares never hurt anyone. Or maybe swopsies with someone else?

 

[^neo^]

Probably a ratchet for spline bits

 

[gavuk]

we use ratchet handles for machine adjustments ,on leadscrews,in our case, rollers

 

[gordon stephenson]

Thats quite an old one, I remember seeing a few of these about 50years ago when serving my time, they were just a different shaped drive for some socket sets, hex instead of square,They were not popular even then,I suppose it was a bit like Betamax and VHS with one eventually taking over, We had one of those socket sets in our heavy plant garage but nobody ever used it.Working on Cat D8's and Euclid i trucks.

 

[paul33]

I still have a Britool hex drive socket set, good quality keep it in my lorry for breakdown use.

 

[john224]

I bought this Britool 'hexagon' ratchet with the number 2073 on the handle. In case you cant see on the picture, the end where a ratchet would normally have a square shaped bit to affix onto a socket, there is a hexagon shaped hole. So my question is, what would this be used for (the tool seems quite old)

PS: off on my holidays soon. The past few years have seen me amass quite a lot of Britool spanners to add to my collection of British and German only spanners. I have a few gaps to fill in my open end/ring set to fill so I've got a full set, but of course i always buy them whatever size they are, as long as they are Britool. A few spares never hurt anyone. Or maybe swopsies with someone else?

There is a piece missing,, Should be hex on one end and square on other end when you want to change direction of use you take the addapter out and put it in other side,!!

 

[tigler]

I have the complete socket set which that ratchet would have belonged to. As mentioned above, hex drive was once used by some tool makers as opposed to square drive. The set I have is whitworth size and is brilliant for working on old bikes etc.

 

[octo0072000]

hex socket handle

i have another one a smaller version the bit you have missing i think was hex both ends have a look at these pic's this is a AF set 1/2 in to 15/16ths AF
base metal not crome ratchet still works perfect i used to keep it in the car so did my old man 40 years ago

i bought the biggest socket set britool made when i was 17 in 1970 cost £25 a lot when you was only on £8 10 shillings that's £8.50 to new money lads took me a year to pay for it still got most of it now 40years on also a set of square sockets came with it there as new never used apart from one for square diff plugs when tight with a 2 ft bar on them

 

[Ian D]

I bought this Britool 'hexagon' ratchet with the number 2073 on the handle. In case you cant see on the picture, the end where a ratchet would normally have a square shaped bit to affix onto a socket, there is a hexagon shaped hole. So my question is, what would this be used for (the tool seems quite old)

PS: off on my holidays soon. The past few years have seen me amass quite a lot of Britool spanners to add to my collection of British and German only spanners. I have a few gaps to fill in my open end/ring set to fill so I've got a full set, but of course i always buy them whatever size they are, as long as they are Britool. A few spares never hurt anyone. Or maybe swopsies with someone else?

I bet you come out of thr car boots hands covered in Oil and rust just like me.
I have a thing for record stilsons have about 30 pair restored, dont buy bent or worn out ones though unless they are very cheap.
I strip them electrolysis tank, re powder coat them, we have some very near record blue powder.
I will have to post a pic of my mankyest pair, no before pics though.
Also like Elora spanners.

 

[Chippychap]

Well, you guys have sorted out ONE end of three sockets I have.


What do you reckon the other ends do?


hti508.photobucket.com/albums/s327/Chippychap/Britoolsockets.jpgtp://

 

[PTvor]

We had a hex ratchet handle like that and a couple of sockets for it at home when I was a kid in the early 60s. We never had a use for it. It was called a Leytool. They were a couple of big sockets, around an inch and a half. You can still get them, but I can't quite see why they are made or what the demand is. I'd have thought that 1/2" and 3/4" square drive sockets would be a better bet.

 

[octo0072000]

sockets

they are square sockets used in some industry could be on lathes i have about 10 half inch ones for the reverse of them to fit on square plug heads used in pipework i bought the biggest socket set britool made in the 70s cost be £25 ish i still have most of it now only ever used 2 of the square sockets on car work the hexagon ratchets are mainly industrial i believe

just found this loads of old adverts all links worked for me try them

http://www.aviationancestry.com/Engineering/Machinery/Machinery-Britool-1943-1.html


and another list

http://www.aviationancestry.com/Engineering/Machinery/Machinery-McGowanWild-1920-1.html

 

[Chippychap]

they are square sockets used in some industry could be on lathes i have about 10 half inch ones for the reverse of them to fit on square plug heads used in pipework i bought the biggest socket set britool made in the 70s cost be £25 ish i still have most of it now only ever used 2 of the square sockets on car work the hexagon ratchets are mainly industrial i believe

just found this loads of old adverts all links worked for me try them

http://www.aviationancestry.com/Engineering/Machinery/Machinery-Britool-1943-1.html


and another list

http://www.aviationancestry.com/Engineering/Machinery/Machinery-McGowanWild-1920-1.html

Thank you for that.

As soon as I get rid I'll find a use for 'em.