What sort of brake do I have here?

RandyWilson

RandyWilson

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Five years ago when I was cleaning up the late father in law's shop, I unearthed this big lump of cast iron that was attached to a makeshift cart made from lawn mower parts. It was an impressive cart, even had a tiller and steerable axle. The iron looked like it might be a metal brake. It was also buried in ... stuff. And was half wedged under the 1928 Model AA frame and the '23 Graham Bros firetruck. As a path was cleared, the cart with contents got rolled up under the shelving next to the Onan generator (mounted on another home-brew cart) for future inspection. Then health and other things conspired for four plus years.

I dug it out this past week, cleared it off, and hoisted it up onto the shelf. It is indeed a metal brake. But it's not the finger brakes I remember from high school shop. A far bit of duck-duck-go-fu led me to a single picture in a pamphlet that is an exact match. Exact. A Niagara Univerisal Folder/Brake #80. This is the only reference I can find. Anywhere!

Screenshot_20211225_160356.png


Does anyone have any idea what I have, what it was used for? And possibly what I could use it for beyond a basic brake?
 
Looks like what we would have called a “bar fold” more than a brake. Generally stouter and better suited for bending up things like brackets, straps, etc. There was one in my buddy’s silversmith shop (fondly known as “Barfy”) although not specifically a Niagara. Heavy little critters.

-frank
 
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It appears to have a slip roll attachment underneath the brake, being that the illustration says capacity 18 gage, it is not likely to be used for bending brackets or straps; it is just a regular brake and roll.
 
Thanks guys.

The bar underneath isn't a roller. It's the interconnection for the clamping blade. The upper blade does not move on a pivot. It slides up and down in ways.

The bits I've found so far imply this is meant for a production shop. You fit stops and gauges for the job, use (pr make) whatever shape blade you need, and then run repetitive production day after day.
 
LF_WS said:
In case you haven't already checked there: the Vintage Machinery site has a listing for Niagara Machine & Tools Works
The 1956 publication named Niagara Machine & Tool Works Bulletin No. 74C Folders and Brakes has a description of a machine like yours on pages 6-7.
Click to expand...


Yep, that's my go-to site for this sort of thing. I didn't look at 74C at first because, based on the solid castings and square headed bolts, I had convinced myself it was really old and was only looking at pre-war publications. At that point I had no info, not even a manufaturer. The pic I posted is from the 1931 publication #74. It is a match for mine, where the pic in 74C is slightly different. The info in 74C is what I paraphrased in the followup post.
 
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