The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-12-28
STEEL PENS.
The Process by Which They are Manu-
featured.

Everybody who has used Gillott's 303s
will be interested in the following aes-
cription of a visit to the mandatory III
Birmingham, which we take from the
English Mechanic
The workers are almost all women,
who amount altogether to about four
hundred. The men and boys form the
minority, and work in the primary de-
partments-in other words, they do the
rough work.
The first department, in which only
men and boys work, prepares the sheets
of steel required These are made to
certain lengths, measuring from two to
four inches in width. according to the
various sorts of pens manufactured.
When the different sheets are prepared
they are handed to the stamping depart
ment, where the first and subsequent
processes of pen making are gone through
There are altogether twenty-four process
ses every single pen has to go through
them all before it is completed and fit
for USE Each worker has a separate ia
BILE, with the stamping machine on it,
ard stool to herself. Nearly all the
processes are done by stamping. When
stamped out, the pen, any kind whatev-
er, is at first perfectly fiat. The sheet
used is rolled and placed on the ground
on one side of the table the worker
takes hold of the unrolled end and pas
SEES it at regular intervals beneath the
stamper on the block, and by help of
continuance worked by the feet, or by
motion of the handle, the stamper des-
cends with a sharp rap and rises up
again Immediately. With great rapid
ty the pens are removed from the block,
and the sheet pushed on. The process
is similar to that of the stamping of the
seals on paper, with the exception that
in the case of penmaking the stamper is
made sharp so as to cut through the steel
| sheet placed on the matrix. The sub
| sequent processes, such as rounding the
pens, putting on the name and number,
| splitting the nibs, are all executed by
stamping machines, nearly in the same
| manner as the first process. In every
case only one single pen IS done at a
time. The last process is the tempering
and is the most important for through
all the various stages up to the twenty
| third process the pen remains in brit
tie state and hence it is unfit for use I'M
til it is tempered. The pens Zone sort
at tine) are put into large pan placed
within heating apparatus-a large cop
per cylinder, but not directly above the
fire and by an ingenious process they
are kept constantly stirring and shifting
about, SO that an equal degree of heat is
impaired to each single one. This pro-
cess goes on for q short time, and, when
ended, the hot pens are scattered on the
floor to cool, which being done the work
is completed, and the manufactured az
tieles are ready for use.
The process Of making boxes for the
pen is also very interesting. The MAX
ers have great number of solid pieces
of wood made in the shape Of the re-
| CURED boxes, and about the required
size The paper for the purpose is cut
IL long strips of two different widths, TO
suit the top and bottom and sides re-
spectively. The strips are then pasted
On the box all around, but SO managed
that the end of one piece-after it has
been bent to fit the corners-should
overlap the other. By this means the
paste does not touch the box, and there
fore the paper does not stick to it..
When dry the sides Of the box are cut a
little about the middle, or about one
third the depth from the top. The paper
box is then in two pieces, and thin
piece similar to the shape Of the box,
hnt without top or bottom sides, is in
serted III and pasted for the lid to slide
upon.