Carbide Hand Lamps/Guy's Dropper Bottom

Carbide Hand Lamps

Guy's Dropper Bottom.jpg - GUY'S DROPPER HAND LAMP - Guy’s Dropper hand lamp, brass with tinned steel bottom reinforcement, with tinned steel hook and bale, marked on top GUY’S DROPPER with PAT. and 5-2-12, 5-26-14, 9-19-16, 11-2-20, 2-10-25, 7-21-25, water control knob marked with OFF and arrow, bottom marked MANUF’D BY SHANKLIN MFG CO. SPRINGFIELD, ILL. U.S.A. ca. early 1930s, 3 1/4 in nickel-plated reflector, body 6 1/4 in. tall to top of water knob, 9 in. to top of bale, 2 7/8 in. base dia. (The Shanklin Manufacturing Co. of Springfield, IL was a prominent producer of miner's carbide lamps with its famous "Guy's Dropper" carbide cap lamp. Designed by Frank Guy, he obtained his first patent in 1910 (#974,054 of Oct. 25, 1910) and two additional patents (#1,097,716 of May 26, 1914 and #1,198,537 of Sept. 19, 1916) while developing a business arrangement with brothers George and Edgar Shanklin to manufacture the lamps. In 1913, the brothers formed the Shanklin Manufacturing Co. to mass produce the Guy's Dropper lamp. The war years of 1917-18 substantially increased the demand for carbide lamps as the need for coal and minerals peaked. The Guy's Dropper benefited with this demand with increased production of both the cap and hand lamps. In addition, Shanklin manufactured a Guy's Dropper cap and superintendent-style hand lamp variation known as the "Squarelite," distinguished by the square shape of the lamp top as shown elsewhere in my lamp pics. The Squarelite design was patented by George Shanklin on Oct. 17, 1916 as #49,782. These lamps are scarce and coveted by collectors. As with other carbide lamp manufacturers, the 1920s brought a decline in the demand for acetylene lamps and problems for the Shanklin company. In 1932, the Shanklin Manufacturing Co. was sold to the Universal Lamp Co. where the Guy's Dropper continued in production as a best-selling Universal product until the company ceased manufacturing carbide lamps in 1960. Sometime after 1926, the top stamping was changed from the 2-date marking shown elsewhere in my lamp pics to the 6-date marking shown here. As Dave Thorpe notes, the first of the dates, May 2, 1912, is not valid. The second and third are Frank Guy's patents marked on the 2-date lamps. The fourth date refers to a George Shanklin patent for a protective tip shroud (#1,357,596 awarded Nov. 2, 1920). The fifth date pertains to the new clip-in cap brace (#1,525,579 awarded to G. W. Frost, et al on Feb. 10, 1925) while the sixth covers William Shanklin's corrugated base design (#67,589 awarded July 21, 1925). The Shanklin produced Guy's Dropper hand lamps are thought to be an early 1930s product. With the sale to Universal, the top stamping was later changed to Big Boy as shown elsewhere in my hand lamp pics. See Clemmer, American Miner's Carbide Lamps, pp 85-88 and Thorpe, Carbide Light, pp 95-108) SEE THE HYDROLATOR INSTRUCTIONS IN THE FOLLOWING PIC

Guy's Dropper Bottom | GUY'S DROPPER HAND LAMP - Guy’s Dropper hand lamp, brass with tinned steel bottom reinforcement, with tinned steel hook and bale, marked on top GUY’S DROPPER with PAT. and 5-2-12, 5-26-14, 9-19-16, 11-2-20, 2-10-25, 7-21-25, water control knob marked with OFF and arrow, bottom marked MANUF’D BY SHANKLIN MFG CO. SPRINGFIELD, ILL. U.S.A. ca. early 1930s, 3 1/4 in nickel-plated reflector, body 6 1/4 in. tall to top of water knob, 9 in. to top of bale, 2 7/8 in. base dia. (The Shanklin Manufacturing Co. of Springfield, IL was a prominent producer of miner's carbide lamps with its famous "Guy's Dropper" carbide cap lamp. Designed by Frank Guy, he obtained his first patent in 1910 (#974,054 of Oct. 25, 1910) and two additional patents (#1,097,716 of May 26, 1914 and #1,198,537 of Sept. 19, 1916) while developing a business arrangement with brothers George and Edgar Shanklin to manufacture the lamps. In 1913, the brothers formed the Shanklin Manufacturing Co. to mass produce the Guy's Dropper lamp. The war years of 1917-18 substantially increased the demand for carbide lamps as the need for coal and minerals peaked. The Guy's Dropper benefited with this demand with increased production of both the cap and hand lamps. In addition, Shanklin manufactured a Guy's Dropper cap and superintendent-style hand lamp variation known as the "Squarelite," distinguished by the square shape of the lamp top as shown elsewhere in my lamp pics. The Squarelite design was patented by George Shanklin on Oct. 17, 1916 as #49,782. These lamps are scarce and coveted by collectors. As with other carbide lamp manufacturers, the 1920s brought a decline in the demand for acetylene lamps and problems for the Shanklin company. In 1932, the Shanklin Manufacturing Co. was sold to the Universal Lamp Co. where the Guy's Dropper continued in production as a best-selling Universal product until the company ceased manufacturing carbide lamps in 1960. Sometime after 1926, the top stamping was changed from the 2-date marking shown elsewhere in my lamp pics to the 6-date marking shown here. As Dave Thorpe notes, the first of the dates, May 2, 1912, is not valid. The second and third are Frank Guy's patents marked on the 2-date lamps. The fourth date refers to a George Shanklin patent for a protective tip shroud (#1,357,596 awarded Nov. 2, 1920). The fifth date pertains to the new clip-in cap brace (#1,525,579 awarded to G. W. Frost, et al on Feb. 10, 1925) while the sixth covers William Shanklin's corrugated base design (#67,589 awarded July 21, 1925). The Shanklin produced Guy's Dropper hand lamps are thought to be an early 1930s product. With the sale to Universal, the top stamping was later changed to Big Boy as shown elsewhere in my hand lamp pics. See Clemmer, American Miner's Carbide Lamps, pp 85-88 and Thorpe, Carbide Light, pp 95-108) SEE THE HYDROLATOR INSTRUCTIONS IN THE FOLLOWING PIC

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