The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-15

owing to the space between the
threads diminishing toward the point,
SO that at every revolution the screw
was forced into the wood more than
the distance in the thread on the
taper, making it as difficult to drive
as one with a blunt point.
First American Patent.
The first American patent was
granted to David Wilkinson, a me-
chanic of Providence, r. 1.
The next American patent was
granted to Jacob Perkins, mechanic
of Massachusetts. These two patents
were granted in 1913.
Later on in the same year a pat
emit was granted to Jacob Sloat, of
Ramapo, N. Y. At the large nail and
iron works of the Persons, estab lish-
as w. Hardy applied, in 1881, the
toggle joint to the threading of
screws, nuts and spikes.
In 1884 Mr.. Harvey entered into
partnership with Frederick Crocodile,
a cotton manufacturer of Ramapo,
and established at Poughkeepsie what
is supposed to be the first factory
solely for the manufacture of screws
in this country.
I'm 1885 they invented machine
for nicking and shaving screws. This
and a thread cutting machine, which
they purchased from its inventors,
David Sloat and Thomas Springsteen,
were built and successfully operated
by them, producing a gimlet pointed
screw, and to- these men should be
given the credit of evolving a ma
chine which produces gimlet pointed
screws practically and commercially.
New England's Part.
I'm 1886 a patent on thread cut
ting machines was granted to Henry
CNyn,yVa of n lx<fO mr. n
Person, Of Ramapo. Persons ma
chine was put in successful operation
at the Ramapo Iron Works.
From this point, through fur
ther mechanical Improvements and
further patents, it has become a dis
tinct New England product. Practi-
cally 80 per cent. of the wood screws
produced in this country are manu-
featured in New England, and since
1887 through various steps the in
ventive skill Of the manufacturers
and their mechanics have developed
a machine that produces automatic
ally-a machine that for this particu-
lar line is as nearly human as a ma
chine can be.
while the manufacture of screws
has not been the product which /
have been connected with the major
portion of my life, it has largely APP
pealed to me as really the first work
w v,
attending a machine, and distinctly
remember the product was machine
screws to be used by one of your old
industries here, the Howe. sewing ma
chine. and manufactured at Reynolds
and Co.'S, New Haven, Conn.
I'm the early '90s wood screws were
manufactured entirely of charcoal
iron, and while connected as superin-
tendent in one of the large wire mills
in the PittSburg district, and through
my brother, who was a wire salesman
out of New York, travelling through
the New England states at the time,
we introduced a special Bessemer
grade of steel to take the place of the
charcoal iron at a great saving to the
manufacturer in prices from charcoal,
and also much better adapted for in
creased production, and much supe-
rior finish quality.
Has Modern Plant.
After receiving letters before it
was put to proper test by some of the
large producers of screws in New
England, that this material could
never take the place of charcoal iron,
these same men after a thorough test
fully appreciated the change, and for
several years the company with which
l was connected had the entire bust
ness of manufacturing wire for wood
screw purposes.
I'VE have erected modern and
sanitary factory with an eye to the
welfare of our employees. The con-
struction is of the trussed steel-rein-
forced concrete type, with brick cur
tain walls. and we consider it the
most modern of its kind in the New
England states. We are starting up
gradually, and our capacity will be
10000 gross of wood screws per day,
and we have under order machines
for the manufacture of machine
screws up to IL inches in diameter
and upon their receipt will utilize the
frame building on our property tenn
porarily until that branch of the bust
ness develops. eventually duplicating
our present building and making the
machine screw plant self contained,
and, as no business can afford to stand
still. we expect to grow with Bridge
port
I'VE have located our plant in
Bridgeport simply on the basis that
we think from an economical point
of view that Bridgeport is the most
desirable place we have been able to
find for our Nlsiness.
Il might add that since coming to
your city we have been given every ac-
commodation by the officers of the
board of trade and we expect to de-
velop a large and growing business"