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1893 Article-Frank & Co., Factory Image |
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Buffalo of Today, 1893, pg. 98 |
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6/23/2018 8:09:42 PM |
The rapid advances made in the perfection of every description of woodworking machinery by the famous Buffalo house of Frank & Co., have elicited the closest investigation and widespread patronage of the woodworking trade of the world, necessitating enlarged facilities on the part of this enterprising firm. This successful industry was established in 1844 by Mr. A. H. Frank, under the title of Frank & Co. Mr. Frank conducted it with great energy till 1887, when he sold it to the present co-partners, Messrs. J. T. Strohocher, F. A. Parmenter and P. Steingoetter. Mr. Strohocher is a thoroughly practical and expert machinist and mechanical engineer, who has been twenty-two years superintendent for Mr. Frank, and is the inventor and patentee of a number of first-class wood-working machines. Mr. Parmenter was eleven years book-keeper for Mr. Frank and attends to the office and financial affairs of the firm, while Mr. Steingoetter is the general business man. The premises occupied, corner Terrace and Charles streets, comprises substantial four-story brick building, 100 x 60 feet, with a two-story brick addition, 50 x 150 feet in dimensions. The various departments are fully equipped with special tools, machinery and appliances, operated by steam-power, and one hundred and twenty-five skilled mechanics are constantly employed.
They manufacture largely planets, matchers, saws, polishers, shaping, carving and mortising machines, tenor machines, saw and dado machines, lath mills, and lathes, saw arbors, panel raisers, boring machines, wheel jointers, shafting, hangers, wood split pulleys, etc. The firm is constantly at work, noting results of their important improvements, many of which are duly protected by patents, and experimenting on additional ones, so that each season sees something new in unison with the ever growing demands for labor and material saving wood-working machinery of the latest type. Quality and efficiency have ever been the first consideration of Frank & Co, and their claims for merit are based on the severest tests of everyday use in all kinds of woods for all purposes. They have now succeeded in building a planer, weighing from 400 to 9,000 pounds, that will do the amount of work usually executed by other similar machines weighing the same, while the planing done is smoother than with the average of large machines. They have likewise patterns for heavy planers from 3,000 to 9,500 pounds, which are furnished promptly to those wanting heavy machines.
The firm make all their own castings and use always the best quality of iron. made chiefly from Lake Superior Ores. Orders are carefully filled at the lowest possible prices, and the trade of the firm is by no means confined to the United States and Canada, but extends also to Central and South America, Mexico, the West Indies, Europe, Africa, India and Australia. Mr. Strohocher, who manages the workshops, is the inventor of a superior six roller double surfacer, the firm‘s No. 15 heavy planer and matcher, and their Economist improved planer, and many other valuable and useful wood-working machines. The partners are able, liberal and honorable business men, and the firm of Frank & Co., worthily maintains its supremacy in wood-working machinery of the most advanced and perfect character in the world. They issue annually a very superior illustrated catalogue and price list, which is forwarded promptly upon application. Messrs. Frank & Co., in consequence of their steadily increasing trade in Canada. are now negotiating for a site to erect a plant in that country to supply their patrons.
This article and image courtesy of Brian Szafanski. |
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1893 Frank & Co., Factory Image
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