Improvements in Hand Braces and other Hand Drills.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 28th May, 1892-Accepted, 2nd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION!
Improvements in Hand Braces and other Hand Drills.
I WILLIAM CLIFFORD, of Norton Woodseats in the County of Derby,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It relates to those forms of hand boring tools which receive their feed 'thrust
from the hands or body of the user, and in such hand braces or hand drills, to the
several parts or particulars as follows.
First to the joint or joints which the part carrying the bit or drill revolves round,
such joint or joints being placed in the head of a brace, or at any convenient point
between the head and the bow.
Second to the bowed part of a hand brace, especially to that portion to which
the hand is applied to turn such brace,-in regard to the encasing of such, and to
the form of the part encased.
To effect the first part of my invention I make use of hard or hardened metal
spheres or balls to form the thrust bearing,-one, two, or more sets. of balls, each
running between two annular grooved metal faces (hard or hardened) forming the
bearing of a brace.
I make upon or attach to the front of the head of a brace-or similar drilling
apparatus, a cylindrical chamber to hold the bearings, and cover it by a cap at
the front end.
The chamber, and cap, which has a continuation or slieve in front,-may
be in one piece. With two sets of bearings I use a chamber of a diameter
only sufficient to allow the spindle of brace to work in its middle part, but
recessed out at each end to a larger diameter, and upon the flat annular ledge at
the back of each recess make a circular groove, or there place a separate hard
metal ring with such groove upon its outer face. The inner recess in this case is
made from the back of the brace head, and the second annular ring forming the
pair, is fastened to and revolves with the spindle of brace, bearing upon the balls
at either end as thrust or pull may be applied to the brace head.
The recessed back of head is covered by a stopping piece with a hole inside to
recieve the end of spindle which projects beyond the bearing.
I vary the arrangement of the several parts in their details. Thus, I also make
the chamber of the same diameter throughout, and if needs be right through the
head, and faston upon the sides of chamber a hard disc or short cylinder with a
hole through the centre for spindle, and an annular groove 'on each face or end,
and I fasten as above described the other member of each pair of annular grooved
surfaces to the spindle of brace, and cover the back of chamber with a stopping
piece, and the front with a cap having a slieve as herein before described to steady
spindle. Or I fasten or seat two grooved' rings each with its plain side towards its
own end of chamber, and fasten the disc or short cylinder-grooved 'on each face-
to the spindle or axis.
In using only one set of balls and pair of surfaces, I substitute a collar fastened
to spindle for a back bearing, or preferably 1 make use of annular grooved rings
smaller in diameter on their ungrooved than on their grooved faces, and the spindle
holes in them smallest in diameter on their grooved sides. The neck of the spindle
where it passes through these rings 'having the form of two truncated cones or
hemispheroids or other suitable and similar 'forms solidly joined together at their
smaller or truncated ends by a short cylinder. The chamber at each end is tapered
or curved, and the grooved rings fit tightly or seat upon such ends. The rings are
not fastened either to the chamber or spindle, except by the friction clutch formed
between the tapering outside of either ring, and between the inside of hole in opposite

page_text: ring and the corresponding portion of neck of spindle according to the direction in
which force is applied.
To effect the second part of my invention; in a metal brace I make use of scales
of wood or other suitable material for that part of such brace to which the hand is
applied in turning, and I rivet the scales to the metal of that part of the brace.
These scales are then turned or otherwise wrought to a smooth circular surface.
I make that part of a metal brace to which these scales are applied with longi-
tudinal ribs to give additional strength to the bow or web, and in the scales, cut
corresponding longitudinal grooves or recesses to receive the ribbed parts and web;
so that the outer edges of scales may be brought together and form a close joint,
and the metal be concealed.
Dated this 28th day of A noust 1891
WILLIAM CLIFFORD,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hand Braces and other Hand Drills.
I, WILLIAM CLIFFORD of Norton Woodseats, in the County of Derby,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention aud in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement.:-
This invention relates to those forms of hand boring tools which receive their
feed-thrust from the hands or body of the user, and in such hand braces or hand
drills to the several parts or particulars as follows:-
First, to the joint or joints round which the part or parts carrying the bit or drill
revolves such joint being usually placed in the head of the brace, but may be at
any convenient point between the head and the bow.
Second, to the bowed part of a hand brace, especially to that part to which the
hand is applied to turn such brace, in regard to encasing such part, and to the form
of the part encased.
To effect the first part of my invention I use hard metal balls marked a, in the
several section drawings attached hereto. These balls run between flat annular
metal faces or rings marked b, grooved and hardened for the balls to run upon, and
forming the bearing of my brace or hand drill.
I make upon or attach to the front or inside the head of a brace or other similar
drilling apparatus to hold the bearing and the necessary lubricant, a chamber
usually of cylindrical form and cover the same by a cap or slieve. c shows the
walls of the chamber in the several drawings and d, the cap or sleive.
Several of the forms and arrangement of the details which may be adopted are
shown in drawings annexed.
Fig. 1, shows a chamber of a diameter only sufficient to allow the spindle (, of the
brace to work in its middle part recessed out at end to a larger diameter, and upon
the flat annular ledge at the back of each recess I make a circular groove, or there
place separate a hard metal ring with such groove upon its outer face. The inner
recess in this case is made at the back of the brace head, and the second annular
ring forming the pair is fastened to and revolves with the spindle, bearing upon the
balls at either end as thrust or pull may be applied to the brace head.
The recessed back of the head is covered by a stopping piece f, suitably formed
inside to receive the end of spindle which projects beyond the bearing.
Fig. 2, shows a variation in detail, in this case I make the chamber of the same
diameter throughout and if needs be right through the head with a stopping piece f
I fasten upon the sides of the chamber a hard disc b, with a hole in the centre for
spindle, and an annular groove at each end, and with flutes in the sides, see Fig. 6,
to allow the lubricant to pass freely from one bearing to another. And I fasten by
any suitable means the other, members of each pair of annular grooved surfaces to

page_text: the spindle e, and cover the front with a slieve or cap d, as hereinbefore described
to steady the spindle and contain the lubricant. Or I fasten, or seat, the two
grooved rings each with its plain end outwards from its own end of chamber and in
this case I fasten the disc or short cylinder 1, to the spindle e, instead of to the
side G. of chamber as shown in Fig. 2.
.
In using only one set of balls and pair of surfaces, I substitute a collar fastened'
to the spindle for a back bearing a, Fig. 7, or preferably I make use of annular
grooved rings smaller in diameter on the ungrooyed than on their grooved faces
see b, Fig. 6, and the spindle boles in them smallest in diameter at the grooved
ends.
The neck of the spindle where it passes through the taper or curved holes in the
rings has usually the shape of two truncated cones, joined together by a short
cylinder at their smaller or truncated ends, or is formed as in Fig. 7, by coned
collars 9, and h, fastened upon spindle e. The holes through hard annular rings
being of a shape to coincide with coned or curved neck of spindle at that part.
The adjacent parts i, of inner wall of chamber, are coned or curved to match the
outer edge of rings b, and form with a grip or clutch, when the rings are forced up
the seating or parts i, in the direction of the axis of the brace or drill. The rings
As will be seen by drawings are not fastened either to the chamber or spindle
except by the friction clutch, formed between the tapering outside of either ring,
and between the inside of hole in opposite ring, and the corresponding portion of
neck of spindle, according to the direction in which the force is applied.
To effect the second part of my invention in braces having their bowed parts of
metal see Fig. 8, I make use of scales k, in Fig. 9, which fig. shows a cross-section
of Fig. 8, on line x, y.
These scales are of wood or other suitable material and are secured by rivets or
otherwise fastened to the metal body of brace, and the scales fastened to that
part to which the hand is applied in turning, are turned or otherwise brought to a
smooth circular surface.
I make that part of a metal brace to which these scales are applied, with
longitudinal ribs so as to give additional strength without inoreased weight to the
bow or web, and in the scales I cut corresponding longitudinal grooves or recesses
to receive the ribbed parts and wob, so that the outer edges of scales may be
brought together and form a close joint, and the metal at that part be concealed.
Having now particularly described the nature of my invention and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1 In a hand drill or hand brace the use of hard metal balls in combination with
annular grooved rings, forming the joint on which the spindle rotates, substantially
in the manner hereinbefore described, with reference to Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive.
2 The manner of forming or constructing the handle part of a hand drill or
hand brace, substantially as hereinbefore as described and shown.
3-A hand drill or hand brace constructed in the mauner substantially as herein-
before specified and as illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Deted the 27th das M. 1000
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield; Agent for Applicant.