James Trout And His Patented Farm Gate

In my previous post I told of Henry Trout’s patented rack railway system, the first known patent in our Trout family.  The second oldest patent in our family belongs to James Trout (1839-1906) of Meaford, son of Elder William Trout and brother to William H. Trout, author of Trout Family History (1916).

The Trout brothers in 1869.  James is seated on the left.

In his book, William describes his brother James as, “. . . the farmer boy that stayed home.  The only one that farmed with any real farming purpose; and even that did not last very long.”  And apparently James’ specialty was raising pigs.  William continues, “he always carried off first prizes at the township shows, and sold his pigs at fancy prices.”  It is therefore no surprise that James’ first and only invention would relate to his farming expertise--a type of farm gate.

James Trout patented his “Roller and Suspension Gate” in 1869, the same year Canada passed the Patent Act—the first federal legislation governing patent law.  Prior to 1869 patents were governed by the provinces.  It is for this reason James’ patent holds the distinction of holding patent number 50.  

The full patent documents may be found HERE.  The hand-written script is difficult to read and my attempt to transcribe it can be found below.  The gate itself seems pretty straightforward.  The design allows the gate to open both horizontally and vertically, and a series of pins permit the gate to be locked into any size opening.  And though the patent does not mention its purpose one can imagine this style of gate would be useful for separating animals by size especially during weaning.  

The James and Mary Trout house was built in 1875, and was home to frequent family and community gatherings.  It burned down in the late 1990s or early 2000s and today a new home sits in its place.

Just a few weeks after James registered his patent, he married Mary Amanda Williams (1847-1922).  He continued farming for only three or four more years, then sold his farm and moved into the town of Meaford.  He and his brother-in-law Charles Hugh Jay went into business together, lending money and providing insurance to area farmers and townspeople.  The legacy of the Trouts and Jays lives on through their many descendants, many of whom still live in the Meaford area. 

Patent Transcription

Ottawa  20th August 1869

Certified that this is the drawing referred to in the Specification hereto annexed.   

James Trout

Witnesses 

Nicholas Sparks 

Robert Hick Jr.

To All whom it may concern be it known that I James Trout of the township of St. Vincent in the County of Grey in the Province of Ontario, Yeoman, have invented a new and improved upon useful Farm Gate, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full clear and exact description of the construction and and operation of the same—reference being had to the annexed drawing.

The gate is represented in that part of the drawing between the left and center posts and is constructed of [hinge] horizontal bars. The top and bottom bars being __ by the length of the enclosure of gate.  The centre and main bar being of each a length as to extend to the right hand post to put a distance of at least the width of the length of the gate which main bar has flanges in the upper and lower sides of it to pass through rollers “A” “A” which rollers have grooves in them [corresponding] with the flange (deeply shaded) of the main bar. On the hinge Bars of the Gate upright slats are nailed, which form the enclosure  (such a number of slats as may be required) But the Gate can be made of Horizontal Bars instead of slats. The Rollers “A” “A” [turn] on Bolts which pass through and are attached to sliding pieces “B” “B” which can be raised perpendicular to any height required and ___ ___ the ___ to the same height.  The sliding pieces work in grooves (deeply shaded) inserted in the center and reverse posts.  The sliding pieces can be kept at any height required by means of pins passing under or through the sliding piece in the groove through the center post and over the sliding piece (in the groove) through the right-hand reverse post.  In the center and reverse posts in the grooves are holes in which the pins are put.  A pin is put in the flange of the main Bar to the right of the center post which acts as a stop to the gate upon its opening. [Coming] to the Rollers “A” in the reverse post,  the gate is fastened by a catch latch to the

left post.  On the ends of the Horizontal Bars are tenons to rest in Mortices in the left post or if the post be grooved to rest on pins passing through the posts [above] horizontally.  The Groove.  The Groove is intended for the raising and lowering the gate.  The Gate can be made on the same principle to work from left to right—or any halves working from both sides to ___ ___.  And the principle upon which it is built can be applied as well to do on barns, stables, or other out buildings 

What I claim ___  my invention is ______.

1st the main horizontal bar with the flanges [working] in the rollers “A” “A” which can be [attached] horizontally to the centre, above or below the centre of the Gate and the complete manner of balance and support and ease of working of the Gate.

2nd The Rollers “A” “A” and their effect in [reclaiming?] the main bar and gate in their proper position. 

3rd The sliding pieces “B” “B” and their effect of raising the gate to any height required.  And the manner in which the whole principle can be applied to do on for barns, stables or other out buildings, as well as to gates for gates or doors working ______ from left to right—from right to left - as in halves from both sides to the centre. 

City of Ottawa in the County of [Carleton]

the twentieth day of August in the 

Year of Our Lord One thousand

Eight Hundred and Sixty nine -

Signed in the presence of 

Nicholas Sparks 

Robert Hick Jr.

Sources:

Trout, William H. Trout Family History. Meyer-Rotier Print. Co., 1916.

Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

Oldest Trout Family Patent Discovered

Our Trout family tree is brimming with inventors and engineers.  This ingenuity can be traced back to the Trout family’s difficult pioneer life near the village of Erin, Ontario.  

Our immigrant ancestor Henry Trout (1770-1852) was one of the first settlers in Erin.  In true pioneer form they had to provide everything for themselves.  Henry and his oldest sons built the town’s first sawmill, the first trading post, and the first potash factory.  They cleared land so they could grow their own food and erected a home. They built spinning wheels and looms and made their own clothes.  Henry even learned to make shoes for the family.  These skill sets, first honed in the Canadian wilderness, would leave a legacy lasting generations.

The earliest patent attributed to a Trout family member that I have located was authored by Henry Trout’s 4th child, Henry Trout (1805-1853) of Hamilton, Ontario.  Like his brothers Henry Jr. was a skilled millwright.  His brother William Trout of Meaford “regarded [his] natural mechanical abilities as superior to his own.”   

Henry’s watermill experience proved useful in similar construction work.  He dredged rivers and built timber slides, notably along the Trent-Severn Waterway.  Later he worked for the Grand Trunk Railway as a superintendent of bridge construction.  It was likely during this time he conceived his idea for a type of rack railway, and received the first known patent in our Trout family.  Henry’s first and only patent was awarded in 1850, just three years before his untimely death from a falling tree branch.  Henry’s sons, Henry G. Trout (1829-1911) and William B. Trout (1850-1926) would both inherit their father’s ingenuity and lead successful careers in the shipbuilding industry.  I will tell their story in a future blog post.

Sources:

Trout, William H. Trout Family History. Meyer-Rotier Print. Co., 1916.

Angus, J. A Respectable Ditch: a History of the Trent-Severn Waterway 1833-1920. McGill-Queen's University Press, 1998.

Patents of Canada: 1849-1855.  Lovell & Gibson, 1865.

Allis-Chalmers Sawmill Visit

In May 2019 Kristen and I with our children visited Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  While there I took an opportunity to go see an antique sawmill that is linked to our Trout family history.

The sawmill is displayed in the parking lot of the Ganahl Lumber Company located at 1220 East Ball Road in Anaheim.  The plaque at the base of the structure is titled “The Big Saw” and reads:

“This nine foot band saw is among the largest log saws ever used in the sawmill industry.  It weighs over 38,000 pounds and has a blade that stretches over fifty-six feet in length.  This saw was used to cut Douglas Fir logs up to ten feet in diameter and fifty-six feet in length.  The lumber from just one of these giant logs would be enough to build two houses of about 1500 square feet each.
The machine was manufactured by the Allis-Chalmers Company in 1910 and put into service by the Jones Lumber Company located on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.  For fifty-two years, it was used to cut Douglas Fir lumber that was loaded on seagoing barges and shipped into the growing California market.  The iron giant was finally retired in 1962 when the mill was dismantled and sold at auction.  Despite the age of the machine, it is in sound working condition.  With a little grease, it could go back to work anytime.  But our intention is to keep it on display here as a monument to the pioneers of the lumber industry.”

How is this sawmill linked to the Trout family?  

William Henry Trout (1834-1917) worked as a draftsman and pattern-maker for the Edward P. Allis Company and later Allis-Chalmers from about 1885 until his death in 1917.  He is credited with 34 patents while working for these companies, according to Trout Family History.  I have positively identified 24 of these, all of which are related to the lumber industry, sawmills in particular.  So at the very least we can say the Ganahl display is similar to the designs patented by William during his stint at Allis-Chalmers as chief draftsman.  But upon closer inspection the mill may be the sawmill design William describes on page 227 of Trout Family History: 

“In 1897, Mr. E. E. Fitzgerald, traveller for the Allis Company, met a Minneapolis mill superintendent, who wanted to have his mill with teeth on both edges of the band saw, so as to saw off boards on both the forward and backward movements of the carriage . . . and a contract was made accordingly . . . On the first day of trial it sawed twenty-two boards ten inches wide by sixteen feet long in one minute, and it made such a sensation among the lumbermen that many unsolicited inquiries came in regarding it . . . The new, double-cutting band mill proved to be a great commercial success.”

Note the teeth on both sides of the cutting blade.

William goes on to describe in detail the process by which this design was patented.  And though I don’t have the expertise to positively identify the actual patent, it appears to be the patent shown below, which was filed just a few months before his death in 1917 and was posthumously awarded in 1921.  You can view the full patent HERE.

It should be noted there are some inconsistencies with William’s own recollections compared to the actual patent records, notably the dates.  The Ganahl display states it was manufactured in 1910, while the double-cutting mill patent referenced here was filed in 1917.  It’s possible I simply have not found the correct patent.  It’s also possible that Allis-Chalmers began manufacturing and selling this design before it was actually patented.  And though we have no reason to question the 1910 date found on the plaque, I have not been able to verify it either.

Further investigation is required.  

Trailer for upcoming "John Muir at Trout Hollow" Documentary

Here is the teaser trailer for the soon-to-be-released documentary, "John Muir at Trout Hollow" by filmmaker Amy Phelan.  The young woman "Hattie" speaking with John is Harriet Trout (Stirling), daughter of Elder William Trout of Meaford and sister to William H. Trout, author of Trout Family History (1916). 



I do not have a release date yet for the full documentary.  I will post updates here on how to watch the movie when it is available.  Looking forward to seeing this!