Patented and Distinctive Bit Braces, a Research Study

George Langford, Sc.D.
Updated January 23, 2006
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The competitive situation among manufacturers of bit braces must have been severe in the period from the middle of the nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth century, judging by the number of variations seen today and by the number of brace patents issued.  Virtually every little change appears to have been patented, even when we can see in the present technical climate that those variations hardly warrant individual patent protection.  Apparently it was easy to get a patent, and as long as any given pair of competing manufacturers each patented his product, no one got bent out of shape if the other guy's patent was awfully similar to my own.

On the other hand, some of the variations are significant, even now.  The first patent may have been for a design that was difficult to machine; or awkward to use; or quickly wore out.  The second patent introduced a new way that not only got by the first patent, but also produced a better article of commerce.  Never mind that the mechanism's basic operation was the same.  My best guess is that there were so many unpatented mechanisms in common use (in the public domain) that if the concept was unpatentable, the execution was.  Witness the little roller that keeps the bevel gears of a No.2 Millers Falls eggbeater drill in near-perfect mesh on the pitch lines of the mating gears.  No one ever found a better way; yet the only patent which illustrates this mechanism (that I have been able to find) uses an instantly recognizable rendition of that model as an example of the quintessential geared bit driver: George L. Wilcox, "Locking Device for Hand Drills" US Patent No. 1,083,784, January 6, 1914 - "It is understood that the hand drill so far described is of the standard type of drill now generally in use." Mr. Wilcox's witnesses were Theo. G. Hoster and Philip D. Rollhaus.

Sometimes it's difficult to imagine the circumstances under which such tools as these were used.  The image, Uncle Mark, gives a hint.

Some of the firms making braces had complex histories.  I have tried to tie some of them together by examining the patent papers, using the working assumption that the attorneys who handled the patent applications must have avoided conflicts of interest by working for only one firm at a time in a given field.  Thomas Earle, Attorney, [see Note 2] and Wilhelm & Bonner, Attorneys, [see Note 1] were two such commonalities.

Ronald W. Pearson, D.O., wrote the definitive book on patented braces: The American Patented Brace 1829-1924 (Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ, 1994)
and he maintains at the Mid-West Tool Collectors Association website a current database on the patents, covering the periods:

1820-59, 1860-69, 1870-79, 1880-89, 1890-99, 1900-09, and 1910-39

The database is also indexed alphabetically by patentee:

A thru C, D thru G, H thru J, K thru M, N thru Q, R thru S, and T thru Z.

Note: Until this study is more complete, you can see the brace images by copying the unlinked file name of a brace (in the column at left in the table below) and then pasting it onto the end of this URL: http://www.georgesbasement.com/braces/ 

List of Braces & Patents Reviewed in This Study
Note: This is only just the beginning. I have over 200 braces left to describe.
Patentee; chuck first, 
then ratchet or mfg., etc.
Manufacturer US Patents
Amidon661.JPG Amidon, probably [see Note 2]
Chuck: Amidon, 226,646, April 20, 1886; Pad: 
DavisFribora690.JPG  Paul Krampen Co. (Fribora, D.R.P.) Chuck: Davis, 432,180, July 15, 1890.  Actually a Deutches Reich patent ...
IvesPfleghar616.JPG  Ives, William A. [see Note 1] Chuck: Ives, 301,058, June 24, 1884; Ratchet: Pfleghar, 175,151, March 21, 1876.  See also the later Amidon ratchet patent 283,844 of August 28, 1883.
IvesPfleghar622.JPG  Ives, probably  [see Note 1] Chuck: Ives, 195,373, September 18, 1877; Ratchet: Pfleghar, 175,151, March 21, 1876.
OsgoodOsgood628.JPG  Saxton & Osgood,  [see Note 2]
Buffalo, NY, 1886-87
Chuck: Osgood, 361,368, April 19, 1887; Ratchet: Osgood, 344,130, June 22, 1886.
OsgoodOsgood635.JPG 
 (a better example than above)
Saxton & Osgood,  [see Note 2]
Buffalo, NY, 1886-87
Chuck: Osgood, 361,368, April 19, 1887; Ratchet: Osgood, 344,130, June 22, 1886.
PeckPexto673.JPG  Peck, Stowe & Wilcox Chuck: O. Peck, 246,904, September 13, 1881.
StreeterShepardson655.JPG  Shepardson & Co.
Shelbourne [Shelburne ?] Falls, Mass.
Chuck: Streeter, 61,113, January 8, 1867.  The claims and non-claims tell quite a story.  Everything that wasn't claimed in the patent drawings was reproduced exactly in the final product, but the stuff that counted looks quite different.
Taylor-I-679.JPG 
(octagonal bar frame)
Unknown Chuck: Taylor
TaylorWilson683.JPG  Wilson Mfg. Co.
New London, Conn.
Chuck: Taylor
Unknown666.JPG  Maybe Chantrell Chuck: Chantrell, 284,275, September 4, 1883 or 328,648, October 20, 1885; Ratchet, either 286,683; or 302,320; or 328,649 or another, as the selector does not match any of his ratchet patents, but the frame shape does.  I have three examples, all different.
WilcoxWilcox669.JPG American Bit Brace Co.,
Buffalo, NY [see Note 2]
Chuck & Ratchet: Wilcox, 428,984, May 27, 1890; See also: The Amidon chuck patents 210,075 and 226,646, the Zirikelback 438,338 chuck patent & the Parker ratchet patent 384,865.
WPeck814318-320.JPG Fulton (a trademark used by the Stanley Rule & Level Co.) Chuck: W. Peck, 814,320; Pad bearing: W. Peck, 814,318.  Stanley eventually came to own these two patents, and 814,319 as well.  All dated March 6, 1906.
WPeckPhoenixNotFulton.JPG Phoenix Hdw. Mfg. Co.
Homer, NY.
Chuck: W. Peck, 814,320; Pad bearing: W. Peck, 814,318.  Stanley eventually came to own these two patents, and 814,319 as well.  All dated March 6, 1906.
StanleyX-3OD.htm Stanley, New Britain, Conn. USA Jaws: C.E. Mitchell, 1,011,227, December 12, 1911.
JFSteward084.htm Unknown maker, Kansas Crank & handle: J.F. Steward, 460,256, September 29, 1891.
Mystery braces:
  GoodellOverall267.JPG
  ConsolidatedOverall383WS.JPG
Albert Goodell made one of these;
Consolidated Tool Works, the other.
These two braces bear superficially similar ratchet mechanisms, but closer inspection reveals some important differences in function and in reliability.  Goodell's design has a weak structure for supporting the forces applied to the ratchet pawls, but the patent claimed says nothing at all about this ratchet mechanism.  The Consolidated Tool Works brace is marked Pat App'd For; but none of these braces has yet surfaced with a claimed patent date.  Sandy Moss has picked US Patent 875,493 which almost matches, but that's not yet "it," because Consolidated's ratchet mechanism has two pawl pivots, not just one.
Another mystery brace:
     Overall185.JPG
Made in Germany ... all we know.
Here's a bad example of the German practice of basing their brace designs on expired U.S. patents.  Bad, because I haven't found any relevant US patents for this one. It's a rugged design, though.