The American Tool Works

Cincinnati, Ohio

American Pacemaker Lathe - 1943

This is a 16 by 78 inch toolroom lathe. The power clutch is engaged by a lever near the headstock or the one on the apron (These are not yet installed on this machine). It has a ball bearing taper attachment. It has the power train for a relieving attachment, and you might be able to see the short shaft sticking out just above the feed gear box which is connected to the relieving attachment. The large and the small levers on the front of the headstock change the spindle speed. The large one has six positions. The small lever just above it changes through three speed ranges. This gives a total of 18 spindle speeds. (Nine and 21 speeds were also available.) A small lever on the feed speed gear box selects between lead screw and power feed. There is a lever on the apron to change lead screw direction . One of the feed clutches in the apron is a friction cone and the other is a splined disk.

This has a twelve inch chuck mounted and the spindle nose is a D1-6. According to the General Electric tag that was still on this machine, the original motor was a 25 cps induction motor. The dealer tag that you can see here on the front says that this machine was originally sold by a dealer in Baltimore, Maryland. The lathe was made in 1943.

A short history of The American Tool Works

American Tool Works was the successor to Lodge, Davis & Co. started in 1876. [My note: In one advertisement that I have found, Lodge, Davis & Co. claims to be the 'Successors to Lodge, Barker & Co."] It then became Lodge and Davis Machine Tool Co. In 1892 Lodge sold his interest to Thomas Egan of Fay and Egan Co. and it became Davis and Egan. In 1898 it was bought by Franklin Alter and A. B. Voories and named American Tool Works. [My note: According to a patent application that I read, ATW was incorporated in West Virginia.] It was purchased in 1966 by Curtis Manufacturing Co. of Cleveland but it kept its name. In 1968 it was purchased by Wyle Laboratories. In 1973 it was sold to Fischer Industries and it 1980 it was sold to White Consolidated Industries, Cleveland. (L.B.)

The following was supplied by Annette Stewart at Bourn-Koch: "White Consolidated Industries owned The Bullard Co., American Tool Works and White-Sundstrand Machine Tool. All of these divisions were consolidated in 1987 in one plant. When Electrolux merged with White Consolidated Industries, the decision was made that the focus would only be on the appliance industry. White Consolidated Industries sold the company and it eventually became DeVlieg Bullard Services Group. In September 2004, Bourn & Koch bought the assets of DeVlieg Bullard Services Group."

This lathe was designed, I am told, by William G. Hoelscher, engineer at American Tool Works. I cannot find out any information about this man, other then that Linda Bailey tells me that he is listed in the Cleveland city directory as the chief engineer at American Tool Works at about the time this lathe was made. Eleven of the twelve patents declared on this lathe are attributed to William G. Hoelscher. Albert E. Robinson is given as a co-inventor on some of the patents. Patent 2,173,557 is for the ball bearing taper attachment. It was granted September 19, 1939. The patent has very good drawings and a description of this attachment. The patent states,"William G. Hoelscher, Norwood, Ohio, assignor to the American Tool Works Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, an Ohio Corporation."

Other patents are: 1,926,996 for the rapid traverse (not an option on this particular lathe.) 1,926,998 for the lubrication of the headstock transmission. 1,966,409 for the tailstock.