Fox Machine Co. - Assigned Patents | VintageMachinery.org

Manufacturers Index - Fox Machine Co.

Fox Machine Co.
Grand Rapids, MI; Jackson, MI, U.S.A.
Manufacturer Class: Wood Working Machinery & Metal Working Machinery

Patents

This page contains information on patents issued to this manufacturer.

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Patent Number	Date	Title	Name	City	Description
216,608	Jun. 17, 1879	Improvement in miter-cutters	William R. Fox	Middletown, CT	This is arguably the first workable "universal" miter trimmer, and we have one report of a "W. R. Fox" miter trimmer with this patent date on it, but the trimmer does not match the patent. Fox founded Fox Machine Co. in 1885 to market an improved design, patent 393,970, which does match the aforementioned trimmer.
384,209	Jun. 05, 1888	Dado-cutter	John R. Mentzer	Grand Rapids, MI
384,248	Jun. 12, 1888	Dado cutter	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI
393,970	Dec. 04, 1888	Miter-cutting machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	This is the first commercially successful universal miter trimmer, i.e., one where the miter angle was adjustable over a wide range. The Fox Machine Co. made it in 2-inch, 4-inch, and 6-inch versions. The U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals, sixth circuit, in the case of Fox v. Perkins et al., found that the reissue of this patent was void "for want of patentable novelty, in view of the prior state of the art, as shown more particularly in the Howard patent 57,325; the Aiken patent 111,896; the Jones patent 153,343; the Nichols patent 179,944; and the Lennartson patent 202,445... If the Fox machine could be held to show patentable invention, it constitutes one of a series of improvements, all having the same general object and purpose, and the patent must therefor be limited to the precise form and arrangements of parts described... This construction of the patent is also rendered necessary by the fact that various broader claims were rejected and abandoned under both the original and the reissue applications. Large sales of a patented machine, while evidence more or less cogent of value and usefulness, are not conclusive evidence of patentable novelty and are of little weight when it appears that such sales are the result of active and energetic efforts by means of circulars and traveling agents."
413,364	Oct. 22, 1889	Tenoning-cutter	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	Patent is improvement on patent 384,248, and adapts the dado-cutters in patent 384,209. This inventor founded Fox Machine Co. in 1885, which was known mainly for their miter-trimmer.
RE11,062	Feb. 25, 1890	Miter-cutting machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	This patent was struck down by the U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. See the notes under the original patent 393,970. This improvement was produced in 2-inch, 4-inch, and 6-inch models by the Fox Machine Co.
422,517	Mar. 04, 1890	Miter-cutter	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI
433,781	Aug. 05, 1890	Miter-cutting machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI
435,219	Aug. 26, 1890	Miter-cutting machines	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	This design, an improvement to patent 393,970, was a dead end, and the main design of the patent was never produced by Fox Machine Co. The patent does mention a minor improvement to the knives, and this improvement was used.
476,045	May. 31, 1892	Miter-cutter	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	Improved 90-degree stop for the machine in patent 393,970.
477,526	Jun. 21, 1892	Miter-cutter	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	This improvement to patent 393,970 is probably in response to the competition from Joseph Oliver and his Grand Rapids Machinery Co. machine, patent 449,696.
483,838	Oct. 04, 1892	Milling-machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI
489,734	Jan. 10, 1893	Metal Planing Machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, Kent County, MI
490,406	Jan. 24, 1893	Chucking Machine and Gage Lathe	Peter Dosch	Grand Rapids, Kent County, MI
493,494	Mar. 14, 1893	Mitering machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	This patent improves on the gages of the design in patent 393,970.
502,621	Aug. 01, 1893	Shaping Machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI
504,209	Aug. 29, 1893	Wood-trimmer	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	According to Jeffrey S. McVey, the design in this patent was used for the Fox Machine Co. 4-E and 6-E.
549,190	Nov. 05, 1895	Rivet-making machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	Of interest because the assignee made miter trimmers.
559,276	Apr. 28, 1896	Rivet	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	Of interest because the inventor also invented and manufactured miter machines. "My invention is a rivet designed more particularly for use in connection with the sheaves of sash-pulleys..."
564,479	Jul. 21, 1896	Drilling machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	Machine is intended for drilling spoke-holes in bicycle rims.
614,378	Nov. 15, 1898	Automatic rim-drilling machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	"It is the object of my invention to provide a machine for drilling bicycle or like rims in which the movements of the chuck for holding the rims will be automatic as well as the movements of the drill, and my machine includes an oscillating chuck adapted to give the proper inclination to the rims, with means for oscillating said chuck automatically and for partially rotating it between the drilling actions, the automatic driving mechanism being so timed that the movement of the chuck and drills alternate."
653,797	Jul. 17, 1900	Trimming-machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	This patent is for a chain drive for the cutter, plus a knife guard.
799,641	Sep. 19, 1905	Grinding-machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI
829,068	Aug. 21, 1906	Changeable gear	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	"The objects of the inventions are, first, to provide a changeable gear which contains the minimum number of parts; second, to provide a compact, effective, and powerful changeable gear which can be effectively used on lathes, milling-machines, and similar tools, as well as in automobile construction or wherever changeable gears may be desired, and which shall be readily adjustable."
865,692	Sep. 10, 1907	Angle-gage for mitering-machines	Matthew Lund	Grand Rapids, MI
		Angle-gage for mitering-machines	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI
906,125	Dec. 08, 1908	Mitering-machine	Matthew Lund	Grand Rapids, MI	An improvement on Fox's previous patent 393,970.
		Mitering-machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI
964,506	Jul. 19, 1910	Miter-cutting machine	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	This patent is for a cable-drive mechanism for the cutter.
1,058,045	Apr. 08, 1913	Multiple drill	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI
1,139,659	May. 18, 1915	Saw-bench structure	Edgar W. Cleveland	Grand Rapids, MI	DMD (Direct Motor Drive) mechanism for a dual-arbor tablesaw.
		Saw-bench structure	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI
1,210,450	Jan. 02, 1917	Attachment for multiple drills	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	This is an improved attachment for the multi-spindle drilling machine of patent 1,058,045.
1,212,472	Jan. 16, 1917	Attachment for multiple drills	William R. Fox	Grand Rapids, MI	Improvements to the multi-spindle drilling machine of patent 1,058,045.
1,438,991	Dec. 19, 1922	Pipe cutter	Howard D. Corwin	Jackson, MI
		Pipe cutter	William R. Fox	Jackson, MI
1,453,008	Apr. 24, 1923	Multiple-drilling machine	Howard D. Corwin	Jackson, MI	This is a metal-working drill, assigned to Fox Machine Co., a maker of miter trimmers.
		Multiple-drilling machine	William R. Fox	Jackson, MI
1,481,054	Jan. 15, 1924	Multiple-speed driving mechanism for drilling machines	William R. Fox	Jackson, MI
1,489,523	Apr. 08, 1924	Drilling machine (multiple drill)	Howard D. Corwin	Jackson, MI
		Drilling machine (multiple drill)	William R. Fox	Jackson, MI
1,523,637	Jan. 20, 1925	Power press	William R. Fox	Jackson, MI
1,550,609	Aug. 18, 1925	Metal-working machine	Howard D. Corwin	Jackson, MI
		Metal-working machine	William R. Fox	Jackson, MI
1,566,849	Dec. 22, 1925	Coupling for flexible shafting	William R. Fox	Jackson, MI
1,597,780	Aug. 31, 1926	Multiple-spindle-drilling machine	William R. Fox	Jackson, MI
1,754,621	Apr. 15, 1930	Tapping or like machine	Howard D. Corwin	Jackson, MI
		Tapping or like machine	William R. Fox	Jackson, MI