AN IM- PROVED METHOD OF MAKING JOINTS FOR UNITING THE SIDES OF BOXES AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morris Beaufort, of Piccadilly, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IM-
PROVED METHOD OF MAKING JOINTS FOR UNITING THE SIDES OF BOXES AND
OTHER ARTICLES."
Sealed the 6th February 1874, and dated the 1st December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morris
Beaufort at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition on the 1st December 1873.
I, WILLIAM MORRIS BEAUFORT, of Piccadilly, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF MAKING JOINTS FOR UNITING THE SIDES
OF BOXES AND OTHER ARTICLES," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in an improved method of uniting the sides
of boxes and other articles, whereby the junction is effected more
quickly, more securely, and with less labour than by the means
hitherto employed.
To
carry out my
Invention I mitre the edges of the two pieces of wood
to be fastened together in the usual manner, and I then drill a hole

page_text: vertically (preferably by means of a drilling machine) through each piece
from the bottom upwards at a short distance from the mitred edge; I
then saw out (preferably by means of a circular saw) a channel or groove,
extending from the mitred edge to the drilled hole in such a manner
that when the two pieces are placed together a continuous channel
shall be formed between the two holes. The two pieces are then held
tightly together by cramps or other suitable known means, and a key
made of metal or other suitable material, and of a shape to fit the
opening formed by the said holes and channels is driven in. But I
preferably form the key by running in molten metal, preferably the
so called "fusible metal," which can be run in at a low heat, and may
be extracted or run out by immersion in boiling water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Morris Beaufort in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th May 1874.
: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MORRIS BEAUFORT, of Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Morris Beaufort, Her
special licence that I, the said William Morris Beaufort, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Morris Beaufort, 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 "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF MAKING JOINTS FOR UNITING THE
SIDES OF BOXES OR OTHER ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Morris Beaufort, my executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Morris Beaufort, 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 Drawing
hereto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say:-
-
3
This Invention consists in an improved method of uniting the sides
of boxes and other articles without the aid of glue or other adhesive
substance, whereby the joint is formed more quickly and with less
labour than by the means usually employed.
To make my Invention better understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing.
To carry out my Invention I first mitre in the usual manner the
edges of the two pieces of wood to be fastened together, as seen in
Figure 1, which shews a plan of the under side of part of two sides of
a box. I then drill a hole (preferably by means of a drilling machine)
vertically in each piece from the bottom upwards at a short distance
from the said mitred edge, as shewn at a, a, in Figure 2. I then cut out
(preferably by means of a circular saw) a channel or groove b, extending
from the mitred edge to the drilled hole a. This channel is of a less
width than the diameter of the hole, and may be cut either in a line
parallel with the sides of the piece of wood, as seen in Figure 3, or
at right angles to the mitre, as seen in Figure 4; but in both cases in
such a manner that when the two pieces are placed together a
continuous channel will be formed between the two holes, as shewn
in Figures 5 and 6. The two pieces are then held tightly together by
means of cramps or other suitable known means, while a key is formed
by running metal, such as lead, in the molten state into the said
channel; so that the key which is to bind the two sides of the box
together may be cast in the place which it is to occupy, thereby uniting
the two sides together.

page_text: I use the so called "fusible metal" where it can be more advan-
tageously employed on account of its fusing at a low temperature.
The key may also be separately made of solid metal, as seen at c,
Figures 7 and 8, and driven home into the prepared channel.
I have described my improved method of making joints as applied
to uniting together two pieces of wood at right angles, but it will be
readily understood that the improved joint is also applicable for uniting
pieces of wood together at any other required angle.
Boxes and other articles formed of several pieces of wood may be
joined by my improved method.
Having thus described my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, what I claim is the method of making joints for uniting the
sides of boxes and other articles by running molten metal into a prepared
channel, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morris Beaufort, have 1
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
W. A. GILBEE,
4, South St.,
Finsbury.
WILLIAM MORRIS BEAUFORT. (L.S.)