Photo Index - Hill, Clarke & Co. - unknown

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Hill, Clarke & Co.
Boston, MA; St. Louis, MO

True Manufacturer:
Champion Blower & Forge Co., Lancaster, PA

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Drill Press
Machine Size:	unknown
Submitted By:	Chris Bourgeois

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	unknown
Date of Manufacturer:	1901
Serial Number:
Last Updated	4/17/2025 9:24:53 AM

Comments:

I was given this many years ago, and I added a motor at the time. Now that I am a little older and wiser about belt driven machinery, I will attempt to re-do what I started to do back then!

I got a new leather belt made for it about 15 years ago, but I was having issues with tracking the belt back then. I just got some "Prestone Belt dressing" And that did the trick, it tracks very nicely now...

When I got it home, I found out I was missing a small steel wheel that helps drive the spindle, So I am haveing 2 new wheels made. I wired this up with a toggle switch, and a grounded power cord.

The Drill press came to me with an old Kekless chuck. Upon closer inspection, I found out it was not the correct thread for the "Motor Arbor" I got a Die and chased the treads on the "Motor Arbor". I had a Jacobs 6B Chuck, and it was the correct thread, so I will be using this. I also found a nut to jam against the chuck.

There is a pulley system in the upper arm. To me it looks like a weight would be hung in the main tube, and then a rope or chain would be fed thru the pulleys and attached to the geared spindle that is in the arm that slides up and down the column, to balance the weight. I have some old window weights laying around so I may have to experiment a little. (one weight is NOT enough weight.

The Base is made from angle iron welded together to a 1/2" steel plate as the working surface of the drill press. I plan on encasing the motor in the base area with some smoked lexan should look slick when it's done!

Last night I was able to pull the "Head" of my drill press apart, and found 2 bearings and on the bearings I found this text: "CONE SIDE FOREIGN PAT'S PAT NOV.12.1901 (image of a Star)". So far this is the only text I have found on my drill press.

This has a 4 speed set-up: 342 rpm - 555 rpm - 910 rpm - 1622 rpm
The Diameters of the sheaves/pulleys are:
Motor Sheave:
2.5", 3.25", 4", 4.75"

Pulley-Sheave:
5", 4", 3", 2", Flat Belt: 2.375"

Drill Head:
6"

I found that the centers of the stepped motor sheave needs 19/32" of play so the same length belt can be used on all 4 speeds.

[ADMIN NOTE JAJ 2025-04-17: Patent date on the bearings corresponds to patent 686,617, granted to Henry B. Keiper. He was founder of Champion Blower & Forge Co. This drill press was, more likely than not, manufactured by Champion even though it has not been seen in a Champion catalog, nor can we find an example of a Champion-branded version.]

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