Steph Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 How many industrial uses for marbles can you think of? Or non-play and non-art uses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FISHSLAYERMARRBLEGRIFF Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Spray paint cans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Torpedo bombs for oil wells shipping and manuf. for fiberglass moving heavy materials anti-compaction in shipping of some powders back-flow preventers casters note, towel, broom holders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Oregon Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Civil War ammo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn691500 Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 carpet rollers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaboo Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 I know it's an ewwww... but also used to roll the caskets into mausoleums. guess that goes with Galens moving heavy objects. foot massages........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catfish Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 In drink dispensers. (codd bottles) Reflectors, both signs and vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted February 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 graining balls for stone lithography Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrjane Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 And, of course, the water filter balls (IE Atlanta Olympics/Tennessee dredge). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted March 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 just learned a new one for me ... hope I have it right: clay marbles used for ballast, i.e. to steady ships, on the way from Germany to America, where then they would be sold as toys making their transport cost little or nothing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greatmacscott Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 I spots of Marion Harland Coffee Pots lamp finials fiber glass ingots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Not sure of the facts behind the ballast story. Sounds rather fishy to me. Some were found in the holds of sunk ships and assumed they were ballast. Even though mixed with other goods. And why would anyone import that many of something that could easily been made locally. We are talking many millions to make a ships ballast. And something heavier than fired clay would have to be used as ballast. To little weight to space ratio. Peace,Galen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted March 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 The story I read refers to a time before they were easily made locally. Well, the first story I read mentions it vaguely, but then I looked for confirmation and landed at an Akronmarbles.com page about Sam Dyke's patents. (here) Here's the quote at the head of that page: Akron Daily BeaconAkron, O., July 25, 1888 - 1:3 THE FIRST MARBLES MADE IN AMERICA Yesterday afternoon in this city S.C. Dyke, at his factory on South Main Street, for the little toy jugs that have helped make Akron known in all parts of the country, made the first marbles ever made in America for market. At some potteries in this vicinity, the men have sometime made some marbles for themselves or their little folks, but these made by Mr. Dyke yesterday was the first "brownies" or "commies" so far as known ever turned out for the trade in this country, the marbles American boys play with being made by hand in Germany and brought here for next to no freight as ballast by the ship. Mr. Dyke tried his marble molding machine devised by himself and on this trial trip turned out several bushels of marbles in two hours, working at a rate that promises complete success for this new venture. Glad of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted March 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 What is a back-flow preventer? Is that a type of valve? ... that's the keyword I was searching on yesterday when I found the marble guns. I felt sure I'd heard of marbles used as valves somewhere. But as I only have a vague idea of what a valve is ... well, ... I haven't been able to target my search very well. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 sort of like the marble in the bottle stoppers. Except using a spring instead of gravity. . And yes, they have been writing to sell stories for a long time. Remember the old adage only believe half what you read. Back to the weight to space ratio for ballast. Peace,Galen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted March 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 I spots of Marion Harland Coffee Pots . Is that the marble at the bottom of the spout? http://jaypaull.com/gallery2embedded.php?g2_itemId=83& Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duffy Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 for baking pie crusts http://item.express.ebay.com/Collectibles_...cmdZExpressItem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 How in the heck does one chew those things?? Peace,Galen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duffy Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 my guess is that they put the crust on em so the bottom gets baked...then turn it over to fill it and bake the banana cream pie .........or lemon....or chocolate...or now im hungry....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Hey, how 'bout razor sharpeners?? I know of 2 rag dolls that had sulphides sewn into the bodies as weights... That's kind of an industrial use, but for a toy.... The eyes of the horses in the "The Flying Horses" carousel.... All the eyes are sulphides.... Sounds cool, but they are actually really creepy looking!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARBLEMISER Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 How about PUMP BALLS? They were used in well casings as check valves. My guess is: They fit into a leather or rubber seal. when the water was pumped up. The ball rose to let it pass. then settled back onto the seal trapping it in the casing. when the casing was replaced with a more modern valve. The glass pump balls were smashed with another pipe & let to sink into the well it's self I have 2, one is 2 13/16" for a 3 in. pipe? transparent red & amber, the other is 1 15/16".for a 2 in pipe? clear with a transparent brown swirl thruthe center, like a twister both look to be hand gathered. I haven't seen or heard of anyone else having one? I'd like to seem them if they're out there> If I ever figure out where to store my pics I would take some photos & let you look at them. marblemiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARBLEMISER Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 Just a bump. To see if Steph has ever researched Glass pump ball valves? marblemiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted March 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 I'll have to! Thanks for the lead! Valves are a mechanical notion I have a bit of a mental block over. :-) Hmmm ... here's a patent from 1854 for a pump ball valve. I think this one is metal. The ball valve is labelled F in the figure. (there are large size pix of the whole thing at the patent office ... the small ones were the only ones I could do a screen capture with.) That's probably as far as my research is going to get today ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARBLEMISER Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 Hi Steph They are mentioned in a marble book I read once. I am not sure which one. Although I think it may have been the Bauman one with the yellow binder,or Greenburg's. thanks marblemiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 (edited) Guess what! According to one of their ads, M.F. Christensen made THE BEST GLASS BALLS FOR PUMP VALVES When I noticed that you said yours look hand gathered I immediately thought of MFC, but I discounted that because I'd just read the Cohill book and "pump valve" wasn't ringing a bell. But sure enough, there it is. VERY :cool sign: ! Btw, if furniture casters are hand-gathered, they're MFC's too. (or should I say "are most likely MFC too"? ... I'll doublecheck the text on that. There's no index so it may take me a bit to find it.) late update: akro advertising in 1929 claimed they made them too. (pump balls and furniture casters both) still am not sure about the hand-gathered reference. :-) Edited April 2, 2008 by modularforms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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