The Proto Empire [Under Construction]

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Proto Tools
• Penens, Fleet, and Challenger
• P & C
• References and Resources
• What's New (Last Updated July 4, 2008)
  Recent changes to this page:

  • 07/04/2008: Added a Proto "Los Angeles" 1214 Combination Wrench.
  • 05/19/2008: Updated patent and catalog tables.
  • 04/07/2008: Added a Proto "Los Angeles" 3040 Open-End Wrench.
  • 04/06/2008: Added a Proto "Los Angeles" 3352 Obstruction Wrench.
  • 04/03/2008: Added a Proto "Los Angeles" 3018 Open-End Wrench.
  • 03/27/2008: Added a Proto 5249 3/8-Drive Ratchet.
  • 03/23/2008: Added Proto 260 Thin-Nose Pliers.
  • 02/24/2008: Added Proto 234 Adjustable Compound-Action Pliers.
  • 02/02/2008: Added a Proto 1224 50th Anniversary Combination Wrench, a Proto 371214 Double-Flare Wrench, and a Proto 8071785 1 Inch Drive Socket.
  • 02/01/2008: Create page, moved Penens to here.
  • 02/18/2007: Added a Penens Chicago 6026 Combination Wrench.
  • 02/17/2007: Added a Penens Chicago Open-End Wrench.
  • 08/23/2006: Added a Penens 1260 3/8-Drive Ratchet.
  • 08/13/2006: Added a Penens Challenger 1/2-Drive Socket.
  • 07/26/2006: Added a Penens Combination Wrench.
  • 07/06/2006: Added Penens 4204 Adjustable Wrench.

Introduction

This page will look at the development of Proto Tools from 1950 onward, together with the affiliated companies and brands that made up the Proto empire.

Company History

The early history of the Plomb Tool Company leading up to the creation of the Proto brand has been covered in our article on Plomb Tools. In this article we'll focus on events from 1950 onward relating to the development of Proto and its affiliated companies.

Patents

Trademarks

The Proto trademark was registered by Plomb Tool, with the first use date listed as January 23, 1948. Pendleton Tool Industries registered the "Clik-Stop" trademark with the first use in 1957, and the "Bet'R-Grip" trademark with first use in 1962. (Note though that "Bet'R-Grip" had been used by J.P. Danielson in the 1930s, and that the later trademark was for a different class of tools.)

The Penens Corporation registered "Fleet Quality Tools" as a trademark with the first use in 1947, and later registered a "Socketeer" trademark.

Tool Identification and Manufacturing Dates

The tool production for Proto and the affiliated brands is generally easy to identify, as the pieces will be stamped with one of the standard brand names.

However, manufacturing dates are generally very difficult to determine, as no known date code system exists for the later Proto and affiliated production. Early Proto tools were marked "Proto Los Angeles", and this provides at least a clue to the production date.

Proto Tools

In this section we'll look at some examples of Proto tools. Proto tools were initially identical to the Plomb models except for the markings, with the Plomb name replaced by "Proto Los Angeles". In the following decades the designs and styles of existing models have evolved somewhat, and newer tools have been added to the product line as well.

Since the Plomb tool models have been well documented, we'll concentrate on some of the newer or different Proto tools here.

Proto "Los Angeles" 3018 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 1. Proto 3018 1/4x5/16 Open-End Wrench, ca. 1950.

Fig. 1 shows a Proto 3018 1/4x5/16 open-end wrench with pebbled size fields, stamped "Los Angeles" and "MFD USA" on the shank.

The overall length is 4.6 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

Earlier generations of this model marked with the Plomb brand can be seen as the Plomb 3018 Wrenches.

Proto "Los Angeles" 3040 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 1B. Proto 3040 13/16x7/8 Open-End Wrench, ca. 1950.

Fig. 1B shows a Proto 3040 13/16x7/8 open-end wrench with pebbled size fields, stamped "Los Angeles" and "MFD USA" on the shank.

The overall length is 10.4 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

Proto "Los Angeles" 3352 Obstruction Wrench

Fig. 2. Proto 3352 13/16x13/16 Obstruction Wrench.

Fig. 2 shows a Proto 3352 13/16x13/16 obstruction open-end wrench, stamped "Los Angeles" and "MFD USA" on the shank.

The overall length is 7.7 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.

Proto "Los Angeles" 1214 Combination Wrench

Fig. 3A. Proto 1214 7/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, ca. Early 1950s.

Fig. 3A shows a Proto 1214 7/16 combination wrench, marked with the sizes forged into pebbled depressions on the shank, and with "Los Angeles" and "MFD USA" stamped on the reverse.

The overall length is 5.3 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The pebbled size field design was used on Plomb-marked tools in the late 1940s, and Proto continued to use this style for a few yeasrs.

Proto 1224 50th Anniversary Combination Wrench

Fig. 3B. Proto 1224 3/4 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Decal, 1957.

Fig. 3B shows a Proto 1224 3/4 combination wrench with a 50th anniversary decal, stamped "MFD. U.S.A." on the shank.

The overall length is 9.3 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The decal is marked "Pendleton Tool Industries Inc." with "50 Years" and "1907-1957" around the oval design. In addition to commemorating the founding of the company (as Plomb Tool) in 1907, the decal provides a rare indication of the manufacturing date for this tool.

Proto 371214 Double-Flare Wrench

Fig. 4. Proto 371214 3/8x7/17 Double-Flare Wrench.

Fig. 4 shows a rare Proto 371214 3/8x7/16 double-flare wrench, stamped "Mfd. U.S.A." on the shank.

The overall length is 8.3 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

Proto's 37xx series of single-ended flare-nut wrenches are well known, but this style of double-flare wrench appears to be rather rare. We haven't yet found a catalog reference for this example, suggesting that it might have been a special-order item.

Proto 5249 3/8-Drive Ratchet

Fig. 5. Proto 5249 3/8-Drive Ratchet, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.

Fig. 5 shows a 3/8-drive Proto 5249 ratchet with a knurled handle, stamped "Los Angeles" and "MFD USA" on the cover plate.

The finish is polished chrome.

Proto 8071785 1 Inch Drive 1-7/8 Socket

Fig. 6. Proto 8071785 1 Inch Drive 1-7/8 Socket, with Insets for Construction and Broaching.

Fig. 6 shows a 1 inch drive Proto 8071785 1-7/8 socket with a rare double-hex crossbar opening.

The finish is chrome plating.

This socket is most likely a special-order item, but the specific application is not yet known.

Proto 234 Adjustable Compound-Action Pliers

Fig. 7. Proto 234 Adjustable Compound-Action Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.

Fig. 7 shows a pair of Proto 234 pliers with an unusual adjustable compound-action mechanism. The handle is stamped "MFD. U.S.A." with "Pat. No. 2600512" below.

The overall length is 8.3 inches, and the finish is polished chrome.

The patent notice refers to patent #2,600,512, filed by H.A. Mead in 1947 and issued in 1952.

Proto 260 Thin-Nose Pliers

Fig. 8. Proto 260 Thin-Nose Pliers, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 8 shows a pair of Proto 260 thin-nose pliers, stamped "Los Angeles" and "MFD. U.S.A." near the pivot.

The overall length is 6.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel with polished faces.

Penens, Fleet, and Challenger

The Penens Corporation is known primarily for its operation as a subsidiary of Plomb Tool (and later Proto), having been acquired by Plomb in the early 1940s. Penens did contract production for Plomb during the war, and afterwards produced tools for several economy lines as part of the Plomb (later Proto) empire. Penens registered a trademark for "Fleet Quality Tools" in 1947 and produced Fleet branded tools for a number of years. In the 1960s the company changed its name to Fleet Tools.

In addition to the Fleet brand of tools, Penens also produced tools for the "Challenger" brand, at least up until the early 1960s. A 1955 Challenger catalog lists the Penens Corporation in Schiller Park, Illinois as the company address, and shows the Challenger logo as a gladiator's helmet.

However, a later Challenger catalog from the early 1960s lists the company as the Challenger Division of Pendleton Tool Industries, with an address in Cleveland, Ohio. Pendleton Tool was the parent company of Plomb Tool, Penens, P&C, and other subsidiaries, but it's currently a bit of a mystery that Challenger ended up in Cleveland. One possibility is that Pendleton had shifted the production of Challenger tools to the Vlchek factory, after having acquired Vlchek Tool in 1958.

The Penens company history prior to the Plomb acquisition is currently a mystery, as no catalogs or other reference materials have been found for this period. For now we are assuming that the Penens Chicago wrenches in the depressed-panel style represent the company's production during the 1930s and early 1940s, but this hasn't been positively established. If any readers have information on the pre-Plomb history of Penens, please send us an email via the "Contact Us" link on the home page.

Penens Chicago 13/16x7/8 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 9. Penens Chicago 13/16x7/8 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 9 shows a Penens 13/16x7/8 open-end wrench with depressed panels, marked "Penens Corp. Chicago" and "Mfd. U.S.A." in forged raised letters.

The overall length is 8.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The inset shows the forged-in code "PJ.3.2" on the reverse. Codes such as this usually found on Penens tools made in the depressed-panel style, and the format of the codes closely resembles the codes marked on tools by J.P. Danielson, Auto-Kit, and other brands.

Penens Chicago 9/16 Combination Wrench

Fig. 10. Penens 9/16 Combination Wrench.

Penens Chicago 6026 Combination Wrench

Fig. 11. Penens 6026 13/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 11 shows a Penens 6026 13/16 combination wrench with depressed panels, marked "Penens Corp. Chicago" and "Mfd. U.S.A." in forged raised letters. The model number "6026" is stamped on the face.

The overall length is 10.4 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

The inset shows the forged-in code "B.8.7" on the reverse.

Penens 4204 4 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 12. Penens 4204 4 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Inset for Reverse.

A forged-in code "B 12 3" appears near the hole at the end of the shank. This marking resembles codes seen on similar wrenches by J.P. Danielson, as for example the J.P. Danielson Adjustable Wrench.

Penens 1260 3/8-Drive Ratchet

Fig. 13. Penens 1260 3/8-Drive Ratchet, with Inset for Side View.

Our article on Vlchek shows a very similar 1/2-drive Vlchek 3800 Ratchet, likely made by Penens.

Penens 1661 1/2-Drive Ratchet

Fig. 14. Penens 1661 1/2-Drive Ratchet, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 14 shows a 1/2-drive Penens 1661 ratchet, marked "Penens Corporation" and "Mfd. U.S.A." on the cover plate. The overall length is 9.6 inches.

The head and shank have been finely ground and polished up to the knurled handle, and the finish is polished chrome.

The ratchet mechanism uses a 22-tooth gear with dual pawls controlled by a lobed shifter. Basically this is the same mechanism used in all Plomb-family reversible ratchets, and the soft pawl springs give it a smooth action with minimal back-drag.

Penens 1/2-Drive Sockets

In our next figures we'll show some examples of sockets made by Penens, including sockets marked both "Challenger" and "Penens".

Fig. 15. Penens 1/2-Drive 16xx Sockets, with Inset for Broaching.

Fig. 15 shows a collection of five 1/2-drive Penens sockets, each marked "Penens Corp Mfd. U.S.A." and "Alloy". The models and sizes are, from the left, 1614 (7/16), 1616 (1/2), 1618 (9/16), 1626 (13/16), and 1640 (1-1/4).

The finish is chrome plating, fully polished for the larger sockets, but with a satin upper part for the smaller sockets with stepped diameters.

The inset shows the 12-point broaching with hot-broached construction, and the annular ring of displaced material can be easily seen in the larger sockets. Note that the base of the sockets has a small indented mark resembling a "+" symbol, or perhaps a four-leaf clover. This mark on the outside is opposite a dimple on the inner (drive) wall, and is always centered on one of the drive flats. The dimple helps to secure the socket to a drive stud, as a simple (and probably cheaper) alternative to a drilled hole for this purpose.

Sockets for other brands in the Proto family also use a dimple, at least for some of the production, but the mark on the outside is usually something other than a "+" shape.

The fourth socket from the left (1626) is marked for both Challenger and Penens, as is the example in the next figure.

Penens Challenger 1/2-Drive Socket

Our next example shows a tool marked with both the Challenger brand and with Penens as the manufacturer.

Fig. 16. Challenger 1/2-Drive 9/16 Socket, with Inset for Broaching.

Fig. 16 shows a Challenger 1618 1/2-drive 9/16 socket, marked "Penens Corp. Mfd. U.S.A." and "Alloy".

The inset shows the 12-point broaching with hot-broached construction. The manufacturing date is probably sometime in the 1950s.

P & C

References and Resources

Photographs and observations of particular tools are based on items in my personal collection.

Extensive coverage of the Plomb, the predecessor to Proto, is available in our article on Plomb Tools. Additional information is also available for P & C Tools.

Catalog Coverage

Product information was obtained from catalogs covering the Proto, Penens, Challenger, and P & C brands, as summarized in the table below.

Patents and Trademarks

Patent information was obtained from the U.S. Patents and Trademarks Office (USPTO) web site at uspto.gov. Patent documents were obtained from sites offering free downloads, notably freepatentsonline.com.

Feedback

If any readers have additional information about Proto or any of its affiliated companies, please let us know via the "Contact Us" link on the home page. Your comments and suggestions are welcome as well.