Pg 50 - The Taylor Tool Case

The ‘Taylor’ Tool Case Story

Thanks to Susan Strains’ research, she found that in 1907 William D Taylor, Bridgeport, CT, had filed a Patent Application for a Tool Box. It was never granted.

William D Taylor was born in 1881 in New Hampshire. He was still living there in 1900 but moved to Bridgeport, CT, around 1900 to 1905. He started off as a painter of houses and automobiles, which he turned into a business at his home at 43 Black Rock Turnpike. He also became a machinist and started his own tool & die making business on Brewster St. in Bridgeport.

In a 1921 Bridgeport newspaper, he was termed a Magnate (A wealthy and influential person, especially in business).

In 1907 Royal Loveridge, a carpenter at 309 Main in Bridgeport, CT, started manufacturing Machinist Boxes. It could be that Loveridge had the idea for the folding front panel case and built different configurations in 1905 – 1906. He then partnered with Taylor to develop a market in 1906. Taylor did the rest.

Loveridge passed in late 1909. Taylor found other makers such as, possibly H. Gerstner & Sons, and continued.

In 1907 Hammacher Schlemmer &Co started buying A MACHINIST PORTABLE TOOL CASE with some specified changes from the above. I don’t doubt that William D Taylor was the person who made the sale. It could have been that HS&Co bought their design and relocated their mfg. before or after Royal’s passing.

I don’t know who took over the Machinist Boxes manufacturing business, if at all, after Royal passed, of course Taylor may have. In 1912 Royal’s wife still lived there along with a son, Roy, who had a company called Crane Valve Co.