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Auto-Cle' Ratcheting Socket Set the FIRST made in the USA - $600 (Lakeside Park, Tucson)
Sarnoff near Stella
condition:
excellent
make / manufacturer:
Quincy, Manchester & Sargent Co.
model name / number:
Auto-Cle'
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This set is the earliest American socket set ever sold, representing the beginning of interchangeable socket tooling in the United States. The 1905 small pattern kit is identifiable by its one piece ratchet head, vertical screwdriver bit holes, dual socket rails, and absence of a spark plug spanner compartment, all of which are present in this example.
The set includes 30 original pressed steel sockets, the correct universal joint, the long 9" extension bar, and both flat blade screwdriver bits, all housed in the original dovetailed wooden box with the Q.M.S. Plainfield NJ lid stamp. The ratchet is the earliest form, with a smooth one piece head and straight bar handle.
Complete 1905 small pattern sets are extremely scarce, and this example is among the cleanest and most intact known. A foundational piece for any serious early automotive or tool collection.
Historical Significance:
This set represents the earliest American socket and ratchet system ever sold, predating Mossberg, Packer/Ray, Snap On, SK, Duro, Indestro, and all later manufacturers.
The 1905 small pattern kit is the first commercial Auto Clé offering in the U.S. and is significantly rarer than the later large pattern sets.
⭐ COMPONENT BY COMPONENT ORIGINALITY BREAKDOWN
Below is the full authenticity analysis of this offered set.
1. Wooden Box
• Dovetailed construction
• Correct early socket rails
• Vertical screwdriver bit holes (1905 only)
• No spark plug spanner compartment (correct for small pattern)
Status: 100% original, first year configuration
2. Ratchet
• Straight bar handle
• One piece head (no rivets)
• Correct early pawl geometry
Status: 1905 original
3. Sockets (30 pieces)
• Pressed steel construction
• Early tapered walls
• Correct broaching
• Correct count for small pattern kit
Status: All original Q.M.S. sockets
4. Universal Joint
• Early square block style
• Correct for 1905
Status: Original
5. 9" Extension Bar
• Long, straight, early pattern
• Fits the dedicated channel in the box
Status: Original
6. Screwdriver Bits (2 pieces)
• Flat blade
• Correct length and diameter
• Fit vertical holes (1905 only)
Status: Original and extremely rare to find intact
7. Missing Components
None — your set is complete for the 1905 small pattern configuration.