William Homer Strickler

William Strickler's name is associated with the Velvet Coasters of
approx. 1905-1910. His three patents of this period (1906-1907) are
assigned to the Federal Construction Company.

Strickler is best known for his involvement in construction of the
original Giant Coaster at Paragon Park (1917) and the Big Dipper at
Blackpool Pleasure Beach (1923), both John Miller designs.

A pair of 1927 Strickler patents describe an unusual track structure in
which the road wheels run on a pair of flat rails, while a T-shaped
center rail engages guide wheels and acts as an upstop. This is
reminiscent of the old wild mouse track structure, although quite
dissimilar in construction. A half interest in each of the U.S. patents
is assigned to William Dentzel. However, for the UK equivalents, the
applicant is listed as Miller & Baker Patents, Ltd.

Since the Miller-Baker partnership dissolved years earlier, it is not
clear if this firm had any real relationship to Miller or Baker. As far
as I can tell, John Miller retained ownership of his non-U.S. patents.

Can anybody add more information?

Derek Gee wrote:

> "Victor Canfield" <vac3@psu.edu> wrote in message
> news:crh1tl$1lh6$1@f04n12.cac.psu.edu...
>
>>William Strickler's name is associated with the Velvet Coasters of approx.
>>1905-1910. His three patents of this period (1906-1907) are assigned to
>>the Federal Construction Company.
>>
>>Strickler is best known for his involvement in construction of the
>>original Giant Coaster at Paragon Park (1917) and the Big Dipper at
>>Blackpool Pleasure Beach (1923), both John Miller designs.
>>
>>A pair of 1927 Strickler patents describe an unusual track structure in
>>which the road wheels run on a pair of flat rails, while a T-shaped center
>>rail engages guide wheels and acts as an upstop. This is reminiscent of
>>the old wild mouse track structure, although quite dissimilar in
>>construction. A half interest in each of the U.S. patents is assigned to
>>William Dentzel. However, for the UK equivalents, the applicant is listed
>>as Miller & Baker Patents, Ltd.
>>
>>Since the Miller-Baker partnership dissolved years earlier, it is not
>>clear if this firm had any real relationship to Miller or Baker. As far
>>as I can tell, John Miller retained ownership of his non-U.S. patents.
>>
>>Can anybody add more information?
>
>
> According the historian Robert Preedy, Strickler left the US in 1921 to
> build Blackpool's Noah's Ark, and built Blackpool's Virginia Reel in 1922.
> He supervised the Big Dipper coaster construction at Blackpool in 1923. He
> was supervising construction of a Noah's Ark at Southport in 1930 when he
> fell and injured his legs and ribs. He died in Blackpool on May 9th at age
> 85.
>
> Blackpool co-founder, W.G Bean obtained the rights to Miller's underwheel
> patent for the UK. I suspect that Miller & Baker Patents, Ltd. was set up
> by Bean to license the patent throughout the UK.

The New York Times obituary for Harry Baker suggests that he shared
royalties on the (1919) underfriction patent with John Miller long after
the partnership broke up.

>Blackpool co-founder, W.G Bean obtained the
>rights to Miller's underwheel patent for the
>UK. I suspect that Miller & Baker Patents, Ltd.
> was set up by Bean to license the patent
> throughout the UK.

I agree with Derek. Miller & Baker Patents, Ltd. was likely set up by
Bean when he purchased the exclusive European rights to the Miller
coaster patents around the time when Bean contracted for the Miller
design of the Blackpool Big Dipper. Acquired European rights to other
U.S. patents including those of Strickler were likely folded into this
same holding company.

By monopolizing the upstop wheel patent, Bean and Leonard Thompson
forced other contemporary European coaster builders to resort to
obsolete side-friction or scenic railway technology when designing their
European wood coasters. The obvious exception was John Henry Iles who
contracted with Fred Church for the magnificent Belle Vue Bobs.

CoasterClubMike