The pump action Yankee screwdriver dates to the late 1800's. Stanley Bailey made the most recent range and supplied spiral "pump action" screwdrivers with a locking or left/right ratchet action and used a proprietary shaft with a detent. The original straight blade screwdriver tips were eventually supplemented with Philips tips.  All this was long before the invention and world wide adoption of the 1/4 inch hex detent drive which now includes screwdriver tips, nutspinner tips, drills and numerous other driver tips.

These accessory bit holders fit the variety of Stanley Spiral Ratchet pump action "Yankee" drivers of which there are still millions in use. They allow the use of numerous 1/4 inch hex shank devices with a Stanley pump action driver.   

For a fascinating bit of hand tool history Google the use of these in WW2 Mosquito Bomber manufacture. These formidable planes were made of wood and screwed together in the video I saw with dozens of workers wielding Yankee drivers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycMkH5bSMKo

Fitted with a spring-loaded retractable collar