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Westfalia

Manufacturer: Westfalia
Location: Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia
Country: Germany
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery & Metal Working Machinery

History:

Westfalia was not originally a manufacturer but retailer of all kinds of wood and metal working equipment.

Westfalia was founded in 1923 by the Aschermann family in Schwerte to meet the demand for tools in the centers of industrialization. Five years later, Messrs. Weil and Herlinghaus took over the company with the goal of selling agricultural products by traveling from farm to farm which soon evolved into a mail-order business, one of the first in Germany and later for sure the most well-known one when it comes to tools and machine equipment.
In 1933, the first catalog was published, featuring 984 tools. This catalog included specialized tools for nearly every trade. In addition, everyday household items were added to the product line.

During the war, the mail-order business came to a complete standstill. However, Westfalia tools were in greater demand than ever during the reconstruction period afterwards.
In the 1960s, a new focus has been placed on the broad leisure market which complemented the tool and household product lines: technology, health, fitness, textiles and apparel, gardening, rechargeable and regular batteries, hobbies, automotive and camping.

After a bankruptcy in 2025, Westfalia is today a brand of HAJUS AG.

Not to be mixed up with Westfalia Automotive, the well-known inventor of the tow ball coupling and manufacturer of trailers and recreation vans.

Information Sources:

Wikipedia entry for website Westfalia

Schwabedissen

Manufacturer: Schwabedissen
Location: Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia
Country: Germany
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

In 1872, master locksmith Johann Friedrich Meyer and his former apprentice Wilhelm Schwabedissen founded a machine shop. In the early years, Meyer and Schwabedissen manufactured a variety of machines for industry, trade and agriculture. With the rise of the furniture industry in East Westphalia, the company began specializing in woodworking machines.

While the company initially produced sawmill machinery, the machine factory gradually began manufacturing more and more woodworking machines, such as planers, routers and tenoning machines. Over the years, as the company specialized in double-end profilers, edging and panel saws and panel-cutting saws, the production of all other machines took a back seat.

Information Sources:

Schwabedissen on the website of Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe

Gebr. Wehrhahn

Manufacturer: Gebr. Wehrhahn
Location: Delmenhorst, Lower Saxony
Country: Germany
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

The young engineer Heinrich Wehrhahn from Delmenhorst founded the Gebr. Wehrhahn Machine Factory with his brother in 1892.
Electricity was not yet available to industry. Steam engines, water mills and windmills powered the first machines developed by Wehrhahn via transmission systems. These included brick-making machines, sawmills, and grain mills.

In 1918, Carl Wehrhahn - the founder’s son — joins the company as a partner after completing his engineering studies. Wehrhahn begins to specialize more and more in sawmill and brick-making machinery.

Starting in 1936, Wehrhahn's focus switches more towards industry plants for fiber cement and aerated concrete blocks and is today one of the world's leading manufactuers for this kind of plants.

Information Sources:

the Wehrhahn company website

Link-Belt Machinery Co.

Manufacturer: Link-Belt Machinery Co.
Location: Chicago, IL
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery & Metal Working Machinery

History:

In 1874 William Dana Ewart patented a link-belt chain and established the Ewart Mfg. Co. to manufacture his invention. In 1880 he established the Link-Belt Machinery Co. to manufacture machinery that used his link-belts. In 1888 he established the Link-Belt Engineering Co. to develop material-handling solutions.

These companies were enormously successful and the Link-Belt name had become nearly synonymous with material handling.

By 1905 the Link-Belt Machinery Co. was making a tremendously broad range of products that included sawmill machinery, including single and gang slashers for cross-cutting logs into standard lengths for further sawing; stokers for steam engines; metalworking shears and punches that had integrated material handling for moving sheet goods into and out of the machine; material-handling solutions for woodworking and metalworking.

In 1906 the three firms—Ewart Mfg. Co., Link-Belt Machinery Co., and Link-Belt Engineering Co.—were merged to create the Link-Belt Co. Under this single umbrella the varied business lines contined growing and also expanding into new applications. Steam-powered cranes would become a major product line and was soon supplemented with a range of Link-Belt earth-moving equipment, pile drivers, and more. In the 1930s the company largely switched to hydraulic controls for many of their machines.

In about 1939 the company merged with crane and shovel manufacturer Speeder Machinery Corp., to create Link-Belt Speeder Corp.

In about 1967 Link-Belt Speeder was acquired by FMC Corp. In 1986 Link-Belt Speeder and Japan's Sumitomo Heavy Industries jointly created Link-Belt Construction Equipment Co. The excavator division was spun off as LBX Co., LLC, which became fully owned by Sumitomo.

Information Sources

1877-11-03 Chicago Legal News page 48, small text ad.
Corporation Notice.—Notice is hereby given that at a meeting of the stock holders of The Ewart Manufacturing Company, held at the office of said company, in the city of Chicago, Illinois, on the 16th day of October, 1877, pursuant to the statute in such case, made and provided, it was voted to decrease the capital stock of said company from 500 shares to 100 shares; and further notice is hereby given that the certificates of such change have been filed in the office of the secretary of State, and in the office of the recorder of deeds, of Cook county, Illinois, as required and provided by law.
John C. Coonley, President,
J. F. Potter, Secretary.
Chicago, Oct. 27, 1877.
1881-02-05 American Machinist page 9, "Manufactures" column.
The Link Belt Machinery Co., Chicago, manufacturers of machinery, are placing in their establishment about ten thousand dollars worth of improved machinery for their business, and will soon be in active operation. One hundred men will find employment in these works at once.
1881-12-10 The Railway Review page 695, small display ad for Link-Belt Machinery Co., 313 S. Clinton St., Chicago. "Improved elevating and conveying machinery."

VEB Präzisionsdrehmaschinen Leipzig

Manufacturer: VEB Präzisionsdrehmaschinen Leipzig
Location: Leipzig, Saxony
Country: Germany
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

We have seen an interesting small lathe labeled, "VEB Präzisionsdrehmaschinen Leipzig" (Leipzig Precision Lathe Factory". It appears to date from the 1960s or '70s.

Pittler AG was established in 1889 by Julius Wilhelm von Pittler. It became VEB Wissenschaftlich-Technisches Büro für Werkzeugmaschinen in about 1953, then became VEB Centex Leipzig, then VEB Drehmaschinenwerk Leipzig in 1959. In 1969 it became part of Werkzeugmaschinenkombinat „7. Oktober“ Berlin. In 1990 it became Pittler-Tornos Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH Leipzig, and in 1997 the business went bankrupt and was liquidated.

Information Sources

Video: Restoration of a small lathe by Yên Nguyen DIY.
for more details see the Leipziger Industriekultur website. and the German Wikipedia entry on Pittler.
some pictures of the former company premises can be found here.
it is obviously planned to find a new use the buildings. Some information can be found on this website.

Ensminger & Davis; F. M. Davis Iron Works

Manufacturer: Ensminger & Davis; F. M. Davis Iron Works
Location: Denver, CO
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery & Steam and Gas Engines

History:

In about 1875 boilermaker Henry C. Ensminger, and a brother, Michael C. Ensminger, established a shop in Denver, Colorado, Ensminger Iron Works, at the corner of Larimer and Eighth and apparently taking over premises previously used by The Denver Foundry and then by a series of short-lived businesses including F. M. Case & Co. By 1877 Michael had sold his share of the business to Francis M. Davis and the business had become Ensminger & Davis, makers of portable and stationary steam engines and boilers plus mining machinery. In 1891 Henry retired from the business which then changed its name to F. M. Davis Iron Works Co. In 1906 Davis retired and was succeeded by his son, William C. Davis. It seems that Francis had maintained ownership. In November 1909 Francis sold the business to a group that included John Cary and R. J. Cary; R. J. McConney, formerly of Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co., was appointed general manager with the Carys as president and vice president. The detailed announcement of the sale did not mention William.

In 1916 the business was sold to Nebraska businessmen and the name changed to the Plains Iron Works Co. In 1925 the designs and patterns of the Plains Iron Works were acquired by Stearns-Rogers Mfg. Co. of Denver.

Information Sources

Primary-source information on Ensminger Iron Works is non-existent. See the two 1906 sources mentioned below for the only mentions we have found; those sources both seem to be based on a single press release from F. M. Davis Iron Works and which contradict the 1880 history, below, which describes F. M. Davis as a junior partner to Henry C. Ensminger. It seems most likely that the 1880 source is substantially correct and the 1906 press release was incorrect in some respects. We have been unable to find any data points at all for Henry C. Ensminger, Michael C. Ensminger, and Francis M. Davis in Denver before 1877 but it seems likely that they were in Denver. Please let us know if you can find any sources that shed light on these men during that time.
1877-05-19 The Engineering and Mining Journal page 347, text ad: "Ensminger & Davis, Foundry, Machine Shop, and Boiler Works, / Manufacturers of / Portable and Stationary Engines and Boilers, Ore Crushers, Pulverizers, Stamp Mills, Rotary Dumping Ore Cars, and General Mining Machinery. 199 Larimer Street, Denver, Colo." The identical ad ran between 1877-04-21 and 1877-06-30.
1878-09-26 The Mining Record page 20, in a section on South American Mining.
The attention of our readers in the mining districts of Colorado and the Black Hills, is drawn to the advertisement of Messrs. Ensminger & Davis, of Denver. Established several years, by their excellent they have secured a large trade from mining and milling men. In their machine shop and foundry, dovering a space of about 200x150 feet, they have a fine plant of the very best of machinery for the manufacturing of all kinds of work. Among their heavy tools is the largest lathe in the State. Not long ago they finished a gristmill, entirely manufactured at their shop. They have on hand a large lot of patterns for saw, grist and ore-mills, and build water and spray jackets for smelting works; in short, almost every species of machinery. A mill in being constructed there now for the vicinity of Ouray, in San Juan county. From twenty to twenty-five men are constantly employed, and this establishment ranks among the chief industries of Colorado. Those in want of machinery will do well to get estimates from this firm before purchasing elsewhere.
1880 book History of the City of Denver, Arapahoe County, and Colorado page 425:
Henry C. Ensminger—Among those who have had the foresight to see that Denver presented inducements as a manufacturing point surpassed by but few cities in the country, is the firm of Ensminger & Davis, proprietors of one of the leading foundries and machine-shops of the city. They began business in a small wooden building at 199 Larimer street, West Denver, in 1875. In the Fall of 1878, they erected their present brick shops, to meet the demands of their constantly increasing business. They now employ from thirty to forty men. Henry C. Ensminger was born in Terre Haute, Ind., and at the age of fifteen years began learning the trade of a boiler-maker, at which he worked in his native city about twelve years. In 1867, he removed to Des Moines, Iowa, and with N. S. McDonald established the Union Boiler Works in that city. After a year, however, he sold his interest to his partner, and, going to Lincoln, Neb., started a stove and tinware business, but returned the following year to Des Moines, where he again engaged in boiler-making, this time with his brother. In 1872, he came to Denver, and was employed for three years by the Denver & Rio Grand Railroad Company, as boiler-maker in their shops in Denver. His brother coming on from Des Moines, they began the business of boiler-making, but after two years, his brother sold out to Francis M. Davis, and the business has since been conducted by the firm of Ensminger & Davis. Mr. Ensminger was married, in 1868, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Miss Fannie Entwistle.
Page 403:
Francis M. Davis—The junior member of the firm of Ensminger & Davis is Francis M. Davis, who was born in Jamestown, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., November 12, 1835. His father was a millwright, and in 1854 removed to Rock County, Wis. At nineteen, young Davis went to Racine, Wis., as a student in a commercial college. In 1859, he engaged in the hub and spoke business in Menasha, Wis., and in 1862 was employed at Janesville, Wis., as a bookkeeper. In 1865, he returned to New York, and engaged in the furniture business in his native town, returning to Janesville in 1867. In 1870, he went to Kansas, and embarked in the furniture business at La Cygne, In Linn County, of which place he was Postmaster. The following year, he organized the Farmers' Savings Bank, of which he became cashier. He has been a member of Ensminger & Davis, for the past three years. Mr. Davis was married, in 1857, in Janesville, Wis., to Miss Cora M. A. Bemis, and has three children, two daughters and one son.
January 1898 Engineering Mechanics page 214, in a listing of "Steam Engine Manufacturers, Etc. of the United States": F. M. Davis Iron Works Co, Denver, Col.
1906-02-15 The Iron Age page 600, in the "Personal" section.
F. M. Davis, president of the F. M. Davis Iron Works Company, Denver, Col., has retired and will be succeeded by his son, W. C. Davis. F. M. Davis purchased the Ensminger Iron Works in 1875 and for several years conducted the business under the name of the Ensminger & Davis Company, organizing the F. M. Davis Iron Works in 1891.
March 1906 The Foundry page 56, Personals section.
F. M. Davis, of Denver, Colo., has retired from the active management of his plant. Mr. Davis went to Colorado in 1875 and purchased the Ensminger Iron Works for $1,200. The business was carried on for some time under the firm name of Ensminger & Davis. In 1891 the F. M. Davis Iron Works was organized and has been very successful since that time. The management of the works has been transferred by Mr. Davis to his son, W. C. Davis. Mr. F. M. Davis expects to spend some time in travel and thus enjoy the competency which he has acquired.
1909-11-24 The Rocky Mountain News (Daily), Volume 50, Number 328, page 2.

DAVIS LEAVES IRON BUSINESS; SELLS OUT INTEREST
John Cary Elected President of One of the City's Oldest Industries

Francis M. Davis, founder and president of the F. M. Davis Iron Works, one of the best known manufacturing concerns in the West, has sold his interest in the firm and retires from the business.

John Cary and R. J. Cary, who several years ago were heavy stockholders in the Mine and Smelter Supply Company; R. J. McConney, of the Allis-Chalmers Company and L. C. Spaulding will succeed to the control of the business relinquished by Davis. John Cary has been elected president, R. J. Cary, vice president; Spaulding, secretary, and McConney general manager. Spaulding was assistant secretary of the old company. McConney has resigned his position with Allis-Chalmers to devote his time exclusively to his new position.

The iron works was established by Davis in 1875 on the present site, Eighth and Larimer streets, and grew into one of the largest mine machinery manufacturing establishments of the West.

The property is valued at $500,000.
1916 issue of Mining Science (Volume 73, page 9).
The F. M. Davis Iron Works Co., one of Denver's oldest machinery manufacturing concerns, has been purchased by Nebraska men and its title has been changed to The Plains Iron Works Co. R[obert]. B. McConney will continue as manager. Charles Tully, of Lakeside, is president; Warren A. Haggott, of Denver, vice-president; M. C. Hubbell, of Alliance, secretary. E. E. Lowe, of Hyannis, is the remaining director.
A 1918-10-25 National War Labor Board Ruling (Docket No. 178), in the matter of "Metal Trades Employees v. Certain Employers of Denver, Colo." lists Plains Iron Works Co. among those employers. The ruling was a minor issue on how to decide whether Saturday would be a half-work day.
August 1925 Compressed Air (Volume 30 page 1347).
Recently, the Stearns-Roger Manufacturing Company acquired the good will, patterns and drawings of The Denver Engineering Works, The Plains Iron Works, and The Davis Iron Works—thus further increasing the volume of work tributary to the new shops.
A March 1931 U.S. Department of Commerce publication lists The Plains Iron Works, Denver, Colo., among manufacturers of "valves and fittings".
Findagrave.com entry for Francis Marion Davis (1836-1912). The biography published in 1880, quoted above, says that he was born in 1835 (both sources stating November 12). Other genealogy pages list Francis Marion Davis (1836-1912) who was married to Cora Myrtle Adelle Bemis (1841-1885) and had children Coral Franchie Davis (1858-1941), William C. Davis (1864-?), and Maud Davis (1868-?). Francis was son of David Wilcox Davis (1798-1868) and Abigail Smith (1799-1895). Cora was daughter of William Bemis (1812-1892) and Mary Louisiana Jones (1814-1899).
Findagrave.com entry for Henry C. Ensminger (1845-1886). One of his brothers was Michael Combs Ensminger (1843-1924) and an obituary reproduced there confirms that he was the brother who co-founded the Iron Works.

H. R. Lamb & Co.; Lambco Machinery

Manufacturer: H. R. Lamb & Co.; Lambco Machinery
Location: Essex, England
Country: U.K.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

Lambco Machinery, formerly H. R. Lamb & Co., manufactures very large Record-style vises, including a 10-inch model that weighs 200 kg (440 lb). They also make English wheels, camelback straight edges, and precision master squares.

Information Sources

Lambco Machinery website.

Bêché & Grohs

Manufacturer: Bêché & Grohs
Location: Hückeswagen
Country: Germany
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

Bêché & Grohs was established in 1867 by Jean Bêché and Peter Johann Grohs. In their early years they made products outside the scope of this website, namely textile machinery and centrifugal machines. At some point the company's focus shift toward pneumatic power hammers.

In 1910 the Philadelphia-based Nazel Engineering & Machine Works introduced the Bêché air hammer to the US market. This machine had integrated air compressor, needing only an electrical connection rather than the lineshaft, belts and steam lines needed by typical steam hammers of the day. At first Nazel sold machines imported from Germany and later they manufactured the Bêché-designed air hammers themselves under license.

In 1932 Bêché & Grohs designed and built the first counterblow hammer which would speed up the forging of large parts by the use of opposing dies that strike the part on both sides simultaneously.

At some point the company's lineup of power hammers became part of the Schuler Group via Müller Weingarten.

William Wilkins

Manufacturer: William Wilkins
Location: London, England
Country: U.K.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

In September 1841, engineer William Wilkins of London formed a partnership with plane maker Edward Cox. It seems likely that they planned to share Wilkins' machine shop located at 84 Long-acre street, but maintain separate manufacturing activities with Cox making planes and Wilkins making metal lathes and accessories. Only a few months later, in December 1841, their partnership was dissolved. Cox continued as a plane maker, working out of his residence, and was making lathes by 1851. Wilkins' business, meanwhile seems to have failed and the contents of his machine shop were sold at auction in May 1842.

A decade later Wilkins was again in business and making lathes and tools out of premises at 9 High street. This is the last reliable data point we have found on this maker but information is generally scarce so it is possible that he was in business for some years before and/or after 1851.

Information on this maker is exceedingly difficult to come by, complicated by having a common name. We found persons of the same name working in London during roughly 1830-1890 as architect. archaeologist, lighthouse-lamp maker, beer seller, bootmaker, and bricklayer. Searching for Wilkins lathes will reveal some photographs and sale listings of ornamental lathes but these all seem to show the same one or two lathes.

Information Sources

Pre-1840 mentions of a William Wilkins, London architect and archaeologist, is definitely a different person—the architect/archaeologist died in 1839.
1841 Post Office London Directory, under "Lathe & Tool Makers": "Wilkins William, 85 Long acre".
December 1841 issues of London Gazette and shown on a web page on early English plane makers.
December, 1841.—Take notice, that the Partnership between us, Working Engineers and General Tool Manufacturers, carried on at 84, Long-acre, and at No. 10, Castle-street, Long-acre, is this day dissolved. All outstanding debts due to the Tool Trade to be paid to Ed. Cox; and all outstanding debts due to the Engineering Trade to be paid to Wm. Wilkins.
Wm. Wilkins
Edward Cox.
Grace's Guide page on William Wilkins of London. The following data points are noted.
- 1841 Post Office London Directory as listed above.
- 1841-09-28 Morning Advertiser.
  TO AMATEURS, CARPENTERS, CABINET-MAKERS, COACH BUILDERS, and Others.—GENERAL TOOL and PLANE-MANUFACTORY, No. 85, Long-acre, London. E. COX begs to inform the Public that has had 20 years' practical experience in Moon’s General Tool Establishment, formerly of St. Martin's-lane, who has now retired; and that he has entered into Partnership with W. Wilkins, Lathe, Slide-rest maker, &c., as above, and are selling the best Articles that can be manufactured, at much reduced prices. All persons requiring Tools, &c., will find this Establishment worth their notice.
- 1841-12-29 Globe, in a listing of "Partnerships Dissolved".
  William Wilkins and Edward Cox, engineers and tool makers, Long-acre and Castle Street.
- 1842-05-28 Morning Herald (London), ad.
  To Amateur and Professional Turners, Engineers, and Others.—Turning Lathes, and Philosophical Instruments. TOPLIS and SON have been favoured with instructions to SELL by AUCTION, at their Rooms, No. 16, St. Paul's Churchyard, on Wednesday, June 1... Also the turning lathes and tools of Mr. Wilkins, engineer, Long-acre, comprising several excellent iron lathes, with double gear, slide, rests, &c. A 15-inch engineer's powerful lathe, with iron handle and wheel, and all the working tools and anvils, numerous castings for lathe frames, and a valuable assortment of steam-engine and lathe patterns, and other effects...
- 1851 Post Office London Directory, under "Lathe & Tool Makers": "Wilkins Wm. 9 High street, Bloomsbury".
1850-11-07 British patent to a William Crane Wilkins of Long-acre, Middlesex County, Engineer, for "An invention in lighting, and in apparatus for lighthouses, signal, floating and harbour lights." This appears to be a different William Wilkins.
1872 International Guide to British and Foreign Merchants and Manufacturers, published by Ingoldby and Lamb, London, page 282, under "Engineers": "Wilkins, W. & Co., 25 Long Acre, London, W.C." Despite being on the same street as our 1841 W. Wilkins, this seems more likely than not to be a different person. The 1884 J. A. Berly's Universal Electrical Directory and Advertiser, page 128, lists "Wilkins, W., & Co., 25, Long-acre, London, W.C." under "Lighthouse Dioptric Apparatus Makers". This is likely the William Crane Wilkins mentioned above as having applied in 1850 for a lighthouse-related patent.
1992 Christie's auction listing.
An ornamental turning lathe signed Wilkins, London, with iron bed, double mahogany frame, flywheel, crankshaft and treadle gear, shepheard's crook overhead, traversing mandrel headstock, brass pulley with four-row division plate, seven brass screw hobs and two star nuts, index, screw-barrel tail-stock, boring collar and stand, oval chuck and cam ring, eccentric chuck, 13 assorted work chucks, heavy metal turning slide rest, small oak chest containing 22 slide-rest tools, 16 drills and an early type drill slide, a fretsaw attachment, and sundries.
This item sold for £1,980. A 2021 Practical Machinist post advertised this same lathe for sale. The photograph there can be viewed in our Photo Index for William Wilkins

Porter & Burnham

Manufacturer: Porter & Burnham
Location: Hardwick, VT
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

Porter & Burnham was an 19th-century American manufacturing partnership based in Hardwick, Vermont, most famous for inventing and producing a highly unique, early patented picture frame vise.

Information Sources

MJD Auctions

Martin Model Pattern & Woodworking

Manufacturer: Martin Model Pattern & Woodworking
Location: Scapoose, OR
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

Founded by Gary Martin in the mid-1960s, Martin Model Pattern & Woodworking makes casting kits for small metalworking machinery (among other products and services). Their kits include die filers, gear hobber, pantograph engraver, Quorn Mark I and Quorn Mark II tool & cutter grinders, the Strong Arm shaper, the Tinker tool & cutter grinder jig, the Thomas universal pillar tool, and the Thomas versatile dividing head.

T. W. & C. B. Sheridan Co.

Manufacturer: T. W. & C. B. Sheridan Co.
Location: New York, NY
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

The T. W. & C. B. Sheridan Co. was started in Manhattan, NY in 1835 by Bernard Sheridan By 1856, the company had been passed on his sons E.R. and T.W. Sheridan in 1856, and later operated as T.W. & C.B. Sheridan Company under Theodore W. Sheridan and Charles B. Sheridan. While the company was best know for the production of heavy-duty presses, paper cutters, and automatic gathering machines, they also made wood vereer cutting machinery, which is of the interest of this site.

In 1887, the company acquired an interest in the Sheridan Iron Works in Champlain, New York, whch would serve as their primary factory. In 1964, the company was Purchased by the Harris-Intertype Corporation for over $6.3 million, continuing operations as Harris-Sheridan before the era of production wound down in later decades.

Information Sources

John Shuff

Manufacturer: John Shuff
Location: Waukesha, WI
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

In the 1920s John Shuff was manufacturing a patent attachment for a sticker, which is a small molder. The attachment allows sawblades to be included in the head assembly, both for establishing square shoulders as needed and for splitting a single profile into two separate moldings.

Information Sources

1923 issues of The Wood-Worker have ads for "The Shuff Stick Saw Head Attachment / Pat. Sept. 21, 1920": "Mfrd. by JOHN SHUFF, P. O. Box 45, Waukesha, Wis."
1925 catalog from Woodworkers Tool Works.

American Mfg. Concern, Inc.

Manufacturer: American Mfg. Concern, Inc.
Location: Kalamazoo, MI
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery & Metal Working Machinery

History:

In 1929 the American Manufacturing Concern, Inc. was established in Kalamazoo by Andrew Lenderink, J. Vander Brook, and Frank F. Ford, with a modest capitalization of $5,000. Their stated business was to deal in "machinery, supplies and equipment". By 1932 they had introduced a printers' saw, for which they offered payment terms of $1 per week. A surviving example reveals a benchtop saw of cast iron construction. The original miter gauge is missing but the miter slot in the table is unusually wide. This company's name is cast into the base.

By 1946 the American Mfg. Concern had been absorbed into another Kalamazoo maker of printers' saws, Hammond Machinery Builders, Inc.

Information Sources

A small tablesaw has "American Manufacturing Concern / Kalamazoo, Mich." cast into it. This saw can be seen in our Photo Index.
Searches for American Manufacturing Concern give lots of results for to a much larger and unrelated business of the same name, a toy manufacturer located in Falconer, NY (near Jamestown). In confirming that this business is indeed unrelated, we researched their history, which is briefly summarized here. The American Manufacturing Concern of Falconer traces its beginnings to 1806 in the form of a sawmill operated by Edward Work. In 1836 the land and operations were acquired by the Falconer family who expanded the business to include windows, doors and architectural trim. In 1888 William T. Falconer, operating the business as W. T. Falconer Mfg. Co., partnered with D. E. Merrill to form American Manufacturing Concern, which produced toys, rulers, and washtubs among other products. This business formally incorporated under that name in 1910, with W. T. Falconer serving as president until his death in 1915. By the 1930s this company was manufacturing chairs and bedroom furniture. Manufacture of toys ceased in 1968. In 1976 the business was acquired by the Fancher Furniture Co., and in 1979 the Falconer business was renamed to the Fancher Chair Co. The Fancher Furniture Co. went under in 2003 but the Fancher Chair Co. remains in business as of 2026.

1918 Donnelley's National Classified Telephone Directory and Buyers' Guide lists "American Manufacturing Concern, Works & Everett / Jamestown 479" under the categories of Advertising Novelties; Rulers, Advertising & Stationers ['Falconer' brand]; Toys—Chests & Benches, Blocks, Blackboards.
Jan-June 1965 Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series Vol. 19, Part 1, No. 1, Books and Pamphlets page 30: "AMERICAN MANUFACTURING CONCERN / Falcon toys, 1965. 77th ed. 11 p. © American Manufacturing Concern; 23Feb65; A749464."
The History page on the FancherChair.com website provides a very brief company overview.

1929-09-21 Michigan Manufacturer and Financial Record page 28, in a listing of New Michigan Corporations.
American Manufacturing Concern, 608 Kalamazoo National Bank Bldg., Kalamazoo; deal in machinery, machinery supplies, and equipment. Andrew Lenderink, J. Vander Brook, Frank F. Ford, Kalamazoo—$5,000.
January through September 1931 issues of The American Press, page 40, classified ads.
Printers' Saws—$1.00 per week. You do not pay for the saw—the saw pays for itself. American Mfg. Concern, 608 Kal. Nat'l Bank Bldg., Kalamazoo, Michigan.
1932 issue of American Printer (vol. 95, page 63), small text ad.
Special—$1.00 per week; small down payment brings you an American Printers' Bench Saw. Ask about "Special August Terms." American Manufacturing Concern, M.C.R.R.-5, Kalamazoo, Mich.
1933 issue of The Printing Industry (Volumes 11-12, page 56), small display ad.
Printers' Saws / Printers' saws, casting boxes, $2 per week. They pay for themselves. Why go without? American Mfg. Concern / U. S. 131 at M. C. R. R.-3, Kalamazoo, Mich.
1937 issue of National Printer Journalist (vol. 55 page 64), small display ad from "AMERICAN MFG. CONCERN KALAMAZOO, MICH. U.S. 131 at MCRR 2 / Kalamazoo, Mich." The ad seems to show an image of their printers' saw but Google Books does not let us see the ad except for the text ad the bottom.
1946 MacRae's Blue Book and Hendricks' Commercial Register page 96. "American Manufacturing Concern, Inc., Kalamazoo, Mich. (now Hammond Machinery Builders, Inc.)" A search for other mentions of American Manufacturing Concern in relation to Hammond Machinery Builders failed to produce any other data points.

Russell Machine Co.

Manufacturer: Russell Machine Co.
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

The Russell Machine Company was a manufacturer of woodworking machinery, including edge banding machinery. Little is know about the history of this company.

Rosenquist, Inc.

Manufacturer: Rosenquist, Inc.
Location: North Wilkesboro, NC
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

Rosenquist, Inc. designs, supplies, and services specialized equipment for the woodworking industry, focusing heavily on radio frequency (RF) laminating systems, edge-gluing machinery, and reconditioned or custom-fabricated wood processing equipment.

C.F. Scheer & Cie GmbH & Co

Manufacturer: C.F. Scheer & Cie GmbH & Co
Location: Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg
Country: Germany
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

The C.F. Scheer & Cie GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1890 in Stuttgart, Germany, as a metal foundry and machine shop. In 1899, Christoph Friedrich Scheer took over management of the company. Over the years, the company produced woodworking machinery—such as dowel boring machines, beam saws, veneer saws, and multiple boring systems (based in Wiernsheim/Germany)—as well as leading granulation and pelletizing technology for thermoplastics. In 2015, the company became part of the MAAG Group.

Information Sources

More information on the history of this company can be found on the companies website.
Scheer on hoechmann.com where additional information can be found

Lincoln Sander Co.

Manufacturer: Lincoln Sander Co.
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

The Lincoln Sander Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, located at 650 Evans St., manufactured heavy-duty industrial sanders designed for woodworking shops and production lines, including smoothing wood turnings and flat surfaces.

Gregory-Butts Co.

Manufacturer: Gregory-Butts Co.
Location: Tacoma, WA
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

Little is known about the Gregory-Butts Co. of Tacoma, WA othter than they were a manufacturer of a molding and scroll sanding machine. Internet searches have not been able to turn up any further information on this manufacturer.

Stanley Machine Tools Co., LTD.

Manufacturer: Stanley Machine Tools Co., LTD.
Location: Halifax, Yorkshire
Country: U.K.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

The Stanley Machine Tool Co. Ltd of Halifax, Yorkshire, was a British manufacturer of heavy metalworking lathes and sliding-bed lathes. Founded in the 1890s, the company originally operated as tool makers under the name Stanley Iron Works. Following financial difficulties in 1912, the business was acquired by Henry Holmes, Lewis John Akroyd, and Alfred Charnock. In 1938 after buying out Holmes and Charnock, Lewis Akroyd and the managing director (son of original designer Edgar Thomas) reorganized and officially named the enterprise the Stanley Machine Tool Company. During the Mid-20th Century, the firm built a strong reputation for heavy-duty industrial machinery, notably sliding bed lathes (such as Schlesinger-pattern sliding bed lathes). Around 1971, The company was purchased by an industrial financier and the business entered receivership and was subsequently acquired by Brooke Tool Engineering (Holdings) Limited. The lineage of the name eventually integrated into Broadbent Stanley Ltd based nearby in Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire.

Wadell Machine & Tool Co., Inc.

Manufacturer: Wadell Machine & Tool Co., Inc.
Location: Somerset, NJ
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

Founded in the 1930's, the Wadell Machine & Tool Company began manufactrer cylinder boss boring and socket grinding machines for DC-3 airplane reciprocating engines - at one time being the sole source for Pratt & Whitney and Curtiss-Wright. In the 1950's, they expanded their line to include boring and turning machines, grinding machines, chucking machines, spindles, angular positioning tables and rotating adjustable boring heads.

Wisconsin Equipment Corp.

Manufacturer: Wisconsin Equipment Corp.
Location: Medford, WI
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

The Wisconsin Machine Corp. (WMC) was fonded in 1971 manufacturing the initial line of "Wisconsin Forcemaster" press brakes in Wisconsin. In 1973, Facing dissolution, Wisconsin Machine Corp sold its press brake designs, patents, and manufacturing rights to the newly formed Wisconsin Equipment Corp. On July 22, 1977, HTC, Inc. — a wholly owned subsidiary was created specifically by Hydra-Tool Co., Inc. for the acquisition—purchased all assets of the Wisconsin Equipment Corporation. In Late 1977, manufacturing operations for the press brakes were moved from Wisconsin to Mississippi, and Wisconsin Equipment Corporation was dissolved.

The Wadsworth Core Machine & Equipment Co.

Manufacturer: The Wadsworth Core Machine & Equipment Co.
Location: Akron, OH
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

The Wadsworth Core Machine & Equipment Co. was incorporated in Akron, Ohio, in February 1911 to manufacture specialized mechanical core-making equipment for the foundry industry. Along with core making machinery, they also made other foundry tools and machinery such as steel core drying plates, core cutting-off tools, and coning machines. These machines produced sand cores utilized by metal casting foundries. By 1932, the Wadsworth Core Company faced financial hardships and operations and manufacturing were taken over by the Ferriot Brothers on Miller Avenue in Akron, who continued to manufacture core machinery, replacement parts, and foundry supplies before pivoting heavily into molds and equipment for the emerging rubber and toy manufacturing industries.

Wadell Equipment Co., Inc.

Manufacturer: Wadell Equipment Co., Inc.
Location: Edison, NJ
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

Wadell Equipment Company filed a public registration statement for stock offerings through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 1967, noting roots in the regional New Jersey industrial sector around Clark and Edison. By the early 1980s, the company was active in specialized machining and manufacturing, supporting industrial trade programs. In 1985, Wadell Equipment Co. operated as a subsidiary of Wedco Technology Inc.

Pasadena Hydraulics Inc. (PHI)

Manufacturer: Pasadena Hydraulics Inc. (PHI)
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

This company was originally founded as Preco Inc. in Los Angeles, CA in the early 1940's as a manufacturer of bench-type molding presses for laminating documents and identification cards. Early on, the company changed its name to Pasadena Hydraulics Inc. or simply PHI. The company expanded its capabilities and markets by producing larger presses and incorporating new technologies. In 1977, PHI became a division of Tulip Corporation. In 1990, PHI-Tulip moved from their facility in Los Angeles, CA, to the City of Industry, CA. In 2014, PHI and Tulip Corp. separated into two distinct companies and PHI became an employee-owned company.