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The first two topics are going to be a little offbeat and might end up getting relegated to a post further down. They're first because they are two of my most recent searches so they're fresh on my mind.
Marbles or other glass balls used in reflectors:
Listed in order of filing date but that wasn't sufficient. In process of adding more date info.
Note 1: list has "too many" non-spherical ones -- and even a non-glass example. might keep, might not. they show some of the "competition".
Note 2: no idea if I've found the best, earliest solid glass sphere examples. There are so many different ways they might have been described. So far I've only searched at google patents. I don't know if they have all the patents.
Note 3: there are later uses of glass spheres in reflector devices than what I've included. My search was mostly for info related to early automobile and highway reflectors.
Note 4: reminder to look for "glass balls" or "spheres" or whatnot in different contexts after the reflector search is over.
Note 5: it's possible that what I am looking for wouldn't have been called a "reflector". Maybe a "signal"? I need to approach this another way. Maybe read the patents. LOL. That way I can learn some more about the language, and maybe get some other leads.
1883: Patent #276428, Signal for Locomotive Head-Lights (this is a hollow glass ball filled with liquid)
Nov. 18, 1912: Patent #1054274, Sign (the Burleigh patent referred to below, "lens" are used, not marbles, refers to the casing structure in patent #1,030,499)
(awarded Feb. 25, 1913)
1925: Patent #1624300, Reflector-Jewel Mounting (not a marble, faceted)
Aug. 18, 1927: Patent #1785422, Highway Signal (uses translucent "red glass balls")
(awarded Dec. 16, 1930)
April 16, 1930: Patent #1817646, Highway Sign ("spherical balls which may be of red glass")
(awarded Aug. 4, 1931)
Reissued: Re. 18438
(April 26, 1932)
May 28, 1930: Patent #1933633, Reflector (something about mounting reflectors, might not specify shape of reflector buttons)(April 26, 1932)
(awarded Nov. 7, 1933)
Oct. 8, 1930: Patent #1881588, Light Reflecting Unit (uses "a simple transparent glass sphere, as for example a glass marble")
(awarded Oct. 11, 1932)
1930: Patent #1858382, Reflector Button and Holding Means Therefor (not a marble, something molded to a special shape)
Mar 9, 1932: Patent #1955179, Illuminated Sign (uses buttons of some sort)
(awarded Apr 17, 1934)
July 30, 1932: Patent #2014558, Street Sign (This appears to be the patent "co-pending application" referred to in #1993595 below.)
(awarded Sept. 17, 1935)
Jan. 3, 1933: Patent #1993595, Light Reflecting Device (The language suggests this might be first item of this type to use ordinary toy marbles but see #1,881,588 above. #1,881,588 hadn't been awarded yet, so perhaps the inventor here was unaware the other had been filed. The inventor had a "co-pending application filed July 20, 1932". This patent refers to Burleigh Patent No. 1,054,274)
(awarded March 5, 1935)
1933: Patent #1974575, Reflecting Sign (not yet sure what the reflecting "unit" is here)
1935: Patent #2095932, Reflector Button (specially shaped)
June 24, 1935: Patent #2086314, Light Reflecting Device
(awarded July 6, 1937)
1937: Patent #2177920, Reflector (Resin, not glass)
1938: Patent #2242382, Reflector Button ("hemispherical" "lens")
1939: Patent #2200339, Translucent Display (uses "spherical translucent inserts")
1940: Patent #2314566, Reflector
1941: Patent #2294930, Reflex Light Reflector (starting to get complicated)
1942: Patent #2345644, Light Reflecting Sign or Marker
1942: Patent #2367154, Reflector Element
Marble shooters:
many patents coming soon (edit: well, obviously they didn't come "soon" -- but there sure have been a lot of 'em patented)
Others for later lists:
Aug. 12, 1890: Design #20104, Shipping and Exhibiting Case
Jan. 31, 1921: Patent #1717802, Process and Apparatus for Feeding Glass (Miller)
(awarded June 18, 1929)
Jan. 31, 1921: Patent #1717802, Process and Apparatus for Feeding Glass (Miller)
(awarded June 18, 1929)
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