I bought this vise/anvil yesterday at an estate sale.  I've been unable insofar to determine it's maker.




The only markings on it are "380A". I did luck upon Patent 1036155 issued to CE Shields of Rock Island IL which shows a drawing of the same vise, but is focused on the locking nut portions and improvements.  The vise/anvil I have is not marked with a patent number.

Is it safe to assume a relationship (other than the locking nut improvements) between this vise/anvil and the patent holder as the maker/inventor?  The thing I'm struggling with would be his technical reference, in detailed drawings, to that particular vise if he truly had no relationship to it's invention/making.

You need the other patent ;P

The anvil is not itself mentioned because it is covered by another patent.
In this case, a design patent D45,268 to C.E.Shields, Aug 11, 1914

Sorry, it's not assigned to anyone....

I have two of those vises, one of them has a pin under the anvil body, that when removed, one can pull the vise nut out several stops.  As the screw only has limited travel, this gives the vise  potentially larger jaws.   I dont' think I've seen numbers on either of mine.  Think there is one in the 1906 Sears catalog.  Here is a photo of a similar one, a Cheneys, who made it?   Might be tough to find out, as several companies made them as a general purpose shop vise, for light duty. 

Quote from: rusty on April 29, 2012, 09:58:59 AM

You need the other patent ;P

The anvil is not itself mentioned because it is covered by another patent.
In this case, a design patent D45,268 to C.E.Shields, Aug 11, 1914

You had me going for a minute - the patent number you were referencing had a bad digit D46,268.  Not to challenge the patent king - but does it make sense the patent for the locking nut was issued 9/20/1912, two years before the patent you reference for the vise which is dated 1914?

Quote from: john k on April 29, 2012, 03:17:19 PM
I have two of those vises......

John - Do you have them as users?  If so, for what uses and how do you like them?

I keep one down on the other end of the bench, use it more as a light anvil than a vise.  I think of it as a universal fits-all, does everything, but don't push it too hard. 

>bad digit D46,268
Oops...sorry about that
(Hey, it's like the girl with the 6 digit phone number, I'm fast, but not easy -P)

As for the dates, it's hard to say, the design patent isn't your vise, it has a rotating base, I was focused on the top, not the bottom ....

Seeing John's ad, I'm inclined to think the inventor simply drew a commonly available vise to illustrate the patent, and it otherwise is just coincidental that you have the same general style.
Another problem is we don't know if your vise was made during the patent interval, so it could be someone's copy of an earlier patented design by someone else...

It may well be that neither patent has anything to do with the vise other than happening to describe the mechanism, which was already being used by various people because it was 'standard design'....

As an aside, 1911 is fairly late for vise designs, most of the interesting things had been invented already by then...

Quote from: rusty on April 29, 2012, 06:29:46 PM
I'm fast, but not easy -P)

I think you get laugh of the week award :)

I appreciate the explanation.   The vise does NOT have the locking mechanism the patent describes, nor does it have a patent number stamped on it.  I tied the two together because of the drawing in the patent.

Quote from: rusty on April 29, 2012, 06:29:46 PM
"It may well be that neither patent has anything to do with the vise"

I believe you may be right.

That is the first one like it I have seen, I like it...

It is a Farriers Anvil, meant for a Farrier to make horse shoes with right at the farm.
I have the same one but mine is mint.

 today I located my vise/anvil, ya, had to move a few items to get at it.

it has no name, but a patent date of Sept. 22, 1914,  it has the pin to adjust the vise size.
checked DATAMP and it was there, patent number1,111,103  issued  to Carl Shields, Rock Island, ILL.

ACCORDING TO DATAMP, he was a co-founder of Rock Island Mfg. Co. in 1906 and was president of the co.
when he was issued this patent.

he also had an earlier patent for a vise.

  another that I will put in a new listing.