--- john  wrote:
> Hi again, Dave, 
> 
> 	I was curious about your attempt to tie John
> Richards to John
> Creagh. Could you tell me more about Richards? 

Thanks for the info, John.  John Richards was born in
Philly in 1834, but raised in Ohio. I've collected a
number of anecdotal stories. Such as, John Richards
sent to the D.R. Barton factory following their fire.
He met David Barton kicking through the ashes of all
that was left and told him that Ohio Tool had sent him
to offer their production facilities and whatever
stock Barton might need to get back on their feet
again. Richards writes that the old man had a tear in
his eye because he had just nearly decided to through
in the towel. I imagine that a trip from Columbus to
Rochester in the 1860s was lengthy.

As a young man he paid a cabinetmaker to train him for
3 years so that he could learn the craft. He finished
in two and then went on to millwright tasks...
waterwheels, windmills, etc. Richards began a
relationship/business venture with a fellow names
Spencer and they marketed a motorized scrollsaw under
the Spencer & Richards name.  In the late 1850s he was
hired by Ohio Tool as Superintendent of one of the
prison works. During his stay he began to develop
improvements for many of the machines used in
producing tools and, in fact, took out several patents
for plane body mortisers. 
Somehow this lead John Richards to William H. Doane,
and Richards moved to Cinncinnatti to work for J.A.
Fay & Co. With about a dozen patents  under his belt,
Richards and a clerk from J.A. Fay move to
Philadelphia where they begin the manufacturing of
woodworking machinery under the name Richards, London
& Kelley. his firm becomes named Atlantic Works as
Richards crosses the *Pond* to England to sell,
design, and build more machines. He also tries his
hand at writing and comes up with about a half-doz.
technical books under the publishers Spon and also
Ryder. Richards brings his son George into the picture
to take over production at the Ransome Works plant and
a new plant in Manchester, as well.

John Richards also developed ties in Gothenburg,
Sweden with both manufacturing and designing
machinery. By the mid 1880s John Richards left George
in charge of the European scene and returned to the
states to San Francisco where he started san Francisco
Tool, a firm that specialized in pumps, turbines, and
meters. More books were authored and a Magazine and
publishing house was opened at the Richards home at 22
California Street, in S.F. He also had a patent office
here and served as attorney on at least one patent in
the 1990s. Richards also served as president of the
Pacific Coast Technical Society and one other
mechanic's organization. Industrial Publishing was run
by Richards until 1904. The last writings I've found
from Richards were published in a 1911 Wood Craft
magazine..... he would have been nearly 80 then.

http://www.datamp.org/displayPatent.php?number=46391&type=UT

http://www.datamp.org/displayPatent.php?number=109665&type=UT

http://owwm.com/MfgIndex/detail.asp?ID 

and lastly:

http://files.owwm.com/PDF/RichardsLondonKelley/JohnRichardsArticle.pdf

Many of Richards associates also went on to greater
things, as well. Spencer's son or grandson became an
officer with Oliver Machinery, Kelley went on to be
V.P. and Superintendent of H.B. Smith Machine Co., SF
Tool played a vital part in war production in WWI... a
huge open-sided planer is said to have been in
continuous operation 24/7 for over a year, making
military weapons. 

Sorry for being long-winded.... and for breaching the
dam and letting motorized items spill over into this
quiet cove of the internet.

Dave Potts

--Think education is expensive???

 Try ignorance!

 

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/dpotts77

		
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