The Ford Barn - View Single Post - Straight Slotted instead of Cross-Point

Synchro909 · 06-22-2019, 08:03 PM

My understanding of it from Canadian friends is that Robertson invented the square drive in the head of screws and allowed the American companies to use them in their Canadian plants under patent license. There was a deal in those days that said Commonwealth countries deal with Commonwealth countries unless there was no option.The US found itself excluded from about 25% of the world's population for sales (because they tipped some tea into a harbour and were no longer part of the Commonwealth) so some of the American manufacturers set up plants in Canada. Their products then qualified for sale in the Commonwealth. When the US big wigs saw the screws being used in the Canadian plants and how much time they saved, they wanted to use them in the US but Robertson said "No". The US plants had to continue with slotted heads until a guy by the name of Philips came along and the rest, as they say is history.

06-22-2019, 08:03 PM	#5
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 7,496	Re: Straight Slotted instead of Cross-Point My understanding of it from Canadian friends is that Robertson invented the square drive in the head of screws and allowed the American companies to use them in their Canadian plants under patent license. There was a deal in those days that said Commonwealth countries deal with Commonwealth countries unless there was no option.The US found itself excluded from about 25% of the world's population for sales (because they tipped some tea into a harbour and were no longer part of the Commonwealth) so some of the American manufacturers set up plants in Canada. Their products then qualified for sale in the Commonwealth. When the US big wigs saw the screws being used in the Canadian plants and how much time they saved, they wanted to use them in the US but Robertson said "No". The US plants had to continue with slotted heads until a guy by the name of Philips came along and the rest, as they say is history. __________________ I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.