INVENTORS
Competition was fierce in this field as is illustrated by the following Letters of Patent.
Charles Ellah Stallybrass of Cardiff Patent Number 13,903 dated 1894 entitled “Improvements in Magnetic locks, or Apparatus for Opening the Locks and Safety Lamps by Magnets only”. This was applied for on 19 July 1891 and accepted on 15 September 1894.
Carl Wolf Senior of the Empire of Germany Patent Number 7290 dated 1903 entitled “Improvements in Magnetic Locks for Miners’ Safety Lamps” was applied for on 28 March 1903 and accepted on 7 May 1903.
John Cunningham Bowie of Cardiff Patent Number 22647 dated 1906 entitled “A New Safety Portable, Manual Electric Generator for Lighting Miner’s Safety lamps” was applied for on 13 October 1906 and accepted on 13 November 1907.
John Cunningham Bowie of Cardiff Patent Number 16145 dated 1907 entitled “Improvements in or relating to Safety Electric Apparatus for Lighting Miners Safety Lamps” was applied for on 13 July 1907 and accepted on 18 June 1908.
On 16 January 1903 a letter ( photo opposite) was received from Evan Thomas & Williams (Cambrian Lamps) of Aberdare advising agreement to the terms and conditions for the sole right to the making and selling the magnetic locks and electro-magnet openers as per specification and patent No5154 dated 1March 1902. Twenty Guineas on signing with 3d royalty per lock and 1/- per opener.
On 15 December 1903 another letter was received from Evan Thomas & Williams (Cambrian Lamps) of Aberdare agreeing to £15 on signing and a royalty of 2 5/8th pence per magnetic lock and 1/- per magnetic opener.
Little evidence remains of correspondence with Thomas and Williams and, unfortunately, the current owner of the company has advised that most of their records were destroyed in a fire during the 1970’s.
As time progressed a manufacturing license was negotiated with J H Naylor of Wigan and many thousands of safety lamps were produced. Production methods were not to today’s standards and the product quality was variable and dependant on the skill of each individual worker as the following abridged letter dated 21 January 1906 from Henry Davies to J H Naylor illustrates.
