Lower vent hole differences

[65Westy]

I was working on cleaning two kettles last weekend and thought I noticed a difference on the lower vent bowl holes. Only one hole on the first kettle had the slot for the tab on the daisy wheel and the second bowl holes had the slot on all three holes. one kettle is a pat pending and the other is, what i'm guessing to be a 72-73.

Ill have to look again and snap a few pics.

I am curious as to when this change happened and thought it might help date a kettle. 

[JEBIV]

@Craig may know when the change occurred, after pat pend but I am unsure exactly when the change occurred 

[michaelmilitello]

Guessing it happened between the end of patent pending grills and patented 73-74 style.   I have small turn tab vents with one notch and four notches as well.  75 grills have large turn tabs and four notches. 


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[65Westy]

Thanks for the replies. I love this kind of minutia!

[Craig]

The kettle daisy vent holes (on the bowl) only had the single notch for the one stopper (on the daisy wheel) from the late 50s through the end of 1970 (the first two years of PAT PENDING/the end of the metal wheel era)

Beginning with the change over to plastic rim wheels with rubber treads (1971-72 PAT PENDING and later), the daisy vent stoppers and bowl hole notches were increased to four each. The above includes the final years (1973-early 1974) of the small rounded tabbed daisy vents.

On the 18s the notches made the bowl vent holes resemble a teardrop.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[65Westy]

Thanks for the response.

So... My Pat Pending with the single notch and plastic/rubber wheels would be a '70?

The kettle daisy vent holes (on the bowl) only had the single notch for the one stopper (on the daisy wheel) from the late 50s through the end of 1970 (the first two years of PAT PENDING/the end of the metal wheel era)

Beginning with the change over to plastic rim wheels with rubber treads (1971-72 PAT PENDING and later), the daisy vent stoppers and bowl hole notches were increased to four each. The above includes the final years (1973-early 1974) of the small rounded tabbed daisy vents.

On the 18s the notches made the bowl vent holes resemble a teardrop.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Weber Kettle Club mobile app