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Manufacturers Index - Z. E. Coffin
Patents
This page contains information on patents issued to this manufacturer.

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USPTO = U.S. Patent Office . Images of the actual patent can be viewed on the U.S. Patent Office web site but a special TIFF viewer must be installed with your browser in order properly work. More information on how to configure your computer to view these patents can be found at TIFF image Viewers for Patent Images.
DATAMP = Directory of American Tool And Machinery Patents . A sister site to VintageMachinery.org with information on patents related to machinery and tools. A much easier user interface than the USPTO's for finding information on machinery patents.

Patent Number Date Title Name City Description
17,604 Jun. 16, 1857 Faucet David N. B. Coffin Jr. Newton Center, MA
58,069 Sep. 18, 1866 Improved capstan-windlass Zebulon E. Coffin Newton, MA
80,143 Jul. 21, 1868 Improvement in hydrants Zebulon E. Coffin Boston, MA In 1879 the president of the Boston Machine Co. was William E. Coffin.
Birdsill Holly is often credited as the inventor of the modern fire hydrant (patent 94,749) but this earlier patent, to Zebulon Erastus Coffin, incorporates just about every feature of a modern hydrant.
236,780 Jan. 18, 1881 Stop-valve Zebulon Erastus Coffin Boston, MA
243,691 Jul. 05, 1881 Hydrant-valve Zebulon E. Coffin Newton, MA
283,376 Aug. 21, 1883 Machine for turning pipe-flanges Zebulon Erastus Coffin Newton, MA "In ordinary machines for this purpose it is not practicable to face the flanges at both ends of the pipe at the same time and operation. The nature of my improvements and invention relates to... simultaneous facing of both ends or flanges of the pipe..."
330,377 Nov. 17, 1885 Hydrant Zebulon Erastus Coffin Boston, MA This patent was very successful for its manufacturer, the Coffin Valve Co. The inventor's earlier patent 80,143 was also successful for its manufacturer, the Boston Machine Co. In between those two patents was Zebulon E. Coffin's patent 243,691, which seems to have been forgotten.