Unless the patent was renewed, isn't there the chance that some other "recoil" pad might have been used, or were Silvers literally the only pads going among the British trade at that time?

I'm curious as very little is mentioned in old writings about kickpads {and slip=on, etc, types, too}, but I doubt they were unknown, and with the advances made in rubber technology since the 1874 date, I'd think others might have jumped in on the game, notably Constinental makers.

Anybody have an contemporary pics of unconventional pads as in slip-ons, etc?

Interesting thread.