From New Mind.
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Our world runs on nuts and bolts. It’s estimated that from the 1.6 billion cars on the road, nearly 80,000 are driving around with a 10mm socket lost somewhere in the engine bay. This surprising fact highlights a fundamental truth: our ability to build, fix, and maintain our entire civilization depends on one, indispensable tool: the wrench.
This is the definitive story of its incredible evolution. Unlike ancient tools, the wrench is a surprisingly modern invention, with its most important developments happening in a concentrated burst of innovation driven by the demands of the Industrial Revolution. We explore its journey from the first patented adjustable "Monkey Wrench" of the 1800s to the legendary Crescent Wrench that flew across the Atlantic with Charles Lindbergh.
We uncover the genius behind the tools you use every day, from the geometric superiority of the hex head bolt to the intricate, high-tooth-count mechanism of the modern ratchet. Discover the drama behind the multi-million dollar quick-release patent that was sold for just $10,000, and learn how the demand for precision in the aerospace industry gave us the torque wrench. Finally, we trace the evolution of raw power, from the first pneumatic impact wrenches on the assembly line to the modern, battery-powered marvels in every garage, a freedom made possible only by advancements in battery technology.
Find out how a simple tool became one of the most important inventions of the modern age.
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