The Thomas Elevator Co. has roots going back to 1873 when a predecessor elevator business was established by H. H. Thomas. He died in 1880 and the business was taken over by his brothers, Charles E. Thomas and Emmet A. Thomas, with Emmet becoming president. The company was located at 22 South Hoyne Avenue in Chicago. During the early 1890s the company opened a branch in New York City and the Thomas Elevator Co. was incorporated there in 1897. In 1901 the business re-incorporated in Chicago, and from that point onward the company remained centralized in Chicago. Their office moved around but their factory remained at 22 South Hoyne Avenue. In 1933 the business name was changed to the Thomas Hoist Co.

The primary business of this firm was manufacturing and leasing construction elevators and hoists. In 1917, presumably to address an unmet need in their own factory, the company employee Wendell A. Barker designed and patented a "wrenchless" lathe chuck that used a lever-actuated cam system to loosen and tighten the chuck. The cam profile could be changed as needed to provide the required range of opening, and to provide a rapid movement for part of its closing travel and a smaller high-leverage movement for the last part of its travel. This chuck was intended for use in production turning and appears to be an ingenious and effective method of speeding up the process of changing workpieces. In any event, the chuck remained in production for decade, until the 1960s. To date we have not had any surviving examples reported, which is not uncommon among items that are only useful in production and are subject to wear.

Information Sources

• 1897-04-09 The Northwestern Miller, page 534.

  The Thomas Elevator Co., of New York city, has been incorporated with $22,000 capital stock. George S. Dase, New York; Emmet A. Thomas, and Charles Thomas of Chicago, and Arthur A. Mitchell, of West Brighton, N. Y., are the first directors.

• 1901 Hendricks' Architectural, Engineering & Mechanical Directory of the United States, page 425, under the category of "Elevators (Hod, for Building Material)": "Thomas Elevator Co. (Hod), 159 La Salle, Chicago, Ill., & 520 E. 20th, New York."
• 1902 Directory of Directors in the City of Chicago lists "Reidy, Percy J., 232 Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Elevator Co., Secretary and Director", "Annie Thomas, 323 Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Elevator Co., Vice-President and Director", and "E. A. Thomas, 323 chamber of Commerce, Thomas Elevator Co., President, Treasurer and Director."
• 1902 Biennial Report of the Secretary of State of the State of Illinois, page 110. "Thomas Elevator Co. / Chicago / (capital stock) $30,000 / (license issued) Dec. 6, 1901 / (final certificate issued) Dec. 18, 1902 / (fees paid) $75.00".
• 1902 Certified List of Illinois Corporations, page 264. "(Name of corporation) Thomas Elevator Co. / (capital stock) $30,000 / (principal office) 138 Washington st., Chicago / (president or manager) E. A. Thomas, 323 Chamber of Com / (secretary) Percy J. Ready, 6634 Jackson av.".
• 1903 Certified List of Illinois Corporations, page 264. "(Name of corporation) Thomas Elevator Co. / (capital stock) $30,000 / (principal office) 113-115 S. Hoyne av., Chicago / (president or manager) E. A. Thomas, North Chicago / (secretary) Percy J. Ready, 6634 Jackson av., Chicago".
• 1913 Certified List of Illinois Corporations, page 408. "(Name of corporation) Thomas Elevator Co. / (capital stock) $30,000 / (principal office) 20-22 S. Hoyne av., Chicago / (president or manager) Emmet A. Thomas, 2934 Michigan av. / (secretary) Roy J. G. Jensen, 3728 N. 43rd av."
• July 1915 Machinery, page 940, in the "New Machinery and Tools Notes" column.

  Lathe Chuck: Thomas Elevator Co., Chicago, Ill. A hand-operated lathe chuck which can be places on a machine or removed as easily as a faceplate. A hand lever, cams and arms within the shell of the chuck are so arranged that a short initial movement of the lever moves the jaws from the fully opened position to a point where they are nearly in connect with the work; and the remaining movement of the lever moves the jaws slowly into contact with the work, giving a high holding pressure. Cams may be cut to give practically any distance of jaw movement with the range of the chuck without changing the gripping pressure of the jaws obtained by the final hand lever movement.

• The Metal Industry, Vol. 14, No. 11, Nov. 1916. Pg 485, article on wrenchless chucks.
• 1918 book, Manufacturing and Wholesale Industries of Chicago, by Josiah Seymour Currey, pages 272-273, edited to provide brevity sorely lacking in the original.

  Thomas Elevator Co.

  ...the company controls fifty patents... This unique industrial enterprise had a modest inception, in the year 1873, and was founded by H. H. Thomas, who initiated operations in a small building on the site of the present modern plant of the company, at 22 South Hoyne avenue. Here Mr. Thomas began the manufacture of hoists that were operated by either hand or steam power... Mr. Thomas developed a substantial and prosperous business and continued as its executive head until his death, in 1880...

  After the death of the found of this industrial enterprise his brother, Charles E. Thomas and his other brother Emmett A. Thomas, assumed control of the business... Finally, in 1900...the business was incorporated under the present title, the Thomas Elevator Company. Emmett A. Thomas has served as president of the company from the time of its incorporation and Charles A. Thomas was its vice-president until his death, which occurred in 1901. Since that time Emmett A. Thomas has continued in individual control of the business. At the time of incorporation provision was made for amplifying the industry by instituting the manufacturing of electric hoists of all sizes, and the adopted policy of the company was the renting of the hoists to contractors engaged in the construction of bridges, buildings, etc. ...

  The Thomas Elevator Company has the distinction of having been the first in the United States to manufacture electric hoists for such constructive use... In the factory employment is given to an average force of one hundred and twenty-five skilled mechanics...

• 1926 Who's who in Chicago, Volume 4, page 864.

  Thomas, Emmet A., pres. Thomas Elevator Co.; b. Delevan, Wis., Mar. 19, 1848; s. Trumbull D. and Mary Jane (Pepper) Thomas; ed. pub. schs.; m. Nellie Hodgsdon, of Brooklyn, N.Y., Apr. 25, 1888; children: Marjorie (Mrs. R. J. Twyman), Dorothy (Mrs. A. R. Jones, Jr.), Evelyn. Organied the Thomas Elevator Co., pres. same since 1878; identified with building supply business; mem. bd. dirs. Illinois Brick Co. Mem. Builders' Club. Republican, Episcopalian. Clubs: South Shore Country, Lake Shore Athletic (former owner of property upon which new clubhouse has been erected). Home: Belden-Stratford Hotel. Office: 20 S. Hoyne Av.

• 1931 Illinois Certified List of Domestic and Foreign Corporations, page 1588. "Thomas Elevator Company, 20 S. Hoyne Ave., Chicago / (agent) E. A. Thomas, 2300 Lincoln Pk. West, Chicago / (authorized capital stock) $400,000". A "Thomas Elevator Operating Co." is listed at the same address.
• 1933 issue of American Machinist (volume 77, page 116).

  The Thomas Elevator Co., 20 S. Hoyne Ave., Chicago, Ill., manufacturer of electric, steam and gasoline hoists, has changed its name to The Thomas Hoist Co. No change has been made in the ownership, management or personnel.

• October 1960 Modern Machine Shop, page 236 ad for "Labor Saving Production Chuck" from "Cuck Division / Thomas Hoist Co. / 28 S. Hoyne / Chicago 12, Ill."
• 1962 Thomas Register of American Manufacturers, page 1341, lists under "Chucks", "Thomas Hoist Co 20 S Hoyne Av (Wrenchless)".
• Findagrave.com entry for Emmet Addis Thomas (1848-1942).