In 1946 Francis J. Lapointe resigned from American Broach & Machine Co. He moved to Lexington, KY, and established Acme Broach Corp. to make broaches and hydraulic presses plus custom-designed broaching machinery. Only a year later the company relocated to Milan, Michigan. Lapointe suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in August 1953 and died at the end of November, never having left the hospital. The company survived another decade or so but they were already fading by the late 1950s.

Information Sources

• 1947 issue of Canadian Machinery and Manufacturing News (Volume 58 page 122). "Another of the many companies currently engaged in vast postwar expansion is the Acme Broach Corp., Lexington, Ky. Already completed is one new plant to be devoted exclusively to the manufacture of broaching tools. A second building, which is rapidly nearing completion adjacent to the broach plant, is being built with the specific requirements of broaching machine manufacture in mind. In this second plant crane ways will run the full length of the building with approximately 22 ft. clearance under..."
• 1947 issue of Machinery (Volume 54 page 1947-201).

  Acme Hydraulic Horizontal Broaching Machine—Acme Broach Corporation, E. Third St. at Delaware, Lexington 21, Ky., has added to its line of broaching machines a new horizontal hydraulically operated model which is being manufactured in 4-ton, 36-inch stroke, and in 2-ton, 36-inch stroke capacities. This machine is totally enclosed, and the hydraulic oil filler spout in placed under the hood, where it is readily accessible to the operator, but so located that it is not likely to be tampered with. Inspection of the motor, hydraulic pump, and control valve, as well as the complete hydraulic unit, can be made by opening the hood at the back of the machine.

  The machine is equipped with dual cylinders-the main pulling cylinder, operating a pull-slide having a cutting speed of 15 to 30 feet per minute, which is directly in line with the faceplate bore of the machine; and a high-speed return cylinder, mounted just above the main cylinder, which returns the pull-slide to the starting position at a speed of 48 feet per minute. The pull-slide is fitted with adjustable take-up liners which slide on hardened and ground ways. The pull-bolt, which receives the broach-puller, is provided with a tightening nut which eliminates all lost motion and provides a positive and rigid position for the broach-puller. This feature is said to eliminate broach breakage formerly caused by head backlash.

  The bore in the faceplate of the machine is 5 inches in diameter, and the distance from the faceplate to the front of the pull-bolt is 3 1/2 inches. A 3-H.P., 1200-R.P.M. motor is required for driving the machine under normal loads. The normal working pressure per square inch for the smaller size machine is 430 pounds, and for the larger machine 400 pounds. The coolant reservoir has a capacity of 15 gallons. The distance from the floor to the center of the faceplate bore is 37 inches. The machine requires a floor space of 2 feet by 8 feet 4 inches. The smaller machine weighs 2820 pounds, and the larger machine 3010 pounds.

• 1948 issue of Western Machinery and Steel (Volume 40 page 112). "Acme Broach Corporation has a new circular, P-49, covering the line of vertical hydraulic presses manufactured by the company. These presses are highly flexible and may be adapted to a wide range of operations, as described in the circular."
• 1950-01-09 American Machinist (Volume 94 page 154). "...the spline section. Increases in tool life up to 88% are said to have been obtained over other special broach designs. Whole Hog broaches have been successfully used in broaching piston-pin holes, forgings, iron castings, bar stock, and seamless steel. Acme Broach Corp., Milan, Mich."
• Hitchcock's Machine Tool Cyclopedia, 1958, page 1B. Company officers: Douglas M. Miles, president; E. J. LaPointe, general manager; D. M. Miles, sales manager.