# "Bottle Cap" badges



## fordmike65 (Jan 15, 2017)

I've come across something recently that has peaked my interest regarding the usage of "bottle cap" badge attachment versus conventional screws. I knew that Dayton and Davis used it, but seems Miami did as well? Are there any other manufacturers known to? I won't pick up this item for a week or so, so I'm going to hold off posting pics until it is in my possession. Thanks in advance for any info. Mike.


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## Freqman1 (Jan 15, 2017)

When you say "Dayton" I assume you are referring to the Huffman brand. Davis also built a Dayton model. So the three manufacturers, off the top of my head, would be Davis, Miami, and Huffman which would include badges of Dayton (both Davis and Huffman), Harley Davidson, Racycle, Flying Merkel, and other Miami built machines. I'm sure Ed or Patric could expand on this. V/r Shawn


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## ace (Jan 15, 2017)

Freqman1 said:


> When you say "Dayton" I assume you are referring to the Huffman brand. Davis also built a Dayton model. So the three manufacturers, off the top of my head, would be Davis, Miami, and Huffman which would include badges of Dayton (both Davis and Huffman), Harley Davidson, Racycle, Flying Merkel, and other Miami built machines. I'm sure Ed or Patric could expand on this. V/r Shawn




I've got a nice Excelsior made bottle cap Elgin. I'll get a pic if anyone is interested.


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## fordmike65 (Jan 15, 2017)

ace said:


> I've got a nice Excelsior made bottle cap Elgin. I'll get a pic if anyone is interested.



Please post pics!


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## catfish (Jan 15, 2017)

Also Yale. I have a few other bottle cap badges that were store bands. But I belive were used on Davis built bikes as well. 



Freqman1 said:


> When you say "Dayton" I assume you are referring to the Huffman brand. Davis also built a Dayton model. So the three manufacturers, off the top of my head, would be Davis, Miami, and Huffman which would include badges of Dayton (both Davis and Huffman), Harley Davidson, Racycle, Flying Merkel, and other Miami built machines. I'm sure Ed or Patric could expand on this. V/r Shawn


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## catfish (Jan 15, 2017)

These are bottle caps. No screw holes. Sorry i don't have photos of the back right now.


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## catfish (Jan 15, 2017)

Here is a Yale. Most of the bottle cap is gone.


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## Foxclassics (Jan 15, 2017)

Here is an Elgin bottle cap badge.






Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


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## hoofhearted (Jan 15, 2017)




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## Foxclassics (Jan 15, 2017)

hoofhearted said:


> View attachment 410059
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Sweet!!!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


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## 37fleetwood (Jan 15, 2017)

I've seen Huffman stuff with Bottle Cap badges as late as 39-40
I've never found anyone who knows why some are bottle caps and some not.


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## fordmike65 (Jan 15, 2017)

Freqman1 said:


> When you say "Dayton" I assume you are referring to the Huffman brand. Davis also built a Dayton model. So the three manufacturers, off the top of my head, would be Davis, Miami, and Huffman which would include badges of Dayton (both Davis and Huffman), Harley Davidson, Racycle, Flying Merkel, and other Miami built machines. I'm sure Ed or Patric could expand on this. V/r Shawn



So according to Patric,"ace" & foxclassics we can add Excelsior to the list of manufacturers that used "bottlecap" badges? I have what I believe to be an Excelsior built Elgin project that uses the conventional screw/rivet type badge. Any rhyme or reason to any of this?


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## hoofhearted (Jan 15, 2017)

37fleetwood said:


> I've seen Huffman stuff with Bottle Cap badges as late as 39-40
> I've never found anyone who knows why some are bottle caps and some not.





*Here is a Huffman Dayton badge that was issued
1934 thru '39 - '40.  

It is now in the John Atkinson collection.
*


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## hoofhearted (Jan 15, 2017)

fordmike65 said:


> So according to Patric,"ace" & foxclassics we can add Excelsior to the list of manufacturers that used "bottlecap" badges? I have what I believe to be an Excelsior built Elgin project that uses the conventional screw/rivet type badge. Any rhyme or reason to any of this?





*Fordmike65 ... I have seen the Elgin badge .. with screwholes ...
also issued on a Davis-Built.

Can see no rhyme nor reason as to the variations.

*


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## catfish (Jan 15, 2017)




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## fordmike65 (Feb 6, 2017)

Luckily I had a good friend visit this weekend who agreed to pick up the bike in question on his way down to SoCal. So far I'm pretty sure it is indeed Excelsior built. Electrified tank looks like it's been on the bike for some time, even though I don't believe it's original to it. I have another set of bars to replace what I believe are later ones. Looks like a handmade trussrod upper mount, so I'm on the lookout for an original piece. I'm hoping it'll clean up some, but I'm good if I can just get it back on the road again. If anyone has any additional info on it, please feel free to post here. Thanks in advance for any help. Big shout out to Bricycle & Patric for their help so far


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## Joe Buffardi (Feb 6, 2017)

Great bike Mike!!


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## oddball (Feb 7, 2017)

Prolly a 1923, don't think that year came with a tank


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## Joe Buffardi (Feb 7, 2017)

Hey Cliff! It looks like the answer to the million dollar question is right in front of our eyes!


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## fordmike65 (Feb 7, 2017)

Thanks for posting up the ad Cliff! This might be the bike, but those look like painted wood wheels. This has crusty wood clad wheels with a model C, so thinking it might be a couple years later? Maybe I can finally make it to your local motorbike ride this year!


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## oddball (Feb 7, 2017)

Joe Buffardi said:


> Hey Cliff! It looks like the answer to the million dollar question is right in front of our eyes!



Yup, for sure Joe, I just take it to the extreme.


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## oddball (Feb 7, 2017)

fordmike65 said:


> Thanks for posting up the ad Cliff! This might be the bike, but those look like painted wood wheels. This has crusty wood clad wheels with a model C, so thinking it might be a couple years later? Maybe I can finally make it to your local motorbike ride this year!



With model c it would have to be 1926-33, but that paint scheme makes it  earlier like 1923-4 ?
My guess wheels were replaced, though I would keep those hubs on bicycle.
In April the American Motor-Bike crew will be at the Ford Model A meet in City of Orange, so we will see you there, right


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## Joe Buffardi (Feb 7, 2017)

I am definitley favoring motorbikes more.


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## fordsnake (Apr 25, 2018)

Does anyone have a clue how these badges were applied?  What kind of tool was used to spread the cap from the inside of the head tool without damaging the badge front, or were they just soldered on?


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## hoofhearted (Apr 26, 2018)

fordsnake said:


> Does anyone have a clue how these badges were applied?  *What* *kind* *of* *tool* *was* *used* *to* *spread* *the* *cap* *from* *the* *inside* *of* *the* *head* *without* *damaging* *the* *badge* *front (?) ..* or were they just soldered on?






*Think of the form of just the palm-side of your right thumb.

Think of the form of your left .palm (covered in thick, but
supple leather) ... curving around the front of a badge that 
has a B/C already soldered to the back of that badge ...

You allow the B/C to enter the half-inch diameter portal 
drilled into the front of the head-tube  ... 

The back of the badge flush-fits to the front of the head-tube ...

You take that right. thumb of yours -- insert it into the open-top
of the head-tube -- your thumb searches for that B/C ... BINGO !!

Your right. thumb now puts pressure on the felt-edges of the B/C ...
you begin pushing in the direction of your waiting and reinforced 
left. palm ... Wha-Lah !!

NOW ... translate the thumb / palm. symphony into tool steel and 
weld it to the jaw-area of a large vise-grip.

..... patric

About that badge ... you are. going to check for correct badge 
directionality before any of the attaching starts, right ?   GOOD FORM !!

@fordsnake*


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## fordsnake (Apr 27, 2018)

Thanks Patric, I think I understand the process...but have you ever seen one of these tools?


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## hoofhearted (Apr 27, 2018)

fordsnake said:


> Thanks Patric, I think I understand the process...but have you ever seen one of these tools?



*
@fordsnake*

*No I have not - Carlton.

But .. if the picture is clear in one's mind -- that tool 
maybe-could be made ... got an old vise-grip layin' 
around ?

The palm-cup part could be made of an old bicycle
crankcase ... possibly removing a section vertically
as the piece is standing on one end -- and tweaked
a bit so the inside diameter of this pre-tool is a bit 
larger than the outside diameter of the head-tube ...
which will have a badge on it plus leather padding.*

*The thumb-press part may have to be carved out of
a chunk of 3/4'' (+ / -) steel rod .... welded to the side 
of the same stuff then welded to the jaw of the vise-grip.

Alignment of the numerous pieces of the tool could be 
problematic. 

Don't think it would take a bunch of effort to squish that
bottle-cap  ''wide open'' .. over the half-inch portal in the
head-tube.  Most of those B/C's are about as thin as many
badges I've seen.


*


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## fordsnake (Apr 27, 2018)

yeah, iI think I understand. But if the leather (or something else covered and protected the badge) then how does one align the badge accurately? It's a one shot deal, no room for error!  I'm asking this question because if a bike were assembled outside of the factory...could anyone have applied a B/C badge? 

In other words, 99% of TOC bicycles could have been assembled by non tech or an inexperience persons with no skills.  Much of assembling bike is wrenching and adding on supplied parts, i.e., bearings, saddle, wheels, bars, etc. However the brazing, painting, pin stripping and dialing in the bike to its factory specs did required skilled labor. 

I find these bottle caps badges are curiously interesting and imagine the process was costly to the  bottom line of the company, versus screwing the badge directly on to the head tube. 

It's hard to believe this "tool" was jerry-rigged in the factory? From what has been shared here (pics), there appears to have been numerous manufacturers producing bicycles with B/C badges. I'm just surprise the "tool" or its patent has never surfaced?      
 ,


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## hoofhearted (Apr 27, 2018)

fordsnake said:


> yeah, iI think I understand. But if the leather (or something else covered and protected the badge) then how does one align the badge accurately? It's a one shot deal, no room for error!  I'm asking this question because if a bike were assembled outside of the factory...could anyone have applied a B/C badge?
> 
> In other words, 99% of TOC bicycles could have been assembled by non tech or an inexperience persons with no skills.  Much of assembling bike is wrenching and adding on supplied parts, i.e., bearings, saddle, wheels, bars, etc. However the brazing, painting, pin stripping and dialing in the bike to its factory specs did required skilled labor.
> 
> ...





[B]@fordsnake[/B]


*Carlton ... the badge has been pre-curved to fit flush
with the head-tube.  

Take a pre-curved badge with it's B/C soldered on ...
nonchalantly and without aiming .. place the badge
over the B/C portal on the head-tube.  Let go ...
and everything falls into place.

Place that piece of insulating leather over the badge
face ... hold on tightly so that there is no micro-misalign-
ment ... grab the squeezer .. insert proper ends of tool
onto the critical areas, and squeeze.

I would think that a factory would have a professionally-
made tool.  Have never seen any, tho.  

Doesn't mean one will never show up, one day.

I was describing what or how the tool does.  My thoughts
are applicable to a one-man army -- who builds custom
one-offs in a studio surround .. like yourself.


*


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## bikemonkey (Jan 28, 2019)

I am thinking that an effective pressing b/c tool could be made from a 3 foot long, rounded wood stave - perhaps metal clad on the end pressing against the bottle cap. It would not take a lot of engineering to make a "glove" metal form (matching the inner curved radius of the headtube) that would gimbal on a central bolt drilled though the end of the stave and give it a much better flush fit at the end of the pressing stroke. Inserted inside the head tube, one could jockey it around until the alignment is right and then lever the b/c flat by using a prying motion of the stave.

If it were made out of wood, it would be cheap to make and light when using. Consequently, you would probably not find many left (firewood) or recognize it as a bicycle tool.

I was reading about b/c badges in Shawn's Merkel monograph in the Article menu and it led me to this excellent thread and so I hope this idea might merit some consideration and add to the discussion.


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