|
Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details. |
|
Thread Tools |
19th Nov 2018, 10:14 am | #1 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,748
|
Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
Not electric itself (so Mods please delete if considered inappropriate) but a friend of mine owns this intriguing tool designed to remove the shade ring of early electric lampholders. Possibly dating from the 1920s, it consists of a cylindrical wooden handle topped by a rubber-lined cup, which grips the shade ring with sufficient friction to permit it to be unscrewed. Bakelite shade rings certainly became brittle and stiff to remove when exposed to heat. When electric lamp shades were narrow, this must have been a boon to every modern household.
An internet search has, unsurprisingly, revealed nothing. Few can have been sold, and even fewer probably survive. Has anyone else seen anything like it? Phil
__________________
Phil Optimist [n]: One who is not in possession of the full facts |
19th Nov 2018, 8:22 pm | #2 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2,508
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
There are current versions on sale today - search for 'shade ring wrench''. Somewhere I have the Westinghouse one that fits their US-style rings.
|
20th Nov 2018, 8:21 am | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,748
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
Thanks, Lucien! You learn something new every day...
__________________
Phil Optimist [n]: One who is not in possession of the full facts |
20th Nov 2018, 10:11 am | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Penrith, Cumbria, UK.
Posts: 3,687
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
I daresay this is common knowledge, but if you apply a little talcum powder to the Bakelite threads when the shade carrier is new, and also at subsequent removals, you won't need a fancy wrench.
__________________
Regds, Russell W. B. G4YLI. |
20th Nov 2018, 12:20 pm | #5 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 16,535
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
There's also no need for their being done up tight anyway.
__________________
....__________ ....|____||__|__\_____ .=.| _---\__|__|_---_|. .........O..Chris....O |
20th Nov 2018, 12:27 pm | #6 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
Is this patent the same Morrisons as the present grocers I wonder? There are certainly none on sale in my local branch.
I remember the story of the lady used to gas mantles trying to light a new light bulb, with a match to burn the sugar off, new fangled things. |
20th Nov 2018, 6:46 pm | #7 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 18,713
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
Quote:
was no doubt perfectly true, (I suppose it eluded widely differing voltage ratings available), but the warning was not exactly helpful to the householder in knowing what to do about it.
__________________
-- Graham. G3ZVT |
|
20th Nov 2018, 8:17 pm | #8 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 16,535
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
More likely to be implying that their lamps were better than the competition's.
__________________
....__________ ....|____||__|__\_____ .=.| _---\__|__|_---_|. .........O..Chris....O |
21st Nov 2018, 12:35 am | #9 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,748
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
Quote:
I think the main point of the wrench is that some shades were too narrow for the hand to get right up and grip the shade ring. I doubt that the patentee was the same Morrison who now operates supermarkets, but you never know! I'm sorry that I cropped the photo a bit tight and cut off the bottom of the box, which I'm sure bore words along the lines of "So insist on Bloggs's light bulbs! Refuse imitations!"
__________________
Phil Optimist [n]: One who is not in possession of the full facts |
|
21st Nov 2018, 10:55 am | #10 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Co. Durham, UK.
Posts: 1,117
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
I have one of these...
...somewhere! |
21st Nov 2018, 9:18 pm | #11 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Penrith, Cumbria, UK.
Posts: 3,687
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
Here's the 1929 'SUNCO' version. A snip at 4/-.
__________________
Regds, Russell W. B. G4YLI. |
22nd Nov 2018, 12:12 am | #12 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,339
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
And here's GEC's versions from 1912.
Thanks for the tip about talc. Last edited by emeritus; 22nd Nov 2018 at 12:18 am. |
22nd Nov 2018, 1:41 am | #13 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,748
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
Fantastic!
__________________
Phil Optimist [n]: One who is not in possession of the full facts |
22nd Nov 2018, 2:39 pm | #14 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,998
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
Love it!
I vaguely remember seeing a similar sort of tool used in a lighting shop for fitting/removing the knurled brass rings used on some lampholders - it was a thin metal tube which had been multiply 'crimped' lengthways so it looked like it was splined. The inside of the splines were themselves knurled. The splined-ness of the tube gave it some elasticity so it could fit over the different sizes of knurled rings. |
22nd Nov 2018, 3:16 pm | #15 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 5,553
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
I can remember making a couple of new rings from a nut taken from a compression fitting.
I can't remember the pipe size now but the old ones were brittle plastic and had turned to dust. The light fitting is still fine though. |
22nd Nov 2018, 3:54 pm | #16 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 9,642
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
What goes around... A new LED fitting my Daughter has in her house has three shades, too narrow to get your hand in, well mine anyway. It came with a plastic tool to fit the shade locking rings.
|
22nd Nov 2018, 5:28 pm | #17 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 5,553
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
I made a plastic tool to fit the slices of pipe nut for mine.
Now I know what the tools look like perhaps I might find one at the flea market. |
22nd Nov 2018, 6:12 pm | #18 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Wimbledon, London, UK.
Posts: 1,465
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
Some of those things look like they could double-up as tooth-extraction pliers. Ouch!
Colin. |
22nd Nov 2018, 6:22 pm | #19 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
Morrisons grocers date from 1899 so maybe it is the same!
Amazing that there seem to be various makers of these tools. |
22nd Nov 2018, 11:06 pm | #20 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,748
|
Re: Morrison’s Patent “Facile” Electric shade remover
Well, the friend who owns the item in post#1 also owns a second, different, example. I’ll be seeing him on Sunday so I’ll try to remember to photograph that one too.
__________________
Phil Optimist [n]: One who is not in possession of the full facts |