thumb|Illustration from the 1909 Canadian patent for the Robertson screw.
Peter Lymburner Robertson (December 10, 1879 – September 28, 1951) was a Canadian inventor, industrialist, salesman, and philanthropist who popularized the square-socket drive for screws, often called the Robertson drive. Although a square-socket drive had been conceived decades before (having been patented in 1875 by one Allan Cummings of New York City, ), it had never been developed into a commercial success because the design was difficult to manufacture. Robertson's efficient manufacturing technique using cold forming for the screw's head is what made the idea a commercial success.
Early life
Robertson was born in 1879 in Seneca Township, Ontario, part of the historic Haldimand County, as one of six children to parents John and Annie (née Brown) Robertson, both of Scottish heritage. His father left the family to pursue the Gold Rush at the time, and died in 1886. he was demonstrating tools one day when his straight-bladed screwdriver slipped and cut his hand due to the straight slot design.
The brand has been sold over the years, and the manufacturing for the present corporation (Robertson Inc.) is done in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China; but the Milton, Ontario, building was still a head office for a long time before moving to nearby Burlington, Ontario.
The Fisher Body company, which made the car bodies for the Ford Motor Company, was one of Robertson's first customers and used over 700 Robertson screws in its Model T car. Henry Ford, after finding that the screw saved him about 2 hours of work for each car, attempted to get an exclusive licence for the use and manufacture of the Robertson screw in the US. He was turned down by Robertson who felt it was not in his best interest and shortly after that, Ford found that Henry F. Phillips had invented another kind of socket screw and had no such reservations. Although the Robertson screw is most popular in Canada, it is used extensively in boat building because it tends not to slip and damage material, it can be used with one hand, and it is much easier to remove/replace after weathering.
Investments
Robertson also wrote a book, The Remedy in 1932, where his writing suggested a strategy to end the Great Depression. It discussed topics including national debts, currencies, and the gold standard. By October 1946, Robertson was admitted as a patient at The Homewood Sanitarium in Guelph, describing his condition in letters to friends overseas as being "many foul diseases, including diabetes, blindness, and many others." The markers respectively described Robertson's manufacturing career and the home Robertson lived in for 35 years. He was later inducted into the Canadian Manufacturing Hall of Fame (CMHOF) in 2008.
Robertson was inducted into Milton's Walk of Fame in 2007. The town also has an elementary school named after Robertson that opened in 2009.
In 2002, the documentary Ode to the Robertson Screwdriver aired on the History Television's Turning Point series, describing Robertson's life and his career involving the invention of the eponymous screw.
References
External links
- Peter Lymburner Robertson at collectionscanada.gc.ca