IM: PROVEMENTS IN RATCHET BRACES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO ORDINARY RATCHET LEVERS AND RATCHET WHEELS GENERALLY
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Sincock, of 6, Hagley Road, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IM:
PROVEMENTS IN RATCHET BRACES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE
TO ORDINARY RATCHET LEVERS AND RATCHET WHEELS GENERALLY."
Sealed the 6th April 1869, and dated the 26th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Sincock at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th November 1868.
I, JOHN SINCOCK, of 6, Hagley Road, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RATCHET BRACES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLI-
CABLE TO ORDINARY RATCHET LEVERS AND RATCHET WHEELS GENERALLY," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction of ratchet braces
whereby increased strength, simplicity, power, and durability are obtained,

page_text: and consists in the employment of a sliding pall acted upon by a helical
spring inclosed in a spring box which is removeable for actuating
the ratchet wheel of a ratchet brace. The sliding pall spring and
spring box are all contained in the head of the actuating lever of
the brace, and access can be readily obtained by removing the hoop or
bush which serves to keep the ratchet wheel in its place. This hoop is
held in its place by two or more screws, on removing which all
the parts can be readily taken out. By this arrangement the pall
remains constantly in contact with the ratchet wheel, and con-
sequently all possibility of slip is prevented, and a dead pull with
an entire absence of back lash or looseness is insured. The working
parts are moreover wholly inclosed and being wrought iron their
durability is increased by casehardening them. This arrangement is
applicable to ordinary ratchet levers and other purposes where ratchet
wheels are employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Sincock in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS, SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SINCOCK, of 6, Hagley Road, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Sincock, Her special
license that I, the said John Sincock, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Sincock, my executors, ad-
ministrators, 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 RATCHET

page_text: BRACES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OSDINARY. RATCHET
LEVERS AND RATCHET WHEELS GENERALLY,' upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Sincock, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and scal,
should particularly 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, that I, the said John Sincock, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction of ratchet
braces whereby increased strength, simplicity, power, and durability are
obtained, and consists in the employment of a sliding pall acted' upon
by a helical spring enclosed in a spring box for actuating the ratchet
wheel of a ratchet brace or lever. The sliding pall spring and spring
box (which latter may be provided with a screwed cap or cover for the
facility of removing the pall and spring) are all contained in the head
of the actuating lever of the brace and access to the ratchet wheel can
be obtained by removing the hoop or bush which serves to keep the
ratchet wheel in its place. This hoop is held in its place by two or
more screws, on removing which all the parts can be readily taken
out. By this arrangement the pall remains constantly in contact
with the ratchet wheel and consequently all possibility of slip is
prevented and a dead pull with an entire absence of back lash or
looseness is insured. The working parts are moreover wholly enclosed,
and being of wrought iron their durability may be increased by case-
hardening them. This arrangement is applicable to ordinary ratchet
levers and other purposes where ratchet wheels are employed.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of

page_text: Drawing, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in
both Figures.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a ratchet brace lever with
my improvements attached, and Figure 2 is a plan of the same
with the head of the lever in horizontal section in order to show
the spring box with the peculiar ratchet and sliding pall and spring
mechanism.
A is the lever, and B the hollow head cnclosing the ratchet wheel C,
in the boss of which is keyed the socket d for the reception of the
drill; D is an ordinary adjustable centre point; E is the sliding pall
which is contained within the spring box F formed on the lever head,
and is pushed inwards tangentially to the ratched wheel by a helical
spring G, the pall and spring being maintained in their places by the
screwed cap or cover H. The front end of the sliding pall bears against
the front or vertical face a of the ratchet teeth whilst one side of the
said sliding pall having a flat surface bears against the inclined or
outer surface 6 of the teeth, and has a bearing on its opposite side at e
against the back of the chamber containing the pall. On moving the
lever handle in the direction of the arrow the ratchet wheel will be
carried round with it, as the pall will remain fixed between the outer or
inclined surface 6 of the tooth and the back e of the chamber, and
consequently will carry the ratchet wheel round along with it; but on
reversing the motion of the lever A for the back stroke, the front end
of the pall will encounter the vertical face a of the tooth, and the
resistance thus offered will cause the pall to slide back and compress
the spring G until the end of the tooth has passed, when the spring will
force the pall forward again into the next tooth, thus allowing the lever
to move back without acting upon the ratchet wheel. The ratchet
wheel is kept in its place in the lever head by a hoop or bush which
fits inside the hollow head, and is secured therein by two or more
screws f, f.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be
used or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,

page_text: the combination with the lever of a ratchet brace or with any other
ratchet lever of a sliding pall spring and spring box arranged and
operating substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described
and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Sincock, have to this my
Specification set my hand and scal, this Twenty-second day of
May, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
JOHN SINCOCK. (L.S.)