Posted 2 years ago
CamandCelia
(5 items)
Here is an interesting find, with an interesting story to go along with it. I have been told that this is scoop/scale would have been used in a general store to weigh out either flour, or candies, not nails or nuts and bolts or anything sharp and metallic that could have damaged the brass finish.
The handle (pix 2 and 3) has a scale inside and extends out so the retailer can weight whatever it is he/she is measuring.
On the back of the scoop is stamped:
Weighs 2 Lbs by Ozs.
Gilfillan Scale and Hdw Co
Chicago
Pat App For
The patent was, indeed, issued, on Sept 17, 1915, as US Patent # 1152824. However, the patent was not granted to the Gilfillan Scale company which used to manufacture scales and all sorts of other items in Chicago in late 1890s and early 1900s. Instead, it was granted to somebody named James Leary. Essington Gilfillan, the founder of the Gilfillan company, had moved away from Chicago around 1908-09, and died in 1910. It is not known why the Gilfillan name appears on the scale and perhaps more importantly, how Leary came to file for the patent.
This example does not appear to have ever been used.
I'd like to learn more about this rather novel invention.
Interesting piece..good idea too
CamandCelia, Cool. :-)
Here's the patent listing:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US1152824
Thanks for the comments. It seems that Gilfillan was quite a prolific inventor and is said to have around 30 patents to his credit. One, and this I find so neat, is that he invented the pencil sharpener - the kind where you stick the pencil in and turn a crank on the side end of a "barrel". I still have two of them in my basement.
CamandCelia, You're welcome. :-)
I see what you mean about Essington Newell Gilfillan:
http://www.lbs-or-ozs.com/gilfillan-postal-scales-1
I found these noodling around in Google Patents:
https://patents.google.com/patent/GB190409002A/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US1029749/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US1039046/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US1076007/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US1076008/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US594202/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US641286/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US642321/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US675366/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US675367/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US675368/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US675887/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US682611/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US692055/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US757612A/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US814778/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US823679/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US832054/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US960535/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US961491/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US961692/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US964232/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US970037/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/USD27405/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/USD27406S/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/USD28244/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/USD29187/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/USD30114/en
the scoop shape here differs from that of Patent # 1152824; and the scale readout is from the bottom of the weighing mechanism here whereas Patent # 1152824 shows the readout on the column of the mechanism. so similar but not a match
That's right, the picture of my scale doesn't match the one in the patent application. No idea why this might be. I found the Patent # in an article in Equilibrium, the journal of the International Society of Antique Scale Collectors, which gave the Patent # but showed a picture of the scale I have (in a lot worse shape). The question still, is how did Leary come to file the patent application in 1914, and why was Gilfillan's name on the scale, when he died in 1910.
Keramikos: It's quite the list, isn't it? Imagine getting a patent on a nail-puller. Not to denigrate Mr. Gilfillan's work, but it's essentially a claw-hammer. Then on the other hand, what's the old expression about building a better mouse-trap?! Thank you again for the additional info.
The variety of different patents is quite impressive! This guy was a problem solver..I like him.
publications make errors every day; only have to compare the patent info with the scoop shown here to notice that...