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Modern, Herz, Marvel, Sun, and Foote. These irons are listed here together because they are all extremely similar irons in design, and there is a visible transition from Modern to Marvel to Sun to Foote.
Ferdinand A. Hoya with Modern Specialties Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin has patent 937,070 dated Oct. 19, 1909. This is the exact date that Julius Heilbron with Herz Manufacturing filed his patent which was granted on Nov. 1, 1910 (patent #974,665). Oct. 19, 1909 is the patent date for the irons made by Modern Specialties and by the Sun Manufacturing Company of South Bend, Indiana.
Approximate dates are that Herz irons were from around 1909 to 1911 - - Modern irons were from around 1909 to 1913 - - Marvel irons were made around 1912 to 1913 - - Sun irons were from around 1911 to 1914 - - Foote irons were from around 1913 to around 1917.
Modern Gasoline Iron with a wooden handle similar to the Imperial Brass handles. This iron is in Ken Faulkner's collection.
Top view of Modern Gasoline Iron with wooden handle.
Hoya patent for the Modern Specialties Iron
Another Modern Gasoline Iron made by Modern Specialties Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin around 1909. Same iron as above but with a different handle.
Top view of Modern Gasoline Iron No. 26.
Another Modern Gasoline Iron made under the Herz patent.
Top view of the Modern Iron showing the hard to read patent date of Oct. 19, 1909 engraved in the handle base.
This iron is badged Modern Specialties Mfg. Co. of South Bend, Indiana. This must be a transition iron for when Modern Specialties of Milwaukee was acquired by Sun Manufacturing of South Bend. This iron is not in my collection.
Herz iron made by the Herz Manufacturing Company of St. Paul, Minnesota. Julius Heilbron of Herz patented this iron which was made around 1910. This iron is in George Kyle's collection.
Marvel iron made by A.J.L.C.H.Co. Milwaukee which stands for A. J. Lindemann & (Charles) Hoverson Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lindemann & Hoverson was a large gasoline appliance manufacturer and this is the only iron that was produced by them. This iron was made around 1912.
Pfeil patent for Lindemann & Hoverson's Marvel iron. This design looks very similar to the Modern patent.
James A. Googan of Milwaukee, Wisconsin patented this iron which is very similar to the Modern, Herz, Marvel, and Sun irons.
Sun Manufacturing of Chicago, Illinois made this iron around 1913. In 1914, Sun moved from Chicago to South Bend, Indiana. This iron is not in my collection.
Top view of Sun iron from Chicago, Illinois.
Sun Manufacturing Company of South Bend, Indiana made the Sun iron. The top plate is embossed "The Iron That Sizzles".
Top view of Sun Iron.
Another Sun iron, this one has a smooth top plate and an identification tag on the handle base.
Top view of the Sun iron. This model iron is the only irons I am aware of that have serial numbers. This iron's serial number is 205575.
Another Sun Mfg. Co. iron. Has the iron info embossed on the base of the handle versus having a tag.
Embossed handle base on this Sun iron.
This is a Sun iron but with differences over the other Sun irons. The back of the iron is now flat, more like the Modern iron. The base is now ridged like the Foote irons. The burner assembly is the same as the Modern irons and the Sun irons. This seems like a transition iron, going from Sun to Foote.
Top view of this different Sun Iron.
This is the 1st iron from Foote Manufacturing Company of Dayton, Ohio. It is called their Easy Sad Iron. Has a similar tank and body to the Sun iron but a different style burner assembly. A notorious issue with the Foote irons is that the gas valve knobs are twisted off easily and thus ruined. This iron's working replacement knob looks to have been created with silver solder.
Mostly unreadable tag and the infomation on it had to be read using a magnifying glass. Worn out tag says "EASY SAD IRON - GUARANTEED BY FOOTE MFG. CO. - PAT. APLD FOR - DAYTON, OHIO."
Another Foote Easy Sad Iron but this one has a seamed upright tank. It is missing the fuel valve knob.
Top view of Foote iron. Has a more readable tag then the above iron.
This Foote iron is the "Improved Easy Iron - The Foote Mfg. Co. - Dayton O." The tank is a round bulb tank. Interesting tank construction due to the way the metal is wrapped on this particular tank. See below picture.
Top view of Foote Improved Easy Iron.
Better picture of the metal work on the above tank.
Another Foote Improved Easy Iron. This one has the more familiar tank we are used to seeing on Foote irons.
Top view of Foote Improved Easy Iron.
Top left is burner assy. from the Sun Iron - Top right is from the Foote Easy Sad Iron and the bottom one is from the Foote Improved Easy Iron.
Another Foote Iron? This is an un-labelled iron and I am assuming it is Foote due to the ridged base and some other minor similarities.
Rear view of suspected Foote iron.
Suspected Foote iron burner view.
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