Reading Bakery Systems, Robesonia, PA, has about half a million old drawings for the machines sold through its business units during the 20th century. Mark Priar, the company’s director of spare parts, said the oldest original drawing that he has seen in its archive is for a 1902 T.L. Green machine.

Founded in 1893, T.L. Green was purchased by Reading in 2001, and it continues to produce spare parts for many of its older machines. In fact, Mr. Priar said, the oldest T.L. Green machine that he personally has serviced is a 1913 spindle mixer, for which Reading still makes parts.


Reading also has original drawings for virtually all its machines dating back to its beginnings as Reading Pretzel Machinery in 1947.

Any drawings done prior to 1990, when the company began using computerized drawings, are card filed and kept on blueprints. Because these are of major importance to the OEM, Mr. Priar said these drawings are kept in a vault with a system that removes the oxygen in case of a fire.