Yale Clock Co.

[Steven Thornberry]

The Yale Clock Company was in business from 1879 to 1885. The Secretary and driving force behind the company was Frederick Almon Lane, the grandson of clockmaker Mark Lane, who made wood movement clocks in the 1830's. Frederick Lane was also Superintendent of the movement department of the New Haven Clock Co. from 1884 to 1890 and received 16 horological patents between 1878 and 1892.

We know of one catalogue issued by the Yale Clock Co., believed to be from 1882. Since the Yale Clock Co. made a number of tiny clocks, this catalogue was reprinted to complement a display of miniature clocks at the 1981 NAWCC convention. The Great Lakes Chapter of the NAWCC sponsored the reprint of the catalogue. Chris Bailey researched the company and wrote the history of the firm that is included in the reprint.

Book 2 of Erhardt and Rabeneck's Clock Identification and Price Guide shows on pages 158-159 Yale Clock Co. clocks as offered S. Elwood May of 11 Murray St., NYC. They are from an 1883 catalogue and are all in a series called Ideal (apparently May's designation).

 

[Steven Thornberry]

The little clock below is called the Yale Gem. It is certainly the smallest pendulum clock I have, three inches high. The Yale catalogue describes it as having a "Fine Nickel Case." This I would not call nickel, but Yale did offer clocks that were gold plated, finished in gilt, as well as having other finishes. They also offered black walnut clocks.



The back of the clock has three patent dates: January 25, 1881 (a U.S. patent); December 6, 1880 (an English patent); and November 29, 1880 (a Canadian patent). The U.S. patent is US237028, granted to Frederic A. Lane. The other two patents are the English and Canadian registrations for the same thing. For example, below is the illustration page from the Canadian patent (12046). I have not been able to find the English patent document.

 

[Steven Thornberry]

This leads to a second clock, known as the Traveler. This one has been shown elsewhere on the Forums.



Beneath the winding key are four patent dates, the three mentioned as being on the Yale Gem and a German patent date of June 22, 1881, presumably the German Patent registration for Lane's invention. (I have not yet been able to turn up this patent.) Since the German patent date does not appear on the Yale Gem, I believe that the Yale Gem may have been made some time in the first half of 1881, after the U.S. patent was issued but before the German patent was issued.

Three patents are listed above the key, all issued to Frederic A. Lane. They are:
April 18, 1882 (US256708)
April 25, 1882 (US257025)
May 9, 1882 (US257727)

 

[Steven Thornberry]

Post additional Yale Clock Co. clocks if you have them.

 

[Steven Thornberry]

At times I wonder whether this little wood (5 1/2" high) steeple clock is an echt product of the Yale Clock Co. or someone's one-off. Whichever, it has had a bit of a hard life, with several repairs to hold the pieces together. The back of the case has (below the key) American, Canadian, English, and German four patent dates mentioned above. However, it does not seem to carry the Yale Clock Co. name and location (New Haven, Conn.)

 

[RAK]

Yale?

I think so but not positive. Heavy iron case.

Would appreciate any suggestions as to where to get a minute hand for this one.

Thanks,

Bob

 

[JTD]

Would appreciate any suggestions as to where to get a minute hand for this one.

Looks like a standard spade hand, available from the usual material suppliers or am I missing something?

JTD

 

[RAK]

My apologies, I'm not used to working terms of such small hands. Next time I'll measure first before asking. I'm nowhere near the clock right now, but I do see that Timesavers has hands as short as 1 1/8 inch. Might be short enough. I'll find out tonight.

Bob

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

Yale?

I think so but not positive. Heavy iron case.

Would appreciate any suggestions as to where to get a minute hand for this one.

Thanks,

Bob

View attachment 757984

Neat little advertising piece.

I do believe that they were intended to be used as paper weights, hence the heft of the iron case. It would lie flat on its back, so to speak, so the advertisement was visible
when in use. Probably given as a freebie by the company.

I once had a Seth Thomas advertising paper weight clock but with a round chrome plated case.

RM

 

[Steven Thornberry]

Yale?

I think so but not positive. Heavy iron case.

The Yale catalogue mentioned above does show one paper weight clock, called, aptly enough, Paper Weight. It, however, was made of "imitation black polished marble." It was 2 x 3 inches.

Bob, does your clock have any information on the back, such as patent dates?