George N. Stearns & Co. | E. C. Stearns & Co. - Assigned Patents

Manufacturers Index - George N. Stearns & Co. | E. C. Stearns & Co.

George N. Stearns & Co. | E. C. Stearns & Co.
Syracuse, NY, U.S.A.
Manufacturer Class: Wood Working Machinery

Patents

This page contains information on patents issued to this manufacturer.

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DATAMP = Directory of American Tool And Machinery Patents . A sister site to VintageMachinery.org with information on patents related to machinery and tools. A much easier user interface than the USPTO's for finding information on machinery patents.

Patent Number	Date	Title	Name	City	Description
14,416	Mar. 11, 1856	Boring and mortising machine	George N. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	In 1864, this inventor founded George N. Stearns & Co., later known as Edward C. Stearns & Co.; E. C. was George's son, and the company name was changed in 1877.
39,841	Sep. 08, 1863	Improvement in Hollow Augers	George N. Stearns	Syracuse, NY
40,437	Oct. 27, 1863	Spoke Shave	Melzer Tuell	Penn Yan, NY
84,605	Dec. 01, 1868	Baxter's Adjustable S-Wrench	William Baxter	Newark, NJ	Adjustable S-Wrench consisting of two pieces mortised into each other, and connected with a left- and right-hand screw with a central knurl. With a graduated scale stamped on the side, the design could also function as an outside calipers. Corresponding British patent 186803985 (i.e. 3,985 of 1868) was granted Dec. 31, 1868. Improvements to the tenons were addressed in Baxter's July 17, 1883 patent (no. 281,432).
99,120	Jan. 25, 1870	Improvements in horse hay-forks	George N. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	This prolific inventor also patented and manufactured various spokeshaves, augers, and wheelwrights' machines.
110,168	Dec. 13, 1870	Improvement in spoke-shaves	George N. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	"One object of my invention is in adjusting both sides of the gauge from the arms at the same time, thereby presenting a true and even cut the entire length of the knife."
130,826	Aug. 27, 1872	Improvement in hollow augers	George N. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	"The nature of my invention relates to the construction and method of operating the hollow auger, embracing the use of a conical nut in operating the two parts of the stock or barrel, the construction of the cutter, and the means of holding it in the mortise."
181,874	Sep. 05, 1876	Improvement in Fore-Augers	George N. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	An example matching the patent drawing is marked "G. N. Stearns / Syracuse, N.Y."
RE7,484	Jan. 30, 1877	Improvement in Hollow Augers	George N. Stearns	Syracuse, NY
191,817	Jun. 12, 1877	Improvement in Hollow Auger	George N. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	This is a completely new design for hollow augers, which is designed for cutting tapered tenons. As the wheel is turned, the taper increases. Known examples are marked with the patent date, but no manufacturer name. My guess is it was produced by E.C. Stearns.
201,064	Mar. 05, 1878	Improvement in Hollow Augers	George N. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	A pivoting cap is used to secure the cutter (beveled on both sides). "In my patent 130,826, for 'improvement in hollow augers,' the barrel is made in two sections, to one of which, A, there is a strap, M affixed, having a slot in it, through which a set-screw passes into section B, to hold the jaws together. I now find that a single strap, as therein described, is insufficient, allowing the parts to spring. I have therefore improved this part of my original invention, as shown in the annexed drawings, in which I have applied a second strap..."
203,384	May. 07, 1878	Improvement in hollow augers	George N. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	"This invention relates to the class of tools termed 'adjustable,' and is designed for cutting tenons of different sizes and lengths, and to obviate the necessity of using a separate auger for each sized tenon."
210,140	Nov. 19, 1878	Improvement in bench-dogs	Charles Morrill	New York, NY
214,071	Apr. 08, 1879	Noiseless Saw Vise	William P. Wentworth	Seneca Falls, NY	Patent is for the lever and cam arrangement as well as the cushioning secured to the lower edge of the jaw. Seneca Falls marketed 3 models (pic 2), models 1 & 2 with a screw mounting feature and model 3 which used a screw clamp.
220,442	Oct. 07, 1879	Improvement in spoke-pointers	Edward C. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	Reported examples are unlabeled but there seems very likely they were made by E. C. Stearns & Co.
224,308	Feb. 10, 1880	Hub-trimmer	George N. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	Stearns' Patent Wheelwright's band setter
225,496	Mar. 16, 1880	Hollow Auger	Edward C. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	Stock is made of one piece with two arms extended from the shank and the cutter jaw and gage jaw clamped onto the ends of the arms. Adjustable depth gage attached to one of the arms.
288,376	Nov. 13, 1883	Saw-clamp	George N. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	The inventor was deceased by the time the patent was issued.
339,020	Mar. 30, 1886	Saw Vise	Obadiah Seely	Syracuse, NY	One of these appeared in a Martin J. Donnelly auction.
404,367	May. 28, 1889	Drill Press	Edward C. Stearns	Syracuse, Onondaga County, NY
631,664	Aug. 22, 1899	Saw Vise	William M. Potter	Syracuse, NY	Stationary jaw combined with a lever that moves the second jaw. Production models use either a surface mounting arrangement (shown) or a turnscrew clamp. Known examples are marked with the patent date and manufacturer.
646,262	Mar. 27, 1900	Universal Spoke Shave	Herbert M. Coe	Phoenix, Arizona Territory	Flexible sole spoke shave to allow its use on both flat, convex, and concave surfaces using a curved bar and set screw.
650,827	Jun. 05, 1900	Tenon Cutter	James William Davis	Fayetteville, TN
		Tenon Cutter	Solon McGaw	Fayetteville, TN
738,354	Sep. 08, 1903	Saw Jointer	William M. Potter	Syracuse, NY	Improved construction with simplified use, reduction of pieces and cheaper to make. Consists of a frame, integral lugs to engage the file, and a screw and nut to secure the file in two possible positions. Examples are found marked with this patent and Cotter's patent 988,290.
740,692	Oct. 06, 1903	Hollow Auger	William M. Potter	Syracuse, NY	From a Facebook post by James E. Price, author of the 1992 book, "A Sourcebook of United States Patents for Bitstock Tools and the Machines That Made Them". "I have three examples of the hollow auger that resulted from Potter's patent. E. C. Stearns & Co. of Syracuse, New York, manufactured it as the Stearns Adjustable Hollow Auger No. 44. "The most conspicuous feature is its large revolving tenon sizing disk template. Around the disk are holes of progressively different diameters. To change the size of the tenon, the workman did not have to measure and laboriously readjust the tool. He simply lifted the disk and rotated the desired opening into working position. The Stearns catalog states that the No. 44 cut tenons in sixteenths from 3/8 inch through 1 inch. The knife could be moved forward or backward independently by means of the knurled-head adjusting screw. "An Iron Age notice dated May 15, 1902 is particularly useful. It illustrates the Stearns No. 44 and explains that all adjustments could be made instantly and without tools. This advertisement appeared more than a year before Potter's patent was granted. That is readily explained by the fact that Potter had filed his patent application in February 1901. Stearns was therefore marketing the tool while the application was still pending. "Potter, however, did not originate the idea of a revolving disk containing a series of holes for producing different-sized tenons. The ancestry of his tool reaches back more than thirty years. "An important predecessor was Charles S. Bonney's Patent No. 105,896 of August 2, 1870. Bonney employed a revolving, scalloped template wheel having a series of different-sized openings. His patent was subsequently reissued as Reissue Patent No. 7,689 on May 22, 1877. A Shannon catalog of 1873 advertised 'Bonney's Patent Hollow Augers,' cutting from 3/8 to 1 inch in eight sizes. Surviving examples demonstrate that this was a manufactured tool and not merely an unrealized patent. If you doubt me, check all the eBay hollow auger listings. "E. C. Stearns subsequently developed hollow augers based upon the same general principle. Stearns continued producing one descendant of the Bonney type for many years. A 1924 E. C. Stearns catalog, for example, illustrates the Stearns Adjustable Hollow Auger No. 4, with its conspicuous revolving perforated sizing disk. The family resemblance to Bonney's earlier tool is readily apparent. "There is another patent involved in the development of my Potter/Stearns examples. Their cutter mechanisms are stamped: PAT'D / JUNE 5 / 1900 "At first this presented a puzzle because Potter received no patent on that date. "The answer is U.S. Patent No. 650,827, granted June 5, 1900, to James William Davis and Solon McGaw of Fayetteville, Tennessee. Their application had been filed March 6, 1900. DATAMP describes the invention as a 'Tenon Cutter' and identifies E. C. Stearns & Co. of Syracuse as the manufacturer, although no assignee was recorded on the patent. "The Davis and McGaw patent concerns the cutter mechanism rather than originating the revolving multiple-size template principle. Its patent drawing shows the adjustable cutter arrangement and associated screws. Thus the June 5, 1900 date stamped on the Stearns tools refers to the Davis and McGaw invention, not to Potter. "This makes the No. 44 particularly interesting because it is not simply the product of one inventor. It represents the accumulation and refinement of ideas extending over several decades. "The developmental sequence can be summarized generally as: Bonney Patent No. 105,896 - 1870 --> subsequent Stearns developments --> Davis & McGaw Patent No. 650,827 --> 1900 --> Potter Patent No. 740,692 â€” 1903. "By Potter's time the hollow auger itself was hardly a new tool. American inventors had been patenting improvements to hollow augers throughout much of the nineteenth century. What Potter and Stearns produced was a highly developed version in which selecting a tenon diameter was remarkably convenient. The workman could rotate the disk to the required size and make the necessary knife adjustment without resorting to separate adjusting tools. "My three examples also illustrate differences in finish and details that probably resulted from production over a period of time. One retains conspicuous traces of red paint on the cutter mechanism, while the others have somewhat different surviving finishes and hardware. All three nevertheless retain the characteristic perforated sizing disk and the general construction of the Stearns No. 44. "I find this tool particularly interesting because it illustrates why a patented tool should not always be studied by looking at a single patent. Potter's 1903 patent is only the last chapter in this story. The actual manufactured tool preserves ideas contributed by earlier inventors and refined by E. C. Stearns & Co. over decades. "In that sense, the Stearns No. 44 is almost a mechanical genealogy of the American hollow augerâ€”an old wheelwright's and chairmaker's tool brought to a remarkably sophisticated state of development near the end of its working life. By 1930 hollow augers had essentially become obsolete."
778,605	Dec. 27, 1904	Saw-Vise Support	William M. Potter	Syracuse, NY	The focus of this patent is the semi-spherical boss and corresponding cup which allows the saw-vise to be adjusted and tightened in any desirable position. Part of the purpose of this particular arrangement is to minimise vibrations by keeping the support as close to the jaws as feasible.
867,926	Oct. 08, 1907	Saw filing device	William M. Potter	Syracuse, NY	This patent is for the notched rib indexing mechanism on the filing attachment that makes it possible to reset it to a predetermined pitch.
867,927	Oct. 08, 1907	Miter-box	William M. Potter	Syracuse, NY	The 1924 catalog of E. C. Stearns & Co., page 18, features the "Folding Mitre Box and Saw Guide No. 1", bearing this patent date.
898,780	Sep. 15, 1908	Saw-Set	William M. Potter	Syracuse, NY
968,686	Aug. 30, 1910	Saw-Set	William M. Potter	Syracuse, NY
988,290	Mar. 28, 1911	Saw Tool	John Samuel Cotter	Sabula, IA	Saw sharpening gage with adjustable filing guide to accomodate filing both fine and coarse cleaning teeth shorter than the cutting teeth. This patent is also found combined with Potter's patent, 738,354.
1,164,556	Dec. 14, 1915	Faucet	Edward C. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	The 1924 catalog of E. C. Stearns & Co., page 66, features the "Stearns 'Lock Fast' Oil and Molasses Gates (Patented Dec. 14, 1915. Jan. 25, 1916)".
1,169,519	Jan. 25, 1916	Faucet	Edward C. Stearns	Syracuse, NY	The 1924 catalog of E. C. Stearns & Co., page 66, features the "Stearns 'Lock Fast' Oil and Molasses Gates (Patented Dec. 14, 1915. Jan. 25, 1916)".
1,489,539	Apr. 08, 1924	Saw Set	Adolph Miller	Kirkwood, MO	The unique feature of this saw set is that the triangle shaped end of the plunger can be rotated to correspond with the orientation of the saw teeth according to which side of the saw the set is being operated from. The slotted cover can be lifted to allow a small lever to rotate the plunger, which is then captured in the appropriate slot when the cover is closed.