Crimper? Strapping tool?

I found your site while trying to find out some information on a strange tool that I found for my dad.. My dad has a small collection of obscure tools (he is a retired machinist and loves finding them and fixing them up and displaying them in his shop). I happened to find this one at a garage sale a few months ago, and have not been able to find out what it is.

Near as I can figure, it is something like a banding tool, or a barbed wire fence tightener, maybe some sort of crimper. It looks like a z-bend tool also, but I'm not sure how the cam and lever would fit in to that.

The lever off to the side is a cam-type tensioner and the crimp jaws would then crimp whatever is in it. While holding the crimp closed, you could release the can and it returns to “zero.” You could then advance it, though there is no stop to limit that advance. You could also use the cam lever while holding the crimp to stretch something.

It has W & C Inc on one of the crimp jaws in reverse. So, it was meant to impress that logo on whatever is crimped.

I have attached a few images. In #3 you can see the logo and also a marking on the main body of the tool. It looks like PAG 1, but the P looks like a combination of a P and L. There are three other marks. PAG 2 on the handle and PAG 3 on the striker.

When closed the crimp jaws have a gap of between about .062 and .150 inch, depending on where you measure. It is not a uniform gap.

The main body and handle are about 6.5 inches long.

It is made out of cast iron and appears to be nickel? plated.

Thanks,
Erik