Looking as far back as the 1700’s, many of the
earliest American wagons employed wooden axles with tapered ends that were
fitted with a pair of iron strips called clouts. The bottom clout would understandably wear
faster than the top clout. Developing a
system that would increase the durability and reduce maintenance in this area
became a priority for many builders. Ultimately,
the cast thimble skein (a hollow metal cone tightly fitted over the axle end) replaced
clouts and became the system used by virtually all makers using wooden axles.
As recent as a decade or so ago, some sources felt that
the use of thimble skeins on wagons would likely date to a time during or immediately
prior to America’s Civil War in 1861. Even
so, one of the first solid contradictions to that timeframe occurred after the
discovery of a wagon gear on board the buried remains of the Steamboat Arabia. Since the boat was well documented as sinking
on the Missouri river in 1856, its contents provide indisputable and historically
accurate insights into what existed at that time. Several years ago, I wrote a feature article
published in the Carriage Journal magazine identifying the gear as one built by
Peter Schuttler in Chicago. (Read more in our first-to-report story on this
remarkable find)
Beyond being the oldest known Schuttler survivor, this
1856 workhorse was factory-equipped with threaded thimble skeins a full 5-years
before the war. Incredibly, we’ve since uncovered
patents for these types of skeins that were granted as early as the mid-1840’s. With the admission in some patent files that
hollow cone skeins were commonplace before the 1850’s, it’s clear that the
technology was in use far in advance of the War-Between-The-States.
So, who was it that came up with the invention? It’s a good question and one that seems a bit
clouded by the passage of time. In 1882,
a period account clearly gives Louis Espenschied of St. Louis, Missouri
(Espenschied Wagon Company) kudos for the innovation during his early days of
blacksmithing and wagon making. Another report
dating to 1975 seems to propose Ed Bain (Bain Wagon Company) as the champion of
the design. Unfortunately, we’ve been
unable to locate a 19th century account that would corroborate that claim for Bain. Since Mr. Bain did not enter the wagon
business until 1852, and earlier patent records do exist for thimble-type skeins,
it seems questionable that he could have been responsible for this innovation. Conversely, knowing that period historical
credits were given to Espenschied and finding no 19th century challenges to those
credits, it’s difficult to avoid acknowledging Mr. Espenschied as the
inventor. Certainly, he was deeply involved
in the trade – in the ‘Gateway to the West’ no less – prior to the earliest
patents appearing. His later 1878 patent
on a self-lubricating skein also shows a continued focus related to this
innovation.
Similar to other historical curiosities, there may
always be questions related to the invention of the thimble skein. What is consistently reinforced through this
and other research is just how competitive the early wagon and carriage industry
was. There are thousands upon thousands
of old patents for vehicles and vehicle parts in the forgotten files of the
U.S. Patent and Trademark office. Each
is yet another reminder that time marches on and definitive history is
preserved only when we ask questions, seek proven answers, and record the
results. Feel free to drop us a line at info@wheelsthatwonthewest.com
anytime you have questions or materials you’d like to share. We’d enjoy hearing from you.
