Beginning in 1940, James C. Scullin (1907-1966), doing business as Cardinal Machine Co., was making vises, including a patented Speed Vise machine vise with a screw that could be lifted free out of the half-nut, adjusted, and then placed back in the half nut. Their other products have included a bench vise and the Slo-Drive speed reducer for drill presses. The firm is now named Cardinal Tool Co., 1256 West 1st St., Pomona, CA 91766, (909) 623-5354; they do not have a web site.

One source for Cardinal vise parts is Penn Tool Co.

Information Sources

• A 1947 issue of Machinery has a writeup of this firm's Slo-Drive for drill presses.
• 1952 Western Metalworking, vol. 10 p. 76. "Cardinal Machine Co., 109 S. Jackson St., Glendale is planning a new factory and office at 1800 Dana St. in the same city for the manufacture of machine vises. Manager is J. C. Scullin."
• January 1956 Western Metalworking, Google Books snippet view.

  VISE ELIMINATES EXPENSIVE JIGS Production men who are seeking the answer to the problem of reducing tooling costs will find it in "Speed Vise," a drill press vise that eliminates the necessity of using expensive jigs and fixtures to perform simple drill press operations, company claims. With Speed Vise, expensive, complex box type jigs are no longer necessary because the vise itself acts as the _____ part of the jig or tooling fixture and all that is needed is a simple jaw plate designed to fit the part being drilled. Cardinal Machine Co.

• A 1957 issue of Welding Engineer lists this firm as making drill-press speed reducers, drill press vises, and mechanics' vises.
• The 1960 Mechanical Engineers' Catalog and Product Directory lists this firm as making woodworking vises and bench vises.
• Trademarks:
  • 1964-06-01 Registration no. 0782801, S/N 72194667, to "James Scullin, d.b.a. Cardinal Machine Company, Glendale, Calif. Filed June 1, 1964.. For Machine Vises, Bench Vises, and Jaw Plates Thereto. First use Jan. 2, 1940, on bench vises." The mark is "SPEED VISE" with an arrow horizontally through all the letters.
  • 1964-10-20 No. 782,201, to James C. Scullin, d.b.a. Cardinal Machine Co., Glendale, Calif., class 23.
• November 1966 Engineering and Science, vol. 30, page iii. "JAMES C. SCULLIN died on September 12 in Glendale at the age of 59. He was president and owner of the Cardinal Machine Company, which he started 30 years ago. Scullin began his career as a design engineer with the Hughes Tool Co. and became head of the New Departure Bearing Company's southern California division before forming his own company. He leaves his wife, Beatrice, two sons, a daughter, and three grandchildren."
• The examples of the Speed-Vise we have seen are marked "Patented" but no patent number or date.
• The June and September 1974 issues, respectively, of Popular Science and Popular Mechanics carried writeups of the Speed-Vise.
• A correspondent informs us that in 2020 Cardinal products "are still available from the big suppliers (but it's most often listed as just an American-made vise, and they don't specifically call out the Cardinal Speed-Vise name)."