February 2017 Mystery Tool A
Nail puller. Identified by Don Banwart, West Bend, Iowa; Tom Kaminski, Franksville, Wis.; Robert Palmersheim, Lawler, Iowa; Dennis Howard, Boyne Falls, Mich.; Linwood Windsor Jr., Onancock, Va.; Duane A. Johnson, Parkersburg, Iowa; David Robson, Everson, Wash.; Mike King, Salina, Kan.; Dennis Dingmann, Palo Alto, Calif.; Bob Mainquist, Courtland, Kan.; Lynn
R. Taylor, Tecumseh, Mo.; Lonnie Burgess, Greenwood, Mo.; Mike Allen, Scottville, Mich.; William Evans, St. Joseph, Mo.; Karl Sodders, Redkey, Ind.; Harold Parman, Topeka, Kan.; James R. Brown, Jamestown, Ohio; Ken Smith, Marshalltown, Iowa; and Stephen H. Jaouen, Greeley, Colo.
Alan Gustafson, Dairyland, Wis.; Ken Rau, Altamont, N.Y.; Donald Zubke, Waubay, S.D.; Norm Erickson, Pleasanton, Neb.; Homer L. Warner, Voorheesville, N.Y.; Richard Vlach, Auburn, Neb.; Howard Olson, Pigeon Falls, Wis.; Bill Bracy, Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Larry Whitesell, Tipton, Ind.; Pernell Collett, High Point, N.C.; Doug Russell, White Sulphur Springs, Mont.; Darrell Pulscher, Sturgis, S.D.; Duane E. Pond, Berthoud, Colo.; Gary Wiese, Mankato, Minn.; John Keifer, Clinton, Pa.; Gary Finke, Oak Harbor, Ohio; Mike Boss, Akron, Ohio; Lew Payne, Remsen, N.Y.; Matt Ebert, O’Fallon, Ill.; and Dennis Bryant, Weston, Mo.
Image courtesy of Matthew Ebert.
John D. Crockett, East Falmouth, Mass.; Ray Dias, Hughson, Calif.; Al Jeske, Browerville, Minn.; Garrison Brown, Eastville, Va.; Loren Lindsay, Mankato, Minn.; Mike Lafever, Bolivar, N.Y.; Henry Sonneker, Bluffton, Minn.; Kevin Duntley, South Dayton, N.Y.; Bob Astry, South Dayton, N.Y.; Roger Hyatt, Salome, Ariz.; Jim Bolt, Corsica, S.D.; David J. Brown, Oldtown, Md.; Vern Notestine, Frankenmuth, Mich.; Skip Weed, Schuylerville, N.Y.; Richard Rulon, Avon, Conn.; Dean Wealing, Fowler, Ind.; Travis McCoy, Fairview, Kan.; Mil Harr, Denver, Colo.; Tommy Clark,
Canton, N.C.; and Wayne Luepke, Courtland, Minn.
Dennis Holbrook, New Plymouth, Idaho; Bob Nigh, Campbellsport, Wis.; James Moss, Council Bluffs, Iowa; Lyle Brand, Powell, Wyo.; Tom Dawes, Shiocton, Wis.; Wayne Teter, Preston Hollow, N.Y.; Lloyd Florence, Council Grove, Kan.; Peter Henry, Hamburg, N.Y.; Marvin Buettner, Anthon, Iowa; Robert Palte, Ottawa, Ohio; William H. Dykhuis, Hallock, Minn.; Tom Andrews, Blue Bell, Pa.; Elias Nyberg, Stow, Mass.; Tom Hamann, Willmara, Minn.; Hamilton Hayes, Manchester Center, Vt.; David Small, Plymouth, Mass.; Paul Ryberg, Cambridge, Minn.; Stan Cross, Lamar, Neb.; Doug DeCosta, South Meriden, Conn.; Caroline Heidt, Dickinson, N.D.; Jerry Nagyiski, Felton, Del.; and John F. Nagyiski, Hartly, Del.
Patent no. 154,217: Nail extractor. Patent awarded to George J. Capewell, Aug. 18, 1874.
Ivan L. Flory, Lawrence, Kan.; Jim Glascock, Cedar Grove, Ind.; Bill Schrock, Medford, Wis.; Robert E. Monroe, Williamstown, W.Va.; Clifton Buchholz, Carbondale, Ill.; Lyle D. Newby, Haven, Kan.; Willard Ottman, Lemmon, S.D.; Alan Duffield, Browns Valley, Minn.; Richard Bader, Middletown, N.Y.; Marcel Kleihege, Shiner, Texas; Bernard Geisel, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.; Donald Bartels, Blue Hill, Neb.; Fred W. Yutzy, Vermontville, Mich.; James Rissanen, Saginaw, Minn.; Ted Rudie, Shawano, Wis.; Norman Kaser, Massena, Iowa; John Bikowsky, Madison, N.Y.; Ray Shoberg, Pewaukee, Wis.; and Gary Holtman, Columbus, Miss.
Everett W. Demeritt, Wolcott, Vt.; Jeffrey Loope, Manlius, N.Y.; Ray Martel, Bismarck, N.D.; Robert J. Smith, Craigmont, Idaho; Steven Marshall, Accord, N.Y.; Larry Kreh, Bellevue, Ohio; John S. “Rusty” Rauth, Ridgely, Md.; Louis Harnish, Wayland, Mich.; Edward Newswanger, Ephrata, Pa.; Arthur H. Bailey, Wilmington, Vt.; Ken Beine, Mishicot, Wis.; Rodney D. Hildahl, Boyceville, Wis.; Aron E. Griffin, Shirley, Mass.; Gordoe Scarborough, Grand Island, Neb.; Fred Space, Sussex, N.J.; Joseph A. Miller, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Jim Smith, Brooklyn, Mich.; James Mayne, Edmeston, N.Y.; Amos Gay, Dayton, Maine; and Bill Slocum, Scranton, Iowa.
“The jaws are placed to opposite sides of a nail head,” Don explains. “The handle is then slid up and down the rod, hammering the jaws into the wood in which the nail head is embedded. The tool is then rocked toward the jaw lever, which contacts the wood causing the jaws to close under the nail head. Pushing harder against the jaw lever causes the nail to be pulled out, or pulled enough to use hammer claws or a wrecking bar claw to pull the nail. Some practice and coordination is required to keep the jaws in position while operating the slide hammer.” See patent no. 154,217 for a similar piece. Photo submitted by John Keller.
February 2017 Mystery Tool B
Unidentified. Richard Bader believes it may be a set of radius rod pullers. Photo submitted by Brian Lenz, Palmer, Iowa.
February 2017 Mystery Tool C
Gutter hanger for 5-inch half-round gutter. Identified by Ray Allaman, Junction City, Kan.; Ken Smith; Mark Mullen, Carlisle, Pa.; Ken Rau; Frank Shockey, Blue Ridge Summit, Pa.; Larry
Whitesell; Lew Payne; Richard E. Frantz, Richland, Pa.; Ted Hilscher, Hannacroix, N.Y.; Skip Weed; Perry Duvall, Winchester, Va.; Wayne Teter; Stanley Deisemann, Shartlesville, Pa.; Tom Andrews; Jim Loesch, Columbus, Ind.; Hamilton Hayes; Richard Bader; Steven Marshall; Larry Kreh; John S. “Rusty” Rauth; Edward Newswanger; Arthur H. Bailey; Aron E. Griffin; Fred Space; Allen Garman, Woodbury, Pa.; James Mayne. “The picture is upside-down,” Ray explains. “The half-round gutter lays in the hanger and the back part of the gutter goes under the little hook in the middle of the picture. Wire clips hook into the slot on the front part of the hanger and snap onto the front part of the gutter to hold the gutter on. I assume the spikes are to drive into the end of the rafter.” Photo submitted by Gary Gentzel Sr., Spring Mills, Pa.
February 2017 Mystery Tool D
Rotator for piles of cream separator plates. Tool used to rotate plates inside a cream separator at high speed as part of the cleaning process. (As a side note, this device is often confused with an antique rope maker.) Identified by Dennis Bryant; Ray Shoberg. See patent no. 1,120,882. Photo submitted by Darren Thomsen, Fairmont, Neb.
Patent no. 1,120,882: Rotator for piles of cream separator plates. Patent awarded to Gustaf M. Anderson, Waterloo, Iowa, Dec. 15, 1914.
February 2017 Mystery Tool E
Wire and cord stretcher. Identified by John S. “Rusty” Rauth. See patent no. 277,068. Photo submitted by William Ingram, Sistersville, W.Va.
Patent no. 277,068: Wire and cord stretcher. Patent awarded to John Sedgwick, Richmond, Ind., May 8, 1883.
February 2017 Mystery Tool F
Pike pole, used by firemen to move items. Also used to move blocks of ice when harvesting ice on lakes and rivers, or to assist in positioning logs when floating. Identified by Robert Palmersheim; Lonnie Burgess; Mark Mullen; Homer L. Warner; Howard Olson; Bill Bracy; Larry Whitesell; Lew Payne; Mike Boss; John D. Crockett; Garrison Brown; Ted Hilscher; Skip Weed; Wayne Teter; Hamilton Hayes; Don Reynolds, Henderson, Texas; Jim Glascock; Richard Bader; Everett W. Demeritt; Steven Marshall; John S. “Rusty” Rauth; Aron E. Griffin; Fred Space; James Mayne; Amos Gay. Photo submitted by Dean Pingel, Hilbert, Wis.
