I just recently obtained another pair of the "Patent Stop" Tower DL's.
I didn't really need another pair, but these struck me as unusual. Hoping any of you might know if they are.
The other pairs I have are all typical 3 round link DL's. This set is on the Union Hardware single long link style.
Seems to me that the stop feature should have been long gone by the time Union's hit the market. No?
Thanks,
Brad
Thanks for the info Mark and Michael.
Brings up another thought or two. The "Single Locks" (aka Second Model) were patented May 26, 1874 (Pat. No. 151,452) and presumably production for sale began within a few months, one way or the other, as the companies usually had the machine work underway by the time they were seeking patents (they could always go with "Patent Pending" if they had applied, but not received the patents).
The "Double Locks" were patented Dec 16, 1879 (Pat. No. 222,751) and although there most assuredly would have been a transition or overlap period where old stock was used up from the S/L's. By the paucity of of S/L's, we have to suspect that the production life was not long and probably did not transcend a great deal of time into the D/L era. Typical of New England 19th Century manufacturers, long enough to use up the left over parts.
The "Patented Bow Stop" (they called it a "Hand Cuff and Shackle" [sic]) was issued to Kahlke and Tower on Dec 5, 1882 (Pat No. 268,496), nearly three years after the patenting of the D/L's. Applied Sept 2, 1882, granted Dec 5, 1882 - that's when the Gov't did things fast, I guess.
My question: could they still have been cranking out an occasional S/L three years later? With a bow stop, no less? Does anyone out there have one? Seen one? A picture would sure be a great addition here (I'm seeing HCA '07 material).
Second question: Kahlke and Tower presented three different style bow stops in their patent application. Besides what we usually see, there was an odd hook shaped variant of the usual and then a collar-like stop that is inscrutable in the drawings and anonymous in the description, except something about it will, "...easily pass through the hole in the radius bar (sic - bow?)...become a stop when it is partially turned...".
So, has anyone seen either of those gizmos? Any stories of them ever being produced?
If Michael has a mint one - Union Hardware Patented Bow Stop, that is - (mine is mint rust and hammer-whupped) then at least we know that Union Hardware knocked out a few, even though no one liked them, two decades later. They must be rare compared to the three rings versions though, although all of them are rather rare.
Brad
