Film—There are few things of greater importance to the hardware dealer than files, and the story of the development of the file industry is interesting. They are articles which have to be made with the greatest care and go through a great number of processes before they reach perfection and are fitted for use. The five leading operations requisite are forg ing, annealing, grinding, cutting and hardening. They were formerly made entirely by hand, and even to this day there still exists among a few the preference for the hand-made file. The history of the business really dates from the practical use of a machine to cut files, patent for which to all intents and purposes was first issued to William Nicholson in 1816. There are records of file-cutting machines in France as far back as 1699, and several since that time up to the 19th century, but none of them ap parently of any practical value. The first really important attempt to manufacture files was soon after 1350 at Ramapo, N. Y., a company being organized under the name of the American File Company, with large capital. The life of the attempt was short, however, and the business was soon discontinued. Various attempts were made shortly after that — both in this country and England — to manufacture files by machin ery, and none of them had any extended ex perience.
About 1863, Mr. William T. Nicholson, of Providence, R. I., gave the matter of file cut ting by machinery his personal thought and attention. He had long training as a mechanic and practical experience in the finest branches of machinery. At that time the great source of supply of files for this country was the hand made files of England, and the story of at tempts to cut files by machinery had been one of sunken capital, ruined hopes and dismal failures. From this beginning grew the great present firm of the Nicholson File Company, which largely dominates the file trade in this country and has an enormous export business. They have produced better and cheaper files than it is possible to cut by hand, and have carried the business apparently to the point of perfection. The importation of files has fallen to about $75,000 per annum, while the total out put of American files does not fall short of $6,000,000, and is represented by total invest mend of approximately $12,000,000. See FILES AND FILEMAKING.
Rasps.— Few things have been more marked than the determination of the American manu facturer to produce successfully a machine-cut horse rasp. It followed a long way in the wake of the machine-cut file, and after many discour agements — the principal difficulty being to overcome the inveterate prejudice of the black smith. To-day hand-cut horse rasps are a thing of the past.
Bolts and Nuts.— The manufacture of bolts and nuts dates as far back as 1798, a patent for screw machinery at that time being issued to David Wilkinson, a celebrated mechanic of Rhode Island. There were various other pat
ents granted and these gradually developed in later years into the present Blotters, threaders, pointers and tapers. By slow growth and by innumerable inventions and improvements this industry has attained its present enormous pro portions and is represented to-day by more than 100 establishments, which manufacture all of the various kinds and styles of bolts, the yearly product being something like 1,000,000,000 bolts, valued at nearly $25,000,000.
Screws.— The manufacture of screws — or, as they are technically known, wood screws is one of the important developments of this country, though the demand does not keep pace with the growth of the country owing to the continued substitution of steel for iron, and consequently of bolts and rivets for screws. Screw machinery of the highest type of auto matic efficiency and almost equals human intel ligence in its working. Patents for various de vices on screw machinery date back into the latter part of the 18th century, and innumerable patents have have been issued since that time. The real beginning of successful manufacture was in 1838 when the Eagle Screw Company was incorporated in Providence, R. I., the lead ing spirit being Mr. William G. Angel. In 1846 Mr. Angel finally perfected the machine for making what is known as the gimlet point on a screw — up to that time it had a blunt point. From this time dates the prosperity and growth of his company, which grew into the present American Screw Company. There are now some 13 large concerns engaged in the manufacture of screws and scattered from New England to the Mississippi River. See SC:REWS.
Tin Plate.— The tin plate and sheet iron industry has kept pace with the general growth of the iron industry all over the country, and has been greatly fostered by a protective tariff since the time of what has been known as the McKinley Bill. Its production in this country has grown at an enormous rate, as may be seen from the statement that in 1892 there were only about 18,000 tons of tin plate produced in this country as against about 1,026,983 tons in 1914. The industry is chiefly represented by what are known as black sheets, tin plates, and teme plates—all of which have now become integral parts of the hardware business. See TIN PLATE.
Among the lines which were originally independent, but which have prac tically become now incorporated with the hard ware business, is that of the tinware industry in all its various ramifications. The retail hardware shop has practically absorbed the tinners' shop, and because the fact that hand made tinware is fast being supplanted by the product of the stamping company, the hardware retailer has gone into the handling of tinware in all shapes and varieties.