'Abingdon' 'King-Dick' and 'AKD' were variously used without apparent pattern. AKD was owned by the Mansell family and Bill Mansell was also owner of R.T. Shelley (The owners of Norton) so identical tools with the same Registered Design number can also be found marked 'Shelley' or 'RTS'

If assembling a wartime toolkit, the main thing to watch is that over the course of time, there were a couple of small changes made in order to retain the 'novelty' which was an aspect of the design registration requirements.

An open slot above the finger nut indicates pre-1932 and a nut longer than it is wide was a post-war introduction. Late 1930s / wartime had a shorter nut and a slot closed at the lower end. The drawing in the parts book on this site is actually the early version. The same drawing had probably been used since the 1920s. Henk's is the correct type.

The M20 toolkit spanner looks to be a nominal 6".

If you want to research further, there is even a book about them !

https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Spanner-History-Origins-Development/dp/1785000357

Thanks much, Rik.

Here's the one I am in the process of acquiring (in a trade for a similar US-made Billings & Spencer that I own):



Acceptable?

Interesting that you should mention a book. This is esoteric, but the resemblance of the Abingdon King Dick "adjustable spanner" to the Billings & Spencer "screw-wrench" or "monkey-wrench" or so-called "bicycle wrench," patented in the US on Feb 18, 1879 (#212,298) is unmistakable. Link to B&S patent on USPTO site here. The entire design - form and function - is virtually identical. The concept of them originating independently of each other is hard to fathom. Naturally, then, the question arises: which came first? Was it merely appropriated, one way or another? Or was there a relationship between the two enterprises? Not pertinent, but curious.

Duke, I only see a symbol and not a photo.

According to Ron Geesin in his book, the King Dick Spanner 'first appeared in the early 1880s and was a very close copy of Charles E. Billing's patent of 1879'. The King Dick logo was registered in 1881.

As far as I know the WM20 EB262 adjustable spanner should be a little over 4".

Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

I assumed that the tools in the drawing were more or less to scale.

The 16H has a six-incher that would be replaced by a generic WD 7" item in the event of loss, according to the 'Equipment to Scale' lists that turn up with some of the parts lists. Are there any BSA equivalents ?

Thanks, Rik and Henk.

Is the photo showing up now? It's showing up for me. Apologies if there's a glitch for others. Based on Rik's brief above, it appears to be postwar. It has the closed-off slot, like Henk's, but it has the longer thumbnut.

I don't see your photo.

Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

Duke, Trying to open the link brings up the Garage Journal Board but one has to be logged in to see anything.