Three-Pod Auger, The

Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, Inc., The, Sep 2006 by Roger, Bob

The September 2003 issue of The Chronicle contained my article discussing the three-pod auger.1 At that time there were references to three people who had found such an auger or auger bit. I have since acquired one, and its markings have helped me add to the story. But first, a description of the auger that is pictured in Figures 1 and 2.

The wood handle is nicely turned with decorative rings, and the iron shank is driven through the handle and peened. The shank begins as square for 4 inches, then round for about 6 inches where the pods begin. It is hand forged. The three pods end with three horizontal lips, each with a vertical lip at the end. The web edge thickness is thin for most of the pod, then swells at the end to the thickness of the vertical lip height. Each horizontal lip is at a slightly different position by about [fraction one-thirty-two]-inch so that only one edge is the leading edge, and each continues tangent to the lead screw to begin a thread. The leading edge thread continues to the tip of the screw. The second edge begins a second thread that merges with that from the third edge, resulting in a second thread continuing to the tip. The threads are asymmetric in cross section, with the upper surface sloping out and down and the lower thread surface being perpendicular to the axis of the auger bit.

Alfred Newton of Meriden, Connecticut, invented the three twist spiral auger and received patent no. X8,349 on August 8, 1834. His patent claimed the three pods and three cutting lips. His manufacturing process also included a three thread lead screw, but he did not claim that in the patent. Isaac I. Tibbals and Benajah Andrews were the witnesses to the patent. His patent drawing is shown in Figure 3.

Newton described his auger very well, including how to make it, and my bit fits Newton's description exactly except for the lead screw, which he did not claim in his patent. He only suggested three threads, one for each floor lip.

There are three marks stamped into the square portion of the shank, just under the handle. One mark is an old style number 1, having a long upper tail (about half the length of the vertical post) and a very short base. It stands for one inch, the diameter of the bit. A second mark reads "PATD34" that matches the date of Newton's patent. It is the third mark that I found most interesting. It reads "TIBBALS, BROOKS & Co." The Directory of American Toolmakers lists Tibbals, Brooks & Co. as making augers and bits in 1838 and possibly earlier and later. They were located in Meriden, Connecticut, and used that mark.

Nick Nicols, in his companion article in this issue, has done considerable research to find Mr. Tibbals, and I believe that with his information the evidence is conclusive. This auger is Newton's 1834 patent and was made by the Meriden company of Tibbals, Brooks & Co. after August 8, 1834. Isaac Tibbals was a witness to the patent, and he probably was commissioned by Newton to make the auger as soon as the patent was issued.

Tibbals may have made the lead screw as a doublethreaded screw in order to avoid a patent issue with the inventor of the triple-threaded screw that Newton referred to, but I have not located such a patent so this is only a guess. He could also have used a doublethread instead of a triple-thread because of ease of manufacture.

It sure is nice when the story comes together on items as rare as this. Thanks, Nick, for doing the leg work.

Notes

1. Bob Roger, "A Boring Bit is Not a Bit Boring!" The Chronicle 56, no. 3 (2003):108-113.