Coes Wrench Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Tool manufacturing |
| Founded | April 1, 1888 in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States |
| Founder | Loring Coes, Aury Gates Coes |
| Headquarters | Worcester , United States |
| Products | Screw-type wrench (monkey wrench) |
Coes Wrench Company was a manufacturer of tools located in Worcester, Massachusetts, originally emerging from L. and A. G. Coes & Co. Established on April 1, 1888, the firm specialized in producing the screw-type wrench invented by Loring Coes, widely recognized as the monkey wrench.
Early company history
Loring Coes and his brother Aury Gates Coes began their careers at Kimball and Fuller, a producer of woolen machinery. In 1836, they acquired this business and formed a partnership known as L. & A. G. Coes. Following a fire that destroyed their plant in October 1839, they moved to Springfield, Massachusetts where they found employment as pattern makers at Laurin Trask's foundry.
Invention of the screw wrench
During their time in Springfield, Loring Coes developed the screw wrench (monkey wrench), which enhanced previous designs such as the two-handled English patent and Merrick wrenches by enabling adjustment with only one hand.
To fund the patent obtained by Loring Coes on April 16, 1841, the brothers sold spinning machine patterns salvaged after the fire, securing the rights to their significant invention.
L. & A. G. Coes
Following the patent acquisition for the screw wrench, L. & A. G. Coes restarted production focused on manufacturing their groundbreaking wrench design.
Merger
In 1888, Coes Wrench Company combined with Loring Coes & Company, strengthening their position within the market.