C.M.B. Wrench Company

Table of Contents

Introduction

Syracuse, New York was an unlikely hotspot for early automotive tool companies, but it became ground zero for the socket revolution in America. Beginning in 1906, the companies Miller Combination Tool, Syracuse Wrench, the present C.M.B. Wrench, and the Charles Miller Company all developed sockets and drive tools for automotive applications.

The common element in all of these ventures was Charles Miller, an inventor and entrepreneur who provided patents or direct participation in these companies.

Company History

The C.M.B. Wrench Company was an early maker of socket sets operating initially in Syracuse, New York. The company was founded in 1909 by W. Barton Coe, Charles Miller, and James J. Boyd, with these three principals providing the "C.M.B." initials for the company's name.

Fig. 1. 1909 Notice of Incorporation for C.M.B. Wrench Company.

Fig. 1 shows a notice of incorporation for the C.M.B. Wrench Company, as published on page 1133 [External Link] of the June 17, 1909 issue of The Iron Trade Review.

The text provides the details of the company's incorporation and lists the founders, with the initial capital noted as $15,000. One of the founders, Charles Miller, was an inventor with several patents for ratchets and socket-related tools.

Charles Miller was also associated with other tool-related ventures in the Syracuse area, and the interested reader can find further information in the articles on the Miller Combination Tool Company and the Charles Miller Company.

Fig. 2. 1909 Advertisement for C.M.B. Socket Set. [External Link]

Fig. 2 shows a small ad for a C.M.B. socket set, as published on page 272 of the June 1, 1909 issue of the Automobile Trade Journal. This ad appeared probably only shortly after the company had been organized.

The illustration shows the company's earliest socket wrench set, and the text notes the inclusion of a ratchet drill. The company address is given as the Industrial Building in Syracuse.

The sockets and tools were similar in design and construction to those made by the earlier Miller Combination Tool Company, and C.M.B. Wrench can probably be considered as a "reboot" of the earlier company. In particular, the sockets were constructed with 5/8 square drive tangs, and the drive tools provided a 5/8 square receptacle.

Charles Miller provided two new patents describing a gimbaled Tee head and ratchet, which allowed the tools to operate at an angle.

As was the case with the earlier Miller company, C.M.B. Wrench produced sockets and drive tools using castings of "silver metal", an alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel sometimes called "German Silver". (This alloy could be regarded as a high-performance type of brass.)

Fig. 2B. 1909 Notice for C.M.B. Wrench Set.

The scan in Fig. 2B shows an early notice for the C.M.B. socket wrench set, as published on page 49 of the August, 1909 issue of Motor Boating.

The illustration shows one of the possible configurations of the tools, with one extension acting as a handle for the Tee head to drive the other extension with a socket.

The text notes the inclusion of a ratchet drill, an accessory that was not included in the "Silver King" sets.

The "Silver King" Socket Set

Fig. 3. 1910 Advertisement for "Silver King" Socket Set.

By 1910 the company was offering a "Silver King" socket set with eight hexagon sockets, seven square sockets, a screwdriver, and a spark-plug socket.

The scan in Fig. 3 shows a full-page advertisement for "Silver King" wrenches, as published on page 290 [External Link] of the January, 1910 issue of The Canis Index, a cooperative catalog.

The illustration shows the company's "Silver King" No. 1 large socket set, which was available in either a canvas roll or an oak box.

The socket sizes are marked in the illustration and the top row shows the seven square sockets as 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, and 5/8. The socket sizes are assumed to be in the U.S.S. convention.

The bottom row shows the eight hexagon sockets as 1/4, 3/16?, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, and 5/8. (The second from the right is difficult to read.)

The ad also describes the company's smaller No. 2 socket set, and gives prices for the individual tools in the set.

Fig. 4. 1910 Ad for "Silver King" Socket Set. [External Link]

Fig. 4 shows another ad for the "Silver King" set, as published on page 149 of the September 8, 1910 issue of Motor Age.

The illustration shows the company's "Silver King" socket set, with the company's name faintly visible on the lid of the box.

Note the gimbaled Tee head and ratchet in the illustration, which are described by patents 952,435 and 952,436.

The "Auto Queen" Socket Set

By 1911 the company was offering an "Auto Queen" socket set with the same number of sockets, but with simplified drive tools to allow a lower price.

Fig. 4B. 1911 Ad for "Silver King" and "Auto Queen" Socket Sets.

The scan in Fig. 4B shows an ad for the "Silver King" and "Auto Queen" socket sets, as published on page 2 [External Link] of the February, 1911 issue of Automobile Dealer and Repairer.

The illustration shows an important difference between the sets: the gimbaled ratchet and Tee heads of the earlier set have been replaced with fixed heads, which would have been much easier to manufacture.

The Revised "Silver King"

We added the above advertisement for its illustration of the "Auto Queen" set, but then noticed a stealth change to the "Silver King" set as well. The earlier "Silver King" sets had included seven square sockets and eight hexagon sockets, but by 1911 the set included only three square sockets, with an expanded selection of 12 hexagon sockets.

The text of the ad states the specifications for hexagon sockets as "Hex. Nuts" from 1/4 to 5/8 (presumably U.S.S. sizes) and "Cap Screws" from 1/4 to 9/16. The added Cap Screw sizes correspond to across-flats sizes of 7/16, 9/16, 5/8, 3/4, and 13/16, all of which were important for the growing automobile service market. (The Cap Screw 5/16 for 1/2 nuts was already included as the U.S.S. 1/4 socket.)

A close look at the illustration shows that the five Cap Screw sockets were grouped together in the front row, where previously the four largest square sockets had been placed.

The square socket sizes are stated as "3/16 to 3/8", but something is inconsistent here. The given range includes the four U.S.S. sizes 3/16, 1/4, 5/16, and 3/8, but the illustration clearly shows just three square sockets. We think that the sizes were probably 1/4, 5/16, and 3/8, the same as the three smallest square sockets in the earlier set.

Square nuts had been widely used in the earlier carriage trade, but were less commonly used on automobiles due to space constraints. Eliminating some of the square sockets in favor of more hexagon sockets made the revised "Silver King" set much more suitable for automobile service.

Relocation to New Jersey

By 1913 C.M.B. Wrench had relocated to Garwood, New Jersey, where it remained in operation until at least the early 1920s.

Socket sets remained the primary product for the company, but some directory listings mention a monkey wrench product as well. No examples are known.

A 1915 Industrial Directory of New Jersey noted C.M.B. Wrench with four employees. A 1918 Industrial Directory of New Jersey listed the company with 6 employees on page 212, and a 1921 Directory of Directors listed Willard S. Tuttle as the president of C.M.B. Wrench.

A listing for C.M.B. Wrench appeared in the April, 1921 edition of the Automobile Trade Directory, where it was noted as the maker of "Silver King" and "Auto Queen" products. Some directory entries for C.M.B. Wrench continued to be published into the late 1920s and early 1930s, but these may be stale listings.

We think it's likely that the company had closed by the mid 1920s, but no definite information has been found.

Patents

Trademarks

No trademarks are known to have been registered by C.M.B. Wrench. The company used the brands "Silver King" and "Auto Queen" for its products.

References and Resources

Photographs and observations of particular tools are based on items in the Alloy Artifacts collection.

Catalog Resources

Currently we don't have any catalog references for C.M.B. Wrench products.

Socket Sets

The C.M.B. socket sets were based on 5/8 inch square drive, with handles and extensions constructed of 5/8 inch square steel tubing and sockets cast with a 5/8 inch square drive tang. All of the 5/8 inch openings in the set included a slot with a spring steel clip riveted at one end to hold an inserted shaft or socket.

The sockets and drive heads of the sets were made of cast "silver metal", an alloy similar to brass but with nickel instead of tin.

The drive tools in the "Silver King" set incorporated some innovative features that may seem surprising for such an early date. Both the ratchet head and Tee head were gimbaled in a yoke to allow operation at any angle, and the yoke included an adjusting screw to control the tension on the head. The ratchet opening allowed the shaft of an extension to pass through, effectively giving the extensions a variable length.

A handle inserted in the cross opening of the Tee head effectively created a sliding Tee handle, a tool that would later become an essential part of socket sets. And if the handle was inserted in the yoke opening of the Tee head, the result was effectively a flex-head handle, another essential tool in future socket sets.

The C.M.B. socket sets can be grouped into four generations. The earliest set included the patent-pending gimbaled Tee head and ratchet, along with eight hexagon sockets, seven square sockets, and a ratchet drill attachment. The inclusion of the ratchet drill suggests a focus on general repairs rather than specifically automobile service.

The early "Silver King" sets in 1910 defined the next generation, with the ratchet drill replaced by a screwdriver and spark plug socket.

The later "Silver King" sets (from 1911 onward) replaced the majority of the square sockets with additional hexagon sockets, making the set more suitable for automobile service.

The last generation is represented by the "Auto Queen" set with its simplified drive tools, making it less expensive and possibly more suitable as an in-vehicle repair kit.

Socket Sizes

With the discovery that the socket specifications for the "Silver King" set had changed by 1911, there are two distinct versions of the set: the 1910 early version with eight hexagon sockets and seven square sockets, and the 1911 later version with 12 hexagon sockets and three square sockets. (The sockets in the "Auto Queen" sets were the same as the later "Silver King" sets.)

Although the sockets have cast-in markings for their size, there are two different size conventions in use, the U.S.S. and Hexagon Cap Screw conventions, and both of these conventions give the size of the bolt rather than the across-flats size of the nut.

To help clarify the actual socket sizes, the table below provides the across-flats size corresponding to the marked socket sizes, as best we can determine. There is some ambiguity in the hexagon sizes included in the early set, due to difficulty in reading the sizes in the illustration of the set. In addition, the square sizes specified for the later set are inconsistent.

However, the square sizes shown for the early set match the sockets in our example set, and the 12 hexagon sizes for the later set are consistent with the published specifications.

As a side note, the inclusion of sockets marked for two different size conventions must have been rather confusing for the owners of these sets, and we think that the five Cap Screw sizes were grouped separately in the box as a reminder that the marked sizes were different from the sizes in the other convention. Note that the 1/2 across-flats size occurs both as the U.S.S. 1/4 and Hex Cap Screw 5/16, and was included in the set as the 1/4 U.S.S. socket.

C.M.B. Wrench "Silver King" No. 1 Socket Set

Our "Silver King" set can be identified as the early version by the patent pending notation on the Tee head and ratchet, and by the inclusion of seven square sockets. The early version leads to a production date estimate of 1910.

The (early) "Silver King" set consisted of a ratchet, a Tee head, a long extension, a short extension, a screwdriver, eight hexagon sockets, seven square sockets, and a spark plug socket. The sockets were all marked with the size cast into one wall.

Our set was acquired with seven square sockets (plus a few spares), but was missing most of the hexagon sockets. A broken socket tells the likely story: one hexagon socket was missing its drive tang!

In addition, a hexagon socket marked "3/8" has a different base with a stepped drive tang for 1/2 and 5/8. The opening was measured at 9/16, the size corresponding to 3/8 in the Cap Screw convention, making this an interpolation from a later set.

We are preparing the set for display.

5/8-Drive Ratchet from "Silver King" Set

Fig. 6. 5/8-Drive Ratchet from "Silver King" Socket Set, with Inset for Side View, ca. 1910.

Fig. 6 shows the [C.M.B.] 5/8-drive ratchet from the "Silver King" set, marked only with "Pat. Pend'g" on the casting.

The ratchet consists of a square steel shaft with a gimbaled head and yoke cast of brass-like "silver metal".

The overall length is 12.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel with polished castings.

The 5/8 inch square opening in the ratchet gear is fitted with a spring steel clip to hold the inserted socket ot handle.

The end of the handle has an adjusting nut to control the tension of the gimbaled head.

The pending notation is a reference to patent 952,436, filed by Charles Miller in 1909 and issued in 1910.

5/8-Drive Tee Head from "Silver King" Set

Fig. 7. 5/8-Drive Tee Head from "Silver King" Socket Set, with Inset for Side View, ca. 1910.

Fig. 7 shows the [C.M.B.] 5/8-drive Tee head from the "Silver King" set, marked only with "Pat. Pend'g" on the casting.

The Tee head consists of a 5/8-drive yoke holding a 5/8-drive cross piece, which is secured by a clamp within the yoke. The yoke and cross piece are constructed as castings of brass-like "silver metal".

The 5/8 inch square openings in the yoke and cross piece are fitted with a spring steel clip to secure the inserted socket or handle.

The overall length is 3.6 inches, and the finish is polished brass.

The pending status is a reference to patent 952,435, filed by Charles Miller in 1909 and issued in 1910.

The Tee head has two primary modes of operation. The plain end of the long extension can be inserted in the yoke to form a flex-head handle, to drive a socket directly or via the short extension. Alternatively, the long extension can be inserted in the cross piece to form a sliding Tee handle, with a socket or extension driven by the yoke.

5/8-Drive 6 Inch Extension from "Silver King" Set

Fig. 8. 5/8-Drive 6 Inch Extension from "Silver King" Socket Set, with Inset for Side View, ca. 1910.

Fig. 8 shows the [C.M.B.] 5/8-drive 6 inch extension from the "Silver King" set, marked with "H20" cast into the socket end.

The socket end of the extension is cast with a slot for a spring clip to hold the inserted tool.

The overall length is 6.7 inches. The finish is polished brass and steel, with some rust on the steel shaft.

5/8-Drive 10 Inch Extension from "Silver King" Set

Fig. 9. 5/8-Drive 10 Inch Extension from "Silver King" Socket Set, with Inset for End View, ca. 1910.

Fig. 9 shows the [C.M.B.] 5/8-drive 10 inch extension from the "Silver King" set, marked with "H20" cast into the socket end.

The socket end of the extension is cast with a slot for a spring clip to hold the inserted tool.

The overall length is 10.1 inches. The finish is polished brass and steel, with some rust on the steel shaft.

1/2-Drive Screwdriver from "Silver King" Set

Fig. 10. 1/2-Drive Screwdriver from "Silver King" Socket Set, with Indes for Side View, ca. 1910.

Fig. 10 shows the unmarked [C.M.B.] 1/2-drive screwdriver from the "Silver King" set.

The drive end of the screwdriver has a 1/2 tang to fit inside one of the extensions, with spring clips on both ends to allow use as a connector.

The overall length is 6.0 inches.

The screwdriver attachment can be driven by the bare end of an extension using its 1/2 drive stud, and can also be used as a connector for the two extensions if a longer extension is needed.

5/8-Drive 9/16 Hexagon Socket from "Silver King" Set

Fig. 11. 5/8-Drive 9/16 Hexagon Socket from "Silver King" Socket Set, with Inset for Top View, ca. 1911.

Fig. 11 shows a [C.M.B.] 5/8-drive (and 1/2-drive) 9/16 hexagon socket from the "Silver King" set, marked with "3/8" cast into the side.

The across-flats size was measured at 9/16, indicating that the "3/8" marking on the socket is the Hex Cap Screw size. This means that the socket is an interpolation from a later "Silver King" set, after the Cap Screw sizes were added.

The top inset shows the interior of the socket.

Note that the socket has a stepped drive tang for both 5/8 and 1/2 drive, allowing it to be driven by the bare end of an extension, although with no means to secure the socket in the extension. This would have allowed the socket to be used with limited clearance at the sides.

One other socket in the set (the smallest square size) also has a stepped drive tang.

The presence of this later socket in the set implies that the former owner was actively using and upgrading the set. The 9/16 size of this socket would have been useful for automotive repairs.

5/8-Drive Large Hexagon Sockets from "Silver King" Set

Fig. 12. 5/8-Drive Large Hexagon Sockets from "Silver King" Socket Set, with Inset for Top View, ca. 1910.

Fig. 12 shows the two largest [C.M.B.] 5/8-drive hexagon sockets from the "Silver King" set, marked with the U.S.S. sizes cast into the side.

The sockets are marked "9/16" and "5/8" in the U.S.S. convention, corresponding to across-flats sizes of 31/32 and 1-1/16 inches. (The sizes were measured at approximately 1/32 oversize.)

The top inset shows the interior of the sockets, with the parting line from the casting visible across the center.

The sockets have a matte surface finish rather than the polished sides of some other sockets, suggesting that they may be unpolished replacements for the original sockets.

5/8-Drive 1/2 Square Socket from "Silver King" Set

Fig. 13. 5/8-Drive 1/2 Square Socket from "Silver King" Socket Set, with Inset for Top View, ca. 1910-1911.

Fig. 13 shows a [C.M.B.] 5/8-drive 1/2 square socket from the "Silver King" set, marked with the "1/4" U.S.S. size cast into the side.

The inset shows the interior of the socket.

Note that the socket has a stepped drive tang for both 5/8 and 1/2 drive, allowing it to be driven by the bare end of an extension, although with no means to secure the socket in the extension. This would have allowed the socket to be used with limited clearance at the sides.

We're uncertain whether the stepped drive tang was provided for the small sockets in the early "Silver King" sets, or if this is a replacement from later production.

5/8-Drive Square Sockets from "Silver King" Set

Fig. 14. 5/8-Drive Square Sockets from "Silver King" Socket Set, with Inset for Top View, ca. 1910.

Fig. 14 shows a set of six [C.M.B.] 5/8-drive square sockets from the "Silver King" set, marked with the U.S.S. sizes cast into the side.

The sockets are marked 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, and 5/8 in the U.S.S. convention, corresponding to across-flats sizes of 19/32, 11/16, 25/32, 7/8, 31/32, and 1-1/16 inches.

The top inset shows the interior of the sockets, and in some cases the parting line from the casting is visible across the diagonal.

5/8-Drive 7/8 Spark Plug Socket from "Silver King" Set

Fig. 15. 5/8-Drive 7/8 Spark Plug Socket from "Silver King" Socket Set, with Inset for Top View, ca. 1910.

Fig. 15 shows the [C.M.B.] 5/8-drive 7/8 spark plug socket from the "Silver King" set. The socket is unmarked.

The inset shows the hexagonal opening of the socket, which was measured at slightly over 7/8 inch.

The overall length is 4.3 inches.

5/8-Drive Flex-Head Handle Combination from "Silver King" Set

Fig. 16. 5/8-Drive Flex Handle Combination from "Silver King" Socket Set, ca. 1910.

Fig. 15 shows one of the possible tool combinations from the "Silver King" set, in this case with the Tee head and 10 inch extension forming a flex-head handle fitted with the 1-1/16 hexagonal socket.

The overall length is 12.8 inches.

Despite the relatively primitive and bulky 5/8 female drive components, this is the functional equivalent of a flex-head handle, one of the stalwarts of modern service tools.