From ad in 1907-11-07 American Machinist page 167

From 1894 or earlier, Edmund Zeh worked as a machine designer for Niagara Stamping & Tool Co., in Buffaly, NY. In about 1905 he moved to Newark, NJ and partnered with another machine designer, Paul R. Hahnemann, to form Zeh & Hahnemann Co., to manufacture power presses. Edmund W. Zeh was the firm's president. Hahnemann left the business within a year or two and found employment with yet another press maker, Max Ams Machine Co.

Under Zeh's leadership the company developed a line of stamping presses, toggle presses, and special presses made to order for specific applications. Zeh & Hahnemann presses earned a reputation for being well designed and built, and able to withstand the rigors of production use.

In 1958 Zeh & Hahnemann Co., apparently in financial distress, was acquired and became the "Zeh & Hahnemann Press Division, Dechert Dynamics Corp., Palmyra, Pa."

Information Sources

• 1895 Ninth Annual Report of the Factory Inspectors of the State of New York, page 798 Table XIV, lists people who suffered workplace injuries in 1894, including "(date of accident) July 3, 1894 / (person injured) Edmund Zeh / (age) 25 / (establishment) Niagara Stamping & Tool Co. / (location) Buffalo / (machine) Power Press / Hands cut and crushed while testing machine; carelessness."
• 1906 Newark City Directory, lists "Paul R. Hahnemann (Zeh & Hahnemann) 213 Chestnut, h 256 Van Buren"; "Pape Charles F., emp Zeh & Hahnemann"; "Zeh Edmund W. (Zeh & Hahnemann) 213 Chestnut, bds 256 Van Buren"; "Zeh & Hahnemann, (Edmund W. Zeh, Paul R. Hahnemann), presses and dies and special machinery 213 Chestnut".
• 1930 Newark City Directory, ad for "Zeh & Hahnemann Co. / 180-200 Vanderpool St." "Power Presses and Press Tools of all descriptions, for cold or hot working of metals. Highest quality, up-to-date scientific construction, exclusive patented features, absolute guarantee. Sole manufacturers of Patent Percussion Power Presses." The directory listings name Anna M. Zeh as vice president, Edmund Zeh as president and Wilhelm Zeh as secretary-treasurer. In a listing of "Corporations and Chartered Institutions", Zeh & Hahnemann is listed, capital $100,000.
• 1934-03-20 New York Times. "Edmund W. Zeh Dies; Power Press Maker; His Concern Built One Weighing 85 Tons for the Pressing of Hot Steel".
• 1934-03-20 The Courier News, page 11.
• 1960-08-15 The Commercial and Financial Chronicle page 596.

  Dechert Dynamics Corp.—Common Stock Offered—Pursuant to an Aug. 8 offering circular, Plymouth Securities Corp., 92 Liberty Street, New York 6, N. Y., publicly offered 100,000 shares of this firm's 10c par common stock at $3 per share.

  PROCEEDS—The net proceeds, estimated at $260,000, are to be used for general corporate purposes, including $100,000 for electronic research and manufacturing expenditures and $80,000 for completing and equipping a new building.

  BUSINESS—The company, through its subsidiary, Decherts Machine Shop, Inc., manufactures and sells two well known lines of proprietary industrial power presses. It also distributes industrial power lift trucks and steel building shells. The company, through its subsidiary Space Dynamics Corp., is researching and developing various types pf transducers and other electronic components.

  The company was organized under the Delaware Statutes on March 30, 1960, by Joseph P. Dechert and Allan A. Segal. Mr. Dechert in 1946, as a sole proprietor, commenced the business of manufacturing and selling custom machine parts and special custom machinery under the trade name of Dechert's Machine Shop. On Sept. 29, 1954, he incorporated his business in Pennsylvania, under the name Decherts Machine Shop, Inc. During 1958 Decherts Machine Shop, Inc. acquired all the assets, inventories, designs, patterns and good will of Robinson Press Company (founded 1906) and of Zeh & Hahnemann (founded 1904). The Robinson Press Co. was acquired for $87,400 which has all been paid. Zeh & Hahnemann was purchased for $25,000 plus approximately $50,000 for accounts receivable. There is presently due on this contract $7,249.28. In February, 1960, Decherts Machine Shop, Inc. acquired all of the outstanding stock of Space Dynamics Corp., which was organized in New Jersey on Feb, 16, 1958 by Allah A. Segal under the original name of Letoc-Standard Corp., for the purpose of developing, manufacturing and selling pressure and temperature transducers and other electronic components.