Farmers Manufacturing Co. made a human-powered drag saw (i.e., a reciprocating crosscut saw for cutting logs) from 1877 (and perhaps earlier) until the early 1900s. Farmers was apparently sued by another drag saw maker, W. Giles, and this suit—which Farmers lost, according to an 1878 pamphlet from W. Giles—may have led to a design revision by Farmers. In any event, Charles Trautmann applied for a drag-saw patent in 1879 and it was granted in 1880, the patent being assigned to Farmers.
Information Sources
- A 2000 article by Richard Van Vleck shows an 1879 ad for this company.
- Charles M. Trautmann, of Trautman, OH, received an 1881 patent for a drag saw; it was assigned to Farmers' Manufacturing Co.
- The DeGolyer Library at Southern Methodist University lists the following catalog in their possessions: "Farmers' Manufacturing Company. MANUFACTURERS OF CYCLONE FEED CUTTERS, BLOWERS AND CARRIERS. (Sebring OH, circa 1905?10)., 16pp."