Reno Electric Stairways and Conveyors
Reno Electric Stairways and Conveyors Ltd of 54 New Broad Street, London
- 1902 The company was registered on 10 April, to acquire certain British patents [1] including those of the Reno Inclined Elevator Co and Jesse Wilford Reno. William Henry Aston was Managing Director of the company.
The SUBSCRIPTION LIST will CLOSE on THURSDAY, the 6th day March, for town, and the following day for country applications. RENO ELECTRIC STAIRWAYS AND CONVEYORS LIMITED. ... DIRECTORS.
J. A. H. Drought, Esq. (chairman), Chairman, the United Plantation Company Limited, 2, teahouse Buildings. London, E.C.
Walter Leigh-Hunt, Esq., merchant, 3, Great Winchester-street, London, E.C.
William Henry Aston, Esq., engineer, 46, Eagle Wharf-road, London, N.
Richard Wainwright, Esq., merchant, 70, Finsbury Pavement, London, E.C.
John George Wainwright, Esq., merchant, 70, Finsbury Pavement, London. E.C.
BANKERS.
The London and County Banking Canpany Limited, London, E.C . and Branches.
SOLICITORS.
Francis and Johnson, 19, Great Winchester-street, London, EC. Auditors. Whamond, Williams, and Co., chartered accountants, Crown Buildings, Old Broad-street, London, E.C. (pro tem.). G. H. Hewlett, 3, Crown-court, Old Broad-street, London, E.C. Offices. 70, Finsbury-pavement, E.C.
The prospectus states, amongst other things, that minimum subscription on which the directors are authorised to to allotment is fixed by the articles association 25,000 shares.
That applicants for both preference and ordinary shares will receive priority of allotment in regard to the latter in the proportion of one ordinary for every preference share.
That the company has been formed to acquire the British patents of the Reno inclined elevator and the British and foreign patents obtained and applied for by W. H. Aston for spiral and moving ways, to take over existing concessions, contracts and machines owned and operated by the vendors, and for the other purposes mentioned in the memorandum of association.
With the object of demonstrating the utility and popularity of electric stairways, the vendors selected the Crystal Palace as one of the most suitable places for the purpose. The advantages the electric stairway over the ordinary stairway were so obvious that the management ordered an installation which has been in constant operation since August, 1900, with most satisfactory results.
Electric stairways were erected and are at present in operation at the following places :
Liverpool Overhead Railway.
The Alhambra, Blackpool; sold outright.
Earl's Court Exhibition; owned by the vendors.
Southend-en-Sea; owned the, vendors, with option to the Corporation Southend-on-Sea to purchase the stairway on favourable terms.
The capacity of the electric stairway is practically unlimited. The one in operation at the Crystal Palace has carried over 10,000 persons in one day, at a charge of one penny each, while the machine at Earl's Court Exhibition carried over 13,000 persons similar charge last Whitsuntide Bank Holiday in nine hours.
The convenient and rapid transfer by these electric stairways make them specially suitable for use where it is of importance that large numbers of persons should be speedily and easily conveyed to elevations, and it is believed that when their advantages become more generally known these stairways will be extensively used in railway stations, stores, public buildings, and hotels.
FREIGHT ELEVATORS.
The rapid loading and unloading of mail steamers has for years been a serious problem, the imperative necessity of getting steamers away quickly from landing stages being obvious. An electric conveyor has been delivered to the Dover Harbour Board, and its success has been far beyond expectation.
A specially designed conveyor has also been delivered the Buenos Ayres Great Southern Railway, and the vendors have thought it advisable to take out a patent in the Argentine Republic for this special type, as considerable orders from that country are anticipated.
The other important patent is the Aston Spiral Moving Ways, which have the enormous advantage over vertical lifts of giving continuous service and down. The great value of this ingenious application the stairway system, particularly to such places as underground railways — where it imperative to transfer a constant flow of passengers to and from different levels easily and rapidly — will be obvious. As moving way are always travelling in both directions the public have simply to step on, whether they desire elevation or descent, and the irritating delay in waiting, experienced in the case of ordinary lifts, is entirely avoided.
Apart from the purely commercial utility of the spiral moving ways, their erection in the shape of scenic spiral moving ways for amusement purposes is contemplated, the idea being to erect towers giving a continual moving way in spiral form past suitable alpine other scenery.
The stairways in operation at the Earl's Court Exhibition and Southend-on-Sea will be taken over by the Company, while, as already indicated, negotiations are in progress for obtaining concessions for the erection of others at various popular seaside resorts.
PROFITS The results at the Earl's Court Exhibition may be taken as an illustration of what the electric stairways are capable of yielding. .....
That the following contracts have been entered into :—
1. Between the Reno Inclined Elevator Co. and Jesse Wilford Reno of the first part, and John George Wainwright of the second part- dated the 31st day October, 1901, for the sale to the said John George Wainwright of the Reno patents.
2. Between Jesse Reno and the Reno Inclined Elevator Co. and John George Wainwright, dated the day October. 1901, being assignment of the Reno patents.
3. Between the London Exhibitions Limited of the one part, and the Reno Inclined Elevator Construction Syndicate of the other part, dated the 10th day April, 1901 being the licence for the erection cf the electric stairway at Earts Court.
4. Between the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the Borough of Southend-on-Sea of the one part, and William Henry Aston the other part, dated 21st day June 1901, being the licence for the erection the electric stairway at Southend.
5. Between the London Exhibitions Limited of the one part and John George Wainwright, William Henry Aston, Charles Tyler Aston, trading as the Reno Inclined Elevator Construction of the other part, dated the 8th day February, 1902, being the licence for the erection of a spiral moving way at Earls Court.
6. Between John George Wainwright, William Henry Aston, and Charles Tyler Aston of the one part, and the company of the other part, dated the 25th day February, 1902, being the contract for sale to the company.
7. Between John George Wainwright of the first part, William Henry Aston of the second part, and Charles Tyler Aston of the third part, dated the 25th day February, 1902, regulating the mode in which the proceeds the present tale are to divided between the vendors.
8. Between John Geo. Wainwright, William Henry Aston, and Chas. Tyler Aston, and the dated the 25th February. 1902, being a contract by which Messrs. John Geo. Wainwright, William Henry Aston, and Chas Tyler Aston have underwritten 15,000 of the shares now offered for subscription in consideration of a commission of 10 per cent thereon payable them by the company. ......'[2]
1912 'RENO ELECTRIC STAIRWAY. - The Town Clerk reported that he had, as instructed by the Committee, been in further negotiation with Messrs. R. Waygood and Co., Ltd., with reference to the proposal, which was approved in principle by the Council in October, that a licence should be granted to Messrs. Waygood to substitute a lift for the present electric stairway on the Cliffs. A representative of Messrs. Waygood attended the Committee and discussed with them the points at present outstanding with regard to the terms of the proposed licence. It was resolved that, in consideration of Mr. W. H. Aston, the licensee under the former agreement, and the liquidator and receiver of the Reno Electric Stairways, Limited, transferring their interests in the existing electric stairway to the Corporation with a view to the arrangement with Messrs. Waygood hereafter-mentioned being effected, the Corporation forego the claim of £450 which, they now have against Mr. Aston in respect of rent of the site of the stairway; that, subject to the transfer to the Corporation of the interests mentioned in the preceding recommendation, a licence be granted to the Cliffs Lifts, Limited, and R. Waygood and Co., Ltd., to construct on the site the present electric stairway a lift, in accordance with the plan now submitted,....'[3]