An unlabeled variable-speed sensitive drill press has been seen. The design of the variable-speed mechanism is highly distinctive and it matches the design in a 1932 patent granted to Victor H. Peterson of Belmont, Mass. We know that in 1924 Peterson was working for Moback Tool & Machine Manufacturing Co. of Boston, and in 1947 he was with Victor Manufacturing Co. of Watertown. We speculate that he founded the Victor company to manufacture his drill press. Please contact us if you can provide any information that would shed light on this matter!
Information Sources
- Thanks to Clark Panaccione for bringing his drill to our attention. Clark was able to take the patent information we provided and look up the following directory information in ancestry.com (paid membership required):
- Moback Tools & Machine Mfg. Co. 330 Atlantic av (Boston Directory, 1918)
- Peterson Victor H., machinist, h 15 Trowbridge (Belmont Directory, 1918)
- Peterson Victor H. moved to Watertown (Belmont Directory, 1922)
- Peterson Victor machinist rem to Chicago Ill (Boston Directory, 1924)
- Moback Tool & Machine Mfg. Corp 300 Atlantic Av (Boston Directory, 1924)
- Victor S. sec. Moback Tool & Machine Corp 330 Atlantic av h at Waverly (Boston Directory, 1924)
- Peterson Victor H (Victor Mfg Co) mach h Watertown (Boston Directory, 1947)
- Patent searches through USPTO and the European Patent Office site provided Peterson's name on the 1932 patent for the drill. A 1924 patent to the same inventor was assigned to Moback Tool & Machine Manufacturing Co. No other patents were assigned.