The Square Hole Auger Co. was established to manufacture a timber mortising machine patented in 1884 by one James Oppenheimer. Two subsequent patents were awarded (to John C. Lake, Abraham C. Lake, and Richard Hughes) for improvements to the original design. The mortiser was essentially a hand-cranked boring machine of the type used in timber framing, but with the drill bit replaced by a chisel that oscillates as the handles are cranked.
Information Sources
- According to the EAIA Directory of American Toolmakers, the company was formed to manufacture a mortiser patented in 1884.
- The MWTCA's The Gristmill no. 49 (1987) has an article on this company.