Group C Yankee Braces with four patents cited

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Yankee Braces - A Type Study of Sorts
by George Langford
February 17, 2007 - Additions December 3 & 29, 2007

Group C - Eight braces made after the fourth patent was issued - all in the ten inch size.

These braces were all made in the period after the last of the four patents was granted. The patent dates of the first two patents are stamped into the knurled closure ring near the chuck, and the numbers of the chuck's two patents are marked on the rim at the front of the chuck shell. The upper two braces on this page were made for the Bell System. All four braces are fully and smoothly functional, with no operational apologies needed. I've added a fifth brace; it is designated B&D-C5, and is already SOLD. Below this are three additional braces: B&D-C6 (SOLD): B&D-C7 ($25.00); and B&D-C8 ($40.00).	The topmost brace at left, designated B&D-C1, has some pitting on the chuck shell but is otherwise in top condition, it has been SOLD. The left center brace, designated B&D-C2, carries 95% of its nickel plating and only minor dings & scratches, also SOLD. The right center brace, designated B&D-C3, carries 75% of its nickel plating and only minor dings & scratches; SOLD. The bottom brace, designated B&D-C4, carries half of its nickel plating but is otherwise unscathed; SOLD.
		Heads shown with minimal hammering.	"Yankee" appears in varying degrees.

The brace below is in the best condition of any in this group, with 98% of its nickel plating and no hammer marks on the ratchet mechanism's cap. It is designated B&D-C5 and has been SOLD.

North Bros. No. 2101-10 IN brace with four patents cited

Head of brace at left

Pad of brace at left

The two additional braces below have the least remaining plating of this group.
They are designated B&D-C6 (upper - SOLD) and B&D-C7 (lower - $25.00).
They are both fully functional and smooth-operating. Both are ex-Bell System.

B&D-C6 is in good shape but has lost three-quarters of its nickel plating. B&D-C7 has essentially no plating & some pitting on the bow ... and its wrist slides !

C6 has never been hammered;
C7 has suffered a few hammer blows, with NOS jaws & spring courtesy of the legendary Lori.

Both pads are worn but nearly unblemished; they rotate freely.

B&d-C6 over B&D-C7 Yankee braces w. four patent dates

This brace, B&D-C8, is priced at $40.00 plus shipping; it has 75% of its nickel plating left.

	The ratchet housing of this brace escaped all owner bashing, but his initials (J.K.) are there and on the base of the chuck instead. The ratchet mechanism, the ball bearing chuck and also its jaws are all in good condition.
	The wrist handle is in good shape. It follows the first patent listed below.

The pad, below, has all the red inlay in the "YANKEE" logo.

Here are the date & number correlations:

U.S. Patent No.	Issue Date
1,473,423	November 6, 1923
1,523,187	January 13, 1925
1,617,998	February 15, 1927
1,679,299	July 31, 1928

The braces on this page have all the relevant patents marked somewhere: The first two on the ratchet housing, and the last two on the chuck.

The mechanisms were kept all the same throughout the production history of YANKEE braces, although the wrist handle's attachment method was later simplified after Stanley moved the North Bros. original production facilities away from Philadelphia. The handles on the braces on this page are all a thermoplastic resin similar to Bakelite. Later braces that Stanley later made themselves have thermoplastic handles.

The jaws had two kinds of spring fastening method - either staked into the backs of the jaws (in the beginning, just like the patent drawings) or let in through holes cast into the jaws (later production, not made part of any patent that I know about). The jaws that I received from Lori Goucher at Stanley are the latter variety - more reliable and less likely to detach from their springs.