MSS 627 Monosmith Brothers Company Records

              MSS 627
Monosmith Brothers Company
Records
1/ 4 cubic foot
Preliminary inventory
Collection Synopsis
Provenance: The Ohio Historical Society acquired the Monosmith
Brothers Company records prior to April 1977. The history depart-menE
transferred the material i n April 1977 to the audiovisual
Se2zrtnent and the audiovisual department transferred the material
ia 2x51 1978 t o the manuscripts department. Clara Ireland
rcc& sed t h e c o l l e c t i o n i n May, 1980.
D-~.- .-.. l- - r i g s : The Ohio Historical Society owns the property
r: Fs z3 t h i s collection.
s Copyrights have not been dedicated to the public.
- C . o-~. sL Crzationo f the r e q u i r e m z s of copyright is the responsi-
02- 27.; 25 the author and publisher.
Access: This coliection is open under the rules and regulations
of the Cki: EiFsro: ical Society.
Citztioz: 3eselrchers are requested t o c i t e collection name,
collection n ~ r b e ra nd the Ohio Historical Society i n a l l footnote
and b i b l i c q i p h i c references.
Organizationzl sketch: David L. and Clayton E. Monosmith of
Spencer, Ohio and Dr. Olney B. Monosmith of Lorain, Ohio organized
the Monosmith Brothers Company in Spencer, Ohio. By 1 9 2 4 , the
coT. pany was in existence promoting David's invention of a Vernier
inszrunent, patented in 1924, and l a t e r a device for f a c i l i t a t i n g
instrument s e t t i n g s , patented in 1926. The company produced a
Visco Vernier Dial in 1925 and attempted to s e l l it through Radio
News, with l i t t l e apparent success. The same r e s u l t s occurred i n
1926 w> sn they approached some of t h e l a r g e r companies who b u i l t
radic sers, offering them the use of the d i a l on a royalty b a s i s .
A l l ~ k e pea rtners patented an adjustable carburetor in 1928.
After David's death in 1929, the two remaining partners unsuccess-fully
nade a patent application for a variation on t h e i r carbu-retor.
They also t r i e d t o i n t e r e s t the automobile industry in
$ his invention in the early 1930s.
Scope and content: The Monosmith Brothers Company records date
froa 1 9 2 4 to 1934 and occupy one quarter cubic foot. The records
zrz zrranged alphabetically by type of document and then chrono-logically.
The collection contains correspondence and patent
records relating to the development of various inventions by
David L., Clayton E . , and Olney B. Monosmith.
The correspondence dates from January 25, 1924 to August 21, 1934.
The majority of the correspondence consists of l e t t e r s between
Clayton and Olney Monosmith and t h e i r patent attorney, George W.
Saywell of Cleveland, Ohio. The l e t t e r s r e l a t e to patent a p p l i -
cations for the Vernier, 192.4; the device for f a c i l i t a t i n g instru-ment
s e t t i n g s , 1926; the carburetor, 1928; and carburetor reappli-