Solymon Merrick received the first U.S. patent on a wrench (U.S. Patent No. X9030) on August 17, 1835:

Of course wrenches existed before Merrick’s invention, and they have continued to be improved ever since. One such improvement is U.S. Patent No. 1,133,236, which issued March 23, 1915, on the “Crescent” wrench: