United States Navy machine tool markings

[AgnewBlues]

Anyone familiar with the machine tool markings, usually in the form of stamped letters and numbers, used by the United States Navy, prior to 1960?

I am trying to decode something stamped on an old shaper, which begins with “USN PROP”. I assume this would link it to the Navy, but this is about as far as I have gotten with this.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tom A]

This doesn't help with your markings, but here's a Navy anchor stamp on a Sheldon lathe I have - It's just a 10" lathe, so, I'm thinking it wasn't for ship board use, but maybe for training machinists.
The letter / number part is just the standard Sheldon code, that tells the size and set up options for that machine. The lathe is from the 1940's

 

[Frank R]

I have come across a few SB lathes that had "J.A.N." stamped by the serial number. That stood for "Joint Army Navy" which was a department during WWII that bought machinery for the war effort.

 

[Dan from Oakland]

I believe the anchor stamp was an inspectors stamp applied during factory inspections of the machine tool.

 

[jlegge]

Picture of what you are seeing would be helpful.

 

[Tom A]

I believe the anchor stamp was an inspectors stamp applied during factory inspections of the machine tool.

Are you saying that the anchor was not a Navy marking?
I have 2 other Sheldons of the same era and size (wrecked ones, bought to make one good lathe), and neither of them has the anchor mark.
I thought I understood, that during WW2, the military had inspectors in the machine tool factories, to qualify the tools for the various military branches - Is that what you meant where the mark came from?

 

[David Carlisi]

Hardness Tester.jpg (94.0 KB)

This is on my Wilson rockwell hardness tester 4JR, I'm not sure what year it was manufactured, but I always thought it was interesting.

 

[Ohio Mike]

Anyone familiar with the machine tool markings, usually in the form of stamped letters and numbers, used by the United States Navy, prior to 1960?

I am trying to decode something stamped on an old shaper, which begins with “USN PROP”. I assume this would link it to the Navy, but this is about as far as I have gotten with this.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

What you are seeing is likely an asset mark. Today you'd see this as a "Property of" barcode sticker.

Example from my WW2 P&W 6 inch slotter.

 

[David Carlisi]

What you are seeing is likely an asset mark. Today you'd see this as a "Property of" barcode sticker.

Example from my WW2 P&W 6 inch slotter.
View attachment 347231

If you could post a picture of the slotter I would appreciate that.

 

[cretedog]

Anyone familiar with the machine tool markings, usually in the form of stamped letters and numbers, used by the United States Navy, prior to 1960?

I am trying to decode something stamped on an old shaper, which begins with “USN PROP”. I assume this would link it to the Navy, but this is about as far as I have gotten with this.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Pics from my postwar 24" G & E shaper. Looks like the Navy got it from G & E, the Air Force got it from the Navy, and Johnny got it from them.

 

[Ohio Mike]

If you could post a picture of the slotter I would appreciate that.

Machine dates to around 1943.

 

[cretedog]

Machine dates to around 1943.
View attachment 347315

Here's its brother Mike. Supposedly came out of a defense plant in Minneapolis. No. 884.



JMc

 

[ncjeeper]

Here is a pic of my Greenfield #8 tap wrench.

 

[AgnewBlues]

Stamped on my shaper:

USN PROP
NORD . F . 1192
KR . S8 . A

Transported it all the way across the ocean, to Europe, which took around five months, sea freight. It arrived with about an inch of gunk all over, but it cleaned up well, and it appears to be in excellent shape underneath! The ways are in good shape!

Came with the original vise and has the swivel table and the front support for it!

 

[Ohio Mike]

Here's its brother Mike. Supposedly came out of a defense plant in Minneapolis. No. 884.



JMc

Cool, mine is #876. It came from a dealer I know but was with a Chicago facility prior to me owning it.

 

[wrenchguy]

Here's anchor stamp on Cat genset built for US Navy March 1940, sent to New Port RI. I thought it was a asset stamp, but don't know for sure. I was lucky the machine had another tag on it that helped me determine where it was used.