Cuff of the Day for May 16. Bean

Here is the schedule for this week
Monday - Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic/Slovak Republic
Tuesday  - Rankin
Wednesday -  Nichols
Thursday - Scandinavian restraints
Friday - Palmer
Saturday - Bean
Sunday - Pre 1800's restraints from around the world

Please send me your suggestions for future days.

Tower was perhaps the most successful of the late 19th century American handcuff brands, but Bean was a close second.
There are lots of variations and lots of stories associated with Bean.

Please send me your suggestions for future days.

I will start with the simplest Bean product, the Bean Hook.

Here is a Bean double shackle 50 lb ball &
chain.

Spencer

This is the Bean neck collar, which is a pair of normal Bean handcuffs attached to a large neck size Bean cuff.  
It is pretty rare with a relatively few known pairs.

There are four models of the Bean Hook. The first has no patent data stamped on it, has a flat spring and the claw tip juts out at an angle further than the other models. The second model has PAT APLD FOR stamped on it.The third has PAT'D MAY 6, 84 ( the patent date for the Bean chain nipper) and the fourth has PAT'D SEPTEMBER 4, 83 (the correct patent date for the hook) on it.

Matt

While we’re on the topic of Bean does anyone have an example of the Bean three way cuff as pictured in this catalog.

Thanks Spy

Bean On a Brlly Chain

Two families of Beans

Fred
I really like your Bean Belly Chain.

Here are two cuffs that may be ones in the advertisement above.

First the Single Hand cuff with loop
And the Conveying Handcuffs.

The Bean was once one of my absolute favorite cuffs and I have a few of them.
 
Gordon is the specialist on these, and I’ve learnt a lot from him. Especially to separate the Detective, Patrolman and Prion version from each other. This can be hard but you need to compare by the size of the hinges.
 
 First out is the earliest version with a barrel key, the patent date is stamped on the moving bow.

Been leg irons. Many thanks to Joe Fox who let me buy these mint leg irons at one of the conventions in California back in time.

How to separete the different versions. Prison, Patrolman and Detective. Prison on top and to the right..

A mint condition Prison

Fred thanks for sharing your photos of the rare Bean items you have and I’ve never seen a Bean belly chain before.

Spencer

Two Bean Giant.

Bean, Iver Johnson and Lovell. The same family.

It was not that long ago that Gordon wrote his letter describing the 3 sizes of Bean cuffs.  Until then, I was clueless.
This pic shows the 3 sizes.

The Bean Cobb started off with trigger buttons which would allow the officer to carry the cuffs unlocked until he was ready to lock them on his subject.
Fighting with a criminal while you get your key out was so 1890's!
The problem with the first models is that the trigger or arming buttons protruded from the lock case and often times, they would have been accidentally pressed and locked. Even the removable lock was slightly thicker than that of the cuff frame, so this first model had 2 strikes going for it.
To fix this problem, the company scalloped out material from the cuff body and submerged the arming button below or even with the surface.  The lock case was also reduced in thickness so that it was the same dimension as the cuff. (see bottom pic for comparison)
These modifications made premature locking a thing of the past.
Some people are under the opinion that when the Bean Cobb cuffs were being sold as " Bean's Improved Handcuffs", the "Improved" verbiage pertained to redesigning the cuff due to the arming button problem.
I believe that the word "Improved" actually explains that the lock is removable for cleaning or repair purposes which the other models never featured.

Some more Bean/Lovell/H&R related items

Fred Pittella wrote: ↑

May 16, 2020

Two families of BeansBeaan Family of Handcuffs@.jpgBean Cobb Family Handcuffs@.jpg

Fred, I'm not sure if you are aware of it but the key for your Bean (left one in box, first photo) is an original key for the Hiatt Been. A rare original key.

Lars

Great photos from everyone, I can not compete with the mint condition of so many of them. The Bean Giant was a cuff I always wanted when I started collecting. My first set was from Don Hinz, cost me $50 and they were not working and he stamped his name on them as he did with most of his items. This is the pair that are shown in Alex’s book. Many years later I got a much better pair shown here which were supposed to be from a famous Escapologist’s collection! They came with the extension key which works really well even if the cuffs are put on behind the back.

Think there may be two versions of The Bean Hook. This set from Stans collection is not marked and I think is different to the set Joe started this post with?

Lars good eye Thanks, keys must have  gotten mixed up when I was taking pictures Hiatt Bean

I have all of the standard fare of bean Cuffs, but they have already "bean" shown.  (pause for laughs...no one is laughing...moving on) The one that sticks out to me is my Bean Giant. About 6 years ago, i happened across a website of a Mr. Charles Palmer. He was selling his Prison collection, via his website. Everything from uniforms, to papers, books, prison related items and of course, handcuffs and leg irons. I emailed Mr. Palmer and had a short chat with him about what he had left in inventory. At the time, i had about 200 restraints in the collection. He asked me what cuff I really wanted to add to my collection, but may not be able to afford at the time? I told him one of my dreams was to have an original Bean Giant! His was listed for $1200 and was in nice shape with a key. He told me, he would lower the price on this one cuff for me. And he did! He emailed me with a message giving me a price that was less than half of the asking amount! I couldnt send the money fast enough! This Bean Giant, was the most expensive cuff I had purchased, up to that point.

When the cuffs arrived a few weeks later, they had a strange marking on the back of them. Upon further inspection, I could see that it read "Pettibone Bros Mfg Co." It was pointed out to me that the stamp for the Pettibone Bros was put on the cuff before it was plated at the factory. This is the only example I have ever found of this stamping. I did find some information for the Pettibone Bros. I found that they were a distributor in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They sold police and fireman gear through their catalogs. I have never found anything else about them. I can only guess that Pettibone Bros had these made and stamped by Hiatt so they could re-distribute them through their name.

This is still one of my favorite cuffs in my collection. I tried to contact Mr Charles Palmer, recently. But, i received no reply to my emails. I hope all is well with him and thank him for allowing me to purchase this amazing piece of history that will always hold a special place in my collection!
-Richard Knip-

 This is for those of you who like history and variations. The first Beans were Prison models ~ 17 oz. and ~22oz,
barrel key models, patent date NOV,28.82 on the bow. Then all models went to a solid key, the date still on the bow.

  Latter all models put the patent date on the clevis ( hinge ).PAT'D. NOV.28,82 and a T in a circle, which has always been a        mystery.  Again another patent date was added to the clevis PAT'D. NOV.18.84.
 

  The last Bean models made were the two Prison models. They went back to the barrel key. They were marked
 IVER JOHNSON CO, BOSTON

No makers marks or patent dates. So I can only assume Bean. Does anyone know whether the original case is Bean?

The 2nd cuff I added to my collection was the Bean Cobb handcuff. I know that it isn't very rare, but It's always been one of my favorites. I've added quite a few Beans and Bean style cuffs since then.


Left to right upper: Bean prison, Bean patrolman, Bean Detective.
Left to right lower: Bean Giant, John P Lovel , Iver Johnson.
The rest: Bean Prison leg iron, Tower Bean, 1st model Bean Cobb and later model Bean Cobb. Bean Cobb leg iron. H&R Bean handcuff and H&R Bean leg iron.

PaulJDavies wrote: ↑

May 17, 2020

No makers marks or patent dates. So I can only assume Bean. Does anyone know whether the original case is Bean?

Yes, that is an original case.
Bean giant for sale
-Richard Knip-

Here’s my drawer of Beans. The card inside of the neck collar is actually a playing card with the Bean Giant print it on the back. There’s also a being on a 5 foot chain with a big ring on the end.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here is a photo of my Bean drawer. They are among my favorite cuffs as well.
One of the first 5 cuffs I ever bought was a Bean, for around $100. One of maybe 2 or 3 that got lost in the mail over the years.
The collar-cuff combination is still on my Most Wanted list. I was lucky enough to get a single collar a few years back. I didn't even know it was made without the cuffs as well.

Nils

Does that Bean conveying chain appear to be a factory item and was it part of Stan’s collection?

Thanks Spencer

Richard

The Pettibone Bros. Mfg. Co. consisted of brothers James and William.  James established the company in Cincinnati, Ohio by taking over John Boner's military goods store, where he worked as a clerk in 1872.  By 1900 they had become a large establishment, manufacturing goods for lodges, societies and other fraternal organizations with their staff of 450 workers.  James was issued a handcuff patent in 1882, but this device was never meant for police work, hence no lock and key.  According to his patent application , "It is deigned for stage and mimic use".  While most of their offerings related to costumes and uniforms they appear to have made some goods for police use. Clearly they sold the Bean Giant you have, but in 1879 they sold uniform belts to the Cincinnati Police Department.  In a 1902 advertisement they offered an E.D. Bean whistle.

Matt

Thank you for the further information on the Pettibone Bros, Matt! I had found similar information in my search. I was hoping to find a copy of the catalog that they sold the Bean Giant cuff, in. But, i have never located said catalog. I did find a copy of the cover of a Police/Fire catalog of theirs, a few years ago. But, it was just a picture of the cover. That was about where my search ended.
-Richard Knip-

Spencer wrote: ↑

May 17, 2020

Nils

Does that Bean conveying chain appear to be a factory item and was it part of Stan’s collection?

Thanks Spencer

yes to both your questions.

Many don't know that Bean made chain nippers.  They never marked them so it is hard to tell if you have one.

Good point Mark and correct me if I’m wrong but Bean chain nippers had a slot on only one side of the handle.

Spencer

I'm a little late to the party on this one, but here are my Bean Cobb cuffs.  These are certainly one of my favorite types of cuffs and having the matching set really adds to my collection, which is more focused on Darby style restraints and basic examples of "modern vintage" cuffs.

I have an older post detailing, with photos, the disassembly and reassembly of the lock cases on these unique cuffs. In a word I would describe these as being like "clockwork" because there are many simple small pieces, springs, levers, etc, that fit together just so and work very well.  I bought the Bean handcuffs on eBay a few years back, and according to info I have found on this forum, they are the third model, with the recessed lock arming buttons, the lock case being slightly thicker than the cuff itself, and there being no serial number on the inside of the hinge.

They have 4 locking positions, and are somewhat shim resistant as there are two lines of locking pawls and a ward of sorts in the middle. The keys are small, and the rotating key way must be lined up correctly in order to insert the key, therefore although they lack a double lock feature, these are quite secure. There are swivels built in to each of the clevis hinges.

The matching leg irons are not as common, and I was very glad to find this pair at fairly low price. They lack swivels, and otherwise operate the same as the handcuffs. I am not sure about different versions of the leg irons vs the many iterations of handcuffs made by Bean, but these have a recessed lock arming button, they DO have serial numbers in the inside of the hinges, and the lock case is flush with the cuff body.  The leg irons lack a swivel. 

Both the handcuffs and leg irons were nickel plated originally and have a mottled patina, but unlike on most cuffs, I find this to be aesthetic on these cuffs.  My leg irons in particular are quite worn, with moderate to heavy wear on the clevis hinges, the swing arm of one cuff, and the edges surrounding the lock case on the other.  It appears likely that this pair was used as intended in the past.

I would add that these came with one key, but I have two Bean Cobb keys from Ian which are well made and work perfectly.