Elisha K. Root
Encyclopedia
Elisha K. Root was a Connecticut
machinist
and inventor.
Root was born on a Massachusetts farm and worked as a bobbin boy
in a cotton mill before switching, at the age of 15, to working in a machine shop in Ware, Massachusetts
. At age 24 he was hired by Connecticut industrialist Samuel W. Collins
to work in his axe
factory in Collinsville, a village of Canton, Connecticut
.
According to historian Diana Muir
writing in Reflections in Bullough's Pond
, Root "reconceptualized" the making of axes. Until his invention, axes were made by "flattening wrought iron, folding it around a steel pin, and forging the two sides together under a trip hammer
." Root arranged "a series of dies and rollers that could 'die forge' -or apply pressure to a mold, forming apiece of hot wrought iron into the shape of an ax, with an eye already punched to receive the handle." According to Muir, Root next automated the tempering of axes by inventing a machine that moved ax heads through a temperature-regulated oven on a rotating wheel. And a machine that "shaved" the axes to give them a sharp edge, so that they needed only a small amount of finishing on a grindstone.
In 1849 Samuel Colt
hired Root to come work in his Hartford firearms factory as a superintendent. Root performed this role with great success, developing many star employees.
It was while working for Colt that Root perfected the Lincoln miller milling machine, 150,000 of which were sold in the late 19th century, making it the most important American machine tool
of the era. He modernized firearms production at Colt by designing state of the art drop hammers, boring machine
s, gauge
s, jig
s, etc. Root also improved the milling machine
invented by Simeon North
and improved by the Robbins and Lawrence Company of Vermont and by Francis A. Pratt
of the George S. Lincoln company in Hartford, Connecticut
. The improved tool was known as the Lincoln Miller.
After Colt's death in 1862, Root took over as president of Colt's Patent Firearms
until his death om September 1, 1865.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
machinist
Machinist
A machinist is a person who uses machine tools to make or modify parts, primarily metal parts, a process known as machining. This is accomplished by using machine tools to cut away excess material much as a woodcarver cuts away excess wood to produce his work. In addition to metal, the parts may...
and inventor.
Root was born on a Massachusetts farm and worked as a bobbin boy
Bobbin boy
A bobbin boy was a boy who worked in a textile mill in the 18th and early 19th centuries. He would bring bobbins to the women at the looms when they called for them, and collected the full bobbins of spun cotton or wool thread. They also would be expected to fix minor problems with the machines...
in a cotton mill before switching, at the age of 15, to working in a machine shop in Ware, Massachusetts
Ware, Massachusetts
Ware is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,707 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Ware....
. At age 24 he was hired by Connecticut industrialist Samuel W. Collins
Samuel W. Collins
Samuel W. Collins was a Canton, Connecticut axe manufacturer.Samuel Watkinson Collins was born September 8, 1802 in Middletown, Connecticut, one of seven children His father was a...
to work in his axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
factory in Collinsville, a village of Canton, Connecticut
Canton, Connecticut
Canton is a rural town, incorporated in 1806, in Hartford County, Connecticut. The population was 8,840 at the 2000 census, and has grown to 10,292 as of the 2010 census. It is bordered by Granby on the north, Simsbury on the east, Avon and Burlington on the south, New Hartford on the west, and...
.
According to historian Diana Muir
Diana Muir
Diana Muir, also known as Diana Muir Appelbaum, is a Newton, Massachusetts writer and historian. Muir is best known for her 2000 book, Reflections in Bullough's Pond, a history of the impact of human activity on the New England ecosystem....
writing in Reflections in Bullough's Pond
Reflections in Bullough's Pond
Reflections in Bullough's Pond: Economy and Ecosystem in New England is a book by Diana Muir. The Providence Journal called Bullough’s Pond "a masterpiece," and Publishers Weekly called it "lyrical"...
, Root "reconceptualized" the making of axes. Until his invention, axes were made by "flattening wrought iron, folding it around a steel pin, and forging the two sides together under a trip hammer
Trip hammer
A trip hammer, also known as a helve hammer, is a massive powered hammer used in:* agriculture to facilitate the labor of pounding, decorticating and polishing of grain;...
." Root arranged "a series of dies and rollers that could 'die forge' -or apply pressure to a mold, forming apiece of hot wrought iron into the shape of an ax, with an eye already punched to receive the handle." According to Muir, Root next automated the tempering of axes by inventing a machine that moved ax heads through a temperature-regulated oven on a rotating wheel. And a machine that "shaved" the axes to give them a sharp edge, so that they needed only a small amount of finishing on a grindstone.
In 1849 Samuel Colt
Samuel Colt
Samuel Colt was an American inventor and industrialist. He was the founder of Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company , and is widely credited with popularizing the revolver. Colt's innovative contributions to the weapons industry have been described by arms historian James E...
hired Root to come work in his Hartford firearms factory as a superintendent. Root performed this role with great success, developing many star employees.
It was while working for Colt that Root perfected the Lincoln miller milling machine, 150,000 of which were sold in the late 19th century, making it the most important American machine tool
Machine tool
A machine tool is a machine, typically powered other than by human muscle , used to make manufactured parts in various ways that include cutting or certain other kinds of deformation...
of the era. He modernized firearms production at Colt by designing state of the art drop hammers, boring machine
Boring machine
Boring machine may refer to:* a machine for boring holes* Tunnel boring machine...
s, gauge
Gauge (engineering)
In engineering, a gauge or gage, is used to make measurements. A wide variety of tools exist which serve such funtions, ranging from simple pieces of material against which sizes can be measured to complex pieces of machinery...
s, jig
Jig
The Jig is a form of lively folk dance, as well as the accompanying dance tune, originating in England in the 16th century and today most associated with Irish dance music and Scottish country dance music...
s, etc. Root also improved the milling machine
Milling machine
A milling machine is a machine tool used to machine solid materials. Milling machines are often classed in two basic forms, horizontal and vertical, which refers to the orientation of the main spindle. Both types range in size from small, bench-mounted devices to room-sized machines...
invented by Simeon North
Simeon North
Simeon North was a Middletown, Connecticut, gun manufacturer, who developed one of America's first milling machines in 1818 and played an important role in the development of interchangeable parts manufacturing.North was born in Berlin, Connecticut, into a prosperous family able to provide all...
and improved by the Robbins and Lawrence Company of Vermont and by Francis A. Pratt
Francis A. Pratt
Francis Ashbury Pratt was a Connecticut mechanical engineer, inventor, and co-founder of Pratt & Whitney.Pratt was born in Peru, New York. In the early 1850s, he designed a milling machine for George S...
of the George S. Lincoln company in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. The improved tool was known as the Lincoln Miller.
After Colt's death in 1862, Root took over as president of Colt's Patent Firearms
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
until his death om September 1, 1865.