Innovation from Alcoa

 Aluminum beer cans were introduced in 1958, this ad predates Ermal Fraze's invention of the ring pull tab.

J N Lapointe broaching machines

When I was about 14 years old, the female spline in the rear hub of our old Allis Chalmers B wore to nothing and that was hay mowing done for that day. I pulled the wheel hub and visited a local machine shop who tried to explain why they couldn't help (especially at the price we could afford...)

Putting new steel in where it was needed seemed simple enough to a guy who had no idea how the spline had been accomplished in the first place. When the broaching process was explained to me, I realized that it was an integral part of manufacturing, though I'm not sure I've ever seen an actual machine. Simply explained, a lathe removes metal by chiseling it away in a rotational motion, broaching chisels linearly.  No news to many of the audience, I know, but a broach is effectively a collection of single-point cutting tools arrayed in sequence, cutting one after the other.  Broaching was developed during the 1850s as the need for accurate keyways in shafts, pulleys and gears developed. in the mid 1890s, Joseph Napoleon Lapointe, originally from Ste. Hyacinthe, Québec, invented a much improved broaching process and left Pratt and Whitney to start his own company. That company, Lapointe Machine Tool, struggled along for awhile till J N was forced out in 1911. He and his son immediately started the J N Lapointe Company, making broaching machines like the ones in this post in direct competition to his former company. The original Lapointe Machine Tool company is still around.  J N died in 1928 and the son Francis shows up later in Ann Arbor at the American Broach Co. which served the automotive companies and  munitions industry, especially during WW2. It is also still active today under different ownership.

 As for that struggling, sunburnt teenager in the hayfield, he ultimately got a used hub at a wrecking yard, first experience with that world, and the haymowing resumed.

 

                     Cyclopedia of Modern Shop Practice, American Technical Society Vol III, 1919

Planes in formation, Vampires

 

Advances in visors

 We've all seen this before, I'm sure.... But every time I see it, I am always amazed that an engineering/marketing team thought it would sell...

Ariel leader body panels

 

Sidecar Sunday

 

 The 1933 model year was one of the lowest production years in Harley history, with only 2671 big twins produced and a total production of 3703 units (includes singles and small twins). Both motorcycles pictured are powered by 74 cu in. sidevalve engines with hand-shift three-speed transmissions. Of the two motorcycles used in the photo shoot, the sidecar model, is the rarest with only 164 being manufactured.

Little Tonka vans

Some kids took better care of their toys than others. I always liked the little "cabover vans" from Tonka, probably led to the string of 60's Chevy vans and Toyota vans I owned and drove over the years. 

 

Land Rover cutaway view

 Interesting angle, by Italian cutaway artist Giulio Betti.

1920's gasoline tank truck

Cute, the tank looks about the size of a furnace oil tank.

Another good use for old pistons

  From a 1958 Popular Mechanics Shop Tips magazine. If you already had enough ashtrays made from pistons you could use cut down pistons to make a tailstock or a set of indexing centers for your horizontal mill. I admire the ingenuity and amount of work done here, but have to wonder just how many of these things were made by readers.