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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    9
    Country: UK

    Default Elgood Bros Leicester

    Hello, been a few years since I joined and made my first post, too long really....
    Anyhow, I've popped back with a recent purchase I thought you might like to see and hopefully glean a bit of information about this maker. Online search engine results were very minimal.

    This brass Elgood Brothers of Leicester Rim lock has been nicely mounted, by the previous owner (now sadly departed), on a small piece of Oak.

    Cheers Andy
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_20210225_001224_123.jpg   IMG_20210225_001224_121.jpg   IMG_20210225_001224_119.jpg   IMG_20210225_001224_122.jpg   IMG_20210225_001224_141.jpg  

    IMG_20210224_223833.jpg  
    Last edited by toolsntat; 09-03-21 at 12:23 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Posts
    27
    Country: UK

    Default

    I have located two Elgood Lock patents,Yr 1889-5481 & 1887-16427.

    The first covers a bolt notable for silence, and a strange idea of thowing it by a rotating knob, and a key used to lock the knob. Possibly more than two keys are needed to unlock knob, and there is a spring to stop the bolt being rattled. There is a sugestion that varying grades of medical staff would have different keys.

    As they were known for srtistic metalwork, it is surprising that this was created for an asylum!

    The second earlier patent covers the use of rollers to silence operation. There was a third patent for a form of rotating furniture glide.

    The patents are not available via the internet, but only via the British Library. If interested, I can obtain copies and try and upload on the site.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Posts
    27
    Country: UK

    Default

    I have located two Elgood Lock patents,Yr 1889-5481 & 1887-16427.

    The first covers a bolt notable for silence, and a strange idea of thowing it by a rotating knob, and a key used to lock the knob. Possibly more than two keys are needed to unlock knob, and there is a spring to stop the bolt being rattled. There is a sugestion that varying grades of medical staff would have different keys.

    As they were known for srtistic metalwork, it is surprising that this was created for an asylum!

    The second earlier patent covers the use of rollers to silence operation. There was a third patent for a form of rotating furniture glide.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    9
    Country: UK

    Arrow

    Quote Originally Posted by Sprockets View Post
    I have located two Elgood Lock patents,Yr 1889-5481 & 1887-16427.

    The first covers a bolt notable for silence, and a strange idea of thowing it by a rotating knob, and a key used to lock the knob. Possibly more than two keys are needed to unlock knob, and there is a spring to stop the bolt being rattled. There is a sugestion that varying grades of medical staff would have different keys.

    As they were known for srtistic metalwork, it is surprising that this was created for an asylum!

    The second earlier patent covers the use of rollers to silence operation. There was a third patent for a form of rotating furniture glide.

    The patents are not available via the internet, but only via the British Library. If interested, I can obtain copies and try and upload on the site.
    Many thanks for offering up this information Sprockets
    Very difficult for me to find much at all about this lock or the company itself so really appreciate you having had a look.
    I will gladly take up your offer to forward the patents and will then be able to enlighten people while displaying this item.
    Cheers Andy

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Posts
    27
    Country: UK

    Default

    Hello, Andy,

    I have now obtained scans of the two lock patents applied for by Elgood Bros, plus patents relating to a furniture glide and the idea of using a bicycle pump to clear the blockage of a beer tap! There were, I think, two failed applications, including a window sash.
    All hopefully are attached here-hope that they are not too disappointing!

    Best of the New Year,
    Martin.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    9
    Country: UK

    Default

    Thank you Martin and best wishes to you for the year ahead.
    Some great documents you've found there.
    Interesting reading about the patent for un-blocking a beer barrel tap. Who'd have thought you could patent a "method". Either way it sounds like an easy way to a few cloudy pints....
    I'll have a good look through the others later.
    This is very local to me and will be having a look at some of the addresses mentioned.
    Much appreciated.
    Cheers Andy

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    9
    Country: UK

    Default

    Sorry Martin, was just doing an edit of that post and failed the time limit....
    What I was going to say was that it intrigued me when you mentioned a failed window sash patent, particularly so as I'm a Carpenter and Joiner by trade.
    Might I be cheeky and ask if that one is also available?
    You didn't say if access was by a fee and if so I'd gladly reimburse you.
    Cheers Andy

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Posts
    27
    Country: UK

    Default

    Hello, Andy,
    So pleased that you are actually living in Leicester, where the Elgood family seem to have been well known as being leaders in Architectural Metalworking, and collecting Antique items, before this became an accepted practice. I am sure that the local or county library will have material on the family, with all four brothers cooperating.

    Yes, the English Counterbalanced Sash Window was the supreme example of the Carpenters Craft,and it pains me that people in their ignorance are replacing them with tawdry UPVC, which were banned in Germany because of the high thermal expansion of the material leading to constant need to remastic the frames. Even with a Sash Version in UPVC, the counterbalancing often is with terrible American Spiral Spring balances, which are short lived, and work stiffly. The Dutch also used Sash Windows, but even in Elizabeth 1 's time, were most impressed with our counterbalanced sashes, whereas they seem to have used unbalanced windows, held by pegs, even until well into the 20th C! I recommend you to visit the Brooking Museum of Architectural Detail at Cranleigh, near Dorking, where he has rescued windows from skips, especially around London , as wealthy ignoramuses from outside the UK are stripping out all the internal fittings of building at an increasing rate, so as to let them at astronomical rents to similarly vapid individuals! There is a massive variety of Patents by Carpenters on very ingenious systems for safely cleaning the windows from inside, and Glasgow, Edinburgh and possibly Derby and other towns mandated such systems.

    There were seven patents applied for by the family, but they only paid for the patent to be completed (Sealed) in the four mentioned previously.

    The first patent by the family( R H Elgood & T. S. Shouler) was for an Improved Castor-GB188616538, and this was not completed, so there is nothing to show what the castor was like.

    The next incomplete patent was GB188919480, for an improved Sash Pulley and Sash, by J K Elgood alone. The final unsealed patent was for a Lock, GB188900265, taken out in the three names of R.H,J.E, & T.S Elgood. Patents in those days were not examined in depth, so only if one was infringed would there be an investigation as to novelty. I am afraid that many of their patents are not of much validity, particularly the last, for clearing taps, when it is not even an object, but a method, that is being patented! However, the patents do give their Home and Business Addresses!

    Let me know how your researches progress-I better discontinue now, before the Boss,a.k.a.s Brian Morland, fulminates! No charge, as I am glad that they will be of use!

    Happy hunting,
    Martin Cummins.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    9
    Country: UK

    Default

    Thank you again Martin.
    I do enjoy a bit of traditional sliding sash window work and share your concerns for modern day replacements. A particular quirk I've also had the pleasure of working on are balanced sliding sash shutters, whereby the window shutters are installed to the inside of the window in the same manner as the glazed sashes and hidden below a hinged access flap.

    Yes, the Brooking museum is hopefully on the cards as an organised outing with a group called "Tools and Trades History Society" that I belong to.

    Cheers for your time and information.
    Andy

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