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For Sale, a Antique Wood Handled Multi-Tool with 7 Bits in Handle- Pat. Aug 12, 1884
The item is Used, although mechanism is fully functional to change bits. There are a total of 8 bits in the handle, although 2 of them are broken (see photo\'s #1, #2 and #3) the broken bits are the two horizontal in the photo\'s
There are No Owner Markings and appears to have the original paint.
There is wire on the handle knob that screws on and off to access the bits. The wire is loose, although if you know anything about these old tools, it is more than likely repairable, by inserting the wire into the pre carved line in the wood - you just have to know how to secure it.
Per an Internet Search:
The wooden multi-bit screwdriver patented on August 12, 1884, is based on U.S. Patent No. 303,478, issued to Granville W. Wright of New Haven, Connecticut, and manufactured or assigned to Sargent & Co.. [1, 2]Key Details of the 1884 Patent
- Inventor: Granville W. Wright [1]
- Patent Date: August 12, 1884 (Applied June 12, 1884) [1]
- Assignee / Manufacturer: Sargent & Co. of New Haven, CT (though similar multi-tools were also produced by makers like the Buell Brothers) [1, 2]
- Design Feature: It features a hollow wooden handle (often rosewood or mahogany) that doubles as a storage compartment for a set of interchangeable bits (typically 6 to 8 bits, including screwdriver blades and small chisels) stored under a removable cap or inside the hollow core with a specialized chuck mechanism. [1, 2, 3]
- Patent Claim: The mechanism focuses on the tubular socket and a locking pin or collet design that secures the bits and prevents longitudinal movement during use
