My grandfather, Edward Landon Megill invented for Megill gauge pin for the platen printing press. Gauge pins are used to align paper on the platen of the press so that all of the margins were equal. Before that, a young boy called a printer's devil, had to guess where to place the paper on the platen and hope that the margins would be equal. In total, Edward had 37 patents in the United States, Canada, England and Germany. His inventions were in diversified fields including various devices for printing presses, a device for lighting the gas jets first used in illumination, cigar lighters, a built in letter opener and a sewage disposal system for private homes. In 1969, New York City took the business property by right of eminent domain and my father sold the business to Thomas A. Isele who moved it to 2416 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, New York.
About 1865, Edward had gone to work in the printing office owned by his uncle, Gideon Mowlem, in downtown Manhattan. After about a year in this, he was put in charge of the plant. The experience gained during that time enabled him to develop several improved devices for use on the platen printing press. He obtained patents on these and decided to start their manufacture in 1869. The business was located at various places in downtown New York until 1921, when he decided to erect a small building for his own use in Brooklyn at 761-763 Atlantic Avenue. The business was installed there in April, 1922. Gauge are still in use today, 2017 as they are still used on platen presses.
