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Hey I was wondering if anyone has seen this tool or has info on its use or pictures of it in use? I got this set with several old tap and die sets from my grandfathers shop when it was closed up and I diddnt know it was hidden in the large tap set. It says COMPRESS-IT pattent pending. Its a Briggs and Black valve spring compressor kit I guess for flat head engines? I dont know if this is the correct forum for this but I figured guys working in flatheads might know. The paper is attached to the lid and when unfolded it has on the back a list of "pleasure and commercial cars and the engine and tool #. Packard is listed with "own" listed as the engine. Pierce Arrow is listed as well as many makes I have never heard of. Beck Hawkeye, Autocar, Brockway, etc as well as some I have heard of like REO, Elgin,Graham justto name a few. Here are some pictures.Seems to be in an oak box. Thanks for any info. Dan If this needs to be moved to be moved to another forum just go ahead and give me a heads up

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That's a real interesting find. I can't quite visualize how it would be used, a bit of a long shot but is it perhaps for engines without removeable cylinder heads? Many makes of engines had non-removeable cylinder heads early on, like the first series Packard Twin Six and lots of others in the 20s and earlier. Easy to spot, they have very large threaded plugs above each valve for removing the valve, everything else goes in from the bottom. The answer is probably in the list of cars to which the tool is applicable, can you scan that for a better view?

The last such engine w/o a removeable head that I'm aware of was the Crosley HotShot, but it was overhead cam, valves went in from the bottom, not from the top.

Hmmm. Could be. each tool is a different size and the are all shaped the same. they are half cylinder and are 2 piece with a lip on the inner side which moves down as the cam is rotated- I assume to grab the spring and compress it. I was hoping someone had a service manual showing it in use so I could get the approx.year of usage. I cant really scan the document as it is attached to the inside of the box and is quite fragile.Very interesting to see all the old makes of cars though. I will try to compile a list of them

Most likely used for R&R springs withOUT removing head or valve. HOWEVER, in many flat head applications the valve can not be lifted high enuf (it hits the head) to alow removal of spring no matter how tightly compressed.

A selection of cars/years listed vs NOT listed (in same years) mite give a clue.

Most likely it is just a different design of tool from what we a re used to today is my guess.

With makes listed like Kelly Springfield engine listed as "own" and models30,31,32. Makes Climer,Piedmont,and Crosbey show no submodels but under engine all say "cont." and show tool # 32 s. But a make like Bridgeport or Keystone say "buda" under engine and show tool 5 s required. At first I thought these might be for small engines but at the top of the page it clearly says "commercial cars". Anyone heard of a Tiffin? or Victor? Ward LaFrance?

Ward LaFrance is a household name among fire engine folks, absolutely HUGE flathead engines. I've also heard of Victor but don't really know anything specific about them. I believe in later years Ward LaFrance stopping making their own engines or buying from Buda, Waukesha and others and bought the rights to the Auburn V12, just as Seagrave bought the rights to the Pierce Arrow V12 after Pierce folded (1938) and used it for many years, up into the 60s, in their fire engines, ultimately increasing the displacement to nearly 600 cubic inches.

For several years at Hershey Mark Hyman had a monster made-up racer with a huge Ward LaFrance engine.

Some of these fire engine motors were monsters, like 800 cubic inches or close to it; here's a huge T-head Stutz. PS - this engine is typical of the early monsters, 6 cylinders cast in 3 castings of 2 cylinders each; intake valves on one side of the bore, exhaust on the other via 2 camshafts, thus allowing a sort of hemispherical combustion chamber. Engine type would be called a "T" head rather than an "L" head.

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Wow, OK thanks for the info! So I guess these were to compress the spring with the head on with the access cover plate removed on the side of the block. I have done several net searches for old,vintage,antique valve spring compressors and all I come up with is the handheld fork or tong style. Not one pic that looks like this set. Just was wondering how common or old it is. I will try net searching with respect to those fire engines also. But since all these makes seem to have been manufactured bet 1900 and late 1930s I cant really narrow down a date. Wish there was a pattent # or date on the sheet but I dont se one.

Possible that they were used as an emergency or road-side repair tool as opposed to carrying a large c-clamp type spring compressor. Small enuf for ez on-vehicle stowage.

We have to always keep in mind that pre-war America did not include cell phones, GPS, plastic cards, consumer protectionism, prerolled cigarettes nor store bought wiskey. So road-side repairs were very common in that period.

BTW, that is the most beautiful oil-cloth table cloth i've ever seen. Almost impossible to find anymore in any print. Where did u get that???

Take into account too that my grandpa owned and operated a boat yard and was a marine mechanic. these could have been used in a boat bildge where twins were mounted side by side and space limitations required these rather than pulling a head or engine. As for your other question, Ill have to ask the better half on that one. We cant go to that subject here in this thread. LOL