The History of the Phillips Drive

Every person in the United States is familiar with the phillips drive, and many have cursed the design a few times because of a stripped out head. But this feature is what made the screw become so popular and the primary drive system used in the world today.

It was the early 20th century and the beginning of assembly lines and mass production. The primary fastener available was the slotted head. But the slot possessed multiple problems. First, it had to be aligned perfectly with the driver. This took time, and on an assembly line, these seconds added up. Secondly, the driver has a tendency to slip out of the slot, endangering the worker, but also stripping out the head. While these can seem like minor irritants to the homeshop worker, these problems are costly on the assembly line.

In 1907, a Canadian screw salesman, Peter Lymburner Robertson, developed a square socket drive system that he patented under the name "Robertson Drive. The square drive eliminated the problem of the screw slipping out and stripping the head, called cam-out. Henry Ford tested the screw and determined he could save almost 2 hours in the assembly of the Model T. But Robertson failed to understand the power of an industrial giant like Ford. When Ford offered to purchase a license to manufacture the screws himself, Robertson declined. By insisting on maintaining total control of manufacturing all screws using this drive, Robertson effectively eliminated his chances of entering the U.S. market, although his screw remains the most popular drive in Canada today.

Then in 1936, a Portland, Oregon traveling salesman named Henry F Phillips, patented what we know today as the phillips drive. He founded the Phillips Screw Company to license his patent, and convinced the owner of the American Screw Company of its value. While American's engineers initially stated a way of producing the screw was impossible, under threat of termination and $500,000 later, phillips screws began to roll of the line. Cadillac was the first to use the new drive, but by 1940 most automakers had switched. Automakers, as well as other industries using assembly lines, liked the screw for many reason's. First, unlike the slotted and Robertson it self aligned itself. Secondly, it only cammed out when it reached a certain torque. On the other hand the slotted slipped out easily, while the Robertson rarely cammed out and over-torquing meant the screw head could snap off. Thirdly, it did not slip out like the slotted, lessening the chances of injury to the worker. Within a few short years, the phillips became the dominating drive, and courtesy American military equipment used during World War Two, got world wide exposure.

The phillips became so popular, that unlicensed knock off's soon appeared. The Phillips Screw Company did not pursue the patent violators, so in 1949, Henry Phillips was stripped of his patent. He died in 1958 in relative obscurity. His name, however, lives on in nearly every factory and workshop in the U.S.