Automatic Wood Screw Making Machine   Brass button and constituent parts   Button Shank Making Machine   Cadbury's Sweet Wrapping Machine   Hand Press for Pen Nib Manufacture   Holtzapffel Grinding Machine    < prev | next > BACK  HIDE DESCRIPTION Automatic wood screw making machine MANUFACTURER Nettlefold & Chamberlain, Birmingham, Britain INVENTOR/DESIGNER Thomas James Sloan, American DATE 1860 MATERIAL Iron, steel, copper alloy, leather DIMENSIONS 880x100x720 PROVENANCE Gift from Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds (G.K.N.) Ltd in 1954 LOCATION Thinktank BACK  HIDE DESCRIPTION Brass button and constituent parts MANUFACTURER J. R. Gaunt, Birmingham, Britain MATERIAL Brass DIMENSIONS 22x22x15 PROVENANCE Gift from Bliss Brothers LOCATION MCC BACK  HIDE DESCRIPTION Button Shank Making Machine MANUFACTURER Possibly Ralph Heaton, 1755-1832, British INVENTOR/DESIGNER Ralph Heaton, 1755-1832, British DATE c.1800 MATERIAL Copper alloy, wood DIMENSIONS 380x100x75 PROVENANCE Gift from Copper Alloys Ltd in 1958 LOCATION Thinktank BACK  HIDE DESCRIPTION Cadbury's Tinfoil Sweet Wrapping Machine MANUFACTURER Cadbury Brothers Ltd, Birmingham, Britain DATE c.1930s MATERIAL Steel, aluminium, wood, paint DIMENSIONS 1400x1120x40 PROVENANCE Gift from Cadbury Brothers in 1974 LOCATION Thinktank BACK  HIDE DESCRIPTION Hand Press for Pen Nib Manufacture MANUFACTURER Joseph Gillott & Sons Ltd, Birmingham, Britain INVENTOR/DESIGNER Joseph Gillott (1799-1872), British DATE c.1840 MATERIAL Cast iron, steel, leather DIMENSIONS 770x360x225 PROVENANCE Gift from Joseph Gillot and Sons, Ltd in 1953 LOCATION Thinktank BACK  HIDE DESCRIPTION Grinding Machine for Ornamental Turning INVENTOR/DESIGNER John Jacob Holtzappfel, London, Britain DATE 1870 MATERIAL steel, copper alloy, wood, lacquer DIMENSIONS 970x680x580 PROVENANCE Private gift in 1962 LOCATION MCC BACK  HIDE DESCRIPTION Linen Button Making Machine, Serial No 439 MANUFACTURER Buttons Ltd, Birmingham, Britain INVENTOR/DESIGNER John Ashton (?), British DATE c. 1914 MATERIAL Steel, iron, copper alloy, wood, leather, textile DIMENSIONS 1550x1600x1050 PROVENANCE Gift from Buttons Ltd in 1965 LOCATION Thinktank BACK Making machine tools can be traced back several thousand years. But it was not until the late 17th century that craftsmen began the changeover from wood-working lathes to ones capable of machining steel. They needed a variety of gear cutting, grinding, and precise screw-cutting machines to fabricate their products. Manufacturing machines to make machines became an important aspect of the Industrial Revolution. This dramatically changed the methods and standards of production throughout the whole world. The Manufacturing collection consists of more than 3,000 various mechanical tools for jobs, and machines for making machines dated from the early 18th century to the present time. The history of manufacture knows brilliant mechanics and sophisticated tools. In the collection, the tools designed by famous engineers James Watt, Henry Maudslay, and Charles Holtzapffel can be found, along with lathes, which reputedly belonged to the French king Louis XVI, and also to Birmingham entrepreneur Matthew Boulton. These objects can be seen on display at Thinktank, and also at MCC by appointment.

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