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Propper Thread Company Records

 Collection
Identifier: A3127

Scope and Contents

The records relate to Propper Thread Company’s work to design a new bobbin winding machine and contain plans, lists, notes relating to parts used in the machine, correspondence, computations, and patent records research from 1958 to 1965. The files are arranged alphabetically by topic/type of document.

Many of the small plans and sketches were drawn by Andy Conca, however his name does not appear on the 33-sheet set of drawings. Conca also worked with Allen Devinatz, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Washington University, to compute gear ratios for the new bobbin winding machine in 1958 (f.17). The company hired attorney Ralph W. Kalish to research patent records in order to ascertain the patentability of the new machine, providing copies of similar machines and mechanisms patented from 1848 to 1958 (f.9-11). In 1960, Propper Thread Company hired Missouri Research Laboratories to fabricate their new machine. In 1962, the company issued bidding guidelines for the construction of a prototype automatic high-speed bobbin winder.

Some correspondence concerns equipment parts procured from vendors to be used in the bobbin winder. There are also several catalogs with notations and marks that possibly indicate their use in the Propper bobbin machine.

Dates

  • 1958-1965

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, quote from, or reproduce material in this collection, please contact the Archives Reference Desk at archives@mohistory.org. Copyright restrictions may apply. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.

Historical Sketch

The Propper Thread Company was a manufacturer of pre-wound paper shell bobbins. It was located on the third floor of 920 Washington Avenue, the heart of St. Louis’s textile district. In 1957, the company expanded to Kansas City, Missouri, with William S. Propper, president; Leonard Belove, vice president and treasurer; and Joel Massie, secretary. By 1965, Propper Thread became a division of Threads-Incorporated and by 1975, the company became Threads-Incorporated and no longer used the Propper name.

From approximately 1958 to 1965, the Propper Thread Company worked to improve its bobbin winding process. Andy Conca, Superintendent of the Bobbin Department, was pivotal in designing a new bobbin winder machine for which the company sought a patent.

Extent

0.4 Cubic Feet ( (1 box; 2 oversize folders))

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The files are arranged alphabetically by topic/type of document.

Physical and Technical Requirements

There are no physical or technical restrictions.

Donor Information

The collection was donated by Tripp Manheimer in 2019 (accession number 2019-042).

Processing Information

Processed with funding from The Stuart Foundation, Inc. by Kristina Perez, 2020.

Creator

Title
Inventory of Propper Thread Company Records
Status
Completed
Author
EAD by Kristina Perez using ArchivesSpace
Date
2020
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center Repository

Contact:
225 S. Skinker Blvd.
St. Louis MO 63105 United States
314-746-4510