Four Blue Houses

 

In 1907, Canadian P. L. Robertson invented a screw that could be die-stamped and used a square hole tapering to a point. The screw and its driver were called the Robertson. In 1913, Fischer Auto Body opened a factory in Ontario making parts for the Model T. Mr. Robertson’s screw offered an advantage for manufacturing and Fischer became one of Robertson’s biggest customers, using some 700 screws per car body. When he learned using Robertson’s screws in Canada saved $2.60 per car, Henry Ford came seeking a license to use the screws in all his US plants. But Ford wanted a say in production and an exclusive contract. Robertson stubbornly refused. When the deal fell through, Robertson also lost the Ford contracts in Canada; almost a third of his business. The Robertson is still used in Canada, but the US (and the rest of the world) chose instead the screwdriver patented by Henry F. Phillips.