Corky and his brother Patch

[bumblebee]

Had my best score ever tonight of a lot of Akro marbles with multiples (same box perhaps) and noticed these two with similar colors and very faint aventurine.

First is a patch and the second is a cork.

Colors are difficult to photograph but I promise they have that "same run" feeling and both have the same very faint line of aventurine. Exact same size but I don't have my calipers, but a tad over 5/8".

Is this evidence that somebody at Akro turned on the "corker" with the same batch of glass or is my third beer inspiring my imagination?

 

[Steph]

  

No comment.  Just . 

[bumblebee]

I am sober drinking coffee and standing by my assertion that somebody corked my patch.

Or did they patch my cork perhaps?

Edit: Found another matching cork and patch in same haul.

[bumblebee]

Better pics of Corky and Patch.

[Steph]

Nice!

This cork and patch came from the same Popeye box.  (From a Marblealan auction)  If that wasn't same run, had to be pretty darn close in time.  

[bumblebee]

Neat! I wonder what sort of terminology and schedules they used to switch over from patch to spiral/cork.

[Steph]

I _think_ that was an accident.  Though there is a group of Akro that we call popeye patches which looks like an intentional run (whether they were sold or not), I think this is unrelated to that group.  I think this run was supposed to be all cork.  I doubt there was a switch to patches here.  My guess is that the cup just stopped spinning for a moment.  

I suppose there _was_ a schedule for switching.  Like switching over to an official Royal run at some point in a day or week or month.   I just doubt that was employed here.  

[Royal3]

I agree, Steph - some of the Popeye patches happened as the cork spinner cup just stopped. I used to own a set of five same run 3/4” red, green and yellow Popeyes that each corked a little less. The last was indeed a patch. When I sold the set the fellow who bought it did not want the patch at any price, despite my repeated efforts to keep the set - all mint - intact. It just blew my mind. I should have kept them all - I still kick myself. 

[bumblebee]

Interesting.

So it's quite possible that the HTF patches were meant to be corks, and the HTF corks were meant to be patches.

I wonder are there any color combos where Akro decided to make a lot of patches and corks?

[manddrakes]

On 11/23/2017 at 12:09 AM, bumblebee said:

Had my best score ever tonight of a lot of Akro marbles with multiples (same box perhaps) and noticed these two with similar colors and very faint aventurine.

First is a patch and the second is a cork.

Colors are difficult to photograph but I promise they have that "same run" feeling and both have the same very faint line of aventurine. Exact same size but I don't have my calipers, but a tad over 5/8".

Is this evidence that somebody at Akro turned on the "corker" with the same batch of glass or is my third beer inspiring my imagination?

 

The third beer always inspires my imagination!

[Shamrock Marbles]

Let's suppose...

When getting the glass stream flowing, the spinning cup is retracted and the marble machine is pushed away. This glass piles up on the floor, to be later dug as cullet.

Once the flow is consistent, the marble machine is rolled into place. Patch marbles are being produced, while the stream is adjusted to get the right size marble.

Once all looks stable, the spinning cup device is engaged. Corks are now produced with the same colors as the patches before.

If you look at the patent for the spinning cup, it is not overly robust. I also speculate that this device failed regularly and required it to be disengaged during a run. Corks stop and Patch production resumes. Corks would resume as soon as the device was fixed.

My belief was that Cork production was the ultimate goal, but Patches are a natural by-product. Why toss a perfectly good marble?

YMMV,

John 

P.S. Both are awesome in their own way!

[bumblebee]

Thanks, John. We always appreciate your insights.