Hi,

Maybe some one will know about Rabone levels.
I have 2 12" Rabone levels, No 1370, with patent No 22017 marked on them.
Couldn't find much info online, only interesting match is
https://www.htpaa.org.au/images/pdfs/Salesman_Samples_Giveaways-
The_Tool_Chest_August_2008_1.pdf
They discuss this exact level, but with extra marks about sales price.
They say tis level is "not unusual except for the fact that
the patent number was clearly shown ,indicating it was an
early model".
So apparently I have 2 early models, pb is I do not know what "early"
means in terms of dating. Apparently their sample was matched with a
1892 catalogue.
I don't think my 2 levels are that old.
Couldn't find the patent data either.

What do you think galoots?

Chris,
Rainy day in Auckland

Hey Chris.

Could you take a few photos of your levels, including makers marks? 

Thanks,

Russ

See https://groups.io/g/oldtools/album?id=264875

Chris

On Sun, 6 Jun 2021 at 17:11, sushimonster via groups.io
 wrote:

On Sat, Jun 5, 2021 at 10:06 PM Christian Gagneraud 
wrote:.

> I have 2 12" Rabone levels, No 1370, with patent No 22017 marked on them.
> Couldn't find much info online, only interesting match is
>
> https://www.htpaa.org.au/images/pdfs/Salesman_Samples_Giveaways-
The_Tool_Chest_August_2008_1.pdf
> .
> So apparently I have 2 early models, pb is I do not know what "early"
> means in terms of dating. Apparently their sample was matched with a
> 1892 catalogue.
> I don't think my 2 levels are that old.
> Couldn't find the patent data either.


Piecing together little  bits of info

Here is one opin maybe better shape, with a readable rule.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/j-rabone-sons-birmingham-rule-level-
pat-22017

Here is one claiming to be from  Hockley Abbey

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-hockley-
abbey-22017-brass-1947347808


The move to Hockley was 1871

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Rabone_and_Sons


Hope those help you pin it down a bit

I know nothing of Rabone, and the espacenet site isn’t kicking out your
patent info.  In the US, patent protection was 17 years, so you could work
around whatever GB allowed.

Kirk in Half Moon Bay, CA, who still needs to take some wooden plow
pictures.



-- 
Sent from my iPad, apologies for the Auto Correct errors. Kirk

On Mon, 7 Jun 2021 at 02:14, Kirk Eppler  wrote:
> On Sat, Jun 5, 2021 at 10:06 PM Christian Gagneraud  wrote:.
>>
>> I have 2 12" Rabone levels, No 1370, with patent No 22017 marked on them.
>> Couldn't find much info online, only interesting match is
>> https://www.htpaa.org.au/images/pdfs/Salesman_Samples_Giveaways-
The_Tool_Chest_August_2008_1.pdf
>> .
>> So apparently I have 2 early models, pb is I do not know what "early"
>> means in terms of dating. Apparently their sample was matched with a
>> 1892 catalogue.
>> I don't think my 2 levels are that old.
>> Couldn't find the patent data either.

> The move to Hockley was 1871
>
> https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Rabone_and_Sons

They also mention:
1872 The company's newly patented spirit levels and rules were
exhibited in Moscow, Vienna, Sydney and Melbourne.

https://www.bl.uk/help/find-early-british-patents
They say that starting from 1852, patent numbers refer to a specific
year (so you need to know the year and the patent number).
So higest patent number by the end of 1852 is 14359.

Year 1892 is the first year to have more than 22k patents applied for.
So patent No 22017 seems to have been emitted after 1892...
Confusing and no possibility to do online research. :(
I filled a request form, let's see how lucky I'll be.

Chris

On Mon, 7 Jun 2021 at 14:57, Christian Gagneraud via groups.io
 wrote:
>
> On Mon, 7 Jun 2021 at 02:14, Kirk Eppler  wrote:
> > On Sat, Jun 5, 2021 at 10:06 PM Christian Gagneraud  wrote:.
> >>
> >> I have 2 12" Rabone levels, No 1370, with patent No 22017 marked on them.
> >> Couldn't find much info online, only interesting match is
> >> https://www.htpaa.org.au/images/pdfs/Salesman_Samples_Giveaways-
The_Tool_Chest_August_2008_1.pdf
> >> .
> >> So apparently I have 2 early models, pb is I do not know what "early"
> >> means in terms of dating. Apparently their sample was matched with a
> >> 1892 catalogue.
> >> I don't think my 2 levels are that old.
> >> Couldn't find the patent data either.
>
> > The move to Hockley was 1871
> >
> > https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Rabone_and_Sons
>
> They also mention:
> 1872 The company's newly patented spirit levels and rules were
> exhibited in Moscow, Vienna, Sydney and Melbourne.
>
> https://www.bl.uk/help/find-early-british-patents
> They say that starting from 1852, patent numbers refer to a specific
> year (so you need to know the year and the patent number).
> So higest patent number by the end of 1852 is 14359.
>
> Year 1892 is the first year to have more than 22k patents applied for.
> So patent No 22017 seems to have been emitted after 1892...
> Confusing and no possibility to do online research. :(
> I filled a request form, let's see how lucky I'll be.

Wowhooo! I found it with a bit of perseverance:
https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/032142871/publication/GB189
822017A?q=nftxt%20%3D%20%22rabone%22%20AND%20pd%20%3C%3D%20%221900%22

GB189822017 is Patent 22017 of year 1898:
Improvements in the Manufacture of Spirit Levels
Rabone, H. J.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/3.2/rest-
services/images/documents/GB/189822017/A/formats/pdf/pages/?EPO-Trace-Id=8ypvgy-
9je6o6-XXX-000239

Chris

On Sun, Jun 6, 2021 at 8:12 PM Christian Gagneraud  wrote:

>
> >
> > https://www.bl.uk/help/find-early-british-patents
> > They say that starting from 1852, patent numbers refer to a specific
> > year (so you need to know the year and the patent number).
> > So higest patent number by the end of 1852 is 14359.
> >
> > Year 1892 is the first year to have more than 22k patents applied for.
> > So patent No 22017 seems to have been emitted after 1892...
> > Confusing and no possibility to do online research. :(
> > I filled a request form, let's see how lucky I'll be.
>
> Wowhooo! I found it with a bit of perseverance:
>
> https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/032142871/publication/GB1
89822017A?q=nftxt%20%3D%20%22rabone%22%20AND%20pd%20%3C%3D%20%221900%22
>
> GB189822017 is Patent 22017 of year 1898:
> Improvements in the Manufacture of Spirit Levels
> Rabone, H. J.
>
>
> https://worldwide.espacenet.com/3.2/rest-
services/images/documents/GB/189822017/A/formats/pdf/pages/?EPO-Trace-Id=8ypvgy-
9je6o6-XXX-000239
>
> Chris
>

Knowing what you know now, google patents will reveal it too.

https://patents.google.com/patent/GB189822017A/en?oq=GB189822017

Just brute forcing GB18xx22017 would be the hard way.  (xx=92, 93, 94.....
ad nauseam)

I put the 22017 into espace, and it returned 22 patents, but none had the
prepend of the year.

Nice work.  I didn't try to search espacenet for patent holder.

Kirk in Half Moon Bay, CA, suffering through more online meetings.