In 1927, Alva F. Allen was in a manufacturing business foreign to the press punch business. Unable to find the small punch presses he needed for his production department, he designed and built the punch presses to fulfill these needs. Almost immediately, other manufacturers who saw his presses in operation decided they needed similar presses for their businesses. In the more than 50 years since that time, Alva Allen Industries has acquired invaluable experience and information leading to punch press design and manufacture, with emphasis placed on Safety, Strength, durability, Ruggedness and Smooth-Rapid clutch action. Add accurate machining and precision workmanship, and the result is the high grade, dependable line of Alva Allen Punch Presses and Accessories.

All Alva Allen main frames are molded of highest quality grey iron and are scientifically designed, having strong, liberally reinforced uprights assuring maximum strength and rigidity while allowing a minimum amount of deflection. This assures permanent alignment even with continuous operation. Most Alva Allen Presses have a back opening in the Main Frame for front to back feeding of raw material or for back discharge of work or scrap. The extra long Main bearings which are a requirement for all Alva Allen Main Frames maintain proper shaft alignment, assuring longer bearing life with minimum maintenance.

Alva Allen Crankshafts are made of special alloy, Nodular type iron ideal for use as press shafting, and are load and shock resistant. This iron is the same type used by the Automotive Industry for Engine Crankshafts, Axles, Etc.

Alva Allen Crankshafts are turned, ground and polished to very close dimensional tolerances.

Large connecting rod and main bearing surfaces match the main frame and connecting rod bearings to distribute loads over large areas and reduce wear while maintaining proper shaft alignment.

One reason the Alva Allen Presses supply more punching power than many other presses is the extra large flywheel. The proper weight distribution applies additional driving force for a smooth, Power-Laden Punching operation. These precision-engineered flywheels are fitted with hardened steel striking pins, which assure quick, positive action of the clutch.

The Alva Allen synchronized, positive action, single pin clutch is of simplified construction, containing a minimum number of moving parts, and designed for rugged and dependable service. The Alva Allen synchronized clutch has proven to have no equal for smooth, quiet, positive action. All contact parts are scientifically heat treated to provide a hard surface for long-wearing life if proper lubrication is maintained.

This clutch is a full revolution clutch, causing the crankshaft to make one complete revolution each time the clutch trip is activated. Once started, the cycle cannot be interrupted. For this reason, complete and total die area guarding must be provided for punch presses with the full revolution clutch.

The connecting rod - ram assembly is unitized for perfect alignment with reference to the rugged crankshaft and precision-machined die bed. All connecting rods have large, easily lubricated bearing surfaces for positive alignment necessary for minimum wear and smooth, durable operation. Ram is easily adjusted for die setting using standard wrenches. All rams are designed with an excess of metal, giving exceptional strength and are scientifically balanced so that pressure from the punch is evenly spread, eliminating strains at any given point. Extra long slides assure perfect alignment of ram at all times. Easily adjusted gibs allow take-up for wear, which is minimized by the extra length of the slides.