Any clue on this bench base?

[Scott W]

I picked up this workbench base today. I have no clue the intended purpose when made. It has "new haven machine company, new britan conn" on one side" and "patent date Nov 7, 1901" on the other side.  The vise I am showing was attached to the top with wood planks. 
Any idea why the stepped down front? What could this have been used for?  It's almost a knock down bench. 

Any theories are appreciated.

[Joe Bailey]

Any idea why the stepped down front? What could this have been used for?  It's almost a knock down bench. 

Any theories are appreciated.

Not a theory --  the stepped-down front allowed for the installation of a much thicker plank than needed on the back half of the bench.
The front is where all the heavy duty pounding took place.

HERE'S an example

[Scott W]

Not a theory --  the stepped-down front allowed for the installation of a much thicker plank than needed on the back half of the bench.
The front is where all the heavy duty pounding took place.

HERE'S an example

You sir are the man. I looked and looked. How did find that?

[CStan]

The base is a "school base" and designed to hold vises on opposite corners of the bench, to be used simultaneously by two students.

When you see a bench top with a trough down the middle, it was a top originally designed for the same use -- so students working on both sides of the bench at the same time had access to a "tool drop."

[john jesseph]

Spam defenses penetrated.

[AHill]

It's actually the New Britain Machine Company - located in New Haven, CT.

You can Google the patent and read the description of how it works:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US803873A/en

[Philip1231]

I am fairly certain, since I had multiple family members that worked there, that the New Britain Machine Co. was in New Britain, CT, once known as the hardware capital of the world (Fafnir Bearing, Stanley Tool, Corbin, Russell and Erwin, Landers Frary and Clark, Union Mfg, Skinner Chuck, the list goes on and on.).

Further reading on this subject:
New Britain Industrial Museum