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Spreading the Bonney affliction!

LesserSon

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I think I posted my original plot map back a few pages. Also, someone posted a real time pic of the actual old plant (2nd Allentown location I think) a while ago too. Bill300 maybe?

By "real time" do you mean years ago, when it was operational? The pic I posted is at Meadow & Tilghman Streets today about half an hour old. The address of the siding plans you posted is up the street at Meadow and Greenleaf. Business there named Rokat Machine.
 
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twertsy

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By "real time" do you mean years ago, when it was operational? The pic I posted is at Meadow & Tilghman Streets today about half an hour old. The address of the siding plans you posted is up the street at Meadow and Greenleaf. Business there call Rokat Machine.
Pretty sure he said he had just taken it. It was white buildings with white raised letters "Bonney" on the side if I recall?
 

LesserSon

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Mount Union, Pa, maybe? I looked and did not find the photo. I did find Bill300d, but not the pic in his posts.
 
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twertsy

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Mount Union, Pa, maybe? I looked and did not find the photo. I did find Bill300d, but not the pic in his posts.

I also looked here and elsewhere for it to no avail. Sent Bill a note on my site but I'm quite sure it was him, just don't remember where he posted it.
 

bill300d

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Here they are. This is at Meadow St and Cedar St in Allentown.
LesserSon the photo you posted was a textile factory forever until finally closing in the late 70's.
 

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bill300d

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LesserSon sorry I thought the photo you posted was another bldg near there. I have no idea what was in that bldg previously.

Here are some street views from google to help clear things up.
1 Overview showing both sites

2 N Meadow & Green St -The original site Bonney Vise & Tool
as you can see all that is left is the floor of the bldg.

3 N Meadow & Cedar St looking north- Bonney Forge & Tool

4 Bonney Forge looking south on Meadow St

5 Bonney Forge looking south from center of complex

6 Bonney Forge looking north from center of complex
 

bill300d

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LesserSon sorry I thought the photo you posted was another bldg near there. I have no idea what was in that bldg previously.

Here are some street views from google to help clear things up.
1 Overview showing both sites

2 N Meadow & Green St -The original site Bonney Vise & Tool
as you can see all that is left is the floor of the bldg.

3 N Meadow & Cedar St looking north- Bonney Forge & Tool

4 Bonney Forge looking south on Meadow St

5 Bonney Forge looking south from center of complex

6 Bonney Forge looking north from center of complex
 

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Rileysan

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This thread needs more screwdrivers!
I pick up every one I come across and that hasn't been many. Seems that not too many of them survived.
One of these Phillips drivers has been ground to a point. :mad:
But, it followed me home anyway! :dunno: I'm sure I can find something for it to do.

Interesting that you have the only post with Bonney screwdrivers over the history of this thread. It makes me wonder just how uncommon they are - which is what brings me here today. I found a little Bonney flat blade screwdriver in a machinist tool box purchase this week. Cute little fellow!
 

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twertsy

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I have a few but the issue (I believe) is the name is often worn off. I've dug several out that I know we're Bonney but the stamp/name was worn off.
 

Username already in use

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I have a few but the issue (I believe) is the name is often worn off. I've dug several out that I know we're Bonney but the stamp/name was worn off.
They can be tricky since some of the plastic handle variety are identical to some Stanley drivers. I'm not sure if Stanley was making them for Bonney, or the other way around, but the resemblance is unmistakable.
Case in point: this '40s era Stanley driver
UKmB0dQl.jpg


Interesting that you have the only post with Bonney screwdrivers over the history of this thread. It makes me wonder just how uncommon they are - which is what brings me here today. I found a little Bonney flat blade screwdriver in a machinist tool box purchase this week. Cute little fellow!
That's a nice stubby driver. Let me know if you want to get rid of it! :evil:
There is one other Bonney driver posted in this thread. Post #78 on p4 HERE. A nice wooden handle version.:drool:

-0lllll0-
 

LesserSon

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Bill300d, thanks for posting. I'm curious about the brick building on the south side of Tilghman (bridge) at Meadow, because it is the address given in all the old references I could find that were more specific than "Allentown."
 

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twertsy

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Bill300d, thanks for posting. I'm curious about the brick building on the south side of Tilghman (bridge) at Meadow, because it is the address given in all the old references I could find that were more specific than "Allentown."
LS, what year is that clipping from? Or, do you have a link?
 

LesserSon

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If you type "bonney forge and tool works meadow tilghman allentown" into google search bar, you get 69 choices. I'm inclined to think the one I clipped might have been from one of the google books listed. More pertenant to my aim is a notice in Iron Age vol96 july 8, 1915 page 117 that announces Bonney "has nearly completed a one-story forge building, of brick and concrete, 50x153 ft, and is installing hammers, presses,, etc. It is being erected at Meadow and Tilghman Streets, and is in addition to its present machine and forge shops." It's the last paragraph in the left column. I'm thinking it may refer to the building at far right in this image. Or perhaps not.
My iPhone ***** at navigating Google Books, or I would put more effort into posting the link.
 

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LesserSon

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When I first noticed this building, (years before my interest in Bonney) the window frames were painted multiple colors, which you can still see in some angles of the Google Earth street view. Today they are uniformly painted generic light brown.
 

LesserSon

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Another interest was in finding the actual notice or award of trademark to Bonney's Zenel line. It has been announced as found on some sites, but without a link to the source. Here is the source, easy to miss, because it does not mention "Zenel."
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89048465470;view=1up;seq=1;skin=mobile
Here is the link that shows Bonney claiming "Zenel" before the October 3, 1933 award. It is from July 25, 1933. Claiments have to publish a trademark claim before it is awarded, to allow other parties to contest it.
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89048465413;view=1up;seq=905
 
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twertsy

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My first interest is in finding the actual notice or award of trademark to Bonney's Zenel line. It has been announced as found on some sites, but without a link to the source. This is the closest I've come to confirming it. All I've found so far is an award if trademark for "wrenches," which I think refers to the Bon-e-con line, not Zenel.
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89048465470;view=1up;seq=1;skin=mobile
The document and link is on my site. Look at the Bonney Timeline.

http://toolarchives.com/?q=Bonney-Company-timeline
 
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LesserSon

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Your link is to the 1953 renewal notice. I'm posting a link to the original 1933 claim and registration. I think you should put both on your timeline. Your site is great, and I don't have one of my own to promote.
 

twertsy

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LesserSon

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No, that is the original, with "Renewed" stamped on the top of the document. Here is the link to the ONLY record in TSDR: http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=3...ON&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=documentSearch
I am not referring to the image on your site. You could put any image there you'd like, maybe a nice Zenel wrench?
Your MEDIA LINK points to the Google books file of the Official Gazette from September 1, 1953. The webpage also states that there is no ebook available. The text reads, "...Registered Oct 3 1933...Renewed Oct 3 1953."
I'm suggesting you move that link down the timeline to 1953, and replace it with the one I posted on this thread, so your viewers could see the 1933 Official Gazette for themselves.
 

bill300d

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LesserSon
The bldg at the south west corner is the one that was a clothing or textile factory.That bldg was not Bonneys. The one story bldg that you are looking for does not exist anymore and was on the north east corner of that intersection.
All that is left is the foundation and floor as seen in the attached photos. I hope that this helps make some sense of it all.
 

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twertsy

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Ok folks, I couldn't be happier!! These were on eBay last week and I was lucky enough to have zero competition on bidding. 19 Bonney catalog page printing plates. From a cursory look, I'm thinking it was catalog C1 from 1947.

d7a491e2fb59dfc3b5fc170f145a0dcb.jpg

372ead1ffb21fc7efcae8dd6a2692a69.jpg
 

nyrapscalion

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I have been collecting Bonney for a while.
Started at the flea market, $1 sockets, $2-3 wrenches a long time ago.
The quality is unmatched, the shape and feel of the wrenches
Quality that is only from the USA.
Sad they're gone, but we collect and remember.
 

Wes J

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I dunno if anyone has mentioned it, but Bonney made tools for John Deere back in the 70s and 80s. My dad has a full 3/4 drive set labeled John Deere that was made by Bonney. He also has some metric wrenches and other assorted tools they sold under the John Deere name.
 
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