Thomas Ray Arden, Inventor

e*Train Issue: Jul 2012 | Posted in: Collecting, Manufacturers

By Leon Sweet
(Summer 2012)

Cover Photo: Popular Science May 1939
Read the full article here.

I discovered Thomas Ray Arden when researching Prewar American Flyer patents. I was astounded when I read the biography for Mr. Arden and “Googled” patents attributed to him. Although he is best known for his fuel powered airplane engines, he held hundreds of patents related to toys and other items.

http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/arden.htm

My research was mainly related to American Flyer and I discovered that he held patents relating to a 1928 application for the motor used in the odd 1094/1096 engine that I wrote an article about.

See his patent of the motor here.

However, I also discovered that he had designed American Flyer’s toy typewriter in 1933, a clock operated circuit controller (not sure if it was produced), and a toy airplane that may have been the basis for American Flyer’s 1928 Empire Express plane.

See the patent of the typewriter here.

See his toy airplane patent here.

Other patents I found associated with Mr. Arden included toy cranes for Chein Co, a gun site, an electric flashlight, a toy telephone for Chein, a toy airplane motor, a wire printing mechanism for IBM, a scalpel, an adjustable peep sight, a mechanical dancing toy for Louis Marx, a mechanical golf toy for Ferdinand Straus, a toy steam shovel for Buddy L, an airplane on a tower for Chein, a toy tambourine for Chein, a see-saw, a toy pop gun, a toy truck for Chein, and lastly in 1917 he patented a “Liquid Projecting Apparatus” or squirt gun. If you would like to learn more about him, I suggest a Google Patent Search, with the keyword TR Arden or Thomas Arden.

This biography of Ray Arden is from the AMA History Program’s modeler history collection. See this and more on the AMA’s website at
http://www.modelaircraft.org/museum/whatshere/history.aspx
“Used with permission”

Additional information from The Internet Craftsmanship Museum is available here.

“Here Arden is using a cathode-ray oscillograph to measure the efficiency of one of his power plants. Such tests have shown that his latest product, which weighs only an eighth of an ounce, is more efficient, for cubic inch of cylinder space, than the best modern two-cycle motor-boat engines!” Photo and text: Popular Science.

Shop Amazon and Help TCA

TCA members who shop at Amazon.com can have each of their normal purchases generate a modest payment to TCA! And it won’t cost you anything!

The Train Collectors Association is now a participant with AmazonSmile, which is a special website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com.

The difference is that when customers shop at AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers.

The process is simple. Just search for and select Train Collectors Association when you sign up and shop at smile.amazon.com.

You use your regular Amazon.com username and password, but when you log in to smile.amazon.com, you’ll see that you are supporting TCA with your purchases:

Note that if you just log in to the regular amazon.com, this benefit does not operate.

There are no costs to either you or TCA, but TCA benefits!

This is a great way for TCA to earn extra cash to offset costs, so sign up today to help support TCA.

* Note: TCA is not a party to any of your Amazon transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors.

Helping TCA with your ebay purchases when you use PayPal

If you’re an ebay user and have a PayPal account you use to make payments, you can designate a donation for TCA when you’re checking out — any amount, small or large.
If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can pre-designate a percentage of your sales to be donated automatically in your name to TCA as long as the purchaser pays with their PayPal account.

In both cases, you will receive a donation receipt from the PayPal Giving Fund, and enjoy applicable tax advantages.

How to do it:

Click on the image above, or use this link. This will take you to ebay, where you will see the following page (log in to ebay if you are not already):

This offers TCA as an option. Click on the “Add to My Charities” button where indicated with the red arrow. Thereafter, when you make a purchase, at checkout you will be offered the option to make a donation to TCA in any amount of your choosing. Small amounts add up, larger ones are great! It’s always up to you!

The option will appear at the lower part of your checkout page, something like this:

If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can allocate a portion of your sales proceeds to be donated to TCA. Look at the green arrow marked “Optional” above to see how to do it. Details on how ebay calculates the donation may be read here. This is a wonderful way to share the financial benefits of your hobby with the organization that promotes it!

An added benefit to TCA is that these donations are not subject to normal processing fees, so that makes your donation work harder!

* Note. TCA is not a party to any of your eBay transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors. PayPal issues the receipts to you for your donation, not TCA.

Thomas Ray Arden, Inventor

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