The Adjustable Spanner ― History, Origins and Development to 1970

The Adjustable Spanner is the product of 30 years' collecting and original research, fired by Ron Geesin's acquisition of the SLIK adjustable spanner hanging in his father's garage. At the core of this book is a concise history of this much-maligned tool. Serious and comical observations parallel its checkered life, from its bent beginnings in the blacksmith's shop to over-designed and lovingly engineered treasures by small Birmingham machinists. Discussions and findings about components and construction on the practical side, and patents, registered designs, and trademarks on the design protection side, paint a closer look at uses and abuses. Immersed in an analysis of types and styles, and diving deeply into the histories of the inventors and makers, you will be amazed at the engineering diversity required to produce these most fanciful but essential supports to the Industrial Revolution.

Ron Geesin toured England for four years with his band before beginning his solo career. In 1970, he composed music for the features TheBody and Sunday Bloody Sunday while co-composing Pink Floyd's first gold album, "Atom Heart Mother." Over the years he formed a one-man record company, wrote and presented two series for BBC Radio, was a subject ofOne Man's Week for BBC Television, made music for many documentaries and feature films, and still continued to perform live and broadcast across the UK and Europe. In 1996 he became Senior Research Fellow at the University of Portsmouth, focusing on light and sound relationships, which led to his designing several large-scale installations.