Tools - in true Canadian fashion
Although a much smaller market than the US, Canada has had its share of successes in the tool industry. In fact you may be surprised that some of the tools you've become accustomed to having around the house and working with could have been invented right here in Canada. We've paid our dues, so to speak, and no doubt Canadians will continue to innovate, respecting the fine tradition of craftsmanship and quality. Let's take a quick tour of some Canadian examples of sheer genius in the last century...
You've seen those colour-coded screwdriver heads to indicate the small to large size. We owe our thanks to P.L. Robertson, a Canadian. This was back in the early 1900s when Mr. Robertson finally got his square headed driver and screw system into place. It was so effective that an American company called the Fisher Body Company decided to use it. The Fisher Body Company by the way was famous for its construction of the Ford Model T. Mr. Robertson's "head" is used in about 85% of the screws sold in Canada.
A Canadian man simply adored nails (not the painted ones that ladies give loving care to) that he made quite a fortune out of them. Allan Dove is said to be the founder of the world's premier nail. Thinking "spiral" while he was working in Stelco, he proposed to Stelco in 1954 that there must be a nail that can be better designed to make fastening more efficient. Stelco accepted his idea and this gave rise to what is now called the Ardox nail. It was designed with a helical spiral running from the tip to the head. This design was far superior than the other nails already in existence. The ease of driving it - made possible by the spiral forcing wood fibers to the sides of the nail; and two, the Ardox nail was found to have 85% more holding power - non-spiraled nails tended to loosen up after a few days.
Tools: more from Canada
Ah, but of course, who doesn't recognize a paint roller? An entrepreneur from Toronto, Norman Breakey announced, that the paint roller would revolutionize the painting and decorating industry, and he was right. He also announced that it would produce a creative generation of do-it-yourselfers, and he was right again. There was just one problem. One imitator after another appeared on the scene and since Breakey didn't have the financial resources to defend his invention, all the copy cats became a burden too large for him to bear.
Caulking gun - bet you didn't think this was a Canadian original. Theodore Witte got the idea from his local baker to execute a smooth, weatherproof seal by forcing window putty through a nozzle. Cake makers were using a kind of gun to apply icing on their cake, but have since abandoned the gun and picked up the cloth bag which was much easier to handle. Today, caulk manufacturers started introducing squeezable caulk tubes that work just like the cloth bag.
There were more Canadian inventions - too many to mention them all here. So next time you pick up one of your tools to work with, try to imagine what went into its invention. Tools hold fascinating histories and mysterious stories that might entertain you!
Article Source: www.canadianhomeworkshop.com
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