Photo Index - American Machine & Foundry Co. (AMF) - Float-Lock Safety Vise

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
American Machine & Foundry Co. (AMF)
New York, NY

True Manufacturer:
American Machine & Foundry Co. (AMF), New York, NY

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery & Metal Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Other
Machine Size:	18-9
Submitted By:	Jerry Fiore

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	Float-Lock Safety Vise
Date of Manufacturer:	Circa 1952
Serial Number:	NA
Last Updated	6/5/2025 3:41:29 PM

Comments:

I purchased this vise on eBay. It came with a mounting bracket that is unusual and I'm not sure it's original, although the paint matches. I did a little research on the inventor and company and included it below. This may be an early version because the casting says patent pending.

Float-Lock Safety Vise and Inventor Henry Persson (1896-1976).

Henry Sigfrid Persson was born in Braknehol, Sweden and immigrated to the US in 1922. He was an engineer/inventor and along with his brother, Tage, had many patents. In 1945 Henry and Tage shared a house and a small, attached, machine shop at 224 Glenwood Ave in Bloomfield, New Jersey. The house and shop are still there.

In 1949 Henry filed the first patent for the Float-Lock Vise, and it was assigned to Float-Lock Corp., Bloomfield, New Jersey.

In 1950 Float-Lock Corp. introduced the first Float-Lock Safety Vice.

In 1951 the patent 2,552,580 was granted to Henry.

In 1951 American Machine and Foundry (AMF) purchased Float-Lock Corp. AMF marketed the Float-Lock Vise under the Wahlstrom/Float- Lock Brand. Wahlstrom was another company AMF had acquired that made drill press chucks.

Henry continued to work for AMF and submitted several more patents:
• 1952 Patent RE23,519 Granted to Henry Persson
• 1955 Patent 2,724,295 Granted to H. Persson
• 1970 Patent 3,520,527 Granted to H. Persson

The 1971 Bloomfield Phone Book list Henry as the President of Sigivel Corporation at the 224 Glenwood Avenue address and his last Patent list him in Miami, Florida. Henry passed away in 1976 at the age of 80.

In the mid to late 1970s AMF divested many of their subsidiaries. The Wahlstrom Float-Lock Products Co. was formed in 1979 and is located in Libertyville, Illinois.

The company may have traded hands several times. There are some mentions on the internet of Wahlstrom Float-Lock Products Co., being a Division of Okon Co. in Linden, NJ.

The last address I could find was Wahlstrom Float-Lock Products Co., 1911 Industrial Dr.,
Libertyville, Illinois, 60048-9731.

Today the Wahlstrom branded Float Lock Vise may still be manufactured and can be seen for sale on Light Tool Supply’s website (https://www.lighttoolsupply.com/). Penn Tool Company was selling them, but they no longer list the Wahlstrom Float-Lock Vise on their website.

Photo 1:

Comments: Float-Lock Safety Vise
Source: My iPhone

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