| US Patent: 125,823 
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| Improvement in Gauges Butt Gage
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| Patentee: |  |
 | John A. Marden (exact or similar names) - Veazie, ME |  
 
| USPTO Classifications: |  | 33/44 |  
 
 
 
 
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| Patent Dates: |  
| Granted: | Apr. 16, 1872 |  
 
USPTO (New site tip)| Patent Pictures:
	      
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                        Ralph Brendler
 
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| Description: |  | The Marden's Patent gage was the first one to really solve the
	 problem of hinge mortise layout. The key to this patent is a
	 sliding "tongue" attached to the face of the head, which moves a
	 marking point such that the distance from the end of the arm to
	 this point is a tiny bit greater than the distance from the head
	 to the fixed point. This difference will automatically make up
	 for the "gain" needed to keep the door from binding in its
	 rabbet.
	 This comparatively simple design dramatically simplified the
	 error-prone task of hinge layout, and almost all butt gages from
	 this point on used a variation of Marden's idea.
	 Chapin-Stevens showed two varieties of gage referred to as
	 Marden's Patent in one of their catalogs: one that looks almost
	 exactly like the patent drawing, and another with a sliding fence
	 on the back of the bar. Current research indicates that the
	 second gage is not in fact based on the Marden patent, but is
	 instead a Thompson's Patent of 1900 (658,881) which shares many
	 of the Marden features.
	 Another gage with very similar characteristics that is often
	 mis-identified as a Marden is the LeFrancois Patent
	 (435089). The LaFrancois gage adds a scribing point in the side
	 of the head, and also uses a solid brass head. |  |