Birmingham B Plane with an Adjustable Mouth (AKA Derby #4 1/4)

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Something very very cool showed up in my mailbox today. This is a Birmingham B plane. Birmingham Plane Mfg Co made many cool planes, but this one seems to be undocumented.

Here I’ve compared it to my #4 B Lane, and there is no doubt, this was a Birmingham B plane #4, with an adjustable mouth.

I don’t believe this was ever produced. So maybe a prototype!!   (see update below)    (here is some Birmingham Plane History)

Its very similar to the Union #4 1/4 (see photos below)

Its does also have a movable frog, so I we may ask what’s the point? Where they trying to get somewhere they never got to?

 

IMG_20160609_134556511IMG_20160609_134602686IMG_20160609_134618414IMG_20160609_134625465IMG_20160609_134719538

Here are some side by side comparisons with a regular Birmingham B plane #4.

IMG_20160609_135009626_HDR

IMG_20160609_134921714_HDRIMG_20160609_135026895

IMG_20160609_134657616

 

Edit 6/11/2-16

The B plane patent was given to George D. Mosher on October 22, 1889.
In 1900 Union Purchased Derby (Birmingham) Plane Manufacturing
1900-1903 Union only manufactured B planes
So B Planes would have been manufactured 1889 – 1903
But it’s obvious they changed bases to the Union style at some point, but when?
1904 Union started making the planes with their patented lateral lever (like on the x series)

Below is what “MAY” be an earlier Derby. Its the only one I have, and the base is not marked, so I can’t be certain at this point. If I can get more evidence that the plane base on the right is in fact a pre-Union Derby B plane, we have an answer of when.

 

IMG_20160611_133914186

 

Here are the pictures of the Union #4 1/4

Union4.1-4-01 Union4.1-4-002 Union4.1-4-02 Union4.1-4-003 Union4.1-4-03 Union4.1-4-004 Union4.1-4-04 Union4.1-4-05 Union4.1-4-006

 

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Update:

We can see by this add that this is in fact a Birmingham B Plane made by Derby 

See the other Birmingham post

See other Union Post

 




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