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Harrison Patent Wick LDide
Harrison Patent No. 535,135
Hendrick Mfg Co pic1
Hendrick Mfg Co pic2
Hero Fruit Jar Co Lamp
  HFJ Co Cap Marking.jpg - HERO FRUIT JAR CO LAMP - Hard to find tin face lamp with screw cap lid, lid marked with letters H, F, J and Co. in logo similar to a Maltese cross, 2 1/2 in. high to top of lid, 1 1/2 in. base dia., 3 in. single spout (This lamp is one of a very few oil wick lamps that include a screw lid. The marking on the lid with the letters H, F J, and Co placed in the four arms of a cross, similar to the Maltese cross, starts with John L. Mason, a tinsmith living in New York City during the 1850s. Mason invented a method of mass-producing metal screw caps. In 1858, he patented the combination of a lathe and a metal chuck (patent 19,786 awarded Mar. 30, 1858) that turned sheets of metal into threaded caps. While Mason did produce some of these caps for use on handmade tin cans, he soon turned to glass vessels that would accommodate his patented lids. Later in 1858, Mason patented a mold for blowing glass jars with a screw thread (patent 22,129 awarded Nov. 23, 1858). The earliest Mason jars featured unlined caps made of brass, zinc or tin. The invention of glass jars with air-tight closures used for home food preservation solved a myriad of problems for early American families who had bountiful fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer and fall, but few ways to preserve the food for use during the winter months. The manufacture of fruit jars for home canning accelerated after the Civil War. Mason's patent expired in 1875 and many other companies began manufacturing fruit jars around that time. Many of these other glass manufacturers capitalized upon the familiarity of the Mason name (or brand) and used it liberally on their own products. The use of unlined caps from Mason’s patent often led to corrosion and spoilage. Louis Boyd came up with a solution to the problem and on March 30, 1869, patented the lined zinc cap. This patent soon became a major asset of the Consolidated Fruit Jar Company. Due to a patent office error, a similar patent was also granted to Salmon Rowley of the Hero Glassworks in 1872. Armed with these patents, two companies would come to dominate the canning jar market in the 1860-1890 time periods. The first to do so was the Consolidated Fruit Jar Company, located in New Brunswick, NJ, known by its fancy CFJ monogram. Close on their heels, and overtaking them in the 1880s, was the Hero Fruit Jar Company of Philadelphia, represented by the Hero cross. The Hero cross looks similar to the Maltese cross but careful examination will reveal that the Hero cross is unique with an H, F, J, and Co, one in each of the four arms. The Hero Glass Works of Philadelphia, in business since 1869, became the Hero Fruit Jar Company in 1883 which continued in business until 1908. During the 1880s, only Consolidated and Hero were allowed to manufacture lined lids, protected by their respective patents.Oil wick manufacturers that chose to use screw lids on their lamps looked to these fruit jar companies to supply the lids and collars rather than taking on the difficult task of making their own. The 1872 Winfield patent lamp is known with brass screw lids marked with the fancy Consolidated Fruit Jar Company logo. Similarly, the lamp shown here uses a screw lid manufactured by the Hero Fruit Jar Company with its unique Hero cross logo containing the H, F, J and Co letters.)  
Mason Jar HFJ Lid
High Spout
Hoover Bros
Hoover Bros Marked
Hoover Bros Marking

HFJ Co Cap Marking | HERO FRUIT JAR CO LAMP - Hard to find tin face lamp with screw cap lid, lid marked with letters H, F, J and Co. in logo similar to a Maltese cross, 2 1/2 in. high to top of lid, 1 1/2 in. base dia., 3 in. single spout (This lamp is one of a very few oil wick lamps that include a screw lid. The marking on the lid with the letters H, F J, and Co placed in the four arms of a cross, similar to the Maltese cross, starts with John L. Mason, a tinsmith living in New York City during the 1850s. Mason invented a method of mass-producing metal screw caps. In 1858, he patented the combination of a lathe and a metal chuck (patent 19,786 awarded Mar. 30, 1858) that turned sheets of metal into threaded caps. While Mason did produce some of these caps for use on handmade tin cans, he soon turned to glass vessels that would accommodate his patented lids. Later in 1858, Mason patented a mold for blowing glass jars with a screw thread (patent 22,129 awarded Nov. 23, 1858). The earliest Mason jars featured unlined caps made of brass, zinc or tin. The invention of glass jars with air-tight closures used for home food preservation solved a myriad of problems for early American families who had bountiful fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer and fall, but few ways to preserve the food for use during the winter months. The manufacture of fruit jars for home canning accelerated after the Civil War. Mason's patent expired in 1875 and many other companies began manufacturing fruit jars around that time. Many of these other glass manufacturers capitalized upon the familiarity of the Mason name (or brand) and used it liberally on their own products. The use of unlined caps from Mason’s patent often led to corrosion and spoilage. Louis Boyd came up with a solution to the problem and on March 30, 1869, patented the lined zinc cap. This patent soon became a major asset of the Consolidated Fruit Jar Company. Due to a patent office error, a similar patent was also granted to Salmon Rowley of the Hero Glassworks in 1872. Armed with these patents, two companies would come to dominate the canning jar market in the 1860-1890 time periods. The first to do so was the Consolidated Fruit Jar Company, located in New Brunswick, NJ, known by its fancy CFJ monogram. Close on their heels, and overtaking them in the 1880s, was the Hero Fruit Jar Company of Philadelphia, represented by the Hero cross. The Hero cross looks similar to the Maltese cross but careful examination will reveal that the Hero cross is unique with an H, F, J, and Co, one in each of the four arms. The Hero Glass Works of Philadelphia, in business since 1869, became the Hero Fruit Jar Company in 1883 which continued in business until 1908. During the 1880s, only Consolidated and Hero were allowed to manufacture lined lids, protected by their respective patents. Oil wick manufacturers that chose to use screw lids on their lamps looked to these fruit jar companies to supply the lids and collars rather than taking on the difficult task of making their own. The 1872 Winfield patent lamp is known with brass screw lids marked with the fancy Consolidated Fruit Jar Company logo. Similarly, the lamp shown here uses a screw lid manufactured by the Hero Fruit Jar Company with its unique Hero cross logo containing the H, F, J and Co letters.) Download Original Image
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