What is this tool?

[Jon]

What is this tool?





Found here, on ThePatriotWoodworker.com. According to ThePatriotWoodworker.com, the tool is 8" long, and the text on it reads "CS-2 Universal, Voss Mfg & Dist Co, Downs Kans".

Guesses so far:

-Electrical crimping tool.
-Nut splitter.
-Tubing bender.
-Power assist gear box adjustment wrench.
-Link breaking tool.
-Tie rod adjuster.
-Electric fence ferrule crimping tool.
-Chain link post crimping tool.
-Handle on a steam engine's engine brake valve.
-Wire twister.
-Diesel engine spring compression tool.
-Fine adjustment tool for soft copper tubing.

[mklotz]

Well, it's way too flimsy to be a nut splitter. That tooth and the swing-away-for-loading design shout (light) chain breaker to me. (Link breaking tool is one of the suggestions.)

It might also be a crimping tool of some sort; several of the guesses thought so. Crimpers, though, generally operate perpendicular to the object being crimped. This thing applies the pressure along the line of the object passed through the opening - exactly as you would want to if link breaking. It could still be a crimper but I would stick with my chain breaker guess if pressed.

The last four guesses...

-Handle on a steam engine's engine brake valve.
-Wire twister.
-Diesel engine spring compression tool.
-Fine adjustment tool for soft copper tubing.

sound completely nonsensical to me.

Searching on the manufacturer, Voss Mfg & Dist Co, didn't produce anything suggestive.

In the days before generalized tools, there were no end of special purpose tools built to do a single job. (Think of all the ways to make a hole in something prior to the invention of the drill press and mill.) Unless some documentation survived, puzzling out their use is going to be tough. Anecdotal evidence is useless - anyone can make up a logical story.

[PJs]

Excellent Jon!!

Since the name search is probably obscured by a small manufacture either defunct or swallowed in corporate buy outs, I would take the look at the Details of the photos.

First is how big is this thing really. A quick thread count gives about 8, best guess and the nuts look to be maybe old school 1/4-20, maybe 5/16-18 and the handle looks to be about hand size, although the ring at the end is split for some reason indicating misuse or trying to do something more than it was designed for.

If it is a hand tool which we may "assume" from the size, from a design standpoint it looks to be at least a 3 hander unless the crimping/cutting product is stationary already or "Inline and under some tension" ready for alignment and operation. Additionally the 2 nuts would be somewhat of a pain to walk back and forth tightening to break or crimp. We can also see the swivel anvil's threads are severely stretched, again indicating misuse. We can't see the threads under the spring so no info there.

As for the materials, the handle looks to be likely forged, how hard is the question. Also the angle bolt receiver looks to be cast or forged, although the roundness of it where the threads are, creates a bit of a mystery as to hardness but by the right angel and small inside fillet it's definitely cast, something? Also don't see any shot peen marks from that era for surface hardening. This tells me the bolt receiver probably isn't as hard as the handle and wedge and obviously a weak link (no pun) based on the thread stretch.

By the curved shape of the wedge, and because of the flat at the top of the wedge, it indicates to me it isn't for cutting, but likely crimping. Even hard chain requires a relative sharp edge to breach the hardened chain to begin the fracture and the radii indicate to me it is to push something apart for form rather than shear. Secondarily the angle receiver bolt shows only a minor indent in the lower picture and I would think chain would tend to distort and leave more of a depression. There is a slight bow to it, again indicating misuse. Additionally it looks like the bolt with the spring is pressed into it and maybe a top hat design to lock it in place and the spring is nothing more than a "Release Helper" imho.

If it is a chain breaker it is limited to a specific size change because of the distance between the wedge and the angle receiver is fixed and would likely have to go through the middle of the chain link.

Ok Kadooddle...my best guess after some detail picture analysis is it is a hand crimper for cable or large electrical back in the day. Likely carried in a lineman's kit and used with some sort of ferrule or electrical termination.

That's my 30 cents and sticking to it....for now.

[stan the toolfool]

They made sickle bar tools, half way down. https://ar-ar.facebook.com/groups/432265090221595/

[kabover]

I say it's for spreading apart twisted steel cable so you can splice it. My $0.02

john f

[nitehawk4300]

nut cracker

[nitehawk4300]

nut cracker - nitehawk4300

[Henri]

Hi guys, found Voss Manufacturing, now resident in NY, probably upstate (being from south africa, I'm not sure...) at Voss Home - specialising in heat transfer stuff. "Welcome to Voss Manufacturing an Industry Leader in Fin Machinery and Heat Transfer related Tooling and Machinery. Hope you enjoy our new Site," they say. Looking at the tool, I personally think it is a simple tubing bender, considering the flange with the concave face on the main handle section opposite the slot into which the spring-loaded part swings. Could have been for bending tight bends into copper pipe used in radiators of some sort.

[barsyl4041@netzero.net]

My guess is,that it is a wire rope splicing tool. !!! ???

[Ron725]

I have used several of these in different lengths. It removes the thigamajig off the witchamacollet. It does save a lot of time. Hope this helps.