A Century of Toledo Scale
Written by Timothy Messer-Kruse
Among the most recognized brand names of the twentieth century is Toledo Scale, a company whose headquarters and primary design and production facilities were located in its namesake. One of the greatest achievements of the Toledo's Attic Committee (especially its point man for collections, Ernest W. Weaver, Jr.) during 1998 was securing possession of the corporate papers of Toledo Scale from the Mettler Toledo Corporation. Along with many cases of documents, ledgers, photographs, and other archival materials, the Toledo Scale Collection includes a series of paintings by Georges LaChance of the skilled artisans of the company. In this exhibit, Toledo's Attic Virtual Museum presents a few of the items from this vast collection. Prepared by Timothy Messer-Kruse.
A Chronology of Toledo Scale
- 1901 Henry Theobald founds Toledo Computing Scale and Cash Register Company
- Production begins on Allen DeVilbiss Jr.'s computing scale
- 1902 Company becomes Toledo Computing Scale Company
- 1904 "No Springs, Honest Weight" becomes company slogan
- 1905 Cylinder Scale introduced
- 1910 Windsor, Canada plant established
- 1911 Industrial line begins with development of double pendulum portable scale
- 1912 Company renamed to Toledo Scale Company
- 1924 Death of Henry Theobald
- 1926 H. D. Bennett becomes Toledo Scale president
- 1929 Toledo Precision Devices, Inc. division established
- 1931 Plaskon subsidiary established (plastics manufacture)
- Toledo Printweigh scales introduced
- Toledo wind tunnel scale developed (totally new concept in weight, force measurement)
- 1932 Duplex cylinder scale developed
- 1934 Food choppers, mills, slicers added to production
- 1935 Sentinel Duplex introduced (90 lbs. lighter than former retail scales)
- 1938 Defiance, Ohio plant established (foundry and heavy machine)
- 1939 Telegraph Rd., Toledo, Ohio main plant completed
- 1941-1943 Additions to main plant completed
- 1946 Harris McIntosh becomes Toledo Scale president Defiance, Ohio plant sold; Rochester, N.Y. plant established (kitchen machines)
- 1948 Guardian 70 Duplex retail scale introduced
- 1950 Checkweigher line introduced
- 1952 2000 Series mechanical industrial scale introduced
- Entire dial scale line redesigned
- 1958 400 Series Printweigh line introduced
- 1963 Verilux Projected Indicator scale introduced
- 1965 First desk top digital scale introduced
- 8001 solid state scale introduced
- 1968 Toledo Scale becomes part of Reliance Electric Company
- 1970 Full computer control of weighing process through use of mini-computers and micro-processors began
- 1971 Model 8130 load cell digital indicator scale introduced
- 1974 Model 8180 parts counting scale introduced Model 8201 digital computing scale for retail introduced
- Model 7500 Bridgemaster motor truck scale introduced
- Model 8400 digital computing scale for candy, nuts and confectionary
- 500 Series solid state electronic Printer introduced
- Model 7100, 7200 load cell railroad track scales introduced
- 1976 Toledo Scale official scale of the XXI Olympic Games
