Proto Tools (formally Stanley Proto) is an American industrial

hand tool A hand tool is any tool that is powered by hand rather than a motor. Categories of hand tools include wrenches, pliers, cutters, files, striking tools, struck or hammered tools, screwdrivers, vises, clamps, snips, hacksaws, drills, and kni ...

company. Founded as Plomb, it is presently a division of

Stanley Black & Decker Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., formerly known as The Stanley Works, is a Fortune 500 American manufacturer of industrial tools and household hardware and provider of security products. Headquartered in the greater Hartford city of New Britain, ...

. The company is credited with creating the first

combination wrench A wrench or spanner is a tool used to provide grip and mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn objects—usually rotary fasteners, such as nuts and bolts—or keep them from turning. In the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealan ...

in 1933.

History

Proto was founded in 1907 by Alphonse Plomb, Jacob Weninger, and Charles Williams as the Plomb Tool Company, a small blacksmith shop making chisels in Los Angeles. In 1933, Plomb released what is commonly credited as the first

. Plomb acquired a number of companies during the 1940s, including Cragin Tool of Chicago, Illinois in 1940, P&C Tool of Oregon in 1941, Penens Tool of

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

in 1942, and J.P. Danielson of

Jamestown, New York Jamestown is a city in southern Chautauqua County, in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 28,712 at the 2020 census. Situated between Lake Erie to the north and the Allegheny National Forest to the south, Jamestown is the largest pop ...

in 1947. Penens Tool would produce tools under the Fleet and Challenger brand names after its acquisition. In 1946, Plomb was sued by another tool manufacturer— Fayette R. Plumb, Inc., now a brand of

Apex Tool Group Apex Tool Group is an American supplier of hand tools and power tools. It was formed as a joint venture of Cooper Industries and Danaher by the merger of Cooper Tools and Danaher's Tools and Components segment. In October 2012, Danaher and Coo ...

—for trademark infringement. The company began manufacturing its tools with the Proto name, a portmanteau of "professional" and "tools," in 1948. In 1957, the company began operating as Pendleton Tool Industries. In 1964, Proto was acquired by

Ingersoll-Rand Ingersoll Rand is an American multinational company that provides flow creation and industrial products. The company was formed in February 2020 through the spinoff of the industrial segment of Ingersoll-Randplc (now known as Trane Technologies) ...

, and in 1984, it was acquired by Stanley and became Stanley Proto Industrial Tools.

Gallery

Image:1933 Plomb Combination Wrench.jpg, A 1933 5/8" Plomb

. Image:Proto Big Dawg ratchet.jpg, A Proto "Big Dawg" ratchet. Image:Western Forge Proto adjustable wrench.jpg, A Proto

adjustable wrench An adjustable spanner (UK and most other English-speaking countries) or adjustable wrench (US and Canada) is any of various styles of spanner (wrench) with a movable jaw, allowing it to be used with different sizes of fastener head (nut, bolt ...

References

External links

*
Plomb and Proto Tool Catalogs
{{Tool manufacturers Industrial tool manufacturers Tool manufacturing companies of the United States Stanley Black & Decker brands Manufacturing companies based in Connecticut Manufacturing companies established in 1907 1964 mergers and acquisitions 1984 mergers and acquisitions

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links