On 19 February 1806, Joseph Hawkins of Philadelphia was granted a patent for a wood-planing machine. The patent drawing and specification were both lost in the 1836 patent-office fire and were not restored; a search for a contemporary description of Hawkins' planer failed to turn up anything, which is typical for such early patents. We have been unable to confirm whether Hawkins, or anyone else, manufactured his planer. A year after this patent was issued, Hawkins was granted a patent for making carbonated water.
Information Sources
- The Early American Industry Association's Directory of American Toolmakers lists Hawkins and his patent, but there is no indication of whether his machine was manufactured