Beginning in 1942 Berco Manufacturing Co. of 427 West Superior St., Chicago, made the Hilco universal cutter grinder. The following year they introduced a universal-angle machinist vise that was primarily intended for use with their cutter grinder but that they touted as also suitable for use on drill presses and other machine tools. The vise was designed by the engineering firm of Melvin Douglas & Associates.

We have seen a "Hilco" tool grinder (see the Photo Index tab) made by Hilco Tool Corp. of Chicago, 429 W. Superior St., Chicago., and bearing two patent numbers dating from 1933.

Information Sources

• We learned of the Berco vise from forum posts on owwm.org and Practical Machinist.
• For photos of a Hilco cutter grinder see this forum post on Hobby Machinist.
• Information on Hilco Corporation is exceedingly sparse. Here is what we've found:
  • 1937 American Office Machines Research Service - Volume 2 lists an "electrograph" made by Hilco Corporation, 1512 Merchandise Mart, Chicago, factory at 1137 N. Kilbourn Ave., Chicago.
  • 1939 Certified List of Domestic and Foreign Corporations, page 1188. "Hilco Corporation, 1512 Merchandise Mart, Chicago". Company officers included Henry Hildebrandt and Anna Fuernhammer.
  • A 1941 issue of The Beaver (a publication of the Hudson's Bay Co.) "HILCO PLASTO-MATIC... The "Plasto-Matic" Duplicator shown above was designed by Frank Steffe, Tower Bldg., Chicago, for the Hilco Corporation...".
  • A 1941 issue of The Office: "STENCIL DUPLICATOR Hilco Corporation, 429 West Superior Street, Chicago, recently introduced its Plasto-Matic stencil duplicator. This new unit consists of a plastic frame with precision steel working parts."
• 1942 Automotive Industries.

  A NEW Hilco universal cutter grinder, announced by the Berco Manufacturing Co., Chicago, is furnished with an interchangeable table or flatbed attachment, and with a special universal index dividing head. It is claimed for this grinder that it can be set up in a few minutes for any type of cutter to be ground, regardless of what cutter was ground last. It will grind concave, convex, helical, straight, tapered, angle or special cutters up to 6 in. diameter, and saws up to 18 in. diameter, regardless of the cutting angle required. The dividing head, a special feature of the Hilco, has seven index circles and is claimed to ensure completely uniformity of cutting edges in the finished cutter. The grinder can be quickly set up to accomodate any type of cutter. It is a bench-type machine.

• 1943 The Tool Engineer. "UNIVERSAL (J63) CUTTER-GRINDER—A new Hilco Universal Cutter-Grinder with a special index dividing head has recently been announced by the Berco Manufacturing Company, 429 West Superior Street, Chicago. It is..."
• A 1943 Modern Plastics. "A new drive wheel movement vise recommended for grinders, drill presses and other machine tools has been introduced by Berco Mfg. Co., Chicago, Ill. Features are said to include a drive while motion which gives 2 3/4 in. lateral clearance, double swivel construction which permits and conceivable horizontal position, right angle clearance which allows perpendicular position with base obstruction, and positive horizontal setting for highest 180° accuracy."
• A 1943 Communications.

  DRIV WHEEL MOVEMENT VISE—A Hilco all-angle driv-wheel movement vise has been announced by the Berco Manufacturing Company, 429 West Superior Street, Chicago. It was designed and engineered by the industrial engineering firm of Melvin Douglas & Associates, Chicago.

  Features include a patented drive wheel motion which gives 2 3/4" lateral clearance; double swivel construction, which which permits any horizontal position; right angle clearance which allows perpendicular position without base obstruction; positive horizontal setting for highest 180 degree accuracy; elimination of excess chucks, many other machine tools and bench use. It is especially adapted for the Hilco universal cutter-grinder. The Berco Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill.

• A 1944 American Machinist mentions a vise made by Berco Mfg Co., 129 W Superior St., Chicago, Ill.
• 1944 Aviation Equipment Red Book lists "Berco Mfg. Co, 429 W. Superior St., Chicago, Ill."
• 1949-01-22 The Billboard magazine lists "Berco Mfg. Co. / 4711 West Lake St. / Chicago" as a maker if ice cream vending machines.
• 1953-02-02 United States. Office of Price Stabilization's Base Prices of Machine Tools lists "Hilco" as a trade name for cutter grinders, used by Berco Mfg. Company of Chicago, Ill.
• A 1953 Hardware Age lists "Berco Mfg Co 427 W Superior Chicago 10 Ill" as makers of Vises, Angle.
• 1954 Hardware Age lists Berco Mfg Co 427 W Superior, Chicago 10 ILl., as makers of VISES, Angle.
• 1972 Machinery. "Hilco Tool Co., 1401 Vermont Ave., Lancaster, Pa. 17603 Circle 272 Spiral relieving fixture This unit is mounted on universal cutter grinders and is used for grinding drills, counterbores, trepan tools and end mills. It provides movement from 0 to 0.500 in the appropriate direction."