Vintage wall unit manufacturer?

[Speedbag]

I recently received and email from a gentleman wondering about his recently purchased "vintage" wall unit, and he was wondering if I knew any history of this brand, make or style.
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I just purchased a speed bag platform that must be quite old. I wonder if you could possibly help me identify the manufacturer and approx. age? The construction is cast iron, with a maple platform. The height adjustment is made via a hand wheel at the bottom of the unit. The letters \"N M Co\" or \"M N Co\" are cast into the unit. The unit is massive and has to weigh over 250 lbs. The platform is about 4’ in thick.

any ideas?
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I have been unable to find nothing about it, so maybe one of our historians knows something about the history of this. It is and unusual board contructed of numerous pieces of wood, and some ornate iron work on the brackets.

[metaldad]

250lbs? Glad that's not going on my wall lol! What's the average weight of a wall mounted unit?

[Dutchman]

I've seen pics of this model before, and if memory serves me right this is the institutional model that was built by the Nissen Manufacturing Co. They are now known for building gymnasium equipment for high schools and colleges (trampolines, parallel bars, pommel horses, balence beams, etc). Well scratch that, Nissen didn't enter into the production of equipment untill the 1960's and this definitely dates from no later than the 1920's judging from the casting work on it. Time for more research.

[clark-kentski]

Thats a nice piece,a real keeper

[ukspeedbag]

Thats a nice piece,a real keeper

I agree! That's a cool set-up, the adjuster's great!

[Speedbag]

I've seen pics of this model before, and if memory serves me right this is the institutional model that was built by the Nissen Manufacturing Co. They are now known for building gymnasium equipment for high schools and colleges (trampolines, parallel bars, pommel horses, balence beams, etc). This has been long discontinued from their production.

I figured you would know a bit about this. You're historical knowledge is amazing. I'll pass this on. thanks.

[Dutchman]

Better check my addedum to my post, Alan, it's not what I originally thought. I know I've seen this style somewhere. I'm working on it.

[Speedbag]

Better check my addedum to my post, Alan, it's not what I originally thought. I know I've seen this style somewhere. I'm working on it.

I also thought this was early 1900-1920's because of the ornate detail in the cast or iron work in later equipment. And the board is a very interesting layered construction, indicating a lot of workmanship and attention to detail, born of a day when rapid mass production of items such as large, thick table tops was not done.

[metaldad]

Couldn't find out any info on that platform but I found this while clicking around, It's a Victor speed bag platform from the 1940's

[Speedbag]

Couldn't find out any info on that platform but I found this while clicking around, It's a Victor speed bag platform from the 1940's

Metaldad, I gotta tell ya - THAT is something I have never seen or heard of before. Kind of reminds me of the Mcfadden speed bag.

Where did you find this? Do you have any information on it? I would love to include it on my speed bag history page.

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DUH: a web search found this Victor speed bag circa 1940:

just have to know what you're looking for....

talk about a "whopper", look at this 16 in leather bag looks like it's been beat to death. (my kinda bag..)

[Dutchman]

I was going through my files the other night, and I 've found a copy of an old press photo with what looks like a "M N Co." platform in use. There is no date, and it appears that it was taken for a local paper in the NYC area, maybe Brooklyn. The clothing in the pic suggests sometime in the 1940's. I'll try to post it when I get a chance (if it's all right, my notes say that it had been offered on eBay, which means that I probably captured it).

[metaldad]

Metaldad, I gotta tell ya - THAT is something I have never seen or heard of before. Kind of reminds me of the Mcfadden speed bag.

Where did you find this? Do you have any information on it? I would love to include it on my speed bag history page.

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DUH: a web search found this Victor speed bag circa 1940:

just have to know what you're looking for....

talk about a "whopper", look at this 16 in leather bag looks like it's been beat to death. (my kinda bag..)

Well seeing that Mcspadden platform pretty much blows my theory of using the wall as drum straight to hell! I wonder how those were practical? Tha IS one beat up well used looking bag.

[Dutchman]

I surmise that this works like the Crippen bags that you see the old ads for on eBay. They used a large rubber grommet that the rod was attached to return the bag. It looks like that the Victor might have used a rubber cord to acheive the same results. The ads of the era state that they are "noiseless", so it appears that even back then not everybody appreciated the rythmic cadance of the bag.

[Nnorb]

Victor Speed Bag Platform

Hi Folks,
We saw you were talking about a Victor Speed Bag Platform. We have one of those that was consigned to us. (We are an auction house.) It is actually dated 1902 on the support arm. We also were able to dig up the patent drawings for it. We put all of those in the auction which can be viewed here:

Victor Speed Bag

Being as you all showed an interest, thought you would enjoy seeing the drawings and having a date on it.
Enjoy,
Norb Novocin
Estate Auctions, Inc

[metaldad]

Hi Folks,
We saw you were talking about a Victor Speed Bag Platform. We have one of those that was consigned to us. (We are an auction house.) It is actually dated 1902 on the support arm. We also were able to dig up the patent drawings for it. We put all of those in the auction which can be viewed here:

Victor Speed Bag

Being as you all showed an interest, thought you would enjoy seeing the drawings and having a date on it.
Enjoy,
Norb Novocin
Estate Auctions, Inc

Very cool! Go back to the beginning of this thread and check out the platform that got us to the Victor, maybe you folks at the auction house might have some info on it? We were all stumped