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SUMMER 2017

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Distributor's Link Magazine Spring Issue 2017 / Vol 40 No3

30 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

30 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK PHILLIPS SCREW COMPANY 1 Van De Graaff Drive, Burlington, MA 01803 TEL 781-224-9750 WEB www.phillips-screw.com PHILLIPS SCREW COMPANY: THE ORIGINAL SINCE 1935 Few companies have as broad name recognition as the Phillips Screw Company. Combine this with a long a tradition of leading technological innovation in the fastener industry and it is easy to understand why the Phillips Screw Company is still the leading force in fastener innovation. When you think of a screw, most often the first thing that comes to mind is a Phillips cross recessed screw. The name “Phillips” has been synonymous with better fastener performance since the 1930’s when the Phillips Screw Company first introduced the original cross recess improvement to industry. There were other cross recess designs around at the time, but it was the Phillips cross recess system that caught on and became a household word. It’s inventor, Henry Phillips, was even inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2011 (http://www. invent.org/honor/inductees/inductee-detail/?IID=447). Interestingly, the Phillips Screw Company wasn’t the manufacturer of these widely used fasteners. The innovative fastener breakthroughs developed at Phillips have been manufactured and sold by their global network of licensed fastener, driver tool, header tool and gage manufacturers since the beginning. One of Phillips earliest partners was the American Screw Company, then of Providence, Rhode Island. American became a strong promoter of the new cross AN ORIGINAL PHILLIPS SCREW SAMPLE BOX ON DISPLAY AT PHILLIPS SCREW COMPANY HEADQUARTERS. recess technology developing an efficient manufacturing system. They combined this capability with a strong sales campaign that featured the new innovation prominently on packaging and in sample kits that were given to prospective users. It was the partnership with American and other prominent fastener makers that helped quickly establish the original Phillips cross recess drive as the preferred fastener drive system for automobiles beginning with the 1936 Cadillac. By 1940 more than 85% of all screw makers were Phillips licensees. The original Phillips cross shape went through several improvements during the period from 1935 to 1960 and ultimately became the most widely used type of screw in industrial production, but one aspect of the design became an increasing problem for assemblers. The angled walls of the Phillips recess could act as a ramp when high levels of torque were applied to the tapered Phillips driver tip. This “cam-out” of the bit from the recess was part of Henry Phillips’ original design to help users know when to stop tightening the screw. When the person driving the screw felt the driver start to back out of the recess they knew it was as tight as it should be. Unfortunately the ability to “feel” the camout starting went away as power tools replaced hand assembly on the production lines so Phillips Screw Company set out to find a solution. BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 108

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