Who is the J W B M Company? And a '15/'16 Headlamp question?

Discuss all things Model T related.
Forum rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules

Topic author
Wayne Sheldon
Posts: 4249
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 3:13 pm
First Name: Wayne
Last Name: Sheldon
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1915 Runabout 1913 Speedster
Location: Grass Valley California, USA
Board Member Since: 2005

Who is the J W B M Company? And a '15/'16 Headlamp question?

Post by Wayne Sheldon » Tue Jun 11, 2019 6:02 am

Working on my '15 runabout, and I sorted headlamp buckets. From the Auburn Swap Meet a week ago, I picked up another bucket. Added to the ones I already had, I now have two pair of matching early style electric headlamps. Both pair have the adjustment screw above the plug/socket. One pair (the rougher ones), has the plug/socket on the center back of the bucket, no apparent name or model stamping for the manufacturer, Which some of the model T early electric headlamps do. The back of the buckets on this pair are rounded all the way to the socket mounting. They have no flat area around the socket like the millions of later headlamps have, not even a hint of flatness there.

The other pair, also has the adjusting screw above the plug/socket, and a slightly flattened area around the socket mount. That flattened area is less flat than most of the later headlamps. Surrounding the socket, is a circular stamping which says " J W B M CO COLO USA MODEL 520 PAT APRIL 14 1914". So, one question is who is J W B M company? Are they related to the John Brown Lamp Company that supplied Ford with lamps for many years? As far as I know, John Brown was located in Ohio, a fair distance from Colorado.
Google was no help to me at all, although someone else here may have better ideas to help the search.

The other main question is, which pair would be most appropriate for a March '15 T? The slightly flatted and name stamped? Or the no name and fully rounded back?

I am not trying for a high quality restoration here. But I do want as many pieces as correct as I can manage to get them.

Thanks all!

User avatar

DanTreace
Posts: 3813
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:56 am
First Name: Dan
Last Name: Treace
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: ‘12 open express,'23 cutoff, '27 touring
Location: North Central FL
Board Member Since: 2000
Contact:

Re: Who is the J W B M Company? And a '15/'16 Headlamp question?

Post by DanTreace » Tue Jun 11, 2019 7:58 am

Wayne

You have it right , J W Brown lamps. The inscription is abbreviated. City is Columbus ‘COL’. , state is Ohio ‘O’.
The best way is always the simplest. The attics of the world are cluttered up with complicated failures. Henry Ford
Don’t find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain. Henry Ford


Topic author
Wayne Sheldon
Posts: 4249
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 3:13 pm
First Name: Wayne
Last Name: Sheldon
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1915 Runabout 1913 Speedster
Location: Grass Valley California, USA
Board Member Since: 2005

Re: Who is the J W B M Company? And a '15/'16 Headlamp question?

Post by Wayne Sheldon » Tue Jun 11, 2019 3:41 pm

Ah! (Light bulb begins to glow) Thank you Dan T!
I have three of those buckets, one may be new old stock (but a bit shopworn). But the flat areas aren't real flat, and some of the stampings are a bit uneven and difficult to read.

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic