Why does Stanley in storage since 1981 say "Pat Apl 1992"

[Russell Sansom]

I'm sure some Stanley plane experts are snickering, and this is some kind of cool insider joke, but I just ran into this puzzle. I pulled out a Stanley #3 and found "Pat Apl 1992" at the top of the iron. I'm almost POSITIVE that this little guy has been sleeping untouched in storage since 1981!

An internet search didn't help ( it's not an easy search string ), though I found some others just like it.
What does it mean? Could 1992 be a patent number? Or the year that the patent runs out? Or a crazy misprint?

[Sam Takeuchi]

Pat date is from Apr 19, 1892.

[Jim Koepke]

Searches can be vexing.

A search on > Stanley patent dates < might have you stumbling on an answer to your question.

Since you didn't mention patent dates in front of the rear handle, there is likely also at least one patent date on the lateral adjustment lever.

If the blade is a replacement, then there might also be a couple of patent dates inside the brass adjuster.

Finally, there could be a patent date on the chip breaker.

This is my favorite time period of Stanley planes.

Here is a link to help you figure out more about your plane:

https://home.comcast.net/~rarebear/planes101/typing/typing.htm

jim

[Tony Bilello]

"Pat Apl 1992" should mean patent was applied for in 1992. If the patent was granted, they would have a patent no. instead. So, someone snuck in during the night sometime and swapped tools with you.

[Sam Takeuchi]

"Pat Apl 1992" should mean patent was applied for in 1992. If the patent was granted, they would have a patent no. instead. So, someone snuck in during the night sometime and swapped tools with you.

No. Early 20th century Stanley Bailey type planes have that pat date, on the base casting, blade or some such. I don't know for which mechanism that patent goes for, either way, it reads month, date, year, not month, year. It has nothing to do with 1992 and it has everything to do with 1892.

[Jim Koepke]

This is likely the mark being discussed:

145925

Notice the comma between the 19 and the 92. Notice also AP'L is for April, not applied. The patent date is when the patent was granted. Stanley actually used this design on blades before the patent was granted.

Mistaking this patent for being in the late 20th century is one of the most common perplexities to vex people who are new to the world of Stanley planes.

This patent is for the slot design of the blade. Before this time the blades had the large hole at the top to avoid damage to the blade when removing the cap iron. With the advent of the lateral adjuster, the large hole at the top of the blade became a problem after the blade was sharpened a few times. The solution was to move the large hole to the bottom of the blade.

If my memory is working, another maker started doing this also. Stanley took them to court and lost due to it not being something the average person couldn't figure out.

jim

[Sam Takeuchi]

I think you are right. I kept thinking of the casting pat date, which does have APR 19 date in it (but I can't remember the year..02? 10?)

[Jim Koepke]

I think you are right. I kept thinking of the casting pat date, which does have APR 19 date in it (but I can't remember the year..02? 10?)

The base of the Bailey style planes have two '02 dates and then the '10 date was added.

The Bedrocks had a '95 date and later a '10 was added.

One of my type 6, #4s has 7 patent dates. 2 are inside the brass adjuster. 1 is on the cap iron. 3 are on the lateral adjuster. The last one is the '92 on the blade that is a replacement.

jim

[Jeff Burks]

Patent 473,087 (http://www.google.com/patents?id=H88_AAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=473087&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=&f=false) April 19th 1892 E.A. Schade

Reference links to the lawsuit:
Stanley Rule & Level Co. v. Ohio Tool Co 1902 (http://books.google.com/books?id=ApwKAAAAYAAJ&dq=473%2C087%20Stanley%20Ohio&pg=PA813#v=onepage&q=473,087%20Stanley%20Ohio&f=false) & 1903 (http://books.google.com/books?id=-rMXAAAAYAAJ&dq=473%2C087%20Stanley%20Ohio&pg=PA185#v=onepage&q=473,087%20Stanley%20Ohio&f=false)

The 1858 Bailey patent 20,615 (http://www.google.com/patents?id=VkNbAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=20%2C615%20Bailey&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=&f=false)
The 1867 Markee patent 63,341 (http://www.google.com/patents?id=anwAAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=Markee%20plane&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=Markee%20plane&f=false)
The 1876 Nicht patent 173,177 (http://www.google.com/patents?id=1-pPAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=Josef%20Nicht&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=&f=false)
The 1877 Baecker patent 198,180 (http://www.google.com/patents?id=ll5yAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=baecker%20plane&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=baecker%20plane&f=false)
The 1878 Smith patent 202,674 (http://www.google.com/patents?id=pmZBAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=202674&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=&f=false)
The 1885 Gage patent 323,804 (http://www.google.com/patents?id=Z_tjAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=323%2C804&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=&f=false)
From the prior art section of the lawsuit.

It is amazing how many primary documents can be turned up on the Internet with just a few minutes search...

[Russell Sansom]

Thanks for the expert help. Both the apostrophe ( if it's there ) and the period are obscured by a small landscape of pits. It did seem unlikely that someone had sneaked into my tool cabinet and switched blades on me.
Thanks,
Russ

[Jim Barry]

I'm not sure if this is relevant to your question, but I heard recently from
a well known hand plane guy that Tom Lie-Nielsen bought the patent rights to most of the Stanley planes (I think in the eighties) which is why their new planes are all bevel up.

I thought it pretty odd that Stanley is no longer able to manufacture their own plane designs.

[James Taglienti]

All of stanley's decent plane patents are expired. They are everyone's property.

[Jim Koepke]

I do not think there were any patents to purchase. They may have bought the right to use the Stanley and Bedrock names in their promotional materials.

jim