Daniel Chapman Stillson (March 25, 1826 – August 23, 1899) was an American inventor. He invented the modern adjustable

pipe wrench A pipe wrench is any of several types of wrench that are designed to turn threaded pipe and pipe fittings for assembly (tightening) or disassembly (loosening). The Stillson wrench, or Stillson-pattern wrench, is the usual form of pipe wrench, e ...

Biography

He was born March 25, 1826 in

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

. He was the son of William Stillson and Nancy Chapman. He married Ellen Raynes Davis on April 18, 1855. He was a machinist during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

and served on

David Glasgow Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. Fa ...

s first voyage as a vice admiral. At the end of the Civil War, Stillson returned to Charlestown,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, and eventually he moved to Somerville, Massachusetts. He then worked as a machinist at the J. J. Walworth Company in the

Cambridgeport Cambridgeport is one of the neighborhoods of Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is bounded by Massachusetts Avenue, the Charles River, the Grand Junction Railroad, and River Street. The neighborhood contains predominantly residential homes, many of the ...

section of

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

, Massachusetts. While at the J. J. Walworth Company, he developed his pipe wrench. On September 13, 1870, he was issued his patent. Stillson was paid about $80,000 in royalties during his lifetime. He died on August 23, 1899, and is buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge and

Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...

, Massachusetts.

Patent

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stillson, Daniel Chapman 1826 births 1899 deaths People from Durham, New Hampshire People from Somerville, Massachusetts Burials at Mount Auburn Cemetery 19th-century American inventors