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About Air Tool Sales &
Repair Co., Inc. |
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Air Tool Sales & Repair Co., Inc. was founded in 1918 with
the issuance of a patent to Waldemar Meyer for an innovative rivet
set. The company was started by Mr. Meyer and was called the Universal
Air Tool Co.
The firm did most of the air tool work for the Submarine Boat Co. in
Kearney, N.J. It also was involved with the shipping industry through
its repair of riveting hammers and wood boring machines for this
industry.
The firm has always maintained this dual track of manufacturing and
repairing pneumatic equipment.
Waldemar Meyer died in 1928, leaving three sons: Walter, Alfred and Howard. Walter took over the business and ran it, successfully
maintaining the dual track of manufacturing specific air tool items
and repairing the best known pneumatic equipment of the period. Alfred
assisted Walter in the firm.
In 1935, Walter met Alois Muller, a skilled machinist, and set up a
partnership in Brooklyn. In 1939, it was incorporated under the
present name and moved to Long Island City. Pneumatic Tool Sales also
set up a specialized company at that time called "Bentley Machine and
Tool" to satisfy war production contracts.
ATS continued its work in the pneumatic tool industry for military and
shipping industry clients and also became the major supplier of radar
castings for the General
Electric Co.
Walter was President of the firm, Alois ran the machine shop facility,
and Mrs. Muller, Alois' wife, was the Treasurer. Isabelle, Walter's
wife, completed the slate of officers. Pneumatic Tool Company's machine shop developed the
reputation as the best machine shop in New York City.
It's biggest client was General Electric. Another major client was the
George A. Fuller Construction Co. Pneumatic Tool Sales had a large
part in assisting Fuller in the
refurbishing of St. Patrick's Cathedral.
FIRST ROTARY AIR COMPRESSOR
In addition, ATS, in conjunction with George A. Fuller, began work on
one of the first prototypes of what became the rotary air compressor.
The rotary compressor became the biggest advance in compressor design
in 50 years.
At that time the firm also began representing one of the pioneer air
compressor manufacturers in the U.S.A., Schramm, Inc. and proceeded to
become one of their major distributors and service centers. The
business grew slowly, but steadily and increased its reputation for
quality work and service. Today ATS represents Ingersoll-Rand, the
country's leading air compressor manufacturer.
Muller's share in the firm was purchased by George Nowicki and George
Matousek in 1966. Nowicki and Matousek are the husbands of Walter
Meyer's daughters. Walter Meyer died in 1973. Muller continued to work for ATS until his death
at 84 in 1987.
Pneumatic Tool sales continued to make major contributions to the
pneumatic tool industry. In 1948 the firm designed, built and marketed
a small hand-held rock drill. It was called the RHandi-Drill" and was
the forerunner of the many small hand-held rock drills manufactured by
many tool companies today.
Among the air tools ATS invented was the Boom-Mounted Post Hole
Digger: it was the first automatic air tool for the installation of
highway guard rails.
"THE STOMPER"
In conjunction with the L&J Concrete Co., ATS created the "Stomper".
The company's engineers used a swiveling gun mount on which was
installed an air cylinder and a compressor, a large ram and a
stroke-controlling timer. This one unit did the work of 10 men
breaking concrete. The concept was further developed into the
boom-mounted pavement breakers of today.
For the N.Y. Telephone Co., ATS created a longitudinal pipe cutter
that cut without damaging the telephone cables. ATS also developed a
machine for making telephone wire connections. The device held a
magazine of wire connectors and automatically connected two pieces of
wire: the machine became the precursor of the Automatic Splicer.
"KLEMAT"
One of the most novel machines developed by Pneumatic Tool Sales in
the 1960's was the Klemat. This was a device mounted on wheels which
included a carriage with air cylinders that supported two horizontal
rock drills and automatically bored horizontal holes in the side of a
roadbed to which an additional concrete lane was to be added.
Reinforcing rods were then inserted into the drilled holes to secure
the newly poured concrete.
ELECTRONIC MICROSCOPES & CIGARETTE FILTERS
In addition to road construction equipment, Herb Klenck, ATS' Chief
Research Engineer, developed other devices. For Sylvania, ATS created
the first prototype for housing the magnets used in electronic
microscopes. The firm also made the prototype of a device called the "Perspectograph"
which allowed perspective drawings to be done automatically rather
than manually. ATS patented the brass skeleton for a cigarette holder,
into which honeycomb filter paper was inserted, resulting in the first
filtered cigarette holder.
In conjunction with the research and development department of
Brooklyn Union Gas Co., ATS made prototypes for a device for sealing
plastic pipe at the job site; for a machine to cut underground steel
pipe from the inside; for devices to make gas meters theft-proof; for
a machine to seal mains and joints underground so as not to have to
dig up streets; and for an air compressor mercury-activated alarm
system.
The company was involved with Con Edison in creating noise abatement
equipment, special mufflers for pavement breakers and noise testing
facilities.
Pneumatic Tool Sales pioneered the experimental work and built the
machinery for high temperature carbide brazing of scaler pistons, by
fusing copper into the electromolecular structure of the piston's base
metal.
"THE AIR PEN"
Its greatest contribution was the introduction of the "Air Pen".
This tool was the first air operated etching tool in the industry and
is a patented device. Along with the needle scaler, it is one of the
two most significant new products in the modern air tool industry.
The company also created the "Erector Set Compressor" which allowed
large air compressors, required in maintenance and renovation of
high-rise buildings to be dismantled easily into components that fit
into elevators, and then quickly reassembled at the building level.
LABORATORY & TESTING CENTER
Under the leadership of Nowicki and Matousek, the firm moved to
College Point, N.Y. They developed its customer base of utility
companies, and increased its research and testing facilities.
Pneumatic Tool Sales also strengthened its relationship with the City
and State of New York, becoming a close advisor, bidder and supplier
to more than a dozen different municipal or state departments and
authorities.
In 1989, Nowicki and Matousek sold their interest in Pneumatic Tool
Sales to Roger H. Lourie and Lloyd W. Milne, two businessmen with wide
manufacturing experience. These individuals, working closely with
Matousek and Nowicki, are continuing Pneumatic Tool's concentration in
servicing construction, utilities and marine trades. They have
expanded the firm's laboratory and testing facilities and are
overseeing the company's continued association with Ingersoll-Rand,
Chicago Pneumatic, Thor, Cleco-Dresser and other such major firms in
the industry.
In addition, they have begun a major effort at selling highly
specialized "Pneumatic Power Pumps" to the shipping,
construction and refinery industries. |
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Air Tool Sales & Repair Co., Inc.
127-11 20th Avenue • College Point, NY
11356
Tel: 888-939-TOOLS / 718-939-9300 • Fax: 718-359-8568
Email: info@airtoolsdirect.us • Web:
www.airtoolsdirect.us
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