162

Patent number 166,171 was

issued on July 27, 1875 to

Henry J. White of Green Bay,

Wisconsin. He has a central

guide-rod and one or more

spiral prongs. His handle may

be either wooden or metallic.

His drawing illustrates a

twisted guide-rod but the

patent description is silent on

that matter. White assigned his

patent to James V. Hiddleson of Chicago, Illinois.

An advertisement in

The American Grocer,

November

10, 1881 illustrated White's lifter with the correct

patent date and labeled as HIDDLESON's DRIED

FRUIT AUGER. Its guide-rod is straight, and S. W.

Sheldon of 93 Reade Street, NY is listed as the sole agent for it. So apparently White sold

the patent to Hiddleson who manufactured it and contracted Sheldon to market it.

Two examples of White's 1875 patent. The

example at the lower left with the twisted

guide-rod appears to be a pre-patent

example of White's patent, having the

guide-rod as illustrated in the patent

drawing but broader, more abbreviated

arms. Each arm is marked PAT AP'D FOR.

The overall length is 12 1/2 inches and it is 4

3/4 inches between the tips of the arms.

The example at the upper right is marked

'PATD JULY 27 75' and is the version of White's patent that was manufactured by

Hiddleson and marketed by Sheldon. The tip of the guide-rod was bent by accident on

this example. It should be straight to the point. The overall length is 16 1/4 inches and it

is 4 1/2 inches between the tips of the arms.