In 1892 Frank Rudolphi and Louis C. Krummel, both draftsmen at press maker E. W. Bliss Co., left that firm and formed a partnership to manufacture presses and other metalworking machinery. In July of that year the Rudolphi & Krummel Machine Works was formally established in Chicago at 96-100 North Clinton Street, and they set to work designing a line of metalworking presses as well as a line of upright milling machines. The milling machine lineup did not reach the market but over the next four years or so they introduced an impressive line of presses: punch presses, screw presses, straight-sided presses, open-back presses, double-crank presses, toggle presses, and broaching presses.

From a January 1897 issue of The Iron Age

Rudolphi & Krummel seem to have been quite successful and enjoyed rapid growth, with particular success in machinery for manufacturing bicycles and cans, especially larger cans as used for paint and dry chemicals.

In March 1901 it was announced that over 60 companies in the can making business were merging to create the American Can Co. Included in the merger were a handful of companies that made canning-related machinery, including Rudolphi & Krummel. It's not clear exactly when the last remnants of Rudolphi & Krummel disappeared, but it was probably about a century ago.

Although our website's interest in the American Can Company ends with the disappearance of the Rudolphi & Krummel product lines, the subsequent history is interesting in its own right. American Can was acquired for $460 million in 1985 and was used as an umbrella firm for a conglomerate, and in 1987 was renamed to Primerica, which went through a series of mergers and ownership changes and in 1998 became part of new financial services giant Citigroup. In 2000 the remaining can business—which made them the largest can company in the country—was acquired by British consumer packaging giant Rexam, which in 2016 was acquired by American packing giant Ball Corp.

Information Sources

• 1892-06-30 American Machinist.

  Frank Rudolphi and Louis C. Krummel, both until recently draftsmen with the E. W. Bliss Co., of Brooklyn, the former as head draftsman, have taken steps to form a partnership and engage in the machine business in Chicago, though as yet no definite location has been decided upon. The firm name will probably be Rudolphi & Krummel, and they will start in with the building of sheet metal presses and upright milling machines and special machinery, as their leading specialties. They are young men and highly regarded by those who know them, both as men and as mechanics.

• 1892-07-28 American Machinist.

  We recently noted the fact that the Rudolphi & Krummel Machine Works had been established at Chicago. Since then we have received the following:

  "We take pleasure in informing you that we have established ourselves as the Rudolphi & Krummel Machine Works. Having both been in responsible positions in the drawing room and shop for a long term of years with the largest eastern firm manufacturing presses, sheet metal-working machinery, etc., we feel induced to follow this same line of business. In recognition of the growing demand for special and automatic machinery in many lines of manufacture, and encouraged by our previous success in this particular class of machinery, we will make this a specialty, and shall build either after our own designs or those furnished. We are now making designs for a full line of open-back power presses, and two sizes of upright milling machines, and will place both on the market at the earliest possible date. These machines will embody new and advanteous features, which will recommend them strongly to intending purchasers. Our shop, located in close proximity to the business center of Chicago, is fitted up entirely with the best modern tools.

  Rudolphi & Krummel Machine Works

• 1893 Annual Report of the Chief State Factory Inspector of Illinois, page 132, lists Rudolphi & Krummel, 96-100 Clinton st.; makers of Presses, dies and special machinery; with 11 employees, all adult males.
• 1897-01-02 The Metal Worker.

  In a letter received from the Rudolphi & Krummel Machine Works, Chicago, Ill., they refer to the general increase in their business, which they explain on the ground that they have special machinery. The margin on tools for bicycle manufacturing, they say, is reduced, owing to the fact that a large part of them are made for export orders, which require concessions on freight, heavy boxing, &c. They give an interesting explanation in their letter of the demand for their other line of manufactures—that is, presses, sheet metal and wire working machinery—where they say that can often trace sales to the necessity of reducing the cost of manufacturing, owing to severe competition among manufacturers and less often to the increase of capacity or to the starting of new establishments...

• 1897-03-27 The Metal Worker has an article on the No. 1 power squeezer built by the Rudolphi & Krummel Machine Works, 100 North Clinton street, Chicago.
• 1897-06-05 The Metal Worker has an article on a new line of straight side presses from the Rudolphi & Krummel Machine Works, 100 North Clinton street, Chicago.
• 1899-01-07 The Metal Worker.

  Rudolphi & Krummel, Chicago, Ill., report the demand and sale for presses as considerably in excess of 1897, with prices at a slightly higher level. They increased the number of their employees by 25 per cent and their sales almost 40 per cent. Prospects for this year they consider better than at any previous period.

• 1899-02-04 The Metal Worker.

  Rudolphi & Krummel, 96 to 100 North Clinton street, Chicago, state that the numerous inquiries from new firms in the regular tinware line of manufacturing seem to indicate a large expansion of business for the early part of 1899. Orders for regular presses continue good, particularly from the hardware and agricultural implement trade. They have taken an order for a large 10-foot brake of special design, to form panels of metal bedsteads of a new pattern; also an order for a number of special tools, consisting of corrugating rolls, horning press, &c., for large jacket cans for packing calcium carbide.

• 1901-03-16 The Age of Steel, article on the merger creating the American Can Co.

  American Can Company

  The American Can Co., which will be incorporated and organized under the laws of New Jersey by March 20th, it is expected, will acquire the real estate, plants, machinery, patents and good will of the following manufacturers scattered throughout the United States. It is stated:

  
  NEW YORK CITY: Ginna & Co., Norton Can Co., John D. Hass & Assman.
  BROOKLYN: S. A. Ilsey, Joseph Le Compte Manufacturing Co., Mersereau Manufacturing Co., Somers Bros.
  CHICAGO: Norton Bros. J. L. Board, Frank Diesel Can Co., the Illinois Can Co., J. B. Lon Manufacturing Co. Rudolphi & Krummel, Franklin Rudolph, the Wright Jacket Can Co., Chas. P. Parish & Co. (Chicago Heights).
  ((Dozens of company names omitted))

  In addition to acquiring the properties of the companies names... the american Can Co. will acquire the can business of various companies which run can-making plants in connection with their other business. ((A couple of dozen company names omitted))

• 1901-12-12 The Iron Age.

  Louis C. Krummel has resigned his position as chief engineer and general shop manager of the machinery department of the American Can Company, and has established himself as consulting mechanical engineer at Austin, Ill. He has been connected with the E. W. Bliss Company of Brooklyn, and the American Can Company in Chicago, as technical member of the firm operating the Rudolphi & Krummel Machine Works, Chicago, covering a continuous period of 15 years.