The Purist wrote:
Speaking of fragile, I’m sorry if anyone’s nose got out of joint over my resurrection of a 12 year old post. I was just trying to add new information that I found on the topic. I won’t ever do it again. Never.
I'm really not sure what you expected. These sorts of unsupported speculations aren't your usual practice. You emphatically stated that Vic Johnson & Vic Johnson misquoted the Phantom 1955 catalog in their book
Fiberglass Fly Rods. A couple of posts later you note you were looking at a
1954 catalog on eBay (image below). This meant the book was all wrong with the claim Phantom made the first solid glass fishing rods. Thus, Dr. Howald must have been the inventor of all fiberglass rods because the Howald family still had his lab notes*. And Havens was a tennis player so he couldn't have been involved with fishing rod invention.
None of this was backed up with documents, images, or references.
I assume Johnson & Johnson correctly assessed that Phantom was the first with solid glass fishing rods and that Havens and Howald have equal claim to being first with hollow glass fishing rods. Obviously, Libbey Owens Ford received the patent (thank you Motosacto for finding that US patent for me) and Howald and Meyer were assigned as inventors. Johnson & Johnson also note that John Harrington made a glass fishing rod for his own use in 1943. Two things are important for establishing patent rights, the idea and putting that idea into practice. Harrington's 1943 rod and Hewitt's earlier nylon experiments could be considered prior art in a patent dispute.
Johnson & Johnson make a very interesting statement about the Libbey Owens Ford patent on page 148 of their book in the chapter about Shakespeare.
"Numerous other manufacturers had entered into fiberglass rod production between 1945 and 1952. When the patent was issued, there was some confusion over who had the right to make fiberglass rods and whether these other firm's processes were patent infringements. In June 1952, Shakespeare and Libby-Owens offered rights under the patent to Horrocks-Ibbotson and 34 other manufacturers for $1 per year. This apparently allowed Libby-Owens to maintain their other purchasers of fiberglass products. It also maintained Shakespeare's ability to continue to be the only firm in the U.S. building rods under the unique Howald process."
Tom
* Are Howald's notes published or available for public viewing? I would think those notes should have gone to his employer.