William Asquith
William Asquith, machine tool makers, of Highroad Well Works, Halifax.
c.1865 Founded by William Asquith (1840-1901), a native of Halifax, who had spent time in the gold fields of Canada and California. Right from the start the company operated from the Highroad Well area of Halifax. The company became specialist manufacturers of radial drilling machines and one claim to fame was that they supplied 40 drilling machines used during the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1924.
This site expanded to service several branches of the Asquith business which included a foundry.
The company has had numerous changes of ownership and is now part of Asquith Butler. Although no longer operating from the Highroad Well site, there is still plenty of evidence of over 100 years of engineering by Asquith on this site.
1884 Engraving and brief description of a horizontal boring, drilling, and surfacing machine, constructed by W. Asquith for an engineering firm in the United States. 'The main standard carrying the steel boring spindle, which is 6 in. in diameter, is adjustable vertically and transversely both by hand and power. The spindle is capable of variable feed in either direction, and can be made stationary for surfacing. It can also be withdrawn instantly from the work when required. The two standards which carry the bearings for the boring bars are adjustable in any direction by hand. There are also two portable standards carrying boring heads. These have self-acting feed motions, and are designed for drilling or boring objects simultaneously with the main boring spindle. The whole apparatus is mounted on a strong cast-iron bed-plate, 24 ft. long by 8 ft. wide, accurately planed on the face, sides, and slots, and weighs 25 tons.' [3]. See illustration.
1886 Description and engraving of a lathe designed to turn two railway wheels on their axle at one operation, or to turn a tyre on one face-plate and bore the boss of the wheel on the other, simultaneously or independently.[4]
1896 Description and engraving of Asquith's milling, boring and drilling machine[5]
1897 Description and engraving of a large plate-edge planing machine for HM Dockyard, Hong Kong. 'The machine illustrated will plane 24 ft. long at one cut, and the ends have been so formed that, by re-setting, any length of plate can be planed. The maximum depth is 12 in., and a hand and variable self-acting vertical feed motion is adopted.' See 1897 illustration [6]
1901 The Asquith was a short-lived English automobile manufactured from 1901 to 1902. The car originally had a front-mounted De Dion engine and belt-drive; this last was later replaced by a two-speed gearbox because the belts kept slipping disastrously. Probably only one car was built before the firm decided to concentrate on machinery. Used the name West End Motor Co.
1914 Directory: Listed as Drilling Machinery Makers and of Victoria Buildings, High Street, Stockton. [7]
1920 September. Exhibited at the Machine Tool and Engineering Exhibition at Olympia with several new types of radial drilling machines. [8]
c.1921 Public company incorporated
1927 See Aberconway for information on the company and its history.
1934 Illustrated description of railway wheel and axle turning lathe [9]
1937 Machine tool manufacturers. [10]
1939 See Aircraft Industry Suppliers
1953 Acquired Drummond Brothers of Guildford
1954 Asquith, Wm., Ltd. London Office: Halifax House, Strand, London, W.C.2. Sales and Service: Drummond- Asquith (Sales), Ltd., King Edward House, New Street, Birmingham, 2. Works: Highroad Well Works, Halifax. T.: Halifax 61258. Drilling and boring machines.[11]
1954 William Asquith changed the company name to Asquith Machine Tool Corporation; the operating company would take on the previous name[12]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Engineering 1884/01/04
- ↑ The Engineer 1918/03/15
- ↑ Engineering 1884/01/04
- ↑ Engineering 1886/08/13
- ↑ Engineering 1896/02/21
- ↑ Engineering 1897/07/09
- ↑ Kelly's Directory of Durham, 1914 p658
- ↑ The Engineer 1920/09/10 p244
- ↑ Engineering 1934/04/20
- ↑ 1937 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
- ↑ 1954 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
- ↑ The Times, Aug 20, 1954