August Hormel and Charles Wagner were both New Yorkers, both inventors and both businessmen. In 1895 they joined forces to create the Hormel-Wagner Co. to develop and manufacture products. This partnership does not seem to have been especially fruitful and information on it is very scarce. Nonetheless, the business survived until early 1916 when it was absorbed into the newly incorporated Charles Wagner Litho Machinery Company, which mostly consisted of Charles Wagner's printing-machinery. Both Hormel and Wagner remained active in this business for the rest of their lives.

In 1914, August Hormel had developed a new small horizontal belt sanding machine that was perhaps the first small belt sander. Introduced in the first half of 1914 ("Patent Pending"), it was labeled as "Hormel Wagner Patent Pending / Walls Sales Corporation - Brooklyn, New York". The one example we have seen with a patent date does not bear the Walls Sales Corp. name.

In 1916 the Hormel-Wagner Co. was dissolved and manufacture of the Hormel-Wagner sanders was taken over by the T. P. Walls Tool & Supply Co., which eventually became Walls Sales Corp. Under this name the Hormel-Wagner belt grinders were sold until at least 1955.

From 1924-07-17 American Machinist

Hormel-Wagner Sander/Grinder Model Designations

There were at least five different models of Hormel-Wagner sanders. The table summarizes what we know of them.

Information Sources

• 1912-04-18 The Motor World has this classified ad.

  Automobile Specialties—Models and experimental work, electrical and mechanical auto parts, bearings, etc. AUGUST HORMEL, 587 Hudson St., New York City. Tel. 2873 Chelsea.

• February 1916 The National Lithographer.

  The old-established business of Charles Wagner, the litho printing press machinist, manufacturer of lithographic rollers and roller machines, and patentee of the Perfect Printing Bed for plate printing, together with the Hormel-Wagner Company, has been converted into a stock company under the name of Charles Wagner Litho Machinery Company, Inc., with the following officers: Charles Wagner, president and general manager; August Hormel, vice-president; M. Eberhardt, secretary and treasurer. The business will continue as heretofore, the only change being in the name, at 585-591 Hudson street, New York.

  One of the specialties turned out by this company is Wagner’s Universal Hand Press, especially adapted for both direct and offset printing, proving and transferring from stone, plate or type. It is equipped with grippers on the bed or cylinder or both, with or without a quickly detachable feed board. Besides, there is also attached to each of these presses the recently invented register sheet which makes it possible to get perfect register, thus dispensing with the old—fashioned method by the aid of needles. Lithographers will do well to follow up the advertisements of the Wagner company.

• January 1917 The National Lithographer has a full-page advertisement for Wagner's Universal Hand Press from Charles Wagner Litho Machinery Co., Inc. / 587 Hudson Street, New York City".
• December 1918 Lithographers' Journal.

  Somewhere on Hudson St., New York City, Mr. Chas. Wagner, the well known yet not sufficiently known litho-press machinist and manufacturers, occupies a modest and unassuming office; that is true as far as display is concerned, but not as far as mental operations is concerned. It is from there where the Hormel-Wagner Patents originate and find their way to the trade as a printing improvement. At present Mr. Wagner shows with pride some of his latest attachments for offset and tin printing, so wonderful in adaptation, that lithographers are sure to receive these improvements with gratitude.

• R. L. Polk & Co.'s 1918-19 Trow New York Copartnership and Corporation Directory lists "Wagner Charles Litho Machinery Co. Inc (N Y) Chas Wagner Pres. Aug Hormel Sec. Capital, $150,000. Directors: Chas Wagner, Aug Hormel. Fredk Lane, Amos Woodcock. 587 Hudson".
• October 1927 Machinery.

  Walls Abrasive-Band Grinder

  An abrasive-band grinder or sander equipped with an invidual motor drive has been placed on the market by the Walls Sales Corporation, 96 Warren St., New York City. This "Simplex B-M" grinder has the regular quick-change band feature, by which the band can be changed by pulling out the lever to draw in one pulley. The band lies flat on the table after the lever is again released.

  The table over which the band operates is 18 inches long by 10 inches wide. Special fixtures may be fastened on this table. The abrasive band is 8 inches wide by 61 inches long, and may be brought into any fixed position by adjusting two thumb-screws at the rear of the machine...

• In a 1938 Patent Office Gazette, listing of "Trade-Mark Registrations Renewed": "121,525. ENDLESS ABRASIVE GRINDING, POLISHING, AND FINISHING BELTS. Registered April 30, 1918, T. P. Walls Tool & Supply Co. Inc. Renewed April 30, 1938, to Walls Sales Corp., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York, successor."
• 1941 Encyclopedia of American Biography.

  Hormel, August, Inventor, Manufacturer—The metal decorating industry owes much to the efforts of August Hormel, inventor, brilliant technician and able executive, whose development of new lines of productive equipment made possible much of the progress of the industry in recent years. He was a founder of the Charles Wagner Litho Machinery Company of Hoboken, New Jersey, was for some years its president and afterward was vice-president of the National-Standard Company, of which the original Wagner organization became a part.

  Mr. Hormel was born in Germany on January 26, 1868, came to the United States at the age of fourteen, and became a citizen at the age of twenty-one years. Although for a time he attended the American public schools by day, the greater part of his education after he settled in this country was obtained in night schools. Through an engineering course, studied privately, he added to the qualifications on which he built his successful career.

  At an early age he entered business for himself, establishing a machine shop in New York City. During these years he abundantly demonstrated his mechanical gifts and inventive ingenuity by the development of a stock ticker of original design, an efficient storage battery and under-sea telephone. In 1895, with the late Charles Wagner, he established the Hormel-Wagner Company to carry on a general machine shop business. At the time he was twenty-six years old. The operations of the new company included the production of some equipment for metal decorating. The possibilities of this branch of the business subsequently aroused Mr. Hormel's keen interest, with the result that he brought his inventive mind to bear upon the problem of designing superior equipment. The importance of the business grew. In 1914 [sic: the correct date is February 1916] the original Hormel-Wagner Company was liquidated and the Charles Wagner Litho Machinery Company was established in New York. Upon its incorporation in 1915, Mr. Hormel became secretary-treasurer of the company. In 1920 its plant was moved to Hoboken and the entire effort of the company form that time onward was devoted to the manufacture of metal decorating equipment. Mr. Hormel's technical contributions made it possible for the organization, under able management, to become a dominating factor in the industry. He succeeded to the presidency of the company in 1932, on the death of his associate, Mr. Wagner, and as executive head negotiated the merger which brought about the amalgamation of the Charles Wagner Litho Machinery Company with the National-Standard Company, of Niles, Michigan.

  The Hoboken plant was continued as a division of the National-Standard Company, and Mr. Hormel, elected vice-president of the larger company, remained in full charge of the Wagner Division as manager.

  Mr. Hormel's work in developing and perfecting metal decorating machinery made him outstanding in the industry. He had many patents to his credit, including those covering the well-known Wagner Magnetic Spot Coating Machine, the Hormel Magnetic Tin Plate Cleaning Machine, the Ideal Laboratory Coater, the Hormel Magnetic Turn Table for Tin Plate, and a line of Wagner Machinery, Automatic Life and Oil Feed. Of his contribution to the industry, "The National Lithographer" wrote at his death:

  Mr. Hormel's work in developing and improving metal decorating equipment was instrumental in more than doubling the production speed of the industry and revolutionized many phases of the process. New equipment developed by Mr. Hormel was largely responsible for his company being the only one to make the complete line of machinery used in the metal decorating industry, outside of the presses. Mr. Hormel was also treasurer and director of the Seaboard Trust Company of Hoboken. He was a member of the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce and by virtue of his qualities of character as well as his position as a leading manufacturer, was an influential figure in the general life of the city. In addition to these local connections, he was a member of the National Association of Manufacturers.

  His personal tastes were simple. His greatest hobby was his work—the invention and experiment which went into the improvements in his line of machinery. He was also fond of reading, however, exploring many fields of knowledge and literature, and enjoyed travel. With his wife, the former Mrs. Anna Schuerman Bussler, he visited many parts of Ameica and Europe. With her he shared his love of their home, the company of friends, the beauty of flowers and the out-of-doors. Both were affiliated with the Lutheran faith and interested in Christian work and spiritual values which mark the nobler things in life.

  August Hormel died at his home in West Englewood, New Jersey, on October 21, 1940, after a long and useful career which brought him honor as well as success. Not the least of his talents was his happy gift for friendship. Charitable in spirit, considerate in personal relations, he was a gentleman who exemplified the courtly standards now grown rare and as such was loved and respected by all who knew him.

• From a 1941 issue of Printing. "Christian Scheelle, Jr., formerly secretary, Charles Wagner Litho Machinery Co., Hoboken, N. J., has been named manager to succeed August Hormel, who died October 21."
• We learned of this maker through a posting on owwm.org. Another example is pictured in a later post.
• 4x36 stationary belt sander with 1914 patent (1,108,176). The patent was granted to August Hormel of New York.
• An example of this sander showed up on the Milwaukee Craigslist. The machine has cast into it, "HORMEL & WAGNER PATENT / AUG 25 1914 / SIMPLEX".
• Another example of the sander showed up on eBay in 2020 This example was labeled, "Hormel Wagner Patent Pending / Walls Sales Corporation - Brooklyn, New York". Uses 5.5x18 or 6x18 belts. Platen is 8 inches long. (That seems to give a belt closer to 22 inches long.)
• An owwm.org forum discussion provides photos of a combination belt/disc sander marked "SIMPLEX-B" and "HORMEL WAGNER PATENT".
• T. P. Walls Tool & Supply Co., Inc was registered for business in 1918, making and/or selling sanding belts and other abrasive supplies. By 1938 the name was changed to Walls Sales Corp. At some point they apparently made belt sanders.
• 1955 Grinding and Finishing, page 85. "Band Grinder. The Simplex-M abrasive band grinder, complete with 1/2 hp heavy duty motor and automatic band tension control, for finishing metals, plastics, wood fiber, etc., is described in a new manual on finishing issued by Walls Sales Corp., 333 Nassau Ave., Brooklyn 22, N.Y. Other styles and sizes are also included in the manual."