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Manufacturers Index - Black & Decker Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Black & Decker Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Towson, MD, U.S.A.
Company Website: http://www.blackanddecker.com/
Manufacturer Class: Wood Working Machinery

Patents
This page contains information on patents issued to this manufacturer.

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If you find a patent number or patent date by this manufacturer that is not on this list, please contact the Site Historian.


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USPTO = U.S. Patent Office . Images of the actual patent can be viewed on the U.S. Patent Office web site but a special TIFF viewer must be installed with your browser in order properly work. More information on how to configure your computer to view these patents can be found at TIFF image Viewers for Patent Images.
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
1,229,401 Jun. 12, 1917 Drill gearing Alonzo Galloway Decker Orangeville, MD "The primary object of this invention is the provision in a portable drill of a variable speed disk drive between the power motor of the drill and the chuck spindle or such other member as drives the drill directly. Another object of the invention is to utilize an element of this disk drive as a fan for creating an air draft to cool the motor."
    Drill gearing Samuel Duncan Black Baltimore, MD  
1,245,860 Nov. 06, 1917 Electrically-driven tool Alonzo Galloway Decker Baltimore, MD This important patent marks the beginning of the modern era of the handheld electric drill: it is the first pistol-grip drill with a trigger switch. The primary innovation covered by the patent is to place an on-off trigger switch in the handle of the drill.
    Electrically-driven tool Samuel Duncan Black Baltimore, MD  
D57,576 Apr. 26, 1921 Design for a portable electric tool Alonzeo G. Decker Towson, MD
    Design for a portable electric tool Samuel Duncan Black Towson, MD  
D57,812 May. 10, 1921 Design for a housing for electric air compressors and motors Alonzo G. Decker Baltimore, MD
    Design for a housing for electric air compressors and motors Samuel Duncan Black Baltimore, MD  
1,463,305 Jul. 31, 1923 Pumping apparatus Alonzo Galloway Decker Baltimore, MD Of interest because it is an early patent to Mr. Black and Mr. Decker. The patent is assigned, by mesne assignments, to the Maryland Trust Co. It is likely that the original work was done for the first, Baltimore-based, incarnation of Black & Decker, which appears to have encountered financial difficulties and been reborn a couple of years later as a Towson-based business.
    Pumping apparatus Samuel Duncan Black Baltimore, MD  
1,492,095 Apr. 29, 1924 Electrically-driven tool Alonzo Galloway Decker Baltimore, MD An improvement to patent 1,245,860; the improvement is to the on-off switch to address a problem with unequal contact force in a pair of contacts.
    Electrically-driven tool Samuel Duncan Black Baltimore, MD  
1,548,020 Aug. 04, 1925 Reversing means for electric tools Alonzo Galloway Decker Baltimore, MD
    Reversing means for electric tools Samuel Duncan Black Baltimore, MD  
1,574,020 Feb. 23, 1926 Electric-cord protector Alonzo Galloway Decker Baltimore, MD The invention is the molded-rubber strain relief for the electrical cord. Previous strain reliefs had been made either from coiled wire or a uniform-cross-section length of rubber hose. Messrs. Black and Decker had the idea of using a rubber strain relief similar to a length of rubber hose, but of decreasing cross-sectional thickness so as to distribute the bending forces over a length of the cord.
    Electric-cord protector Samuel Duncan Black Baltimore, MD  
1,633,389 Jun. 21, 1927 Electric tool Walter Stumpf Baltimore, MD
1,647,396 Nov. 01, 1927 Rotary tool with key pocket Alonzo Galloway Decker Baltimore, MD
1,649,060 Nov. 15, 1927 Portable power-driven rotary tool with spindle latch and hand-operated chuck Alonzo Galloway Decker Baltimore County, MD
1,689,460 Oct. 30, 1928 Rivet spinning attachment Walter Stumpf Baltimore County, MD Conversion Tool
1,699,870 Jan. 22, 1929 Portable tool Alonzo Galloway Decker Baltimore, MD "The object of the present invention is to product a tool which can be used as a combined screw driver or socket wrench and drill." The innovation is a clutch that can be disabled when the tool is used as a drill.
    Portable tool Samuel Duncan Black Baltimore, MD  
1,702,245 Feb. 19, 1929 Electrical connection for portable electric tools Alonzo Galloway Decker Baltimore, MD Improved means of electrically connecting the cord to the drill. The improvements are to extend the service life of the cord, and ease replacement of the cord when necessary.
    Electrical connection for portable electric tools Samuel Duncan Black Baltimore, MD  
1,752,422 Apr. 01, 1930 Portable electric tapper Alonzo Galloway Decker Baltimore County, MD
1,784,133 Dec. 09, 1930 Electric drive for grinder wheels Alonzo G. Decker Baltimore, MD This patent is notable because the inventor is the co-founder of Black & Decker, which at the time of the patent was already quite successful. Decker was still with the company, so why did he assign an invention to someone else? A possible clue is in patent 1,911,857, where Marschke Mfg. Co. is identified as being from Towson, Maryland, which was (and is) the hometown of Black & Decker. Perhaps Marschke Mfg. was acquired by B&D.
2,038,422 Apr. 21, 1936 Bench drill stand Alonzo G. Decker Baltimore, MD An example is seen labeled as a "Van Dorn No. 60 Bench Drill Stand". The same label gives "The Van Dorn Electric Tool Co. Towson, MD., U.S.A. Div. of Black & Decker Mfg. Co."
D104,623 May. 25, 1937 Design for a clamp handle Alonzo G. Decker Towson, MD Term of patent 7 years.
2,155,082 Apr. 18, 1939 Portable electric tool and casing Alonzo Galloway Decker Towson, MD This is the Black & Decker "Shorty" drill. The patent drawings suggest that it was inspired by a need in the aircraft industry to drill rivet holes in tight quarters.
2,225,091 Dec. 17, 1940 Portable power driven screw or bolt driving and nut running machine Glenn C. Wilhide Baltimore County, MD This patent number was seen on a Black & Decker No. 8-CD Scrugun, along with patent number 1,574,020, which covers the cord strain relief.
D129,046 Aug. 19, 1941 Design for a portable power driven tool unit Glenn C. Wilhide Baltimore County, MD
D131,656 Mar. 17, 1942 Design for a portable power unit Alonzo G. Decker Baltimore County, MD
D131,657 Mar. 17, 1942 Design for a portable electric screw driver unit Alonzo G. Decker Baltimore County, MD
D131,658 Mar. 17, 1942 Design for a portable power driven screw driver unit Alonzo G. Decker Baltimore County, MD
D131,659 Mar. 17, 1942 Design for a portable power tool unit Alonzo G. Decker Baltimore County, MD
2,362,938 Nov. 14, 1944 Bearing support Harold O. Short Baltimore County, MD This patent number was seen on a Black & Decker No. 655 3/4-inch mag drill.
2,394,348 Feb. 05, 1946 Electric screw driver and nut runner Glenn C. Wilhide Baltimore County, MD Seen on a Black & Decker Scrugun.
2,477,915 Aug. 02, 1949 Illuminated eyeshield Glenn C. Wilhide Towson, MD
2,487,011 Nov. 01, 1949 Switch assembly for portable electric tools Glenn C. Wilhide Towson, MD
2,711,461 Jun. 21, 1955 Portable electric tool handle assemblies Reynold Happe Pittstown, NJ This invention removes the need for screws to secure the switch in the handle of an electric drill, and was used on the Black & Decker Models U-1 and U-3 1/4-inch electric drills, as seen in a 1957 advertisement. Examples are labeled with the patent number. The assignee, sewing-machine maker Singer Mfg. Co., had a division, Diehl Mfg., that made electrical products as well as handheld power tools that were primarily sold under the Sears "Craftsman" brand. It seems most plausible that Singer/Diehl manufactured the switch itself which was then used by B&D.
D178,426 Jul. 31, 1956 Portable electric jig saw Harry J. Foell Jr. Towson, MD
    Portable electric jig saw Robert H. Riley Jr. Towson, MD  
2,833,320 May. 06, 1958 Wide board saw apparatus Richard C. Bennett Laceyville, PA This just might be the first vertical panel saw; such a machine became necessary once plywood and other sheet material became commonplace. (See, however, patent 2,347,359, which was intended for making panels out of hardwood strips but which contains the idea of a vertical panel saw.) Bennett's design was manufactured by the inventor's own company, then by DeWalt, which had just been purchased by Black & Decker. Before the sale to DeWalt, Bennett made some improvements to this invention; see patent 2,973,020.
2,874,985 Feb. 24, 1959 Drill chuck and spindle connection Clifton J. March Phoenix, MD This patent number was seen on a Black & Decker No. 655 3/4-inch mag drill.
606,864 Oct. 18, 1960 Wide board saw apparatus Richard C. Bennett Laceyville, PA See US patent 2,833,320.
2,973,020 Feb. 28, 1961 Apparatus for sawing wide boards Richard C. Bennett Laceyville, PA Improvements to the inventor's patent 2,833,320.
623,872 Jul. 18, 1961 Apparatus for sawing wide boards Richard C. Bennett Laceyville, PA See US patent 2,973,020.
D191,570 Oct. 10, 1961 Portable electric jig saw Walter M. Downs Towson, MD
D200,865 Apr. 13, 1965 Belt sander Harper Landell Whitemarsh, PA
3,192,814 Jul. 06, 1965 Work fence for radial arm saw machine Christian B. Zimmerman Lancaster, PA
3,192,816 Jul. 06, 1965 Traverse control means for power tool Christian B. Zimmerman Lancaster, PA
D201,755 Jul. 27, 1965 Portable power-operated sander Marshall B. Johnson Bel Air, MD
3,213,908 Oct. 26, 1965 Work hold-down for power-operated panel saw Harold C. Cassey Landisville, PA Invention is a "resiliently-mounted work hold-down device which steadies the panel and prevents it from vibrating during the cutting operation."
    Work hold-down for power-operated panel saw Ewald Schutz Lancaster, PA  
D205,080 Jun. 21, 1966 Belt sander Marnie C. Averitt Timonium, MD
3,540,499 Nov. 17, 1970 Radial arm saw construction Francis J. Rosenthal Jr. Fork, MD
    Radial arm saw construction Martin I. Sheps Baltimore, MD  
3,565,135 Feb. 23, 1971 Miter adjustment for radial-arm saw Francis J. Rosenthal Jr. Fork, MD
    Miter adjustment for radial-arm saw Leonard U. Alsruhe Towson, MD  
3,565,136 Feb. 23, 1971 Depth of cut adjustment construction for a radial-arm saw Francis J. Rosenthal Jr. Fork, MD
3,565,137 Feb. 23, 1971 Ball track carriage construction Leonard U. Alsruhe Towson, MD
3,586,076 Jun. 22, 1971 Rip lock for radial arm saw Francis J. Rosenthal Jr. Fork, MD
    Rip lock for radial arm saw Leonard U. Alsruhe Towson, MD  
3,615,087 Oct. 26, 1971 Workbenches Ronald Price Hickman , England This invention became the Black & Decker Workmate. About 50 million Workmates were sold during the term of the patent. Hickman sold the patent rights to Inventec International Ltd., which licensed it to Black & Decker. The patent was subject to considerable litigation; the inventor and has assignee had to be forced to participate in at least one of the earlier suits: Black & Decker filed suit against Hempe Manufacturing Co., and, after Inventec declined to participate, the United States Court of Appeals, Eight Circuit, ruled that the suit could not proceed without Inventec's participation, and Black & Decker convinced the court to name Inventec as an "involuntary plaintiff". Hempe's infringing product was the "Porta Bench" which the manufactured for Sears, Roebuck, and the court ruled against Hempe.
Another lawsuit involving this patent was the 1978 Black & Decker v. Emerson Electric; Emerson Electric was manufacturing the "Porta Bench" portable workbench for Sears, Roebuck, and was promptly sued by B&D (Sears was also sued by B&D but due to an indemnification agreement, Emerson covered Sears' costs and was the lead defendant.) Emerson counter-sued to declare this patent and 4,076,229 invalid.
3,841,619 Oct. 15, 1974 Workbenches Ronald Price Hickman , England Improvements to the original B&D Workmate patent, 3,615,087. See the earlier patent for more information on the inventor and on patent litigation.
4,076,229 Feb. 28, 1978 Workbenches Ronald Price Hickman , England Improvements to the original B&D Workmate patent, 3,615,087. These two patents were both heavily litigated; see the earlier patent for more information on the inventor and the litigation.
As a result of litigation, this patent was disclaimed after October 26, 1988.
4,276,799 Jul. 07, 1981 Power tool apparatus Anthony A. Muehling Detroit, MI The innovation is a one-handed coarse and vernier blade-height adjustment combined with bevel adjustment.
5,927,357 Jul. 27, 1999 Portable wood planing machine Louis M. Shadeck Timonium, MD
    Portable wood planing machine Barry D. Wixey Finksburg, MD  
    Portable wood planing machine P. Brent Boyd Stewartstown, PA  
    Portable wood planing machine Michael L. O'Banion Westminster, MD  
    Portable wood planing machine Robert S. Gehret Hampstead, MD  
    Portable wood planing machine Robert P. Welsh Gettysburg, PA