The Bullard Machine Tool Company was a large American machine tool builder. It specialized in vertical boring mills and was largely responsible for the development of the modern form of that class of machine tools. [2]
The firm was founded in 1894 by Edward Payson Bullard Sr. (born April 18, 1841, in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, US; died December 22, 1906, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, US [3]). He received formative experience at the Colt armory and Pratt & Whitney, [3] which were influential development centers for generations of toolmakers. [4] Bullard Sr is believed to have developed the first small boring machine designed to do the accurate work previously performed on the faceplate of a lathe. [5] Roe (1916) says that "Up to that time boring machines were relied on only for large and rough work." [5]
Bullard Sr.'s son, Edward Payson Bullard Jr. (1872–1953), continued the family machine tool business and brought the turret principle to the vertical boring mill, making it a vertical turret lathe. [6] For a while in America during the 20th century, the name "Bullard" on the shop floor was something of a genericized trademark for vertical turret-head boring mills. [7] E.P. Bullard Jr led the development of the company's multiple- spindle Mult-Au-Matic brand machine that became an important automatic lathe in the mass production of parts for the automotive industry. [1] [6] Bullard Jr was president of the company for 40 years, through World War I, the interwar period, and World War II, a period during which the Bullard company was the largest machine tool builder in the U.S., [6] and vast volumes of military matériel were produced by countless companies running Bullard machines. Bullard is now owned by Bourn & Koch, based in Rockford, Illinois. Bourn & Koch continues to provide OEM parts, service and support for their machines.
The Bullard Machine Tool Company was a large American machine tool builder. It specialized in vertical boring mills and was largely responsible for the development of the modern form of that class of machine tools. [2]
The firm was founded in 1894 by Edward Payson Bullard Sr. (born April 18, 1841, in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, US; died December 22, 1906, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, US [3]). He received formative experience at the Colt armory and Pratt & Whitney, [3] which were influential development centers for generations of toolmakers. [4] Bullard Sr is believed to have developed the first small boring machine designed to do the accurate work previously performed on the faceplate of a lathe. [5] Roe (1916) says that "Up to that time boring machines were relied on only for large and rough work." [5]
Bullard Sr.'s son, Edward Payson Bullard Jr. (1872–1953), continued the family machine tool business and brought the turret principle to the vertical boring mill, making it a vertical turret lathe. [6] For a while in America during the 20th century, the name "Bullard" on the shop floor was something of a genericized trademark for vertical turret-head boring mills. [7] E.P. Bullard Jr led the development of the company's multiple- spindle Mult-Au-Matic brand machine that became an important automatic lathe in the mass production of parts for the automotive industry. [1] [6] Bullard Jr was president of the company for 40 years, through World War I, the interwar period, and World War II, a period during which the Bullard company was the largest machine tool builder in the U.S., [6] and vast volumes of military matériel were produced by countless companies running Bullard machines. Bullard is now owned by Bourn & Koch, based in Rockford, Illinois. Bourn & Koch continues to provide OEM parts, service and support for their machines.