Manufacturers Index - Buffalo Bolt Co.
Buffalo Bolt Co.
Buffalo, NY; North Tonawanda, NY, U.S.A.
Manufacturer Class:
Metal Working Machinery
This page contains information on patents issued to this manufacturer.
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186,601,089
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Apr. 30, 1866
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Improvements in manufacturing nuts and the preparation of the metal therefor, and in the machinery or apparatus employed therein
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Orrin Clark Burdict |
Newhaven, CT |
In 1869 our inventor joined the Buffalo, NY, bolt-making concern of Bell & Plumb, which soon became Plumb, Burdict & Barnard. Burdict patented a series of machines that automated the process of bolt and nut making. Under the Plumb, Burdict & Barnard name these machines were manufactured for sale to other bolt and nut makers, until they realized that there was more money to be made in keeping the machines and making all the nuts and bolts themselves with their superior machines. As a result, they dominated the market for square-head nuts and bolts until the patents expired in the 1890s. |
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68,555
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Sep. 03, 1867
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Improved machine for heading bolts
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Orrin Clark Burdict |
New Haven, CT |
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97,351
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Nov. 30, 1869
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Improved bolt-heading machine
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Orrin Clark Burdict |
Providence, RI |
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168,135
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Sep. 28, 1875
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Machine For Forging Wrench-Bar Heads
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Orrin Clark Burdict |
Buffalo, NY |
The machine grasps heated bar stock, and forms a monkey wrench head in a series of motions. It has provisions to adjust for size, and compensate for wear. The image shows successive stages from "upsetting" the bar stock to forming the head. The patent has five additional pages of details of the mechanical workings.
Burdict was associated with Buffalo Bolt Co. |
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330,901
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Nov. 24, 1885
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Machine for forging bolt-blanks
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Henry James Johnson |
Providence, RI |
The business that became the Buffalo Bolt Co. was established in 1855 by George C. Bell, in Amsterdam, NY, to manufacture square-head carriage bolts. He took James P. Marcellus as a partner and the business operated as Bell & Marcellus. The relocated to Buffalo in 1863. At some point in the next few years Marcellus sold out to a new partner and the business became Bell & Sherwood. In 1868 Ralph H. Plumb bought our Sherwood and the name became Bell & Plumb. At this time the business expanded their product line from carriage bolts to include pinched-neck bolts up to one-half inch in size. In about 1869 Orrin Clark Burdict joined the firm, which was a critical step in the future success of the business. Burdict created and patented several machines that automated the various steps of nut and bolt making and allowed the company to considerably expand their product line. In about 1871, Bell's interest was purchased by the other two partners, who renamed it to Plumb and Burdict. In 1873 it became Plumb, Burdict & Barnard. During this era the company was not only manufacturing nuts and bolts, they were also making and selling their patent nut and bolt making machines. At some point they changed tactics, ceasing sales of their machines in favor of making them only for their own use; with this change their were able to control nearly the entire market for square-head machine bolts, manufacturing 350,000 pieces a day. By 1897 their patents were expiring, and with their business dwindling they got into financial difficulty and had to cease manufacture. Senior partner R. H. Plumb bought out the other partners and reorganized as the Buffalo Bolt Co., relocating the business to North Tonawanda, where even their previous rate of manufacture was considerably exceeded. |
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