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The Drill Box
Neatness always counts, or so they say. It can be most frustrating
to spend more time looking for a tool than actually using it.
This is further magnified when small parts come into play. Who
hasn't had the experience of reassembling a repaired item and
realizing near the end of the process that one screw or part
has been mislaid? The opposite is true when a manufacturer includes
one extra bolt or screw with a new toy, barbecue or piece of
furniture requiring assembly. Coupled with the often cryptic
instruction sheets, these scenarios are guaranteed to provide
a lively environment.
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Two
versions of the patented drill box |
The
modern twist drill bit can be obtained in a myriad of sizes
(specified by numbers, letters, fractions, etc.) and in many
different materials (HSS, carbon steel, carbide). To have one
of each would easily run over 300 pieces. Finding the proper
bit in a box or receptacle (I am partial to old
coffee cans and jam jars) can prove problematic when looking
for a particular size. There are many commercial boxes and storage
cabinets available for the home workshop, but for the job site,
there has to be a better way. It would appear this problem was
recognized and addressed over 110 years ago.
With patent #702,904 (June 24, 1902), Thomas Abraham, a British
citizen residing in Hopedale, Massachusetts (although, he had
declared his intent to become an American in the patent papers),
sought a method to improve the storage of similarly shaped objects,
specifically twist drills. He created a series of holes in the
top of a round receptacle with a rotating cover that could be
indexed, allowing one to access a particular item. The different-sized
circular slots in the cover (some units had two, others had
three) corresponded to a concentric series of circles in graduated
sizes in the container. The sizes were marked on the side of
the round container in terms of fractions. It is unknown if
drill boxes with other means of size specification were manufactured. |
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