Solymon (often spelled Solomon) Merrick of Springfield, Massachusetts is generally credited with inventing and patenting the first modern adjustable wrench in 1835.

Quick Scoop

  • The first patented wrench is attributed to Solymon Merrick, who received a U.S. patent for a wrench on August 17, 1835.
  • Earlier wrench‑like tools and lever devices existed centuries before, but they were not documented as dedicated, patented hand wrenches for nuts and bolts.
  • Later famous variants, like the monkey wrench and pipe wrench, were developed by other inventors building on Merrick’s idea.

A Bit of Background

  • Before the 1800s, people tightened screws and large threaded parts using fixed bars, levers, or wheels built into machines, not a separate wrench tool.
  • As the Industrial Revolution advanced and small, standardized nuts and bolts spread in machinery, a dedicated adjustable wrench became necessary, setting the stage for Merrick’s 1835 patent.

Key Early Wrench Inventors

  • Solymon Merrick (1835): Credited with the first patented adjustable wrench, considered the starting point of the modern wrench for nuts and bolts.
  • Daniel C. Stillson (1870): Patented the classic pipe wrench, a specialized form for gripping round pipes.
  • Other 19th‑century inventors added many adjustable and specialized designs, making “wrench” a whole family of tools rather than a single invention.

Simple HTML Table of Early Wrench Milestones

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Year Inventor Type of Wrench Notes
1835 Solymon Merrick First patented adjustable wrench Widely cited as the first modern wrench patent.
1870 Daniel C. Stillson Pipe wrench Specialized for gripping and turning pipes.
**TL;DR:** For the question _“who invented the wrench”_ in the modern, patented sense, the usual historical answer is Solymon Merrick, with his 1835 adjustable wrench patent in the United States.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.