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#180308 Sat Mar 20 2010 03:33 PM
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I picked this up at a local sale. I'm curious how old it is as I have never seen one that states "Not for cleaning or any other use. Avoid spilling". Thanks

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this was a visable sign so late teens, early 20s i beleive


Looking for gas,oil related clocks,especially neon and spinners .clock repair available. Mick
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Hope ya didn't pay much.
Used into early 30's & still found on some visibles when found.

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That was the fist government mandated sign to be made for the addition of tetra ethyl lead in the early 1920's . Prior to this , if you can actually beleive this too , but this is true .

In the early 1920's General Motor's Kettering labs introduced the chemical Tetra Ethyl lead to increase the specific gravity of gasoline thorugh the use of an attachment on the side of a gasoline pump called an "Ethylizer " . Simple as it was this device allowed the attendant to pour the chemical directly into a customer's gasoline tank .Problem was , attendants suddenly were getting termally ill . The reasons were soon discovered that the culprit was the new Lead that was being delivered via the attendant ! Now as my record have it , it was standard Oil that discovered the safe way was to blend the Tetra Ethyl at the refinery. Standard then began to grant Licences to all competeing oil companies that wanted to use this new product . That was around 1922. Texaco was of course one of the first and then Gulf . Meanwhile companies like Lord Baltimore , ( Amoco )wetre begining the refining of their premium gasoline with out lead , ( 1923 ) . The standard oil company , ( Indiana ) was able topursuade the U S government to allow lead to be dispensed via the method which was to have it done at a refinery . See, lead is absorbed through the pores in the skin thus posioning you . The sign you have was a warning to useres of gasolines containing lead to not use this product for any other means other than a motor fuel . These signs were also to be promently displayed within eyesight of the average motorist too . Thats why you always saw the sign placed on the front near the top . It wasn't until the shortened version came along in 1937 that the signs were then placed on the side . These were the more common shortened versions that simply said - Contains Lead - tetraethyl .Hope that helps ! Ed Shaver


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Thats some good reading. Thanks ED
Rick

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Ed: Thank you so much for the answer I was looking for. Dick - since I have been in the hobby for over 35 yrs, many pumps and signs, I guess I used my head at one dollar! Just in all my travels had never found one of these on the many visibles I have collected. Thanks again Ed.

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Were made Flat & Curved


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