Looking Back: Products of the past

Enjoy this trip down memory lane.

As we continue celebrating this magazine’s 110th year of publication, in this issue we’ve scoured the pages from 1905 to resurrect some of the advertisements and products illustrating the leading edge of metalworking technology at the time.

While this issue hosts a preview of the 2015 Canadian Machinery and Technology Show, it’s been an interesting journey linking companies from over 100 years ago to businesses that are still active in today’s marketplace.

Enjoy this trip down memory lane.

Armstrong Brothers Tool Co.

Founded by four brothers in 1890, the Armstrong Bros. Tool Company in Chicago started by manufacturing bicycle parts and tools. The company first introduced a tool holder for turning machines in 1895, a forged shank for holding interchangeable cutting tools, a revolution at the time. Shifting its focus to wrenches and various hand tools over the years, in 2010 Armstrong became part of the Apex Tool Group, and today specializes in hand tools.

Ker & Goodwin Machinery Co., Ltd.

John Ker and Abraham Goodwin started up in Brantford, Ontario in 1897. Their products included lathe chucks, face plate jaws, and all-steel chucks.

In 1915 they began manufacturing explosive shells for the war effort. Ker died in October 1918 and Goodwin in January 1946, Russel Goodwin, Abraham’s son, began the Goodwin Chuck Company Ltd. in 1951. The company was last listed on a Brantford directory in 1973.

The Francis Reed Co.

Francis Reed acquired the George Burham Co. in 1889, changing the company name in 1902.

He first made drills for blacksmiths and carriage makers, and then moved to single and multiple spindle drilling machines. After Reed died in 1921 his sons Ralph and Morton continued the business until 1939, when it was acquired by Production Machine Co., now operating in Rhode Island.

Pratt & Whitney Co.

Dating back to 1860, Pratt & Whitney Co. was founded by Francis Pratt and Amos Whitney, both mechanical engineers. The business was started in Hartford, Connecticut, and manufactured machine tools, tools for sewing machine makers, and guns and gun making machinery for the Union army in the American Civil War. Both Pratt and Whitney retired by 1902. The company’s first aircraft engine (Wasp) was produced in 1925—the beginnings of the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Co., a separate division. Pratt & Whitney Canada was started in 1928 in Longueuil, Quebec to assemble, overhaul and service P&W engines. Today the aero division is part of United Technologies Corp. Pratt & Whitney Co. carried on, becoming Pratt & Whitney Measurement Systems in 2003, now a global supplier of metrology equipment.

Edgar Allen and Co./Williams & Wilson

Drill manufacturer Edgar Allen and Co. dates back to the late 19th century and was based at Imperial Steel Works in Tinsley, Sheffield, South Yorkshire in the UK.

The tools were distributed by Williams & Wilson Ltd., machinery and tool distributors out of Montreal, a long-standing company that was established in 1891.

Bickford Drill & Tool Co.

Henry Bickford started building upright drills in 1874 in Cincinnati, and the Bickford Drill & Tool Co. was started in 1893. In 1909 the company merged with Cincinnati Machine Tool Co. and became Cincinnati Bickford Tool Co. The Cincinnati Bickford brand was acquired by Wisconsin-based Giddings & Lewis in 1955. And in 2013 Giddings & Lewis became part of French-based Fives Group.

L.S. Starrett Company

Founded in 1880 by Laroy S. Starrett in Athol Massachusetts, Starrett Tools first began by making precision squares. The company is still going strong today, manufacturing over 5,000 variations of precision tools, gauges, measuring instruments and saw blades for industrial, professional and consumer markets worldwide. The company’s current president and CEO, Douglas A. Starrett (fifth generation), succeeded his father Douglas R. as CEO in September of 2001. Still based in Athol, the company has a Canadian office in Mississauga.