Why Allen is called that?

Gary Jacobson said:

How did the name "Allen" get to the name of an Allen bolt.
Is that a capitalized allen?

Allen is (was) a trademark, from the Allen Manufacturing Company.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

Gary Jacobson said:

How did the name "Allen" get to the name of an Allen bolt.
Is that a capitalized allen?

That's an interesting question, and it's a long and fairly involved
story, but worth the time, if only to see how the slightest twists of
fate can have the most unexpected results...

In late 1969, a man called Richard Allan (a self-taught radio repair
man and electrical engineer) took delivery of one of the first stereo
music systems that was available. It was manufactured by "Bush Audio"
who were a spin-off company of the then massive TV manufacturers who
were simply called "Bush". They had created a wholly owned subsidiary
for stereo music systems, because as everyone knew, stereo music was a
passing fad, but they wanted to be seen as cutting edge without
endangering the group as a whole.

Mr Allan was impressed by the potential of the system he owned rather
than by its actual performance - he was particularly disappointed by
the speakers that were supplied - they had a single driver that was
inneffectual in reproducing the high frequencies that really bring
stereo reproduction into it's own. One evening, he was recounting his
misgivings to his father who in typically blunt Yorkshire fashion told
him that if he thought he could do better then what was stopping him?

This was an epiphany for Richard - he couldn't be the only one who was
disgusted with the generally poor quality of stereo (hi-fi was not yet
in common usage at the time) speakers that were being offered, and
there must be a strong market for superior replacements.

He set about looking into the science and engineering of loudspeaker
design, and fortunately, he read a paper by A.N. Thiele & Richard H.
Small, who in 1970 devised a parametric method to describe the
mechanical and electrical impedances in loudspeaker cones, which
greatly simplified Richard's task.

Richard went into his shed and with his first design produced a medium
size studio monitor which confounded the particular and fussy
engineers at the BBC studios with its accuracy, neutrality and power
handling. They wanted to buy 40 pairs!

He was faced with the problem of moving from prototype development to
mass production virtually overnight. Fortunately there was no shortage
of semi-skilled labour and manufacturing space in the locality, as
traditional industry was already in decline by then. In the latter
half of 1971 each week, he was delivering several pairs of speakers to
the BBC, recording studios, and audiophiles who had contacts in the
business. Production was running smoothly, or so he thought...

As the production rate ramped up, the returns and QA failures started
to dig into his business. Up to 30% of his production run were being
rejected. The problem was always the same: The elegant teak veneer on
the front face of the speaker was being fowled by slipped screwdrivers
as the cones were being mounted. Even though he was using Phillips
screws with a recessed, slotted head, slip-ups were occurring at a
rate which would destroy his profit margin.

The natural engineer in Richard came to the fore, and he immediately
started considering alternatives: What about using a bolt? No, the
spanner or socket head may still foul the speaker cabinet. If not a
bolt, then why not use the INVERSE of a bolt? A hexagonal depression
would be simple to place a matching tool into, and because there is no
taper to the depression, there is no force pushing the tool out, even
under the highest torque.

Richard obtained a sample run of these "recessed-head" bolts from a
Sheffield manufacturer. At the time, the bolts were forged in small
batches, and so were very expensive, but the canny Yorkshire
businessman reckoned that the savings in waste and rework on his
speakers, and the eventual benefits of mass production of his bolts,
would save him money in the long run.

He introduced the bolts into his speaker manufacture, and saw waste
and returns due to cabinet damage fall from 30% to less than 5%.
The "Allan bolt" was born!

Meanwhile, the Sheffield component manufacturers who produced the
first run of these unique bolts hadn't been standing still. Other
customers might benefit from their ease of use and so their salesmen
were distributing samples far and wide. The customers asked what they
were called, and were told "They're Allan bolts". Of course, because
they had only received verbal descriptions, they didn't know any
better when they wrote out purchase notes for repeat orders of the
fasteners, they asked for "allen bolts"

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Richard Allan never patented, trademarked or sought copyright for the
bolt design, and although this might not be the best result for him
financially or personally, industry as a whole is better off for the
cheap availability of these useful fastenings.

Richard Allan still produces high-quality and innovative speakers, and
you can view his wares at :http://www.loudspeakersonline.com/

Best,

E.

"Eldred" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Gary Jacobson said:

How did the name "Allen" get to the name of an Allen bolt.
Is that a capitalized allen?

That's an interesting question, and it's a long and fairly involved
story, but worth the time, if only to see how the slightest twists of
fate can have the most unexpected results...

In late 1969, a man called Richard Allan (a self-taught radio repair
man and electrical engineer) took delivery of one of the first stereo
music systems that was available. It was manufactured by "Bush Audio"
who were a spin-off company of the then massive TV manufacturers who
were simply called "Bush". They had created a wholly owned subsidiary
for stereo music systems, because as everyone knew, stereo music was a
passing fad, but they wanted to be seen as cutting edge without
endangering the group as a whole.

Mr Allan was impressed by the potential of the system he owned rather
than by its actual performance - he was particularly disappointed by
the speakers that were supplied - they had a single driver that was
inneffectual in reproducing the high frequencies that really bring
stereo reproduction into it's own. One evening, he was recounting his
misgivings to his father who in typically blunt Yorkshire fashion told
him that if he thought he could do better then what was stopping him?

This was an epiphany for Richard - he couldn't be the only one who was
disgusted with the generally poor quality of stereo (hi-fi was not yet
in common usage at the time) speakers that were being offered, and
there must be a strong market for superior replacements.

He set about looking into the science and engineering of loudspeaker
design, and fortunately, he read a paper by A.N. Thiele & Richard H.
Small, who in 1970 devised a parametric method to describe the
mechanical and electrical impedances in loudspeaker cones, which
greatly simplified Richard's task.

Richard went into his shed and with his first design produced a medium
size studio monitor which confounded the particular and fussy
engineers at the BBC studios with its accuracy, neutrality and power
handling. They wanted to buy 40 pairs!

He was faced with the problem of moving from prototype development to
mass production virtually overnight. Fortunately there was no shortage
of semi-skilled labour and manufacturing space in the locality, as
traditional industry was already in decline by then. In the latter
half of 1971 each week, he was delivering several pairs of speakers to
the BBC, recording studios, and audiophiles who had contacts in the
business. Production was running smoothly, or so he thought...

As the production rate ramped up, the returns and QA failures started
to dig into his business. Up to 30% of his production run were being
rejected. The problem was always the same: The elegant teak veneer on
the front face of the speaker was being fowled by slipped screwdrivers
as the cones were being mounted. Even though he was using Phillips
screws with a recessed, slotted head, slip-ups were occurring at a
rate which would destroy his profit margin.

The natural engineer in Richard came to the fore, and he immediately
started considering alternatives: What about using a bolt? No, the
spanner or socket head may still foul the speaker cabinet. If not a
bolt, then why not use the INVERSE of a bolt? A hexagonal depression
would be simple to place a matching tool into, and because there is no
taper to the depression, there is no force pushing the tool out, even
under the highest torque.

Richard obtained a sample run of these "recessed-head" bolts from a
Sheffield manufacturer. At the time, the bolts were forged in small
batches, and so were very expensive, but the canny Yorkshire
businessman reckoned that the savings in waste and rework on his
speakers, and the eventual benefits of mass production of his bolts,
would save him money in the long run.

He introduced the bolts into his speaker manufacture, and saw waste
and returns due to cabinet damage fall from 30% to less than 5%.
The "Allan bolt" was born!

Meanwhile, the Sheffield component manufacturers who produced the
first run of these unique bolts hadn't been standing still. Other
customers might benefit from their ease of use and so their salesmen
were distributing samples far and wide. The customers asked what they
were called, and were told "They're Allan bolts". Of course, because
they had only received verbal descriptions, they didn't know any
better when they wrote out purchase notes for repeat orders of the
fasteners, they asked for "allen bolts"

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Richard Allan never patented, trademarked or sought copyright for the
bolt design, and although this might not be the best result for him
financially or personally, industry as a whole is better off for the
cheap availability of these useful fastenings.

Richard Allan still produces high-quality and innovative speakers, and
you can view his wares at :http://www.loudspeakersonline.com/

Wow... if this is true, it's a great story and good explanation.

If it was made-up, then I'm even more impressed!

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Eldred said:

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 22:53:59 GMT, "Gary Jacobson" <gjacobson-remove-this-bit-

@hvc.rr.com said:

How did the name "Allen" get to the name of an Allen bolt. Is that a
capitalized allen?

That's an interesting question, and it's a long and fairly involved
story, but worth the time, if only to see how the slightest twists of
fate can have the most unexpected results...
In late 1969, a man called Richard Allan (a self-taught radio repair man
and electrical engineer) took delivery of one of the first stereo music
systems that was available. It was manufactured by "Bush Audio" who were
a spin-off company of the then massive TV manufacturers who were simply
called "Bush". They had created a wholly owned subsidiary for stereo
music systems, because as everyone knew, stereo music was a passing fad,
but they wanted to be seen as cutting edge without endangering the group
as a whole.
Mr Allan was impressed by the potential of the system he owned rather
than by its actual performance - he was particularly disappointed by the
speakers that were supplied
- they had a single driver that was inneffectual in reproducing the high
frequencies that really bring stereo reproduction into it's own. One
evening, he was recounting his misgivings to his father who in
typically blunt Yorkshire fashion told him that if he thought he could
do better then what was stopping him?
This was an epiphany for Richard - he couldn't be the only one who was
disgusted with the generally poor quality of stereo (hi-fi was not yet
in common usage at the time) speakers that were being offered, and there
must be a strong market for superior replacements.
He set about looking into the science and engineering of loudspeaker
design, and fortunately, he read a paper by
A.N. Thiele & Richard H. Small, who in 1970 devised a parametric method
to describe the mechanical and electrical impedances in loudspeaker
cones, which greatly simplified Richard's task.
Richard went into his shed and with his first design produced a medium
size studio monitor which confounded the particular and fussy engineers
at the BBC studios with its accuracy, neutrality and power handling.
They wanted to buy 40 pairs!
He was faced with the problem of moving from prototype development to
mass production virtually overnight. Fortunately there was no shortage
of semi-skilled labour and manufacturing space in the locality, as
traditional industry was already in decline by then. In the latter half
of 1971 each week, he was delivering several pairs of speakers to the
BBC, recording studios, and audiophiles who had contacts in the
business. Production was running smoothly, or so he thought...
As the production rate ramped up, the returns and QA failures started to
dig into his business. Up to 30% of his production run were being
rejected. The problem was always the same: The elegant teak veneer on
the front face of the speaker was being fowled by slipped screwdrivers
as the cones were being mounted. Even though he was using Phillips
screws with a recessed, slotted head, slip-ups were occurring at a rate
which would destroy his profit margin.
The natural engineer in Richard came to the fore, and he immediately
started considering alternatives: What about using a bolt? No, the
spanner or socket head may still foul the speaker cabinet. If not a
bolt, then why not use the INVERSE of a bolt? A hexagonal depression
would be simple to place a matching tool into, and because there is no
taper to the depression, there is no force pushing the tool out, even
under the highest torque.
Richard obtained a sample run of these "recessed-head" bolts from a
Sheffield manufacturer. At the time, the bolts were forged in small
batches, and so were very expensive, but the canny Yorkshire businessman
reckoned that the savings in waste and rework on his speakers, and the
eventual benefits of mass production of his bolts, would save him money
in the long run.
He introduced the bolts into his speaker manufacture, and saw waste and
returns due to cabinet damage fall from 30% to less than 5%. The "Allan
bolt" was born!
Meanwhile, the Sheffield component manufacturers who produced the first
run of these unique bolts hadn't been standing still. Other customers
might benefit from their ease of use and so their salesmen were
distributing samples far and wide. The customers asked what they were
called, and were told "They're Allan bolts". Of course, because they had
only received verbal descriptions, they didn't know any better when they
wrote out purchase notes for repeat orders of the fasteners, they asked
for "allen bolts"
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Richard Allan never patented, trademarked or sought copyright for the
bolt design, and although this might not be the best result for him
financially or personally, industry as a whole is better off for the
cheap availability of these useful fastenings.
Richard Allan still produces high-quality and innovative speakers, and
you can view his wares at
:http://www.loudspeakersonline.com/http://www.loudspeakersonline.com/
Best,
B.

Dear Eldred,

Regrettably, you seem to be mistaken.

"Allen wrench" was originally a trademark of Allen Manufacturing Company
in Hartford, Connecticut in 1943.

http://www.tutorgig.com/encyclopedia/getdefn.jsp?keywords=Allen_wrench

or

http://tinyurl.com/32822

People may have later asked for it as you describe, some words having
more than one origin.

Carl Fogel

--

Gary Jacobson said:

How did the name "Allen" get to the name of an Allen bolt.
Is that a capitalized allen?

From dictionary.com:
Etymology: Allen Manufacturing Co., Hartford, Conn.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

"Gary Jacobson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

How did the name "Allen" get to the name of an Allen bolt.
Is that a capitalized allen?

Gary Jacobson
Rosendale, NY

It's from Allen brand wrenches. From Sheldon's glossary:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_a.html

"Allen Wrench
"A solid hexagonal bar, usually "L" shaped for leverage, that fits
into the hollow hexagonal hole of an Allen bolt head.
This tool is sometimes confusingly called a "hex wrench," "Allen key"
or "hex key."

"The terms involving "hex" can be confusing, because normal cap screws
also commonly have (male) hexagonal heads, and hexagonal box or socket
wrenches fit them.

"I prefer not to use the term "key" for such a tool. Many languages
use the same word for "wrench" and "key", but I believe that it is one
of the richnesses of the American English language that it makes this
distinction. Since "wrench" is not used in this context in British
usage, "Allen key" is acceptable if the appropriate accent is used."

"One of the nice things about Allen wrenches is that they can be
sharpened very easily, just grind the worn part off with a bench
grinder, and an old tired Allen wrench becomes as good as new, so long
as you don't let it get too hot while you are grinding it."

Gary Jacobson said:

How did the name "Allen" get to the name of an Allen bolt. Is that a
capitalized allen?
Gary Jacobson Rosendale, NY

Dear Gary,

As others have noted, the Allen wrench came from the Allen Manufacturing
Company of Connecticut.

Further searching suggests a date of 1930.

Senility has left no trace of what I read, so tomorrow I plan to peek at
this book again, just in case it covers the question:

One good turn : a natural history of the screwdriver and the screw by
Rybczynski, Witold.

Edgar Allan Poe

--

04 Apr 2004 22:53:59 GMT 'Gary Jacobson said:

How did the name "Allen" get to the name of an Allen bolt.
Is that a capitalized allen?

Yes, it's Allen, the name of the company.

-
-----------------------------------------------
Jim Adney [email hidden]
Madison, WI 53711 USA
-----------------------------------------------

Gary Jacobson said:

How did the name "Allen" get to the name of an Allen bolt.
Is that a capitalized allen?

While your question has been answered (it is, indeed, a former trademark
of the Allen Manufacturing Company of Hartford), there's a bit more to the
story, there.

Gilbert F. Heublein is the most likely inventor of the Allen
key/wrench/bolt/screw. He was a very wealthy fellow who imported food and
beverages in the 19th century. He was also based in Hartford, CT.

There is still some research to be done on the subject, apparently.

I haven't been able to find anything about his relationship with Allen
Manufacturing.

EK

Nice story, and it may be partially true, but let me assure you that the
allen screw/bolt has been around for a lot longer than the story suggests.
I was using them in the middle 1950's. The factory where my dad worked
(Hartford Machine Screw Co.) made millions of them back then. They were
expensive and used for what were then high tech applications.

Ernie

Eldred said:

Gary Jacobson said:

How did the name "Allen" get to the name of an Allen bolt.
Is that a capitalized allen?

That's an interesting question, and it's a long and fairly involved
story, but worth the time, if only to see how the slightest twists of
fate can have the most unexpected results...

In late 1969, a man called Richard Allan (a self-taught radio repair
man and electrical engineer) took delivery of one of the first stereo
music systems that was available. It was manufactured by "Bush Audio"
who were a spin-off company of the then massive TV manufacturers who
were simply called "Bush". They had created a wholly owned subsidiary
for stereo music systems, because as everyone knew, stereo music was a
passing fad, but they wanted to be seen as cutting edge without
endangering the group as a whole.

Mr Allan was impressed by the potential of the system he owned rather
than by its actual performance - he was particularly disappointed by
the speakers that were supplied - they had a single driver that was
inneffectual in reproducing the high frequencies that really bring
stereo reproduction into it's own. One evening, he was recounting his
misgivings to his father who in typically blunt Yorkshire fashion told
him that if he thought he could do better then what was stopping him?

This was an epiphany for Richard - he couldn't be the only one who was
disgusted with the generally poor quality of stereo (hi-fi was not yet
in common usage at the time) speakers that were being offered, and
there must be a strong market for superior replacements.

He set about looking into the science and engineering of loudspeaker
design, and fortunately, he read a paper by A.N. Thiele & Richard H.
Small, who in 1970 devised a parametric method to describe the
mechanical and electrical impedances in loudspeaker cones, which
greatly simplified Richard's task.

Richard went into his shed and with his first design produced a medium
size studio monitor which confounded the particular and fussy
engineers at the BBC studios with its accuracy, neutrality and power
handling. They wanted to buy 40 pairs!

He was faced with the problem of moving from prototype development to
mass production virtually overnight. Fortunately there was no shortage
of semi-skilled labour and manufacturing space in the locality, as
traditional industry was already in decline by then. In the latter
half of 1971 each week, he was delivering several pairs of speakers to
the BBC, recording studios, and audiophiles who had contacts in the
business. Production was running smoothly, or so he thought...

As the production rate ramped up, the returns and QA failures started
to dig into his business. Up to 30% of his production run were being
rejected. The problem was always the same: The elegant teak veneer on
the front face of the speaker was being fowled by slipped screwdrivers
as the cones were being mounted. Even though he was using Phillips
screws with a recessed, slotted head, slip-ups were occurring at a
rate which would destroy his profit margin.

The natural engineer in Richard came to the fore, and he immediately
started considering alternatives: What about using a bolt? No, the
spanner or socket head may still foul the speaker cabinet. If not a
bolt, then why not use the INVERSE of a bolt? A hexagonal depression
would be simple to place a matching tool into, and because there is no
taper to the depression, there is no force pushing the tool out, even
under the highest torque.

Richard obtained a sample run of these "recessed-head" bolts from a
Sheffield manufacturer. At the time, the bolts were forged in small
batches, and so were very expensive, but the canny Yorkshire
businessman reckoned that the savings in waste and rework on his
speakers, and the eventual benefits of mass production of his bolts,
would save him money in the long run.

He introduced the bolts into his speaker manufacture, and saw waste
and returns due to cabinet damage fall from 30% to less than 5%.
The "Allan bolt" was born!

Meanwhile, the Sheffield component manufacturers who produced the
first run of these unique bolts hadn't been standing still. Other
customers might benefit from their ease of use and so their salesmen
were distributing samples far and wide. The customers asked what they
were called, and were told "They're Allan bolts". Of course, because
they had only received verbal descriptions, they didn't know any
better when they wrote out purchase notes for repeat orders of the
fasteners, they asked for "allen bolts"

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Richard Allan never patented, trademarked or sought copyright for the
bolt design, and although this might not be the best result for him
financially or personally, industry as a whole is better off for the
cheap availability of these useful fastenings.

Richard Allan still produces high-quality and innovative speakers, and
you can view his wares at :http://www.loudspeakersonline.com/

Best,

E.

"carlfogel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Eldred said:

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 22:53:59 GMT, "Gary Jacobson"

<gjacobson-remove-this-bit-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

@hvc.rr.com said:

How did the name "Allen" get to the name of an Allen bolt. Is that a
capitalized allen?

That's an interesting question, and it's a long and fairly involved
story,

Quoted message said:

Dear Eldred,

Regrettably, you seem to be mistaken.

"Allen wrench" was originally a trademark of Allen Manufacturing Company
in Hartford, Connecticut in 1943.

http://www.tutorgig.com/encyclopedia/getdefn.jsp?keywords=Allen_wrench

or

http://tinyurl.com/32822

The stereo/Hi-Fi part of the story is a fiction, too, as anyone involved in
that stuff back then can tell you.

Eldred <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

In late 1969, a man called Richard Allan (a self-taught radio repair
man and electrical engineer) took delivery of one of the first stereo
music systems that was available. It was manufactured by "Bush Audio"
who were a spin-off company of the then massive TV manufacturers who
were simply called "Bush".

<snip>

Did you hear this somewhere or make it up yourself? Richard Allan has
been making loudspeakers since 1947. Here is a link

http://www.vintage-technology.info/Pages/Domestic/richalmix51.htm

or http://makeashorterlink.com/?S134210F7

to a 1951 advertisement for Richard Allan products.

--
Dave...

(Dave Kahn) said:

Eldred <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

In late 1969, a man called Richard Allan (a self-taught radio repair
man and electrical engineer) took delivery of one of the first stereo
music systems that was available. It was manufactured by "Bush Audio"
who were a spin-off company of the then massive TV manufacturers who
were simply called "Bush".

<snip>

Did you hear this somewhere or make it up yourself? Richard Allan has
been making loudspeakers since 1947. Here is a link

http://www.vintage-technology.info/Pages/Domestic/richalmix51.htm

or http://makeashorterlink.com/?S134210F7

to a 1951 advertisement for Richard Allan products.

Made it up.

Nice story though isn't it?

E.

ZeeExSixAre said:

[snip fairy tale]

Quoted message said:

Wow... if this is true, it's a great story and good explanation.

If it was made-up, then I'm even more impressed!

It is made up, but I wouldn't be too impressed.

As others have pointed out RA has been in the music reproduction biz
since the 'forties.

If I'd been on the ball, I would have transferred the development of
the "Allan bolt" to Richard Allan's fictional son Ebeneezer Allan...

E.

So Eldred <[email hidden]> says:

Quoted message said:

It is made up, but I wouldn't be too impressed.

As others have pointed out RA has been in the music reproduction biz
since the 'forties.

If I'd been on the ball, I would have transferred the development of
the "Allan bolt" to Richard Allan's fictional son Ebeneezer Allan...

E.

The truth is our most precious resource, let us conserve it at all
costs.
-Mark Twain

On Mon, 05 Apr 2004 02:00:48 +0100, Eldred <[email hidden]> may

have said:

Gary Jacobson said:

How did the name "Allen" get to the name of an Allen bolt.
Is that a capitalized allen?

That's an interesting question, and it's a long and fairly involved
story, but worth the time, if only to see how the slightest twists of
fate can have the most unexpected results...

In late 1969, a man called Richard Allan (a self-taught radio repair
man and electrical engineer) took delivery of one of the first stereo
music systems that was available. [mondo snippo]

Umm, no.

Stereo dates back prior to 1969, for one thing. Expensive in the
early '60s, but not uncommon by any means. (Good grief, there were
stereo 8-track tape players in *cars* already by 1965.)

Richard Allan, the speaker manufacturer, goes back to the 1950s at
least. That's "Allan", not "Allen".

The Allen bolt derives from the Allen Manufacturing Co. of Hartford,
Conn, and the trademark was registered in 1943. Note: Allen with an
"e".

I find no mention of the hex-recess screws in material from the 1930s
in my possession. I believe they probably originated for use in the
aviation industry, perhaps as war development. The hex-recess screw
could be positioned closer to a structural member without making it
impossible to get a wrench on to the bolt, permitting a narrower
flange on the part than would otherwise be possible. This allowed for
lighter components, a critical concern in aircraft.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

carlfogel <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Gary Jacobson said:

How did the name "Allen" get to the name of an Allen bolt. Is that a
capitalized allen?
Gary Jacobson Rosendale, NY

Dear Gary,

As others have noted, the Allen wrench came from the Allen Manufacturing
Company of Connecticut.

Further searching suggests a date of 1930.

Senility has left no trace of what I read, so tomorrow I plan to peek at
this book again, just in case it covers the question:

One good turn : a natural history of the screwdriver and the screw by
Rybczynski, Witold.

Edgar Allan Poe

Alas, Witold Rybczynski addresses Robertson and Philips
screws, with a passing mention of Whitworth sizes, but
remains silent about Allen screws, bolts, keys, and wrenches.

C.F.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

As others have noted, the Allen wrench came from the Allen Manufacturing
Company of Connecticut.

They have an office in Burbank as well.
Phil Brown