Barrett Test Your Twist

[gameswat]

Just took a couple mins. for #2!
Twist Test patent: US 453729 A

[gameswat]

Here's an improved US patent for the Grip Test with much better detail of the case etc. US 452688 A

[gameswat]

I've been trying the last hour but can't seem to find a way to search for British patents online? The Grip and Twist I found were the US patents but I can't find the Pistol version yet? I think that's possibly because the Pistol model wasn't marketed in the USA due to the fact it fires the large UK Pennies?? I bet it does exist in the UK patents though.

[gameswat]

Still can't find that damned Pistol patent, but did discover this Force Testing patent also by Charles and Alfred Barrett at the same time which would indicate there is an un-found Punch Test as part of the series too! US 446970 A

[cooperman]

Is this the other one?

[gameswat]

That's the pistol I can't find the patent for as yet. There are three known to be in the series, Grip, Shoot and Twist. But with that last patent probably Punch as well?

[cooperman]

What's it worth?

[pennymachines]

Fantastic work Gameswat!
I've changed the topic title to reflect your discoveries. Nic Costa attributed these to Mechanical Trading Company.
It would be nice to see the twister pictured from some other angles.

[gameswat]

What's it worth?

As much as you can screw* out of the buyer!



*another word for twist.

[bob]

Fantastic work indeed by Gameswat. As soon as I read the letter by Sweetmeat my brain started ticking too in that I've never seen any label by Matthewson on these machines or seen the patents either and I've searched all the British Matthewson patents years ago. Congratulations to Gameswat for searching the patents and coming up with some of the answers. I think that the issue is confused by the plates on both the Matthewson Golf etc machines as well as The Automatic Shooting Range machine having the Rowland name on them and that this is what could have misled Costa and thus all of us. Peter Grilli with whom I was in contact some years ago regarding these machines etc has researched the cast iron machines and had some contact with the Matthewson family and may be able to throw further light on this matter.

[sweetmeats]

I can now add the English patent numbers for the Twister: 20115 (1890), Gripper (1890), Cricketer: 14484 (1899) and to complete the cast iron machines, Two Player Footballer: 9731 (1896), Yacht Racer Mermaid: 19812 (1900) , Six Man Footballer: 2862 (1903). I suspect the Golfer is a variation of this patent. Also, the Doughy and Barrett race game: 9731 (1896). My Twister is 20660 and is dated 18/12/1890, so nine days newer than the Barrett which is 9/12/1890. After a little time and a few dead ends I have found the patent for the Shooter. It is patented to a Mr Cummings: 18830 in November 1890.

[pennymachines]

Great work Sweetmeats. Unfortunately the Twister is not currently in the Espacenet database (or any other online resource). The US patent US453729 is there, but it's a year later and there is reference to three Canadian Coin-freed dynamometer patents by Charles Arthur Barrett: CA41083, CA39419 and CA39418, all dated 1892.

I've copied and split this thread to a new topic for Patent Research to continue these investigations.

[sweetmeats]

Here is a picture of my twister and the English patent also added (see below). You can see the original idea was to incorporate an advert and give a cigar for maximum twist.

[bryans fan]

Whilst trawling through my postcard photos saved on my hard drive, I came upon this image, which may be a side view of the Test your twist machine? It is an image I saved, not one I own. I too have many images of the usual Trio.

[gameswat]

Definitely the Twist test to the right of the Racer.

[pennymachines]

Sweetmeats found this great postcard featuring a wonderful selection of classic machines at the Old Pier, Western-Super-Mare.
The three cast iron Barrett's machines are all present and correct - but you need good eyesight!
Can anyone identify the mystery machine?
Not sure if I'm right about the "Page Strength Tester". Just guessing really.

Barrett Shooter, Twister & Gripper

[gameswat]

You got me interested PM. I found the patent and doesn't match up. http://patentimages.storage.googleapis. ... 373942.pdf

Or to the two surviving Page machines pictured below in cast iron and wood, the wooden example is from Costa and shown in his book.

Maybe the machine in the card is a scale?

[gameswat]

Anybody know if there was an outcome on the Barrett Twist Test that started this thread??

[sweetmeats]

I understand a sale was almost agreed about three weeks ago with a collector from the states I am sure it have. completed by now.

[jingle]

This puts the cat amongst the pigeons
Postcard dated 1887 with gripper on
Ebay
291600579838