Al Foss & True Temper Fishing Lures

Al Foss
Cleveland, Ohio

History

Lures

Blades

Al Foss & True Temper Patents

Al Foss designed and patented many inventions related to telephones and fishing tackle. Most of these inventions were actually manufactured and sold by the telephone and fishing lure companies that he operated. Al Foss' creativity and technical expertise are easily seen in the designs illustrated below. Other patents shown on this page are for inventions by people other than Foss who assigned their patents to Al Foss, American Fork & Hoe Company, or True Temper.

Patents are listed in order by the date on which the patent application was filed. Patents were often approved months, or even years, after they were submitted.

Full size copies of the patents shown below can be downloaded for free from the U.S. Patent Office web site or from Google Patents.

Al Foss Telephone Patents

Al Foss designed and patented several slot machine devices for receiving telephone tolls. All of these patents were assigned to American Toll Telephone Company of Cleveland, Ohio, of which he was President.

Patent #	Application Date	Patent Description
655,772	02-26-1900	Telephone Toll Apparatus
D33,593	06-22-1900	Case For Slot Telephones
661,578	07-26-1900	Toll Collecting Device For Telephones
672,035	09-17-1900	Toll Collecting Device For Telephones
687,007	02-18-1901	Telephone Call Registering Machine
687,008	03-25-1901	Toll Collecting Device For Telephones

Patent 655,772 W.A. Foss	Patent D33,593 W.A. Foss	Patent 661,578 W.A. Foss
Patent 672,035 W.A. Foss	Patent 687,007 W.A. Foss	Patent 687,008 W.A. Foss

Al Foss Fishing Lure Patents

Al Foss patented a half dozen fishing lure designs. All of these designs were either manufactured as Al Foss Pork Rind Minnows or as an improvement to his existing lures.

Patent #	Application Date	Patent Description
1,264,626	12-29-1915	Little Egypt
1,264,627	04-22-1916	Oriental Wiggler
1,265,900	07-31-1916	Blade & Attachment Method For Pork Strip
1,440,869	10-06-1919	Shimmy Wiggler
1,582,171	06-22-1923	Jazz Wiggler
1,709,010	08-04-1926	Frog Wiggler

Patent 1,264,626 W.A.Foss	Patent 1,264,627 W.A. Foss	Patent 1,265,900 W.A. Foss
Patent 1,440,869 W.A. Foss	Patent 1,582,171 W.A. Foss	Patent 1,709,010 W.A. Foss

Al Foss Miscellaneous Fishing Patents

Al Foss received patents for several miscellaneous fishing related items, including a device used to test fishing lures, a specialty hook used on some Al Foss Pork Rind Baits, and a fishing rod handle. The patent for the fishing rod handle was assigned to American Fork & Hoe Company.

Patent #	Application Date	Patent Description
1,234,323	01-10-1917	Fish Lure Demonstrating Apparatus
1,420,422	11-05-1920	Specialty Spreader Hook
1,916,924	11-07-1929	Fishing Rod Handle

Patent 1,234,323
W.A. Foss

Patent 1,420,422
W.A. Foss

Patent 1,916,924
W.A. Foss

Al Foss Fishing Reel Patents

Al Foss received four patents related to fishing reels. One was for a reel thumbing device and the others were for various improvements related to fishing reels. The last two patents listed were assigned by Foss to American Fork & Hoe Company.

Patent #	Application Date	Patent Description
1,495,296	09-30-1922	Thumbing Device For Fishing Reels
1,568,149	12-10-1923	Fishing Reel
1,744,461	12-10-1923	Fishing Reel
1,811,266	12-10-1923	Fishing Reel

Patent 1,495,296
W.A. Foss

Patent 1,568,149
W.A. Foss

Patent 1,744,461
W.A. Foss

Patent 1,811,266
W.A. Foss

Fishing Lure & Tackle Patents Assigned to Al Foss or American Fork & Hoe Company

Some Al Foss and True Temper lures or parts were designed and patented by company employees. Others were patented by people from outside the company who assigned their patent rights. All of the patents shown here were assigned to either Al Foss, American Fork & Hoe Company, or True Temper.

Patent #	Patentee	Application Date	Patent Description
1,666,072	Charles Schlipp	08-17-1927	Ponca Style Spinner Blade
1,855,365	Charles Schlipp	08-20-1929	Improved Spinner Blade
1,832,036	Charles Schlipp	08-20-1929	Sunny Bucktail / Dixie Wiggler
1,925,197	William C. Maynard	10-26-1932	Super Lure
2,032,819	Louis Tengel	03-06-1933	Minnie The Moocher
1,986,738	Merlin Mitchell	12-15-1933	Sheik
1,977,003	William C. Maynard	12-27-1933	Super Lure
2,021,796	Ernest Liotta	12-12-1934	Fan Dancer
2,218,259	William R. Finucan	12-18-1937	Flitter Fly
2,319,026	Louis D. Adam	08-22-1940	Hell Cat Lure with Doc Style Spinner
2,295,375	Louis D. Adam	06-10-1941	Weed Guard
D131,135	Louis D. Adam	06-28-1941	Bass Pop and Pork Frog Chunk
2,307,478	Louis D. Adam	07-26-1941	Jerry Lure with Ponca Unbalanced Spinner
2,319,096	Conrad Wood	09-23-1941	True Temper Crippled Shad & Speed Shad
2,344,580	Conrad Wood	08-13-1942	Not Manufactured by True Temper
2,382,595	Conrad Wood	08-13-1942	Not Manufactured by True Temper

Patent 1,666,072 Charles Schlipp	Patent 1,855,365 Charles Schlipp	Patent 1,832,036 Charles Schlipp	Patent 1,925,197 William C. Maynard
Patent 2,032,819 Louis Tengel	Patent 1,986,738 Merlin Mitchell	Patent 1,977,003 William C. Maynard	Patent 2,021,796 Ernest Liotta
Patent 2,218,259 William R. Finucan	Patent 2,319,026 Louis D. Adam	Patent 2,295,375 Louis D. Adam	Patent D131,135 Louis D. Adam
Patent 2,307,478 Louis D. Adam	Patent 2,319,096 Conrad Wood	Patent 2,344,580 Conrad Wood	Patent 2,382,595 Conrad Wood