Looking to date this

Relic_Digger

I do metal detecting and dug this up at a late 1880s Inn site that had burnt to the ground in the early 1900s. I've tried to search the internet for information but have come up empty. Any help is great appreciated.

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ScottSecor

My wild guess is around 1920's or 1930's. Others will know better than me,.

pecmsg

that 3rd picture shows some writing.

mattmia2

Didn't ARCO brand some of its vents ideal?

EdTheHeaterMan

That may be an original steam radiator vent from that 1880’s hotel heating system. Since it is no longer connected to the radiator, it may have been sitting on a shelf in the boiler room. Ideal no longer makes steam vents. I believe that company went out of business or was absorbed into another company. The all brass exterior with no indication of chrome plating tells me that is over 110 years old. Most steam vents for radiators like that are chrome plated today. That started in the 1920’s I believe. There are some that were polished brass to match the brass valve that connects the system to the radiator.

Steamhead

@EdTheHeaterMan , you're right- it is an Ideal "Airid" radiator vent, made by American Radiator Co. I have several catalogs from that company, so I can say it was available as early as 1922 and as late as 1947, though it may have been in production longer than that.

PRR

The all brass exterior with no indication of chrome plating tells me that is over 110 years old. Most steam vents for radiators like that are chrome plated today. That started in the 1920’s I believe.

Wide use of Chrome plating comes just about 1924. Before that chrome was very expensive, Nickel was used for car radiators and toaster shells. (Before that, Brass of course; these are the divisions at the local car museum brass Nickel Chrome. They got most of the gauche Chrome out and are losing the Nickel unless very significant; the museum founder was a brasshead.)

I might expect heating parts to lag a bit behind cars.

HomerJSmith

@Relic_Digger, what kind of detector do you use? I use White's.

HeatingHelp.com

You can find the patent for the In-Air-Rid vent here, as well as more information here.

ethicalpaul

I used to do people's yards with a Garret in 1986 era. My best find (not my oldest of course) was a 1942 walking liberty half dollar next to a sidewalk. That kid was sad that day — $10 in today's money.

Those photos made my eyes hurt 😅

jkempmtl

I'm a little late to the conversation, but maybe this will help. Attached are pages from the 1925 Ideal Fitter.

Ideal Air Valve 1.pdf

Ideal Air Valve 2.pdf