Thanks guys for the compliments. The web of manufacturers, jobbers and retailers is a crazy one in those times. I think it's important to say that Sears bought frames and bikes from many sources over the years. They even bought some from Colonel Pope's American Bicycle Company sometime around 1902-3 (contract was for 20,000 bicycles with an option for 20,000 more). This came out when Pope had his law suits for bottom bracket patent infringement against Schwinn that included Sears, Wards and tons of hardware branded machines. Sears then counter sued Pope for not delivering the additional 20,000 that was optioned in their contract. This must have been embarrassing for Pope as he was so harsh in his criticism of the mail order business, yet was selling to them at the same time. Pope countered back and said they never requested the additional 20,000 so they weren't delivered.
I will be posting on one of the Davis threads to show how it may have been Sears that helped get Davis Sewing Machine back into bike manufacturing after 1909-11 range. They were absent from the Tariff hearings as listed in 1908. Not sure if this was due to their relationship with a mail order house such a Sears or that they weren't a large producer at the time.
Sears had used Minneapolis Motor Co for some of their 1st motorcycles, after that it was Thor and then possibly Greyhound motors too. So Excelsior wasn't an exclusive supplier for Sears as far as motorcycles. I would assume that is true for bicycles as well. I'm more focused on those early motobike Sears models like the Chief and Napoleon. I'm sticking with my theory that Sears used Mead to assemble or at least source for the forks, chains, and other English goodies equipped on the Sears models of the teens.