dates when Gougler Keyless Lock Co started & WHEN it changed hands to the Miller Co

[Donnie]

I am looking for the year that Gougler started production & the year that they sold to Miller. & how long Miller was in production before they closed down...
Can anyone provide any info. on these 2 company's?.......Donnie

[wylk]

Actually, there were three companies!

My notes show the J. B. Miller Keyless Lock Company, of Kent, Ohio, started in 1888. This was often abbreviated as J.B.M.K.L.

In 1944 or 1945 the company was acquired by Gougler, still of Kent, Ohio. The locks were marketed under the name Gougler Keyless Locks. Around 1965 the company name used in advertising was the C. L. Gougler Machine Company, Lock Division.

Some time in the 1970s, Gougler sold the company to a family named Miller (no relation to the original J. B. Miller) and it continued to operate as the Miller Company and/or Miller Industries, of Columbus (not Kent), Ohio. Locks were marked Miller Keyless Locks. This company went out of business a few years later.

[Donnie]

Thank you WYLK, that is about as close as I think we are going to find..
I appreciate your effort...........Donnie

[SwearD]

I have spent the past two days writing a long, detailed story with the history of these companies and their products. Unfortunately, both days' work were lost when they timed out, so I will only hit the highlights this time.

I purchased padlocks, tubular locks, and mortise locks from C.L. Gougler in 1971. My next purchase was in 1977, when it was owned by Miller. By late 1978, they were bankrupt and all assets were auctioned off on January 30, 1979. I was invited to bid and received a detailed list of all assets. These included $40,000 worth of parts and manufacturing equipment, and $30,000 worth of pending orders.

[Donnie]

I sent you a private message on 12 / 16 / 16 at 10;00 am eastern time

[wylk]

I have spent the past two days writing a long, detailed story with the history of these companies and their products. Unfortunately, both days' work were lost when they timed out

By all means, let us know what you know about these companies. I'd like to compare notes with my own history of them.

[Pschiffe]

By all means, let us know what you know about these companies. I'd like to compare notes with my own history of them.

Check out this 50-page MS Word document found on the Internet, Miller/Gougler/Miller Combination Locks, regrettably the author is apparently not indicated: http://w3.uwyo.edu/~jimkirk/jbmgm-locks.doc

• Pete Schifferli

[wylk]

I have uploaded an updated version of the Miller/Gougler/Miller document. I don't keep notes on changes but as best as I can tell there are typographical/grammar changes, a few new locks shown, an explanation of the two numbers on locker locks (per SwearD), and clarification of when Miller Industries went out of business (also per SwearD).

http://w3.uwyo.edu/~jimkirk/jbmgm-locks.doc