The man behind the Patton-MacGuyer Company was Ralph Clifton Patton. Patton was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1887. He was the son of George Farrar and Clara May (Simmons) Patton. He received a Bachelors of Engineering Degree from Tulane University in 1907 and a Electrical Engineering Degree from Tulane in 1909. He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha. In 1912 he married Carolyn D T Parker and they had one daughter Carolyn Lindsey. He started his career in the Testing Department of General Electric in Schenectady, NY from 1907-1908. He then became a research engineer at Electrical Testing Labs in New York from 1908-1909. He then joined D & W Fuse Company in Providence, RI from 1909-1917. He was a member of the AIEE and Providence Engineering Society. ¹

After D & W Fuse he and H F MacGuyer, another D & W Fuse employee opened their own company, the Patton-MacGuyer Company. The incorporation description in 1918 was as follows:

On January 9th 1918, ³ Patton-MacGuyer Company, Providence, R. I., was incorporated, with H. C. Patton, president, and H. F. MacGuyer, secretary and treasurer: Patten and MacGuyer, who formerly were with the D & W Fuse Manufacturing Company, as electrical engineer and special representative respectively, have bought the business of the Bliss-Chester Company, of Providence ⁷. The Bliss-Chester Company has been in existence for 20 years, manufacturing fuse parts, flashlight trimmings, cable lugs, wire terminals, screw shells, and stampings in brass and copper of all kinds. Mr. Patton in his position as electrical engineer of the D & W Fuse Company acquired an enviable reputation for his keen insight of the business and gained many friends by his able handling of engineering problems. Herman F. MacGuyer, or "Mac." as he is so well and widely known, was special representative for D & W company for many years, and for that company covered the entire United States and Canada, and earned the reputation of being one of the best manufacturers’ representatives that ever entered the electrical business. Due to his diligence and consistency he built up for the D & W Fuse Company a wonderful business and prestige for D & W fuses. ²

D & W Fuse Manufacturing Company Stock

In 1921 the businees the companies’ factory was at 31 Mathewson Street in Providence. They manufactured a complete line of standard and special cable lugs and terminals. Their factory was equipped with modern machinery and tolls especially adapted to manufacturing electrical component parts in brass, copper and steel. Their parts all have a correct design, smooth contact surfaces and ample copper capacity that insure maximum conductivity. Their organization was trained to handle their work at minimum cost. The plant has tools made for manufacturing innumerable electrical fittings. ⁴

In 1922 the company produces a folder highlighting its fuse parts, screw shells, cable lugs, plain and threaded, flat stampings of all kinds and completely seeembled devices made to specifications. ⁸

In 1932 we still see a listing for the company on Baker street in Providence, ⁵ and then a support ad in 1944. ⁶

Still or recently still in Business?

I found two recent listing for PATTON-MACGUYER INC. One shows on goodle maps (street view) as being a house and the other a building. The building had a sign that it is leasing space and the directory in front does not list Patton-MacGuyer and the listing for the house said the company has 2 employees.

PATTON-MACGUYER INC
17 VIRGINIA AVE.
PROVIDENCE, RI, 02905

Patton Macguyer Inc
219 Washington Road
Barrington, RI 02806


In a side bar, Ralph Clifton Patton was the president of the Skyscrapers Astronomy Club from 1956-1957. He was actually one of the origional incorporators in 1936. The club has and maintains a 12-inch reflecting telescope that he designed and built in 1929 at the Seagrave Observatory in Scituate Rhode Island. The telescope was donated to the Skyscrapers by the Patton-MacGuyer companies owner Jeffrey Allen. The estimated 2,000 lb scope and mount sat in an observatory on the third floor roof of the Patton-McGuyer manufacturing company in Providence.

Before the Cold War, a copy of the Patton telescope was made from his drawings by the Russians and was mounted in a small observatory in Neish Neish Novgorod.