A simple yet most ingenious contrivance for soldering tins, etc., has just been completed by Mr John Eustace, foreman of Messrs Gregg and Co.’s factory. A round slab of some 10in in diameter, with rim of about 1in in depth, composed of copper and block tin, the place of the usual tinsmith’s soldering-iron. This is heated by a strong gas jet underneath, and when the slab is heated to the required temperature the solder is rubbed on the plate to the depth of about 1/4in of molten solder, So far the soldering-iron is supplied. Instead of the hair-brush usually used in applying the acid previous to the process of soldering, a pad of coarse flannel well saturated with that mineral is used. Part of the tin to be soldered is then pressed on the acid pad and then dipped into the molten liquid on the plate already referred to, and the soldering is thus completed. By means of this novel machine three times more work can be got through than by the ordinary method of soldering with the hand-iron, besides being less laborious. It was the intention of Mr Eustace to send his invention to the Exhibition, but it not being completed in time he was compelled to abandon that idea. -Evening Star, 6/6/1882.
PATENTS
John Eustace, tinsmith, of Dunedin, for "An invention for hermetically closing tin boxes with the lid without soldering." -Star, 17/6/1884.
Death.
THIRD EDITION.
Eustace. — On the 31st May, at his residence, Forth street, John Eustace; in his 65th year. Deeply regretted. -1/6/1894.
FUNERAL NOTICE.
THE Friends of the late John Eustace are respectfully invited to attend his Funeral, which will leave his late residence, Forth street, TO-MORROW (Saturday), the 2nd inst., at 2.30 o’clock p.m., for the place of interment at the Northern Cemetery.
JOHN GILLIES, Undertaker, 18 George street and 11 Great King street. -Evening Star, 1/6/1894.
THE AIR-TIGHT TIN.
A DUNEDIN MAN’S INVENTION.
HOW THOUSANDS WERE LOST.
NEGLECTED OPPORTUNITY.
If the stories were told of all the inventions and inspirations that had benefited humanity while their authors reaped not one penny reward for these children of their imagination, they would make tragic reading. Most of the more outstanding ones are known to us. Take George Stephenson, for instance, the inventor of the railway locomotive. He died in penury, and there is Hargreaves, who gave the world the spinning jenny. An enraged populace, thrown out of work by this tremendous industrial innovation, drove him out of the country. One could cite such instances through every period of history.
In Dunedin, too, there is a man who to-day could have been a multi-millionaire had he but “dipt into the future." But “three things come not back; the spoken word, the sped arrow, and the lost opportunity,” and John Eustace, of Dunedin, realises it full well.
He is the inventor of what is known as “the airtight tin.” We all know it. It is the tin we get our treacle in, our honey, and our paint. Few people, as they exert a leverage on the lid of the treacle tin. think of the financial tragedy of which that lid is emblematic.
Few know the story, for that matter. John Eustace is no better on for having invented the air-tight tin.
An Otago Daily Times reporter called on Mr Eustace yesterday, and asked him to relate to him the history of the tin.
“But that was a long time ago — away back in 1884,” Mr Eustace protested.
“Yes, and now the tin is used all over the world, and nobody seems to know its story,” the interviewer replied.
So Mr Eustace told of the biggest stroke of misfortune that had ever come his way.
“You see, the collar of the tin used to stand up,” he told the reporter. The lid went on over to the outside of the tin, and it was never satisfactory, as it was easily knocked off. So I took a tin home and looked at it. And then the idea came - the inspiration of a life-time, though, unfortunately, I did not realise its commercial value. I conceived the idea of reversing the collar, so that the lid sunk down a little way inside the tin, not outside it.
And that is how the idea which should have made him n multi-millionaire came to Mr Eustace. But his was the fate of countless others. The idea was impracticable. It would never be a commercial success, and so its value was under-estimated It has happened before, hundreds of times and it will happen again, and men with money will reap the harvest of men with ideas.
“I made samples and submitted them to the late Mr W. Gregg," said Mr Eustace. “He thought it was a good idea, but that it was 20 years before our time. You see, none of us had realised its possibilities, for tin making had not reached anything like its present state. However the late Mr Robert Smith entered into an agreement with me, undertaking to pay all expenses in regard to patenting on condition that they would have the right to use the tin free of royalty. But it was simply registered here, and the patenting throughout the world was omitted. "You see,” he repeated, “we had not the faintest idea of its possibilities. Well, about four months after the dies arrived from England we noticed that tins of paint were coming from Manchester with lids exactly the same as mine.”
It was about this time that the inventor began to realise what a disastrous mistake he had made in not registering his tins all over the world. Knowing that a patent had not been taken out, the English firms had gleefully pounced on the idea and were making money out of it hand over fist. Its use became almost universal in the Old Country and in Europe, but it was too late for Mr Eustace to do anything. As a matter of fact, Mr Robert Smith visited the Old Country, and it was there that he came to a full realisation of what he and his partner had lost. Many firms would have been quite prepared to pay a high royalty. “Oh! I could have kicked myself for what we had missed," Mr Smith said afterwards. One London firm alone had offered £15,000 for the rights to use the tin, but it was no good. Others had already seized on the idea. And now these tins are being made in millions, the inventor had lost his place in the great commercial race.
But Mr Eustace does not rail at fortune. It was written that it should happen so.
“Oh! it would have been worth no end of money,” he told the reporter. Even if we had got a fraction of the royalty it would have been worth millions. However, it’s no use howling about it.”
About two years ago an American poked his head round the door of Mr Eustace a office. “Your name Eustace?” he demanded.
“Yes,” was the reply.
“Humph! I put myself out of the way, to tell you that you are the biggest fool in the world. What are you doing here?”
“Oh! just making a living." Mr Eustace said.
“A living! A living!" and the Americans voice almost cracked with the intensity of his feelings, “Why man, you should be worth millions of dollars.”
It appeared that the American had learned on the train that the inventor of the air-tight tin lived in a city down south called Dunedin, and, knowing something of its history, he thought he would like to call in and have a look at what he considered was one of the world’s biggest fools.
But when a man looks at these things in the philosophical light of mellow reflection, and says smilingly to those who would sympathise with him; “Oh! well, it’s done now, and it can’t be helped,” is he such a fool after all? -Otago Daily Times, 27/8/1926.
John Eustaces lies in Dunedin's Northern Cemetery. His grave has his name but no stone.
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