Posted 13 years ago
current-de…
(1 item)
I picked this item up at a flee market. The seller knew nothing about it and I like it as an interesting decoration piece. I have looked on the net but I've never been able to find anything similar to give me any idea of its history or origins. If someone can shed some light on this item I would greatly appreciate it. There are no dates or manufacturer name plates on the item. There are two numbers imprinted into the top of the left cylinder. There is a small number 57426 and below that a much larger number 35. Also the gauge on the left cylinder is manufactured by The US Gauge Company, NY. Also the number 28-A on the short brass arm connected to the right cylinder.
Is there any Name plates, Labels, Patent #, Dates, etc.????
I have one identical to this. It is painted red. It is made by American La france. It is a Carborn tetrecloride extinguisher. I haven't looked at mine close enough yet for the other information.
Check out this patent, #1204040;
http://www.google.com/patents?id=JixhAAAAEBAJ&pg=PA2&dq=extinguisher+inassignee:American+inassignee:La+inassignee:france&hl=en&ei=C5JeT-f2EIq_gAfwsrGsCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=1&ved=0CDgQ6wEwAA#v=onepage&q=extinguisher%20inassignee%3AAmerican%20inassignee%3ALa%20inassignee%3Afrance&f=false
This looks like one half of your fire extinguisher, assigned to American La France,
designed by H. M. MCCASLIN, Mar 13, 1916.
Could yours be a double, which came about later, from the orignal?
Just a thought,
Lumpy
Lumpy
Thanks for all of your help. The item appears to be made by American Lafrance so you could well be right about the patent as there are some strong similarities. Later on my unit could well have been derived and expanded from that patent.
That's what I thought, you can see some of the ports and valves match up. You wouldn't need a patent to expand the unit, using your original design.
When you search Harry M McCaslin in patents, you get several fire extinguishers, all with ALF.
McCaslin lived from 1871 t0 1945, and is burried at Maple Grove Cemetery, Chemung County, New York.
ALF is listed in ELMIRA, NY on the patents, so that matches up with him, and the patent dates.
Lumpy