H. B. Smith Machine Co. - Assigned Patents

Manufacturers Index - H. B. Smith Machine Co.

H. B. Smith Machine Co.
Lowell, MA; Smithville, NJ, U.S.A.
Manufacturer Class: Wood Working Machinery

Patents

This page contains information on patents issued to this manufacturer.

Submitting Patent Information

If you find a patent number or patent date by this manufacturer that is not on this list, please contact the Site Historian.

Key to Links for Patent Information

USPTO = U.S. Patent Office . Images of the actual patent can be viewed on the U.S. Patent Office web site but a special TIFF viewer must be installed with your browser in order properly work. More information on how to configure your computer to view these patents can be found at TIFF image Viewers for Patent Images.
DATAMP = Directory of American Tool And Machinery Patents . A sister site to VintageMachinery.org with information on patents related to machinery and tools. A much easier user interface than the USPTO's for finding information on machinery patents.

Patent Number	Date	Title	Name	City	Description
6,343	Apr. 17, 1849	Mortising-machine	Hezekiah B. Smith	Manchester, NH	This was the first patent granted to Hezekiah Bradley Smith, who later founded H. B. Smith Machine Co., which became one of the most important 19th century machinery makers. H. B. Smith was notable for being one of the first to make all-iron machinesâ€”others were making machine frames from wood, which is not nearly as stable and rigid. The image of the ad for this "Blind Machine" appeared in "Smithvilleâ€”The Result of Enterprise". The provenance of the ad is not given, but it is noted that after Smith was granted the patent, "He soon moved to Boston to market his new invention." The machine manufacture was subcontracted to various foundries and machine shops, but he opened his first machine shop in 1851 in Lowell, MA, and he commenced manufacture of his own designs.
10,422	Jan. 10, 1854	Mortising-machine	Hezekiah B. Smith	Lowell, MA	This design for a power mortiser is notable for its elegant simplicity. A reported example was used in a window factory until very recently. One example (belonging to Dave Potts) is labeled, "H. B. Smith Smithville N.J. Pat Jan.10.1854 June.30.1857 Extended Jan.10.1868". The patent itself primarily covers the use of "the combination of the power of reversing by friction, with a stop to arrest it". The patentee sued J. A. Fay & Co. for infringing this patent, a case that was adjudicated in June, 1873. "The principal and main features of novelty in my mortising-machine consist of a combination so arranged and operated that the chisel is reversed by power (by friction, with band or other contrivance), and stopped in the required position to finish either head of the mortise." Fay's lawyers acknowledged, "...it is true that they have been extensively engaged in the manufacture and sale of mortising-machines at Cincinnati, Ohio, but they deny that they have ever made, used, or sold any mortising-machines containing the patented improvement...in some of their mortising-machines, the chisel was reversed by positive motion; that in others the chisel was reversed by a device which was described and claimed in letters patent No. 68,791, granted to defendants, J. A. Fay & Co., as assignees of John Richards and William H. Doane, September 10, 1867; and that others differed from those made in accordance with said patent No. 68,791, in the fact that the belt did not slip upon the pulley in the rear of the standard, when the chisel was at rest, but said pulley turned freely upon its axis; but when the chisel was permitted to turn, it was rotated by means of a leather washer interposed between the said pulley and a wheel on the end of the horizontal shaft." The dispute hinged on whether the patent covered the basic principle of power reversing by friction, or only the specific mechanism described for achieving that aim. The court found that the idea was new and ingenious and therefore worthy of liberal protection. Fay's lawyers (including the eminent Samuel Sparks Fisher, who died shortly afterwards) then brought in several people to testify that Birdsill Holly had come up with the same idea in the early 1850s; Holly himself testified to that effect. However, Holly, who had already been granted several patents and was a dealer in woodworking machinery, and who testified that he recognized the value of the idea, somehow failed to patent this important idea. The judge all but called Holly a liar and rejected the defendant's claim of prior art. The final decision was in favor of the plaintiff, H. B. Smith.
13,663	Oct. 09, 1855	Mortising-machine	Hezekiah B. Smith	Lowell, MA	"Self-Moving, Stopping, and Reversing Power Mortising-Machine."
17,701	Jun. 30, 1857	Mortising-machine	Hezekiah B. Smith	Lowell, MA	A reported example was used in a window factory until recently. The American Precision Museum has an example of this mortiser. See also patent 10,422.
20,824	Jul. 06, 1858	Arrangement of devices for planing moldings	Hezekiah B. Smith	Lowell, MA	An example of this machine, a sticker, is labeled, "H. B. SMITH / PAT.JULY.6.1858 / EXTENDED / JULY.6.1878 / SMITHVILLE N.J."
25,221	Aug. 23, 1859	Mortising-machine	Hezekiah B. Smith	Lowell, MA
30,429	Oct. 16, 1860	Blind-slat machine	Hezekiah B. Smith	Lowell, MA
50,178	Sep. 26, 1865	Improvement in planing-machines	Hezekiah B. Smith	Lowell, MA	This invention consists in "connecting and arranging the upper and lower feed-rollers of the machine in such a manner that they can be properly adjusted with regard to each other at pleasure, thus increasing or decreasing the opening or space between them, according to the thickness of the board or plank to be planed".
50,637	Oct. 24, 1865	Improvement in planing-machines	Hezekiah B. Smith	Lowell, MA
52,219	Jan. 23, 1866	Improvement in tenoning-machines	Hezekiah B. Smith	Lowell, MA	This patent depicts a single-end tenoner. Two such mechanisms were used on the #2 tenoning machine from H. B. Smith Machine Co., which was probably the very first double-end tenoner, introduced in 1876 (apparently Smith started work on the double-end design in 1866 but it took a decade to work out the bugs). A reported example was used in a window factory until the late 1990s. "The present invention consists in so arranging the cutter-heads of a wood-tenoning machine that while they can be adjusted with regard to each other to any thickness of tenon, they can be after such adjustment brought to any position with regard to the end of the board or plank upon which they are to operate."
138,103	Apr. 22, 1873	Improvement in scroll-saws	Hezekiah B. Smith	Smithville, NJ
RE5,535	Aug. 19, 1873	Improvement in molding-machines	Hezekiah B. Smith	Smithville, NJ	Extended
183,633	Oct. 24, 1876	Improvement in gage-lathes	John D. Howe	NB, Canada	Sold by H. B. Smith Machine Co. as the Brown & Howe Beading Lathe.
		Improvement in gage-lathes	William Brown	NB, Canada
189,510	Apr. 10, 1877	Rod & dowel lathe	Hezekiah B. Smith	Smithville, NJ
		Rod & dowel lathe	John Saltar Jr.	Smithville, NJ
200,677	Feb. 26, 1878	Chain Making Machine	Joseph J. White	Smithville, NJ	Inventor White was an important machine designer for H. B. Smith Machine Co. The patent specification is stamped, "Renewed".
202,667	Apr. 23, 1878	Improvement in loose pulleys	John Saltar Jr.	Smithville, NJ
204,929	Jun. 18, 1878	Belt Shifting Pulley	Joseph J. White	Smithville, NJ
213,077	Mar. 11, 1879	Improvement in vises	Bradford W. Storey	Smithville, NJ
224,752	Feb. 17, 1880	Tenoning Machine	Joseph J. White	Smithville, NJ	Inventor White was an important machine designer for H. B. Smith Machine Co.
		Tenoning Machine	William S. Kelley	Smithville, NJ
241,839	May. 24, 1881	File and rasp cutting machine	Joseph J. White	Smithville, NJ	Inventor White was an important machine designer for H. B. Smith Machine Co.
255,069	Mar. 14, 1882	Box-pressing clamp	Charles Wellington Woodford	Essex, NY	Sold by H. B. Smith as the "Woodford box pressing machine".
291,251	Jan. 01, 1884	Hoist	Joseph J. White	New Lisbon, NJ	Inventor White was an important machine designer for H. B. Smith Machine Co.
292,562	Jan. 29, 1884	Wire spoke	William S. Kelley	Smithville, NJ
303,090	Aug. 05, 1884	Pattern Fillet Design	Joseph J. White	New Lisbon, NJ	Inventor White was an important machine designer for H. B. Smith Machine Co.
304,827	Sep. 09, 1884	Bicycle-saddle	William S. Kelley	Smithville, NJ	The inventor had earlier been a partner in the Philadelphia-based woodworking machinery maker Richards, London & Kelley. At the time this patent was issued, Kelley worked for H. B. Smith Machine Co., which was a well-known maker of woodworking machinery and bicycles.
317,904	May. 12, 1885	Hoist	Joseph J. White	New Lisbon, NJ	Inventor White was an important machine designer for H. B. Smith Machine Co.
321,819	Jul. 07, 1885	Bicycle	William S. Kelley	Smithville, NJ	"The present invention relates to improvements designed more particularly for application to that class of front-steering rear-driving machines which are manufactured under the patents granted to G. W. Pressey, Nos. 234,722 and 233,640, commonly known in the art as the 'Star' machine, although as will hereinafter appear, certain of the improvements are also applicable to machines of other styles." Inventor Kelley was an important woodworking-machine inventor for H. B. Smith Machine Co., which also made bicycles.
321,932	Jul. 07, 1885	Bicycle	William S. Kelley	Smithville, NJ	The inventor had earlier been a partner in the Philadelphia-based woodworking machinery maker Richards, London & Kelley. At the time this patent was issued, Kelley worked for H. B. Smith Machine Co., which was a well-known maker of woodworking machinery and bicycles.
350,994	Oct. 19, 1886	Velocipede	Willard G. Rich	Rochester, NY
358,494	Mar. 01, 1887	Manufacture of metal fellies	Hezekiah B. Smith	Smithville, NJ	"Our invention relates, particularly, to the manufacture of those thin elastic externally grooved rims or fellies such as are used in connection with bicycles and similar vehicles." Kelley had earlier been a partner in the Philadelphia-based woodworking machinery maker Richards, London & Kelley. At the time this patent was issued, Kelley worked for H. B. Smith Machine Co., which was a well-known maker of woodworking machinery and bicycles.
		Manufacture of metal fellies	William S. Kelley	Smithville, NJ
362,514	May. 10, 1887	Wheel for bicycles	William S. Kelley	Smithville, NJ	The inventor had earlier been a partner in the Philadelphia-based woodworking machinery maker Richards, London & Kelley. At the time this patent was issued, Kelley worked for H. B. Smith Machine Co., which was a well-known maker of woodworking machinery and bicycles.
386,710	Jul. 24, 1888	Carving-machine	Stephen Y. Kittle	Wilkes-Barre, PA	Seen on H. B. Smith's "Kittle Corner Block Carver Machine".
389,045	Sep. 04, 1888	Hot Air Engine	Joseph L. Bair	Philadelphia, PA	Assignee White was an important woodworking machinery inventor for H. B. Smith Machine Co.
436,712	Sep. 16, 1890	Adjustable table for carving-machines	Stephen Y. Kittle	Wilkes-Barre, PA	Seen on H. B. Smith's "Kittle Corner Block Carver Machine".
460,699	Oct. 06, 1891	Swing-saw machine	Ernst F. Autenrieth	New York, NY
657,357	Sep. 04, 1900	Sandpapering-machine	James L. Perry	Smithville, NJ	This is the first endless-bed triple-drum sander. Patent 657,358 covers the drums for this machine.
657,358	Sep. 04, 1900	Sandpapering-machine	James L. Perry	Smithville, NJ	Patent 657,357 covers the machine proper; this patent covers the drums.
673,102	Apr. 30, 1901	Power driving mechanism	William O. Vivarttas	Weehawken, NJ
673,529	May. 07, 1901	Planer-matcher	William O. Vivarttas	Weehawken, NJ
677,721	Jul. 02, 1901	Flooring-machine	William O. Vivarttas	Weehawken, NJ
691,331	Jan. 14, 1902	Gage for setting cutter-heads	Solomon F. Wise	Philadelphia, PA
694,510	Mar. 04, 1902	Double-spindle drawer-pull boring-machine	Solomon F. Wise	Philadelphia, PA
750,917	Feb. 02, 1904	Planing-machine	William O. Vivarttas	Weehawken, NJ	Invention relates to divided chip-breakers.
771,756	Oct. 04, 1904	Tenoning-machine	Solomon F. Wise	Philadelphia, PA
785,117	Mar. 21, 1905	Drum for sandpapering-machines	James L. Perry	Smithville, NJ
874,915	Dec. 24, 1907	Carrier for sandpapering-machines	James L. Perry	Smithville, NJ
876,911	Jan. 14, 1908	Means for lubricating sandpapering-machines	James L. Perry	Smithville, NJ
891,857	Jun. 30, 1908	Drum for sandpapering-machines	James L. Perry	Smithville, NJ
891,950	Jun. 30, 1908	Sandpapering-machine	James L. Perry	Smithville, NJ
995,540	Jun. 20, 1911	Sandpapering-machine	William S. Kelley	Mount Holly, NJ
1,012,651	Dec. 26, 1911	Sandpapering-machine	William S. Kelley	Mount Holly, NJ
1,800,805	Apr. 14, 1931	Sanding machine	Bryan D. Pinkney	Smithville, NJ
1,936,992	Nov. 28, 1933	Sanding machine	Bryan D. Pinkney	Smithville, NJ
2,646,685	Jul. 28, 1953	Shaft vibrator	Henry E. Willitts	Smithville, NJ	"My improved vibrator is suitable for use wherever it is desired to impart a reciprocatory motion to a rotating shaft, but it is particularly adapted for the reciprocation of the rotating abrasive drums or rollers of sanding machines."