NORTH BROS. "YANKEE" QUICK RETURN SPIRAL
RATCHET SCREW DRIVERS
Top to bottom:
No. 135A Light Pattern
No. 130A Medium Pattern
No. 131A Heavy Pattern
"Yankee" No. 131A Heavy Pattern Quick Return
Spiral Ratchet Screw Driver
This was a bread and butter tool in the Truck Cab and Body Building trade to which I belonged in the late 1940s and, although other makes and models were available, this was the one favored by far.
The quick return feature that facilitated one handed driving of screws could be disabled by removing the spring accessed via the large base screw in the handle as needed. This Heavy Pattern Screw Driver was available without the quick return feature as No. 31A but I don't recall seeing any of those being used, probably because it was so easy to remove and replace the spring in the No. 131A and the fact that the No. 31A was shorter than the No. 131A by 2.5" (due to the space occupied by the spring) thus providing less turning torque.
Top: No. 131A "YANKEE" Heavy Pattern Screw
Driver
Bottom: No. 31A "YANKEE" Heavy Pattern Screw
Driver
Close-up of regular bit and Hex Adapter with
Phillips head bit
Location of "YANKEE" stamping on wooden
handle
Stamping on barrel of Screw Driver
North Bros. always used that form of their Company name -- never North Brothers -- on their correspondence and tool markings. Similarly, the "YANKEE" marking on their tools was always rendered that way -- never without the quotes or in lower case lettering. Examples of tool markings (as found on No.131A Spiral Ratchet Quick Return Screwdrivers but generally applicable to all "YANKEE" tools):
Early:
(with multiple Patent dates)
"YANKEE" No. 131A
NORTH BROS. MFG. CO.
PHILA. PA. U.S.A.
--------------------
PAT. (xxx)
MADE IN UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA
Later:
"YANKEE" No. 131A
NORTH BROS. MFG. CO.
PHILA. PA. U.S.A.
--------------------
PAT. DEC. 11-23
MADE IN
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
After acquisition of North Brothers by Stanley in 1946:
"YANKEE" No. 131A
®
NORTH BROS. MFG. Co.
DIV. OF STANLEY TOOLS
PHILA. PA. U.S.A.
After c. 1959:
(Stanley closed the North Bros.
Philadelphia Plant in 1959
and moved "YANKEE" Tool production to New Britain,
Conn.)
STANLEY
(cartouche)
YANKEE
No. 131A
MADE IN U.S.A.
I do not remember exactly when it was that Stanley began manufacturing and marketing "Yankee" Spiral Ratchet Screw Drivers in England after they acquired North Brothers in 1946.
For those who are contemplating venturing into the world of Spiral Ratchet Screw Drivers with the spring actuated quick return feature for the first time:
I thought it would be a good idea to describe as best I can how I was taught to handle these tools. The problem is the quick return spring that is very strong under compression. Many new users are startled - to say the least - when they turn and release the knurled lock ring without restraint -- the spiral barrel flies forward with considerable force, almost like a shot from a gun!
The following illustrations and captions describe the handling procedures I was taught:
After pointing the tool in a safe direction, I hold the chuck assembly firmly in my left hand as shown above. Pressure is maintained on the chuck by the thumb and the lock ring turned by the index finger -- the ratchet barrel is now slowly released, under control, as depicted in the below illustration ..........
.......... until fully extended as shown in the below illustration ..........
I exert the same hand hold and control procedure as above (in reverse) when returning and securing the spiral barrel. When replacing bits in the chuck be sure to not turn the lock ring so as to not unexpectedly release the spiral barrel -- and be sure to not pinch the skin of the palm of your right hand in the chuck retaining ring ..........
True enough there is dexterity and coordination required but with practice and use the procedure soon becomes fluid and almost effortless. I suggest removing the quick return spring at first (be sure the spiral barrel is fully extended thus insuring that the spring is uncompressed) in order to gain familiarity with the tool. There may be better handling techniques -- these are the ones I use. (the above is for right handed people -- I am sure "lefties" will have little trouble adapting).
After losing a couple of the wooden end plugs (in picture below, left) ..........
......... if it is separated from the spring (often the case), I now drop it into the handle cavity (doesn't interfere with operation of the tool) ..........
.......... for safe keeping until the quick return spring is reinstalled. I keep the spring in my tool box until then.
NOTES AND REFERENCES
-
The No. 131A "YANKEE" Heavy
Pattern Quick Return Spiral Ratchet Screw Driver is
featured on this page for that was the tool I
remember being most used. I used a No. 130A "YANKEE"
Standard Spiral Ratchet Screw Driver for a while as
that was the only model I could find at the time, but
it was not robust enough for the work I was
performing. I did keep that standard model, however,
and used it on occasion. I presently use one fitted
with a Hex Adapter for drilling screw pilot holes and
installing small to medium screws:
Top: No. 130A "YANKEE" Standard Quick Return Spiral Ratchet Screw
Driver fitted with Hex Adapter and screw pilot drill bit.
Bottom: No. 131A "YANKEE" Heavy Pattern Screw Driver
fitted with Hex Adapter and Phillips head screw bit.
-
The Hex Adapter shown on this
page can be obtained from
Lee Valley Tools
-
The No. 130A "Yankee" Standard
Quick Return Spiral Ratchet Screw Driver was also
available without the quick return feature as No.
30A.
-
Pilot holes were drilled for all
screws driven into hard wood and the screws in turn
were lubricated using screw wax/grease.
-
These Magazine advertisements for "Yankee" spiral
ratchet screwdrivers (Google Books) contain much invaluable information relating
to these tools not to be found elsewhere.
- North Brothers 1931 "Yankee" tools catalog (PDF) download is available at this Rose Antique Tools web page -- contains much useful information.
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