Royersford Foundry & Machine Co. was established in 1890 and made heavy-duty 21" drill presses, power hack saws, puches and shears. The drill presses and hack saws, at least, often used the model name "Excelsior", and indeed some machine bear no markings other than the Excelsior name.

Advertisement from the March 5, 1921 issue of "The Iron Age"

Royersford also manufactured shafting and hangers. In the late 1910s and early '20s they introduced the "Sells" line of roller bearings, including versions designed to be retrofit into existing hangers and pillow blocks. New lineups of roller-bearing equipped hangers and other power transmission components were introduced, and these all appear to have been quite successful. The company gradually de-emphasized and then discontinued their machinery lines. The company is still in business and makes bearings and couplings.

In years past Royersford made OEM drill presses for distributor Dale-Brewster Machine Co., and we have had a couple of reports of drill presses "made" by Dale-Brewster that were actually manufactured by Royersford. These machines have "Excelsior" cast into them and have a brass plaque with the Dale-Brewster name.

Information Sources

• Thanks to many Photo Index contributors over the years, whose pictures have allowed us to identify the maker of "Excelsior" drill presses as Royersford.
• Undated catalog cuts from this firm that clearly show drill presses with only "Excelsior" visible in the machine labelling.
• Just one patent assigned to this maker has surfaced: a 1930 patent, to Earl M. Champion, Jr., for a door fastener.