The Humphries Patent Scaffold Bracket. EXPLOITATION IN CANADA.

Progress, 1 October 1907, Page 439

T he Humphries Patent Scaffold Bracket. EXPLOITATION IN CANADA.

It will be remembered that Messrs L. and G. Humphries, of the Humphries Patent Scaffold Bracket Company, left Wellington for America a about three months ago for the purpose of placing their patent scaffold bracket on the market in that country. From files just received in Wellington it is quite apparent that the success they have met with so far has been most satisfactory. Despite the difficulties which are inseparable from the task of introducing a new invention into a country, they have succeeded m placing contracts with numerous firms to take a large number of the patent brackets. At a luncheon given by the patentees to the leading builders and contractors of Montreal, the building inspector of the province of Quebec was very laudatory. He said. — "That m the interests of the safety of workmen employed in building he would bring the matter under the attention of his department at Quebec." He gave Messrs. Humphries Bros, a splendid testimonial of his appreciation of the utility and advantages of the invention. He said, as an officer charged with the protection of workmen in industrial establishments and public buildings, he would in future strongly recommend the bracket to builders in general, and that at the next meeting of the legislature he proposed having a clause inserted in the building regulations aiming at better equipment of scaffolding plant m the construction of all public buildings. The best thing this gentleman can do is to get a copy of the New Zealand statute of 1906, which is fulfilling all expectations. There are many encouraging experiences • among the rest Mr. Peter Lyall, as soon as he saw the invention, purchased a large number for use on the new Windsor hotel building in Montreal, and they have proved highly satisfactory. Mr. William Hood, ex-president of the Montreal Builders' Exchange, presided at a luncheon held in connection with the demonstration. The Montreal Gazette says that the builders who inspected the device agreed that it was a most useful invention. As an indication of the manner m which the invention has been received in Canada it may be stated that the Mayor of Stratford has offered the Messrs. Humphries a free site in that town for the erection of works for the manufacture of brackets, and has also intimated his willingness to advance 10 000 dollars if the factory is started Messrs Humphries were approached by several people at Montreal to float a company to manufacture the brackets, such a company to be subsidiary to the parent company in Wellington. So far nothing definite has been decided upon in that direction. So far as business in Canada is concerned it appears that undertakings have been made for at least 3,000 brackets per month and the country has as yet been scarcely traversed. Contracts have been made with large business firms in the provinces of Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, which should ensure a very handsome profit for the first year's undertaking. A very good offer was received for the right for British Columbia but the inventors considered it premature. They write that iron manufacturers appear to be very busy in Canada, and some difficulty had been experienced in getting contracts completed, orders having to stand over until prior undertakings had been filled. This however had not interfered with placing contracts with various ironmongers and builders, who had agreed to take considerable numbers of brackets each month. This is part oi the policy of the company. It is considered ad"\ isable to place the article firmly on the market before attempting the disposal of the patent rights, and thus securing a greater sum than would be the case if the rights were sold before the introduction of the patent on commercial lines. They add that the field open in the United States in which country there is not a scaffold bracket of any kind, looks so promising that one of the firm will shortly commence work there, All of which is as it should be. Advance, New Zealand ' [As we go to press news comes that a patent has >,been granted in the United States for the bracket. f Ed. Progress ]