Vaughan & Bushnell Mfg. Company

Table of Contents

Introduction

Company History

Vaughan & Bushnell was founded in 1869 by Alexander Vaughan in Chicago, Illinois and initially operated as a maker of post augers. Vaughan had invented an improved auger and received patent #91,387 in 1869. The success of the auger business led to the production of other types of hand tools.

After the Chicago fire of 1871 destroyed the business, Sidney Bushnell provided additional capital to rebuild the business, and in 1882 the company was incorporated as the Vaughan & Bushnell Manufacturing Company. By the 1880s the company was making a wide variety of tools, including hammers, chisels, punches, wrecking bars, and pliers.

Fig. 1. 1906 Advertisement for V & B Hammers. [External Link]

Fig. 1 shows an ad for Vaughan & Bushnell "Eagle" brand hammers, as published on page 1184 of the June, 1906 issue of Hardware Dealers' Magazine.

Early Use of Vanadium Steel

By 1917 (or possibly earlier) the company was advertising the use of vanadium steel for some of its tools, in particular for hammers. This was a significant early use of alloy steel.

Fig. 2. 1917 Advertisement for V & B Tools. [External Link]

Fig. 2 shows an ad for V & B "Vanadium" nail hammers, part of a full-page ad published on page 1 of the May 19, 1917 issue of American Artisan and Hardware Record.

The text notes the use of vanadium steel in the company's hammers, and also illustrates the company's nail sets and rivet sets.

Fig. 3. 1920 Advertisement for Vaughan & Bushnell Vanadium Tools. [External Link]

Fig. 3 shows an ad for Vaughan "Supersteel" tools, as published on page 88 of the November 1, 1920 issue of Southern Hardware and Implement Journal.

The illustration shows a vanadium steel hammer and a bit brace with vanadium steel jaws.

The company continued to advertise vanadium steel tools through at least 1930, a period during which the tool-buying public was increasingly aware of the merits of alloy steel.

Vaughan Family Buyout

By 1922 the Vaughan family had purchased a controlling interest in the company.

An article summarizing a meeting of the company's Board of Directors can be found on page 97 [External Link] of the December, 1922 issue of Hardware World, which states that Sanford S. Vaughan had acquired a controlling interest in the company.

The article also notes that Alexander S. Vaughan, the founder's grandson, had been promoted to the position of secretary and treasurer.

Continuing Operations

The company continues in business today as Vaughan Manufacturing, and interested readers can find more information at the Vaughan [External Link] web site, which includes a page on the History of Vaughan & Bushnell [External Link].

Patents

Trademarks

In 1920 the company filed for a trademark on "V & B" in a logo, as seen in the figure below.

Fig. 5. 1920 Trademark Filing for Vaughan & Bushnell.

Fig. 5 shows the trademark filing for "V & B" in a logo, as published on page 516 of the October 19, 1920 issue of the Official Gazette of the USPTO.

The first use date was noted as November 20, 1913.

The description of goods in the filing provides an extensive list of the company's products at the time, which included braces, hammers, reamers, chisels, punches, hatchets, saws, planes, pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers, and many more.

References and Resources

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

Catalog Coverage

Industrial Distributors

Vaughan & Bushnell products were widely available from industrial distributors. We'll add references as time permits.

• Ducommun Catalog "E" 1918. The 1918 catalog "E" from the Ducommun Hardware Company of Los Angeles lists V&B alligator wrenches on page 237, and shows illustrations of Nos. 0, 1, 2, 3, 12, 13 and 14.

  Also listed are V&B punches on page 274, gas and burner pliers on page 294, screwdriver bits on page 347, wrecking bars on page 484, and box scrapers on page 485.

• Samuel Harris 1925. The 1925 catalog No. 51 from Samuel Harris & Company of Chicago lists V&B Button's and nut pliers on page 349, wrecking bars on page 361, hammers on pages 362-369, and chisels on pages 941-942.

• Ducommun Catalog "G" 1926. The 1926 catalog "G" from the Ducommun Corporation lists V & B chisels on pages 268-269 and V & B pin punches on page 273. Other listings include V & B countersink bits and screwdriver bits on pages 373-374.

Selected Tools

Vaughan & Bushnell 8 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers

Fig. 6. Vaughan & Bushnell 8 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Detail.

Fig. 6 shows a pair of Vaughan & Bushnell 8 inch Button's Pattern Pliers, stamped with "Vau???Bushn??" faintly visible on one handle (see middle right inset).

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Button's Pattern pliers were first produced by J.M King & Company in the late 1860s and became one of the most popular styles of wire-cutting pliers. The Vaughan & Bushnell Button's pliers shown here are very similar to the J.M. King models.

Vaughan & Bushnell Cotter Pin Puller

Fig. 7. Vaughan & Bushnell Cotter Pin Puller, with Inset for Marking Detail.

Fig. 7 shows a Vaughan & Bushnell cotter pin puller, stamped "Vaughan & Bushnell Mfg. Co." on the side.

The overall length is 6.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Alligator Wrenches

Fig. 8. 1918 Catalog Listing for Vaughan & Bushnell Alligator Wrenches.

Alligator wrenches were an important early product for V & B.

The scan in Fig. 8, from page 237 of the 1918 Ducommun catalog "E", gives illustrations for six models of alligator wrenches, Nos. 0, 1, 2, 3, 12, 13, and 14. The table at the bottom of the listing gives specifications and prices for the wrenches.

The description notes that the wrenches are drop-forged from "extra warranted steel" and then oil tempered.

Vaughan & Bushnell No. 101 Double-Ended Alligator Wrench

Fig. 9. Vaughan & Bushnell No. 101 Double-Ended Alligator Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail.

Fig. 9 shows a Vaughan & Bushnell No. 101 double-ended alligator wrench, stamped with "V. & B." on a panel in the center of the checkered field, with the "101" model on the back panel.

The overall length is 4.9 inches, and the finish is plain steel.