here, let me google that for you...
If it's the "classic era" hubs we are talking about, here are a couple of links.
http://rmalverson.blogspot.com/2012/01/perry-coaster-hub.html
According to a comment on this site, Perry hubs were sold as "Schwinn Mark IV" as seen in a 1969 Schwinn repair manual. That seems to be what I've got myself, or at least a similar era.
here is a timeline of the company and a collection of adverts:
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Perry_and_Co
Perry & Co started out mid 1800s making ink pens, as in the quill kind and I think they still do. When safety bicycles became a thing Perry jumped in to make parts, starting with chains and later "ball bearing hubs" that went along with that. Perry coasters date back to at least 1927, which at that time would have been influenced by American designs. By 1931 they had an "expanding" or drum brake hub on the market. Again they would not have been the innovator here, but more a supplier of successfully tested and marketed parts that originated elsewhere. They also made motorcycle parts, including hubs and chains which were probably the same parts to start with.
A lot of Perry coaster hubs will have interchangeable parts with other British coasters, so brands like Sturmey-Archer, Resilion and Torpedo with the square ended axel can be compatible often, but not always. It is the square ended axel that lumps these all together as this is used to set the non-drive side cone's tension on the bearings. Sheldon Brown's excellent bicycle maintenance site has some documentation on this, and exploded diagrams as well.
I have a Perry 2 Star B-100 coaster hub on a "daily rider" clunker-style mongrel bike just now that I cannot recall where I acquired it anymore. I had put off using it but now found the need to press it into service and it performs okay. They don't have the greatest reputation and I'd carefully inspect yours and service it before running it for safety reasons. Having said that, they work when they aren't broken and do the job they are designed for. Just don't expect them to be something to take to the skatepark and slammed onto the concrete a dozen times a day. Your post gives me the excuse to look into the background of these hubs a little. Consider all this just my own opinion but it's based on research and not just hearsay.
England was bombed extensively during WW2 and their economy and industry had a hard time recovering in the 1950s. Food was rationed during the war, and after the war food rationing was even tighter in some regards, as the Labor-Party led government tried to feed all the areas under British control after the collapse of the Third Reich. Housewives tired of the strain, and by 1951 the Conservative party was making inroads by using political promises to end rationing (and to stop trying to feed starving refugees). At least in part on these promises, they eventually they gained control of Parliament and food rationing ended in 1954 and the hardships were moved to the occupied nations and the British colonies significantly.
I don't know if Perry's Birmingham factory was directly bombed or not, but the city was bombed extensively and every industry in the nation suffered hardships in retooling after the war that affected the overall quality of goods to some degree. The Perry works were in the Tyseley district near the locomotive yards and locomotive factories and were certainly a target of at least three raids directly.
Nearby Coventry was bombed as well, and this town is the epicenter of the bicycle industry in many regards. These are the "Midlands" of England and Birmingham is the second largest city, and the third-most bombed city during the Blitz. Lucas, Rover, Reynold, Su Carbs, and of course BSA (both bikes and small arms) were among the hundreds of factories that were bombed. Putting it mildly, this tends to disrupt the flow of work, and the flow of qualified workers as well. Something like 1,300 tons of bombs, including high explosives, incendiary devices and parachute bombs landed on Birmingham's houses, shops and factories over a three year period, over seventy separate attacks including ten terrifying major air raids, often at night.
The British also managed to win the air war against the Luftwaffe during this bombing campaign. They were fighting against Fascists, and they won because they had to, or else have their way of life perish, a way that included the rights guaranteed by documents like the Magna Carta. Our freedom, such as it is, is in part due to the efforts of the citizens and soldiers of England who endured the Nazi onslaught and showed their "finest hour."
It's a testament to the character of their nation that they were building some of the best motorcycles in the world by the mid 1950s, and in some regards led the world in the late 50s, early 60s. Perry ads often said "Of Chain Fame" and my old Norton Commando had a Perry chain. Many daring and grueling races were won by the Norton team in this era, driving on Perry chains, enhancing their reputation. Reynold bought out Perry sometime in the 1950s and that chain-sourcing changed but some version of the company clearly carried on.
Does this help?
As always, post pics and include any and all writing/ serial numbers on the items you are asking about so we can help.
I have noted that they are identical in design to the Fichtel & Sachs (German) "Torpedo" coaster hub. I do not know which is the designer/owner and which is the licensee. The German Torpedo seems to date back to the '30's from what I have seen.
