History
The first pipe or stillson wrench was created by Daniel C. Stillson while working as a mechanic at the Walworth Company. On October 12, 1869, U.S. patent #95,744 was issued to Stillson.
In Prince Edward Island, Canada there is some controversy over the true creator of the wrench. In the island folklore, the wrench was developed by Owen "Iney" McCluskey (or McCloskey), although no proof has ever been presented that would suggest that McCluskey and Stillson ever met.
On 17 August 1888 the Swedish inventor Johan Petter Johansson took his first patent on the adjustable pipe wrench. The Swedish Patent Office issued the patent (SE 5636) again in 1894. The idea emerged after he established his company Enköpings Mekaniska Verkstad. Back then there was no standard on nut dimensions so each time a trades man was out on a job, he needed a trolley to take a whole set of fixed pipe wrenches with him. Johan Petter Johansson invented a tool that could grip different nuts dimensions. As a consequence, the adjustable pipe wrench was developed.
Read more about this topic: Pipe Wrench
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