Duplicators
In the mid-1950s the small offset (duplicator) market was dominated by Addressograph-Multilith’s Multi-1250 almost without competition. A study undertaken by Whitin Machine Works, a manufacturer of textile making machinery looking to expand out of an industry depressed by the introduction of synthetic fabrics, suggested that “quick printing” done with duplicators was a growing market. Whitin thus acquired ATF in 1957, began to manufacture a small (10 x 15” sheet size) duplicator at their Whitinsville, Massachusetts facility, and to market this under the name ATF Chief 15. The basic design was by Louis Mestre, and it incorporated many large press features as he had free use of Webendorfer patents. As it gave large press performance, it was an immediate success with commercial printers (who were disdainful of duplicators), and the Chief line remained the best of the small presses until the introduction of Heidelberg’s T-Offset in the late 1980s. A larger Chief 17 was introduced in the 1960s and the 1970s saw “common blanket” two color models of both the 15 and 17. Both Chief models were made and sold in Europe by Gestetner Cyclograph Company, and were also marketed in the United States by the Itek and Ditto corporations.
Though the Chief could produce superlative work, unlike the highly popular A.B. Dick 350, it required a skilled operator. Unfortunately for ATF, the quick printing industry had less use for such quality work and more need of a “fast and dirty” duplicator like the 350 and so its market penetration was limited.
In 1966 White Consolidated Industries acquired the Whitin Machine Works and with it control of A.T.F,.
ATF later purchased the competing Davidson line of duplicators and changed their name to ATF-Davidson. Breaking their pattern of low investment in upgrading technology, ATF actually developed improved models of the Davidson and this line remained competitive right to the end. The Davidson however, was an unusual design (with two, rather than the usual three cylinders) and its popularity remained limited.
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