February 20th is National Handcuff Day. On this day we celebrate handcuffs. It is a good day to be especially law abiding. February 20th is the birthday of the modern handcuff. It’s on that date in 1912 that the US Patent office issued patent 1,017,955 to George A. Carney for a “swinging bow ratchet - type” adjustable handcuff. Previous handcuff designs were heavy, bulky and awkward to use. The Carney design was lighter and easier to apply. Since that patent, most modern handcuffs around the world have been made with the same swing through design, with minor modifications. The Carney Patent was bought by James Milton Gill who went on the start the Peerless® Handcuff Company of Springfield, Mass. Now in its fourth generation, Peerless® Handcuff Company remains a family business committed to producing the finest restraints available.
This year’s National Handcuff Day quiz is all about Peerless Handcuff Company and is exceptionally challenging. We dug up some interesting and arcane facts that might not be published anywhere else. You can keep taking the quiz until you get them all right. 100% correct entries will be entered in a random drawing for a pair of 1962 lightweight thin steel 7 ounce handcuffs. They are a prototype pair donated from Peerless’ company collection and do not have a serial number. One correct quiz submission per person please.
Try your luck at the National Day Handcuff Day Contest: http://www.nationalhandcuffday.com/events.html
More information: www.nationalhandcuffday.com and www.peerless.net.