Wilton celebrates 75 years
Company will honor the brand throughout the year with promotions and giveaways.
The year was 1941, the U.S. was at war, Jimmy Stewart and Ginger Rodgers won Academy awards for the movie Rebecca, Joe Louis was crowned the Heavyweight Boxing Champion and Hugh W. Vogl, a Czechoslovakian immigrant, founded Wilton, the vise manufacturing company.
Vogl designed a 4-inch machinists’ vise shaped like a bullet. The patented American-made Wilton Bullet Vise features a fully-enclosed design which keeps lubrication in and contaminants out for smooth operation. The innovative horizontal spindle nut creates an even central pull, which eliminates dead motion and unnatural strain on the nut. The safe, durable, long lasting vise was considered a leader in its class.
Today, the Wilton Bullet Vise is still proudly made in the U.S. and available in several configurations and sizes and maintains the same high quality, structural integrity that it did in 1941. The Wilton Bullet Vise continues to be a mainstay in most manufacturing facilities throughout the U.S. These vises are used routinely in the automotive, construction, metal fabrication, service and MRO, tradesmen and utility industries.
From 1941 to 1945, the Wilton Bullet Vise was manufactured in Chicago and sold exclusively to the U.S. Government for use in WWII munitions and other military equipment plants.
In the 1950’s, Wilton expanded its product line by introducing carriage and machinists’ clamps. These stout clamps were tested with tensile strength at 80,000 psi. The clamps’ spindles were machined from high quality cold rolled steel with precision ground acme threads and then fitted with proportioned handles.
In the early 1950’s, Wilton set out to build a solid distribution network. By 1965, Wilton became the preferred vise brand in the industrial market.
“The Bullet Vise was a significant product development during the war years, made a vital contribution and put Wilton on the map,” said Tim Onello, Wilton’s Senior Director of Product Management. “Product expansion, development and Innovation continued over the years as we introduced the B.A.S.H Unbreakable Handle technology in striking tools and the ATV truck hitch vise.”
Celebrating 75 years, Wilton will honor the brand throughout the year with promotions and giveaways taking place through the company’s website, www.wiltontools.com and social media.
CONTRACTOR SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The April/May 2024 issue of Contractor Supply magazine is here!
This digital edition is sponsored by BECK AMERICA Inc.
Our cover story, Masters of Fasteners, visits Interstate Screw Corp. of metro Miami, which serves the fastening needs of south Florida, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
Also in this issue,our Industry Updates cover Adhesives, Tapes and Sealants, Anchoring Systems and Safety and PPE.
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