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Patented Scraper … Maybe, or Maybe Not
D.S. Howell of Des Moines, Iowa, was most proud of his invention
and marked it not only with his name, but also with "MAKER",
signifying that this tool was from the true inventor and producer.
The marking "PATENT APPLIED FOR" and the price of
$2.00 were surely meant as a challenge to anyone who attempted
to replicate such quality. The fact that a nameplate was made
showed how confident Howell was in his product.
Possibly
produced for the woodworking trade, perhaps for scraping butcher
blocks or bowling alleys, the tool is a holder for a standard
type of scraper blade. Anyone who has ever used a cabinet
scraper blade correctly can attest to the heat produced and
the consequent finger burning. It is possible that the patent
was meant to apply to the holder and the handle crossbar.
It also seems plausible that the two fixing screws provided
a novel means of holding and tensioning the blade.
D.S. Orr
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