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Barker Milling Machine Co.

Manufacturer: Barker Milling Machine Co.
Location: Cleveland, OH; Eastlake, OH
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

This firm was originally known as Barker Engineering Co. of Cleveland. In the 1950s they became Barker Milling Machine Co. They made small horizontal and dual-head milling machines. Some support is still available through Leland-Gifford LLC.

Darex, LLC

Manufacturer: Darex, LLC
Location: Beecher, IL; Ashland, OR
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

This manufacturer of drill sharpening grinders was established in Beecher, Illinois, in 1973. The first three letters of the company name represent the first names of David Bernard, his grandfather Arthur, and David's father Richard. The company co-founders were David and Richard; Arthur had established a welding company where the co-founders began. In 1978 Darex moved to Ashland, Oregon. They continue in business, making a broad range of drill sharpening machines and the Darex and Drill Doctor brands. They also make the Work Sharp line of grinding systems for woodworking and metalworking tools.

Information Sources

The company web site provided most of the information given here.

Taylor Foundry & Manufacturing Co.

Manufacturer: Taylor Foundry & Manufacturing Co.
Location: San Francisco, CA
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery & Metal Working Machinery

History:

We have seen a 10-inch sensitive drill from this maker that appears to be from about 1950.

Information Sources

We learned of this maker in an owwm.org forum discussion.
From a 1951 edition of Aviation Week, in a list of suppliers to a new plant: "Taylor Foundry & Mfg. Co., San Francisco, drill presses, CI. 17A, $69,375."
The 1954 and '55 Polk's San Francisco Directory list, under Foundries, "Taylor Foundry & Mfg Co. 1201 Fulton".
From a 1955 edition of Western Machinery and Steel World:
Taylor Foundry & Mfg. Co. has purchased building at 1300 Bryant St., San Francisco, for new plant for manufacture and sale of machinery.
From Decisions of the Public Utilities Commission of the State of California for 1957, the index lists "TAYLOR, STANLEY W. (Taylor Foundry & Mfg. Co.) v. P.G.& E. CO., reparation, judgment as res judicata..."
The 1959 and '60 Polk's San Francisco Directory list, under Foundries, "Taylor Foundry & Mfg Co. 1300 Bryant".
1977 through 1981 San Francisco Directory listings include, under Foundries, "Taylor Foundry And Manufacturing Co., 1201 Fulton St."

Ross Industries, Inc.

Manufacturer: Ross Industries, Inc.
Location: Pineville, MO
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

Established in 1987 and surviving into the early '90s, Ross Industries, Inc., manufactured drum head surface sanders.

Advertisement from the November/December 1987 issue of Fine Woodworking

Information Sources

Ad in the November/December 1987 issue of Fine Woodworking.
An ad for Ross Industries Inc. of Pineville MO, appeared in several issues of Wood magazine (from the early 1990s).
A webpage from the Missouri Secretary of State indicates that Ross Industries, Inc., was incorporated on January 27, 1987. Its current status is "Dissolved".

Duff Machine Co.

Manufacturer: Duff Machine Co.
Location: Haverhill, MA
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

In the 1950s this firm made relatively lightweight vertical milling machines. Duff seems to have been fairly short-lived as their machines are relatively uncommon and we have not found any mentions of them as a going concern later than 1959.

Information Sources

The lathes.co.uk site has a information on Duff milling machines. Don't miss page 2 and page 3.
A Google Books search turns up a handful of mentions, all of them in the 1950s.

C. S. Hotham & Son

Manufacturer: C. S. Hotham & Son
Location: Brantford, ON
Country: Canada
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

In the mid-1930s this small firm made a hobbyist bandsaw, and likely other hobbyist machines as well. The bandsaw we have seen is of cast iron construction.

Information Sources

A 1935 edition of Canadian Engineer had this snippet:
Proposed Work
Brantford, Ont.—C. S. Hotham & Son will build a new factory building here, it has been announced by J. S. Middleton, industrial commissioner. The company will manufacture machinery for hobbies and handicraft. The plant will...
A 1944 edition of Agricultural and Industrial Progress in Canada, a Monthly Review mentions C. S. Hotham & Son as making "machinery made to order, tools, jig, electric and oxyacetylene welding, engineering, ice machines, refrigeration, portable electric equipment for welding".

E. A. Walker

Manufacturer: E. A. Walker
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

In the 1880s, E. A. Walker, formerly a partner in Walker Bros., manufactured metalworking machinery, including "Richards' patent combination planer and shaper".

Information Sources

Advertisement from a random collection of undated, unsourced advertisements: "Richards' Patent Combination Planer and Shaper. ... Manufactured by E. A. Walker, 75 Laurel Street, Philadelphia."

Winner Manufacturing Co.

Manufacturer: Winner Manufacturing Co.
Location: St. Louis, MO
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

At some point, perhaps in the late 1940s, this firm made a 14-inch bandsaw.

Information Sources

A 1930 (supposedly) edition of American Lumberman notes, "MISSOURI, St. Louis.—Winner Mfg. Co. recently began manufacture of woodworking machinery." Another note says, "St. Louis — Winner Mfg. Co., incorporated; woodworking; address Wm. H. Hoeflin, Barcelona Drive."
We learned of this maker in an owwm.org discussion.
Mentioned in a Marine Catalog and Buyers' Directory.

Tinius Olsen Manufacturing Co.

Manufacturer: Tinius Olsen Manufacturing Co.
Location: Horsham, PA
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

Founded in 1880 by Tinius Olsen, who had previously worked for William Sellers & Co. and Riehlé Brothers.

The Tinius Olsen Manufacturing Company has been a manufacturer of tension-compression testing machines for many years.

E. H. Wachs

Manufacturer: E. H. Wachs
Location: Chicago, IL
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Steam and Gas Engines

History: The E. H. Wachs company was known to have manufacutured stationary steam engines.

Maytag Manufacturing

Manufacturer: Maytag Manufacturing
Location: Newton, IA
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Steam and Gas Engines

History: Maytag is best known of manufacturing a kick start gas engine that was used for washing machines.

Hudson Lathe Co.

Manufacturer: Hudson Lathe Co.
Location: New York, NY
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

Manufactured of metalworking lathes.

Fort Wayne Iron Works

Manufacturer: Fort Wayne Iron Works
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Steam and Gas Engines

History:

Manufactured Gas Engines ca 1896

J. J. Norman Co.

Manufacturer: J. J. Norman Co.
Location: Chicago, IL
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Steam and Gas Engines

History:

Manufactured Gas Engines ca 1896-1905

Information Sources

American Gasoline Engines Since 1872 by C. H. Wendel, Volume #1, 1983 page 346
The Complete Guide to Stationary Gas Engines by Mark Meincke, 1996 page 149

Hoosier Drilling Machine Co.

Manufacturer: Hoosier Drilling Machine Co.
Location: Goshen, IN
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

This firm seems to have only been in business from about 1920 to 1922. They made a 20" power feed drill press.

Information Sources

We learned of this maker from a discussion on owwm.org.
A search of Google Books only found data points in the range of 1920 to 1922.

New Idea Inc.

Manufacturer: New Idea Inc.
Location: Coldwater,OH
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Steam and Gas Engines

History:

Formed in 1899 as the New Idea Spreader Co.,by Henry Synck Jr., and his father-in-law, Joseph Oppenheim to manufacture manure spreaders. They expanded into gas engines through the purchase of the Sandwich Mfg. Co. in 1908.

In the 1930's this company introduced the Vari-Speed Gas or Kerosene Engine.

Following Joseph's son, B.C. Oppenheim's death, Henry Synck Jr. served as President of New Idea. In 1945 the family sold New Idea to Avco, a conglomerate that was subsequently acquired by Textron. In a complicated series of transactions, Textron subsequently divested New Idea to Allied Corporation, another conglomerate (White-New Idea) who subsequently divested it to AGCO Corporation.

Information Sources

American Gasoline Engines Since 1872 by C. H. Wendel, Volume #1, 1983 page 340
The Complete Guide to Stationary Gas Engines by Mark Meincke, 1996 page 149

F. S. Dangerfield

Manufacturer: F. S. Dangerfield
Location: Auburn, NY
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Metal Working Machinery

History:

Manufactured a Valve Reseating Machine ca 1896

George J. Fritz

Manufacturer: George J. Fritz
Location: St. Louis, MO
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery & Steam and Gas Engines

History:

Founded in 1874.

In 1899, Geo. J. Fritz was manufacturing coopers machinery and steam engines.

Information Sources

From Seeger and Guernsey's Cyclopædia of the Manufactures and Products of the United States, 1899, this firm is listed as a maker of coopers' machinery. Fritz's address was 2008 S. 3rd Street. He was also listed as a maker of roller mills, cotton-seed crushing rolls and hullers, seed meal moulders, shafting, pulleys, hangers, mill gearing, boiler steam feed pumps, portable steam engines, high speed automatic steam engines, steam pumps, doctor pumps, furnace grates, bottlers machinery, and brewers' machinery.
The Industries of St. Louis, 1887, pg. 212

C. W. Bentley & Co.

Manufacturer: C. W. Bentley & Co.
Location: Baltimore, MD
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Steam and Gas Engines

History:

Manufactured Steam Engines ca 1850's.

John Abell Engine & Machine Works

Manufacturer: John Abell Engine & Machine Works
Location: Toronto, ON
Country: Canada
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery & Steam and Gas Engines

History:

John Abell was born in England on September 17, 1822. In 1881 John Abell exhibited the first cross compound threshing engine ever built in Canada. In 1886, Abell added steel rear wheels and a driving mechaninsm to his standard Triumph portable steam engine to create his first steam traction engine. John Abell died on August 7, 1903.

His company was sold, in 1902, to Advance Thresher and the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Co. which reorganized it into the American Abell Engine & Thresher Co., Ltd.

Information Sources:

Norbeck, Jack, Encyclopedia of American Steam Traction Engines, Crestline Publishing Inc, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, pages 60-62.
Steam Power on the American Farm by Reynold M. Wik, 1953 pages 251 & 254

Utica Steam Engine Co.

Manufacturer: Utica Steam Engine Co.
Location: Utica, NY
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery & Steam and Gas Engines

History:

Manufactured Steam Engines & Sawmills ca 1872.

Holt & Hawkins

Manufacturer: Holt & Hawkins
Location: Salsbury, VT
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

Founded in 1871,Holt & Hawkins was a spool manufactory which manufactured the Hawkins Spool Blank Roughing Machine for use in their factory. It is not known whether they sold these machines to other firms.

Greenleaf Machine Works

Manufacturer: Greenleaf Machine Works
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Steam and Gas Engines

History:

Founded by Clements A. Greenleaf in 1864.

Manufactured Steam Engines ca 1872

Thorne & De Haven

Manufacturer: Thorne & De Haven
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery & Metal Working Machinery

History:

In March 1871, William H. Thorne received a patent for a clever mechanism to transfer power from a lineshaft to a shaft at floor level that can be moved around. A few months later he received a patent for an "improvement in portable drilling machines", patent 114,229. The latter patent was assigned to Thorne & De Haven , a new partnership that was created to manufacture Thorne's invention that combined the two patents: a portable radial drill suitable for drilling rivet holes in boiler plates and other large pieces of steel too big to bring to a fixed drill. The invention was very successful and by 1874 they had 40 employees making different sizes of their portable radial drill.

Thorne & De Haven became "Thorne, De Haven & Co." in about 1873 (a name change likely triggered by one or more minority partners joining the firm). The latest mention of them we have seen is from 1878; they were likely bought out by a larger firm about that time, although it is possible they simply shut down due to the poor economic conditions of the time. The next (and last) information we have found on Thorne is a 1900 tool-grinder patent that was assigned to machine tool maker William Sellers & Co., Inc., of Philadelphia.

Knapp Electric Corp.

Manufacturer: Knapp Electric Corp.
Location: Port Chester, NY
Country: U.S.A.
Manufacturer Type: Wood Working Machinery

History:

This firm was established in 1890 in New York City and specialized in toys and technology items for children. In 1925 the company moved to Port Chester, NY, around the same time started making a line of miniature woodworking machines. For example, their lathe was 1.5x5 inches. this firm made tiny benchtop lathe.

Advertisement from the March 1928 Popular Mechanics

Information Sources

Seen on kijiji: a miniature lathe with an applied label, "American Industry in Miniature / Mfd. By / Knapp Electric Corp. / Port Chester, N.Y." Cast into the front of the bed is "KNAPP LATHE NO. 930 / MADE IN U.S.A." The lathe is described as being one foot long.
Ad for benchtop lathe in April 1928 Popular Science