Automating dumb stuff

[Clark]

Hi, again,

Doing stuff by hand can be boring and is not always appropriate (and
plagiarizing is?).

So Dolge reports

> In America two inventors patented hammer-covering machines in 1850.
> Rudolf Kreter...patented a most ingenious but complicated 
> machine...Frederick Mathushek's patent of 1850 was for a hammer 
> covering machine of much simpler construction...

Nothing in patents issued during 1850 (6981-7864); the first-mentioned
machine is

9526 Piano action; R. Kreter, 04.01.1853

Searching tips from <http://www.uspto.gov/>:

> ccl/84/254 - Hammer heads: Improvements in the striking parts of the
> hammer and in hammer-felts.
> SEE OR SEARCH CLASS: 144, Woodworking, subclass 29 for piano-hammer 
> felting.

which is

> ccl/144/29 - Piano-hammer felting:...Machine adapted to fold 
> glue-covered felt about and secure it by pressure to a piano-hammer.
> SEE OR SEARCH CLASS: 156, Adhesive Bonding and Miscellaneous Chemical
> Manufacture, subclasses 349+ for surface laminating apparatus, in
> general.

Still, nothing 'cept Kreter's turns up in the expected time frame - arg.
Where's Mathushek's?


Parts manufacturing goes quickly and accurate enough, no real need to
automate but we have ~four actions' worth of bushings to do soon - any
leads on an expired patent worth copying? 

At least for keys, 470276 - Machine for bushing mortises; P.H. Wright,
08.03.1892 looks promising. 

Cheers,


Clark