• Born: Oct 1830, Wallingford CT

  General notes:

Silverplater

  Events in his life were:

• He was issued patent number 169224 on 26 Oct 1875
  
  S. WILLIAM BABBITT AND HENRY B. BEACH, OF WEST MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE WILCOX SILVER-PLATE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.
  
  IMPROVEMENT IN SPOON-HOLDERS.
  
  Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 169,224, dated October 26, 1875; application filed August 5, 1875.
  
  To all whom it may concern:
  Be it known that we, S. WILLIAM BABBITT and HENRY B. BEACH, of West Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spoon-Holder and Call-Bell, of which the following is a specification:
  This invention relates to a new and improved ornamental spoon holder or receptacle.
  Our invention consists in a circular or other shaped base supporting a bracket, to which are secured two cup-shaped receptacles, united to the handle at the top, substantially as described.
  In the drawing, Figure 1 represents an elevation of our improved spoon-holder, and Fig. 2 a sectional view of the same.
  The letter A represents the pedestal, which may be of any desired shape or design. In the present instance it consists of an annular base-piece, a, supporting a circular gong or call-bell, a'. To the top of said base, at its center, is secured, in any convenient manner, a branching bracket, B, each branch of which supports a spoon-receptacle, consisting of an ornamental open vase, C. The two vases are united at their adjoining top edges by means of an ornamental standard extending upward, and forming a handle for the article. D represents a rod or wire extending down through the handle, between the vases, and through the center of the bracket, terminating under the bell in position to operate the end of the lever E, which carries the hammer for striking the bell. The upper end of the rod terminates in an ornamental finger-button, F, for the purpose of operating the same.
  The holder or receptacle may be constructed of any suitable material, but is intended principally, however, to be made of silver or plated ware, and the vases may be of any approved design.
  In the present instance the vases consist of two cup-shaped vessels, the edges of the two being gradually raised toward each other, and their point of attachment to the upright standard, said edges being represented as folded over, forming a suspended border resembling drapery, which may be variously ornamented.
  The vases may be arranged in various positions toward each other, but are preferably set obliquely, as shown, which position will be found most convenient for the ready insertion and removal of the spoons. The brackets upon which the vases are supported may be made of various designs, and ornamented to suit the taste, and may be constructed with a continuation or standard extending upward between the two vases, forming a handle for the holder, in place of the standard attached to the tops of the two vases, as above described. The standard thus formed may be made hollow or bored for the introduction of the wire for operating the bell-hammer.
  Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is—
  A spoon-holder consisting of the base A, supporting the bracket B, to which are attached the receptacles or cups C, united at their tops with the handle of the utensil, substantially as described. In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.
  
  S. Wm. Babbitt
  Henry B. Beach
  
  Witnesses:
  A. Chamberlain, Jr.
  Henry Berry

• He was issued patent number 208,706 on 8 Oct 1878
  
  HENRY B. BEACH, OF WEST MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.
  
  IMPROVEMENT IN SPOON-HOLDERS.
  
  Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,706, dated October 8, 1878; application filed September 9, 1878.
  
  To all whom it may concern:
  Be it known that I, Henry B. Beach, of West Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Spoon - Holders; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in—
  Figure 1, a side view, and in Fig. 2 a modification.
  This invention relates to an improvement in articles of table service, with special reference to spoon-holders, but applicable to other articles, as hereinafter described, the object being to combine therewith a bell in convenient position for use, and so as to form an ornamental part of the article; and it consists in the construction, as hereinafter described, and more particularly recited in the claims.
  In the drawing the article is shown as a spoon-holder only. In this A represents a base of any desirable style or form suitable to support the article. From this rises a post, B, which terminates in any suitable handle. (Represented in Fig. 1 as a vase, C.) From one side a bracket or arm extends to support the spoon-holder D, and from the opposite side a bracket extends to support the bell E. The bell may be of any desirable kind, such as the central-spindle, push, lever, or spring bell.
  The shape of the bracket, or the spoon-holder itself, may be varied, and the base also changed—as, for instance, in Fig. 2, where the base extends up to form a stand and the bracket-arms outward to support the spoon-holder and bell.
  The handle may be made in bail shape, as also seen in Fig. 2, or the handle may be dispensed with entirely—as, for instance, in Fig. 1, taking the vase off from the stand, as at a.
  The advantage of combining the bell and spoon-holder in one article is that both being essential and necessary at the same locality on the table, and equally convenient for the person to use them, joining the two affords that convenience.
  A single receptacle for the spoons is shown, but one or more may be added, if preferred, or other articles substituted for the spoon-holders, or either of them; for instance, sugar and cream vessels may be both applied with a spoon-holder or without, or either of them may be applied with a spoon-holder, the bell retaining its same relative position.
  I am aware that to combine, broadly, a spoon-holder or other article and bell is not new, and therefore make no broad claim to such construction, this invention being limited to the special or relative arrangement of the bell and holder or other article.
  In previous constructions the bell has been arranged below, inconveniently out of the way, or above, inconveniently in the way, and in both cases anything but an ornament to the article.
  By the arrangement described—that is, arranging them on brackets extending from a post or stand, and side by side—there is a symmetry produced which is not attained in any previous construction, and the bell is brought into position where various kinds of bells may be conveniently applied, whereas previous constructions are limited to a single class of bells.
  I claim—
  1. The combination of the base and brackets extending therefrom, a bell arranged on one of the brackets and a spoon-holder or other article of table service on the other, substantially as described.
  2. The combination of the base and brackets extending therefrom, a bell arranged on one of the brackets and a spoon-holder or other article of table service on the other, with a handle extending up from the base above the bell and holder, substantially as described.
  3. The combination of the base, brackets extending therefrom, a bell arranged on one of the brackets, a spoon-holder or other article of table service on the other, and a vase extending upward above the bell and holder, substantially as described.
  
  HENRY B. BEACH
  
  Witnesses:
  John E. Earle
  J. H. Shumway

• He appeared on the 1900 census taken at Meriden CT, listed as a silver manufacturer.