IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PLANE IRONS AND OTHER EDGE_ TOOLS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT. to Edwin Wilkinson Shirt, of the Tinsley Iron and
Steel Works, Rotherham, in the County of York, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PLANE IRONS AND OTHER EDGE_
TOOLS."
Sealed the 24th September 1867; and dated the 27th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. left by. the said Edwin Wilkinson Shirt
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th March 1867.
I, EDWIN WILKINSON SHIRT, of the Tinsley Iron and Steel Works,.Rother-
ham, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PLANE IRONS AND OTHER EDGE.
TOOLS," to be as follows:-
This Invention is designed for economizing the labour and consequently
rendering the manufacturing of plane irons and other edge tools less costly.
than heretofore. The mode at present practised of manufacturing plane irons.
has been to cut a piece off a bar of iron, then shape it by hand at a smith's.
forge, and at the same time to weld a piece of steel on to one end thereof so-
as to form the cutting edge. Whereas by these improvements I proceed as.
follows-I take a piece of plate iron of any convenient length and width, and
which has been previously rolled, and had one or more pieces of steel weldedi
thereon lengthwise of the said plate, that is to say, the steel may either be

page_text: welded at the middle of one side of the iron or along each end of one side
thereof.
I do not lay any claim to the welding of iron to steel, neither does it form
any part of this Invention; but the improvements which constitute this Inven-
tion consist in taking a slab or plate of iron and steel, combined as above
stated, and rolling the same into single or double bevilled plates, say from
eight to twenty inches wide, or any other convenient sizes. When the steel
is along the middle of the iron plate I leave such part the thickest, and taper
or bevil the iron towards the edges thereof; and when the steel is along the
edges of the iron plate I form the edges the thickest, and taper or bevil the
iron towards the centre of the said plate, leaving the centre part of the plate
the thinnest; I then proceed to cut or divide the plate lengthwise along the
centre thereof and crosswise by any suitable means in known and common
use for that purpose, the width being in accordance with the plane iron or
other edge tool which it is required to produce, and it is this mode of rolling
and cutting up iron and steel plates that constitutes this Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edwin Wilkinson Shirt in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
WILKINSON SHIRT, of the Tinsley Iron and Steel Works, Rotherham, in the
County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edwin Wilkinson Shirt, Her special licence: that I, the said Edwin
Wilkinson. Shirt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Edwin Wilkinson Shirt, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PLANE IRONS AND
OTHER EDGE TOOLS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edwin Wilkinson Shirt, my executors or administrators, by an instrument

page_text: in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, tha I, the said Edwin Wilkinson Shirt, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say:-
This Invention is designed for economizing the labour and consequently
rendering the manufacture of plane irons and other edge tools less costly than.
heretofore. The mode at present practised of manufacturing plane irons has
been to cut a piece off a bar of iron, then shape it by hand at a smith's forge,
and at the same time to weld a piece of steel on to one end thereof so as to.
form the cutting edge. Whereas by these improvements I proceed as
follows-I take a piece of plate iron of any convenient length and width,.
and which has been previously rolled, and had one or more pieces of steel
welded thereon lengthwise of the said plate, that is to say, the steel may be
either welded at the middle of one side of the iron or along each end of
one side thereof.
I do not lay any claim to the welding of iron to steel, neither does it form
any part of this Invention; but the improvements which constitute this this
Invention consist in taking a slab or plate of iron and steel, combined as above
stated, and rolling the same into single or double bevilled plates, say from eight
to twenty inches wide, or any other convenient sizes. When the steel is along
the middle of the iron plate I leave such part the thickest, and taper or bevil
the iron towards the edges thereof; and when the steel is along the edges of the
iron plate I form the edges the thickest, and taper or bevil the iron towards
the centre of the said plate, leaving the centre part of the plate thinnest ;
then proceed to cut or divide the plate lengthwise along the centre thereof
and crosswise by any suitable means in known and common use for that pur-
pose, the width being in accordance with the plane iron or other edge tool
which it is required to produce, and it is this mode of rolling and cutting up
iron and steel plates that constitutes this Invention.
I
And in order to explain this Invention more completely I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings
accompanying these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon, respectively as follows:-

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING..
Fig. 1 represents an end view of a double plate when rolled from eighteen
to twenty inches wide according to this Invention; Fig. 2, an end view of
another double rolled plate of similar width to the former plate, but. of a
different shape; Fig. 3, an end view of a single rold plate from four inches
to fourteen inches wide. At each of the foregoing Figures. I employ
similar letters of reference to denote corresponding, parts in so far. as such
parts appear or can be seen at each of such said Figures respectively.
A marks a piece of wrought-iron plate of the quality usually employed in
the manufacture of plane irons; this plate I face at B,B, with the best shear
or cast steel to form the cutting edge of the plane iron, which is afterwards to
be bevilled off as denoted by the dotted line at Fig. 1. The piece of plate A
may be rolled into the shapes represented. at Figs. 1,, 2, 3, and be faced with
steel as there shown. The plate when rolled as at Fig. 1, and divided at C
lengthwise of the plate, and crosswise to form the width of the plane iron, will
thus form two plane irons out of every cross strip of the plate. At Fig. 2 the
plate is intended to be divided at C lengthwise of the plate, thus forming
two plane irons when divided crosswise also of the said plate. At Fig. 3
the plate has only to be divided crosswise thereof, thus making one plane iron
out of each divided strip. The plates A may be of any desired length to form
any given number of plane irons or other edge tools of the required width.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention for "Improvements in the Manufacture of Plane Irons and other
Edge Tools," together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying
the same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I hereby
declare my Invention to consist in and I claim the mode above described with
reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings of manufacturing plane
irons and other edge tools.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Wilkinson Shirt, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
E. W. SHIRT. (L.S.)