Reed Manufacturing Company

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Reed Manufacturing Company is a maker of vises and pipe tools operating in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Company History

The Reed Manufacturing Company was founded in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1896 by Carl Reed and partners as a maker of vises, pipe tools, and other metal products. The company was incorporated in 1899 with $100,000 in capital, with a list of products including scales and bicycles as well as plumbing tools. The company built its headquarters at 1425 West 8th Street in 1899.

In 1902 the company was acquired by Reuben Wright, and his sons Paul and Ross became president and secretary-treasurer, respectively.

The Katzki Patent Pipe Wrench

Fig. 1. Illustration for 1897 Katzki Patent 588,069.

One of the company's earliest products was a pipe wrench with a spring-loaded jaw based on the 1897 Katzki patent 588,069.

The scan in Fig. 1 shows the illustration for the patent.

Fig. 2. 1898 Ad for Reed Manufacturing Pipe Wrenches. [External Link]

Fig. 2 shows an advertisement for Reed Manufacturing pipe wrenches, as published on page 63 of the July 9, 1898 supplement issue of Scientific American.

The illustration shows the company's pipe wrench based on the 1897 Katzki patent 588,069.

Fig. 3. 1899 Notice for Reed Manufacturing Company. [External Link]

Fig. 3 shows a notice for Reed Manufacturing, as published on page 46 of the August 3, 1899 issue of The Iron Age.

Continuing Operations

Reed Manufacturing remains in business today as a 5th generation family owned business, and the interested reader can find more information in the Company Profile [External Link] on their website.

Patents

Trademarks

References and Resources

Photographs and observations of particular tools are based on items in the Alloy Artifacts Collection.

Catalog Resources

Industrial Distributors

Reed tools were available from some industrial distributors. We'll add references as time permits.

Selected Tools

Reed No. 16 16 Inch Katzki Patent Pipe Wrench

Fig. 4. Reed No. 16 16 Inch Katzki Patent Pipe Wrench, with Insets for Top View and Marking Detail, ca. Late 1890s to Early 1900s.

Fig. 4 shows a Reed No. 16 16 inch Katzki patent pipe wrench, marked with "Reed Mfg. Co." and "Erie, PA. U.S.A." cast into the front, with "PAT AUG 10, 97" cast into the back.

The patent date refers to patent 588,069, filed by A. Katzki in 1896 and issued on that date in 1897.

The overall length is 17.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Reed No. 71 Ratcheting Die Stock

Fig. 5A. Reed No. 71 Ratcheting Die Stock, with Inset for Back Side, ca. Mid 1930s to 1950s.

Fig. 5A shows a Reed No. 71 ratcheting die stock, marked with "Made By Reed Mfg Co" plus "Erie PA USA" cast into the front, with "No. 71" and the "Reed" logo plus "Pat. No. 1955477" cast into the back.

The handle is stamped with "Reed Mfg. Co." and "Erie, PA. U.S.A.", and the size capacity is stated as 1 inch to 5 inch pipe.

The overall length is 17.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel with some red paint remaining on the head. The diameter of the opening is 2-3/8 inches.

The ratchet is equipped with two reversible pawls, allowing it to work in either direction or with the inserted die locked in place.

The marked patent number is for patent 1,955,477, filed by R.P. Wright in 1931 and issued in 1934. But this patent describes a pipe reamer, one of the tools used with the die stock, rather than the ratchet die stock itself.

Reed No. 71 Ratcheting Die Stock with Head

The most common application for a die stock is cutting threads, and for this purpose a die holder attachment is needed. Each die holder (called a "drop head" in the catalogs) is designed to handle pipe of a particular size, so typically several die holders would be kept on hand for the required pipe sizes.

Fig. 5B. Reed No. 71 Ratchet Die Stock with Head, ca. Mid 1930s to 1950s.

Fig. 5B shows the Reed No. 71 ratcheting die stock with a die holder installed.

Each die holder has a die installed to cut threads for pipe of a certain size. This particular die holder is the smallest size and can handle multiple pipe sizes with a suitable bushing.

The next figure shows a pipe reamer attachment for the die stock.

Pipe Reamer Attachment for Reed No. 71 Ratcheting Die Stock

Fig. 6. Pipe Reamer Attachment for Reed No. 71 Ratcheting Die Stock, ca. Mid 1930s to 1950s.

Fig. 6 shows the unmarked pipe reamer attachment acquired with the Reed No. 71 ratcheting die stock.

The overall length is 11.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel with some red paint inside the end.

The shaft of the reamer is fitted with a rotating hand grip secured by a screw.

We couldn't find a brand or other marking on the tool, so this appears to be a generic attachment designed to fit the popular Reed ratcheting die stock.

Die Holder ("Drop Head") for Reed No. 71 Ratcheting Die Stock

Fig. 7. Die Holder for Reed No. 71 Ratcheting Die Stock, ca. Mid 1930s to 1950s.

Fig. 7 shows a die holder or "drop head" acquired with the Reed No. 71 ratcheting die stock.

We couldn't find a brand marking, but the holder has cast-in markings for "5101-05" and an M-Square symbol on the bottom, as seen in the left inset.

The overall height is 3.0 inches, and the diameter at the base is 2-3/8 inches.

The finish is plain steel with red paint.