Henry Frank Phillips (June 4, 1889 – April 13, 1958) was an American businessman from Portland, Oregon.[1] The importance of the crosshead screw design lies in its self-centering property, useful on automated production lines that use powered screwdrivers.[2] Phillips' major contribution was in driving the crosshead concept forward to the point where it was adopted by screwmakers and automobile companies.[3] After failing to interest manufacturers, Thompson sold his self-centering design to Phillips in 1935.Patents #2,046,837 to 2,046,840) for the American Screw Company of Providence, Rhode Island, Phillips succeeded in bringing the design to industrial manufacturing and promoting its rapid adoption as a machine screw standard.
