In about 1905 the Peter Brothers Manufacturing Co. was established by Edward C. Peter and Willis T. Peter, sons of Civil War veteran and businessman John Peter. From the beginning they manufactured an ironing machine (a product outside the scope of this Vintage Machinery website) for the American Ironing Machine Company. By 1913 the Peter Bros. were manufacturing an early abrasive metal-cutting machine. By 1914 they had acquired the rights to a drill/tap chuck and tapping attachment that had been invented by William L. Procunier and manufactured by the Woodstock Safety Chuck Co.

In 1919 the Peter Brothers company was acquired by the American Ironing Machine Company, and on March 2, 1920 the two businesses were formally merged under the name of the American Ironing Machine Company. It appears that the abrasive saw and tapping products were discontinued at abut that time, although some industrial directories continued to list the Peter Bros. for a few years longer.

Information Sources

• April 1913 American Machine and Tool Record has a full-page ad for an abrasive cutting machine from "Peter Brothers' Mfg. Co. / 100 Railroad Street / Algonquin, Ill."
• October 1914 Machinery.

  Tapping Chuck and Tapping Attachment: Peter Bros. Mfg. Co., Algonquin, Ill. These are two products which were formerly manufactured by the Woodstock Safety Chuck Co., Woodstock, Ill. The turning resistance of the tapping chuck is obtained by the combination of an adjusting nut, a spring, and male and female friction cones. The taps are driven in the usual way by the square end. The tapping attachment provides for handling tapping operations on drill presses which are not provided with a reverse motion.

• 1920 Certified List of Domestic and Foreign Corporations lists Peter Brothers Manufacturing Company, Algonquin, with $40,000 in capital stock.
• October 1921 Condensed Catalogues of Mechanical Equipment lists Peter Brothers' Mfg. Co., Algonquin, Ill., as providers of abrasive cutting-off machines, tapping chucks, and tapping attachments.
• 1922 Moody's Manual of Railroads and Corporation Securities lists American Ironing Machine Co., which was incorporated 1905-09-25; consolidated with Peter Bros. Manufacturing Co. of Algonquin, Ill., in 1919. H. G. Grosse, president; E. C. Peter, vice president. The two brothers were among the five company directors.
• The 1922 History of McHenry County, Illinois, Volume 2 has a biography of John Peter that mentions the sons' business in passing.
• November 1923 Popular Mechanics carries a display ad from Peter Bros. Mfg. Co. of Algonquin for a 1/6 HP motor set up as a one-sided buffer/grinder, for $17.95. The same ad was seen in a January 1924 issue of the same magazine.
• 1924 Hendricks' Commercial Register of the United States lists Peter Bros. Mfg. Co., Algonquin, Ill., as makers of "Woodstock Safety Tapping Chucks".
• A 2016 document by Donald V. Purn on Algonquin Civil War veterans (PDF) provides information on John Peter, father of the Peter brothers and a co-owner of that business.
• According to an Algonquin city history site, on March 2, 1920, "Peter Brothers Company changes name to American Ironing Company."
• A web page on the American Ironing Machine Co. explains that between 1905 and 1920, their ironing machines were manufactured by Peter Brothers Manufacturing Co., until the two business merged and took the name of the American Ironing Machine Co. In 1932 they were acquired by Barlow & Selig Manufacturing Co. and was operated as a subsidiary until 1956.