Charles Gray’s Ideas and Inventions
Although a sheep farmer all his life, and in later years a developer, Charles Gray also turned his interest to other matters. In February 1913 Charles Gray and E. V. Sanderson together filed a patent for an “Improved Receptacle for Comestibles.” This was essentially an air tight container for tea and sugar designed to be used by station hands and workmen when they were away from normal tea making facilities. Ernest Valentine Sanderson was an employee of the A.M.P. Society and served as Quartermaster with the 5th Contingent in the South African War. With Godfrey Magnus he formed Magnus, Sanderson and Company, motor importers. Sanderson later became a national figure as the founder of the Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand and a staunch advocate for New Zealand flora and fauna. The big question relating to this invention is how did Gray and Sanderson meet to collaborate on their invention, an invention that never became a commercial success? Gray later owned a Dodge car which would have been purchased from Magnus, Sanderson and Company.
Diagram of Charles Gray’s mess tin, granted patent number 38587 on 21 February 1918.
On 8 March 1917 Baldwin and Rayward, Patent Attorneys, filed an application on behalf of Charles Gray, farmer, for an “Improved Mess Tin.” After four years of war it is understandable that people were deeply concerned with the welfare of soldiers and this may have been Gray’s way of contributing to the war effort. The military mess tins at this time were “D” or kidney shaped. The abstract of Gray’s invention states that it:
“Consists of a tin which may he used as a billy for boiling water or cooking food and the lid used as a frying pan or as a plate and a handle used for holding the billy or frying pan or for fastening the lid upon the billy. At its rim and diametrically opposite each other are brackets or lugs grooved horizontally. The lid fits the tin and has rounded corners for facility in cleaning. The top of the lid has a flange which covers the rim of the tin. The lid has pockets diametrically opposite each other and a loop to admit a carrying strap. Other features are contained in invention.” (Gray, C. (1917). Improved Mess Tin. NZ Patent 38587. New Zealand Intellectual Property Office.)
The last two inventions patented by Charles Gray were directly related to farming. On the 16 October 1917 he filed a patent for an improved fencing standard. This invention was an iron fencing standard with a small clip which held fence wire in place. (Gray, C. (1917). Fencing Standard. NZ Patent 39397. New Zealand Intellectual Property Office.)
Drawing of Charles Gray’s patented Improved Tool for Kinking Wire. Patented 10 September 1931.
Gray’s final foray into patents was also related to fencing. On 31 June 1931 his “Improved Tool for Kinking Wire” was patented. The abstract says the invention “Comprises a forked head with a rigid handle extending therefrom and having its cheeks slotted to pass upon a wire a plunger operable in the head between the cheeks thereof and a lever pivoted to the head formed to engage the plunger.” The idea behind the invention was for ‘dropper’ wires, taking the place of battens, to be kinked making them less likely to move when in place. (Gray, C. (1931). Tool for Kinking Wire. NZ Patent 67290. New Zealand Intellectual Property Office.)
In September 1924 Charles Gray wrote a letter of just on 1,000 words to the Prime Minister the Right Hon. W.F. Massey. The subject of his letter had nothing to do with sheep farming: it was all about the poor quality of milk and the subsequent drop in export earnings.
“It is an unfortunate, but well established fact that our butter and cheese is retrograding instead of going up in quality. The unclean, not to say filthy condition of the milking machine pipes in many sheds is the main cause of contamination, and of lowering the grades; there being, I believe, cases where pipes have not been cleaned since erection.”
He went on to say that dirty milking machine pipes was causing the deterioration in milk quality:
“I am informed on good authority that the present system of inspection of sheds is expensive and ineffective. An Inspector cannot see through a twenty foot pipe, even if it were open at both ends. It is essential that they should be cut into short lengths, in order that they may be taken down and thoroughly examined.” (C. Gray, Pukerua Bay – Drawing attention to the necessity for ensuring a pure milk supply. R22928832. Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga.)
In the letter he quoted speeches made by the Prime Minister and other Ministers on the subject of quality as well as a report on the Wellington municipal milk supply. The letter shows that Gray was well read and well informed on the subject. He closed with the words “As a practical farmer, and deeply interested in the Dominion’s welfare, I commend the above-stated facts to your earnest and immediate consideration.” Massey replied to Gray that he would be conferring with the Minister of Agriculture on the topic.
When the Hon. J. G. Coates took over as Prime Minister he was informed of the letter by officials from the Department of Agriculture. Coates met with a Mr Maxwell who had taken up the matter on Gray’s behalf and who suggested that milking pipes in three foot lengths could be easily cleaned. The Minister of Agriculture closed the matter with a letter in September 1925 which concluded “I very much appreciate the interest you have displayed in connection with this matter, and although the suggestion made by you will not be given effect to there is no doubt that your system is a very good one.”
The file with the cover printed Department of Agriculture Director General’s Office has a large CLOSED hand written in blue pencil.
