Manufacturers Index - George C. Taft
George C. Taft
Worcester, MA, U.S.A.
Manufacturer Class:
Wood Working Machinery & Metal Working Machinery
This page contains information on patents issued to this manufacturer.
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16,900
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Mar. 24, 1857
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Metal Drill
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
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17,609
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Jun. 16, 1857
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Screw Wrench
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
Double male-threaded "nut" parallel to the shank engages female threads on the inside of the handle ferule and the inside of the adjustable jaw. The specifications differentiate this design from Loring Coes' April 16, 1841 patent 2,054 and Nathan Whipple's May 24, 1854 patent (patent application denied; the patent application including drawing appears in: COLLINS COMPANY vs. LORING COES, et al: Pleadings and Evidence. Boston, 1879).
Ken Cope's "American Wrench Makers 1830-1930" identifies the partnership of George C. Taft and John Gleason as producers of this patent, but it was not included in a list of patents Taft "licensed" to Daniel Hawkins, Jr. in 1859. |
17,944
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Aug. 04, 1857
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Self-feeding drill
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
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20,379
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May. 25, 1858
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Improved Screw-Wrench
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
Adjusting 'rosette' is threaded to bear against a rack on shank, and has second set of threads engaging threads in the adjustable jaw. In the specifications, Taft distinguishes his patent from Coes' earlier patents 2,054, 9,945 and 11,208, and his own earlier patent 17,609.
This patent, along with 23,725 and 23,798 was "licensed" to Daniel Hawkins, Jr. in 1859. |
23,725
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Apr. 19, 1859
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Wrench
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
"The thumb nut operates a right and left hand screw.." - from a contemporary catalog description.
In the specifications it is described as an improvement of Taft's June 16th, 1857 patent No. 17,609. In actual appearance it is an alteration of Taft's May 25, 1858 patent 20,379.
The wrench appears in an 1859 hardware catalog as "COE'S NEW PATENT WRENCH," although a July 1859 contract between Taft & D.A. Hawkins included Hawkins' right to produce the wrench (along with 20,379 and 23,798) with royalties to be paid to Taft.
No example of the wrench is known to have survived. |
23,798
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Apr. 26, 1859
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Wrench
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
Taft describes this as an improvement on his May 25, 1858 patent 20,379. The double threading of the adjusting nut would accelerate the adjustment speed, and it travels on a protected shaft extending from the ferule so there is no extended "tail" as in 20,379.
Known examples have no visible markings. The patent (along with 20,379 and 23,725 was "licensed" to Daniel Hawkins, Jr. in 1859. |
24,247
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May. 31, 1859
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Manufacturing the Heads and Shanks of Screw Wrenches
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
The manufacturing process described would produce the head and shank of a monkey wrench by welding two pieces of iron together (Figs. 1- 6) rather than forging the head and shank from a single piece (figs. 7 - 9). Part of the specifications cite the cost savings and gains in strength resulting from the improved process.
Wrenches marked with this patent date are part of an evolving design sequence extending over most of the 1850s, and produced by Taft and a sequence of associates at Worcester. |
27,320
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Feb. 28, 1860
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Drill
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
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28,020
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Apr. 24, 1860
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Letter Copying Press
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
The key idea in the patent is casting the platten and threaded extension in one piece; the patent claims other details of construction including the socket in the top crossing frame.
At various points in his career, Taft manufactured letter copying presses. Patent office rules relating to reissue suggest Taft did not produce a press conforming to this patent at the time of issue.
He patented an "improved" letter copy press in 1864 (patent no. 43,266). |
30,774
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Nov. 27, 1860
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Drill Frame
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
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43,372
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Jun. 28, 1864
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Improvement in drills
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
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72,114
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Dec. 10, 1867
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Improvement in variable crank for boring-machines
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
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RE3,760
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Dec. 14, 1869
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Variable crank for boring machine
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
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99,495
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Feb. 01, 1870
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Improved machine for drilling metals
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
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99,494
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Feb. 01, 1870
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Improvement in Twine Cutter
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
A twine or thread cutter designed to clip to one's clothing. The cutting edge is on a spring which insures the thread or twine contacts a sharp edge and is cut. |
107,121
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Sep. 06, 1870
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Nail Extractor
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
The pinching jaws are adjustable to compensate for wear. This patent indicates the range of George C. Taft's interests. He held several key wrench patents of the mid-19th Century. |
113,815
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Apr. 18, 1871
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Improvement in drilling-machines
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
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RE5,417
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May. 20, 1873
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Improvement in Letter Copying Presses
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
In this reissue, the claims focus on two features: the platen with threaded socket extension, and the socket in the overhead frame, which combine to to enclose the operating thread and protect it from gathering dust. |
145,975
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Dec. 30, 1873
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Improvement in nail-extractors
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
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178,204
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May. 30, 1876
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Copying-Press
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
Hinged on one edge, with alternative screw or lever clamping provisions for the opposite edge. Both the hinges and clamping mechanism can be adjusted to vary the thickness of the space between the plates. |
257,532
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May. 09, 1882
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Drilling-machine
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
|
16,985
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Jun. 18, 1883
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Improvements in drilling machines
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
"Self-Feeding" drill with provisions for varying the spindle speed "to meet the exigencies" of the work. The patent corresponds to U.S. patent 257,532; Taft produced these drills at Worcester, Mass. |
288,510
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Nov. 13, 1883
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Drilling Machine
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George C. Taft |
Worcester, MA |
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405,210
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Jun. 11, 1889
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Saw-guide
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Alfred Goulding |
Worcester, MA |
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