Hello Mike: Can you tell me the patent number?
The USPTO has all issued patents available free on line. Does the UK have a similar service? Thanks, Brooke Clarke The Shaws wrote: > I have recently become the proud owner of a Pilkington Gibbs > Heliochronometer:- > "Globe" base, Arabic numerals from 5am to 7pm, two holes in the sighting > vane, Serial number 932. > > As I live fairly near to Preston, where they were manufactured, I went up > there today to their town museum, The Harris Museum and Art gallery, to see > if they had anything on the topic. They haven't. > > But they do have a half size P&G heliochronometer. > It looks tiny (I suppose because half size means quarter volume). > I spoke with the very helpful "Keeper of Social History" (Emma Hestlewood) > who got the file out for me to sight. > It just has an article photocopied from the BSS Bulletin (BSS 97.2 p17), and > a copy of the 1906 patent. > I promised to send her Graham Aldred's article (BSS 98.1 p14) > She believed that there were a few other half size examples somewhere. > She was able to tell me that their half size example had been presented to > the museum in 1947, by a Mrs Gibbs. > I think that Gibbs died in 1947, so it was probably his widow. > > 1) Does anyone know of any other half size examples anywhere? > 2) Graham Aldred tells me that 932 is a very late example, as the "youngest" > he has heard of has serial number 944. > Does anyone have a later one? I'd like to know how many were made in > total. (But please don't tell any dealers) > > I have been unable to get much information about P&Gs, except what is in the > BSS Bulletins, and what Chris Daniel has written in "Clocks". > I'd be interested in anything anyone can tell me that isn't already > published in the above articles. > > Mike Shaw > > http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jmikeshaw/ > > N 53º 21' 24" > W 03º 01' 47" > Wirral, UK. > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.307 / Virus Database: 168 - Release Date: 11/12/2001
