Saucepans and other Utensils.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application. 7th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept.. 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 12th Oct., 1888
Saucepans and other Utensils.
We, BERNERS BURFORD LEE, of Hall Green Foundry, near Wednesbury in the
County of Stafford, ironfounder, and OSCAR BANKS, of 37 Foley Street, Wednesbury
aforesaid, engineer and machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention has for its object improved means of fixing tubular sheet metal
handles within the handle sockets of saucepans and other utensils without the employ-
ment of screws or rivets.
According to this invention the socket for receiving the handle is formed inside to
the exterior shape of the inner end of the handle from its outer end to within a short
distance of its inner end, at which point it gradually enlarges inwards. A loose
circular plug or disc formed as the frustrum of a cone and of the depth of the inwardly
enlarging part of the socket and having its base of a diameter which will just pass
through the least internal diameter of the socket and its upper or smaller end of a
diameter which will just easily enter within the inner end of the handle is first placed
downwards within such end of the handle whilst the handle is held with such end
upwards, and the socket is then passed down over the plug and inner end of the handle
until the bottom of the socket rests upon the base of the plug, and the parts are then
turned over and the handle driven firmly down within the socket by which means
its inner end is expanded around the plug and tightened between the plug and the
inwardly enlarging part of the interior of the socket. The enlarging part of the inner
end of the socket is of such dimensions in relation to the plug as to just admit of the
sheet metal of the handle being driven down tightly between the plug and the interior
of the socket.
In order to enable the inner end of the handle to be properly expanded by the plug.
it is preferred to slit the end of the handle a short distance from the bottom in two
or three places in addition to the slit formed by the ordinary butt joint.

page_text: It is preferred to form an annular space behind the back edge of the plug into
which the end of the handle may be driven, in order that by driving the sheet metal
beyond the back edge of the plug such edge may be caused to bite against the interior
of the handle so as to give an increased hold; and this may be accomplished by casting
a shallow projection in the inner end of the socket or on the back end of the plug, but
of a less diameter than the socket so as to leave an annular space around it.
The bite of the back edge of the plug may be increased by increasing the acuteness
of the angle which its sides form with the base, in which case, however, the taper of the
plug is of course greater than that of the inwardly enlarging part of the socket.
The above invention is very simple and is very readily applied, and by its employment
the handle is not only held by being expanded into the enlarging part of the inner end
of the socket, but also by the grip between the exterior of the plug and the interior
of the socket, or by the bite of the back edge of the plug, or by both the grip
and bite combined.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton and Walsall,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Saucepans and other Utensils.
We, BERNERS BURFORD LEE, of Hall Green Foundry, near Wednesbury in the
County of Stafford, ironfounder, and OSCAR BANKS. of 33 (formerly of 37) Foley Street,
Wednesbury aforesaid, engineer and machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object improved means of fixing tubular sheet metal handles
within the handle sockets of saucepans and other utensils, without the employment of
screws or rivets.
That this invention may be readily understood we will proceed to describe it with
reference to the accompanying drawings, of which figure 1 is a vertical section, taken
lengthways of a saucepan handle socket, shewing the handle to be securely fixed within
such socket in the manner of this invention. The outer end of the handle is shewn
broken away for convenience of illustration. Figure 2 is a view looking down into
the socket previously to a handle being fixed therein, and shews only the interior of
the socket and the outer rim thereof. Figure 3 shews, in side elevation, the inner end
of the handle previously to its being fixed within the socket; and figure 4 is an end
view of such end of the handle. The remaining figures will be described hereinafter.
Referring now to figures 1 to 4, the socket A for receiving the handle is formed
inside to the exterior shape of the inner end B of the handle from its outer end to
within a short distance of its inner end, at which point it gradually enlarges inwards
or towards the utensil, as shewn by figure 1. A shallow projection a is cast in the
inner end of the socket so as to leave an annular space between itself and the interior
circumference of the socket. A loose plug or circular disc C, formed as the frustrum
of a cone, and having its base of a diameter which will pass through the least internal
diameter of the socket, but of a larger diameter than the internal diameter of the inner
end of the handle previously to the same being fixed in place, and its upper or smaller
end of a diameter which will easily enter within the inner end of the handle previously
to the same being fixed in place, is first placed downwards within such end of the
handle, as shewn in section by figure 5, whilst the handle is held with such end
upwards, and the socket A is then passed down over the plug and inner end of the
bandle until the projection a within the socket rests upon the base of the plug C, and
the parts are then turned over and the handle driven or forced firmly down within
the socket, by which means its inner end is expanded around the plug and tightened
between the plug and the inwardly enlarging part of the interior of the socket. The
enlarging part of the inner end of the socket is of such dimensions, in relation
to those of the plug, as to just admit of the sheet metal of the handle being
driven down tightly between the plug and the interior of the socket. It is preferred
to slit the inner end of the handle with a number of slits b for a short distance up, in

page_text: addition to the slit e formed by the ordinary butt-joint, for the purpose of facilitating
the opening out of the inner end of the handle as it is driven or forced around the
plug.
In driving or forcing the handle into the socket as described the sheet metal of the
extreme end of the handle is driven beyond the back edge of the plug C into the
annular space formed around the projection a at the back edge of the plug, and such
end is therefore caused to bite against the interior of the handle, and thus to give a
very firm hold or grip in addition to the hold occasioned by the expansion of the
inner end of the handle and of the hold due merely to the resistance which the plug
offers to the collapsing of such expanded part. It is not, however, essential, though
it is very much preferred, to form an annular space as described at the back edge of
the plug into which to drive or force the extreme end of the handle, as the plug may
simply rest against the plain flat inner end of the socket; but, in such case, the
inclination of the sides of the plug must correspond, or approximately so, with the
inclination of the interior of the end of the handle when expanded within the socket,
the fixture of the handle being thereby occasioned by the expansion of its inner end
within the socket and by its being gripped between the exterior surface of the plug
and the interior surface of the inwardly expanding end of the socket. The plug
may be formed in the manner last described even when an annular space is employed
around its back edge, in which case the handle is fixed by its own inward expansion
within the socket, by its frictional hold between the inwardly expanding part of the
socket and the inclined periphery of the plug, and by the bite of the angle around
the base of the plug; it is preferred, however, when an annular space is employed
around the back edge of the plug, to make the angle around the base of the plug
more acute (as shewn by figure 1) than with a plug formed as last described, as the
increased bite owing to the increased inclination of the sides of the plug gives a better
hold. A shallow projection may, of course, be formed upon the back of the plug in
lieu of within the socket.
We have found the method of fixing above described to be very firm and apparently
durable, but in order to avoid any liability whatever of the handle turning axially
within the socket, the inwardly expanding part of the socket may be formed very
slightly oval, or of other shape having a major and minor transverse axis, and the
base of the plug be correspondingly shaped, as in figure 6 which is a plan of the top
of the plug and shews the upper face to be round while the lower face or base is
slightly oval. By this means it will be seen that after the handle has been firmly
fixed it is impossible for it to turn. The oval shape (or other shape as described) of
the inwardly expanding part of the socket, and of the base of the plug, is gradually
transformed from the circular (or normal) shape at the part where the expansion
begins, and at the top of the plug, respectively, to such oval (or other) shape as
described.
A further method of ensuring against any liability of the handle turning within
the socket, after being fixed, is shewn by figures 7 and 8, of which figure 7 is a plan
of the inside of the inner end of the socket and figure 8 a sectional plan through the
socket shewing the inner end of the handle fixed therein. A V-shaped tit or lug d
is cast within the annular space around the projection a within the socket, and as the
inner end of the handle is driven down one of the slits or the butt. joint c, passes
down over the tit, as shewn by figure 8, and thus securely prevents the handle from
turning. To facilitate the guidance of the slit or joint over the tit d the lower
corners of the sides of the slit may be cut off, as shewn by figure 9, to give a slight
If no annular space is allowed at the back of the plug a tit d may project
upwards through an opening formed therefor in the plug.
lead.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim,
is :-
1. Fixing a tubular sheet metal handle within the handle socket of a saucepan or
other utensil by means of a loose tapered plug, or plug formed as the frustrum of a

page_text: cone, within an inwardly enlarging part of the socket, substantially as described for
the purpose set forth.
2. Fixing a tubular sheet metal handle within the handle socket of a saucepan or
other utensil by means of a loose tapered plug, or plug formed as the frustrum of a
cone, within an inwardly enlarging part of the socket, said plug being formed to an
acute angle around its base and provision being made by which, when the plug is in
position within the socket, a space is left around the back edge of the plug,
substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.
3. Fixing a tubular sheet metal handle within the handle socket of a saucepan or
other utensil by means of a loose tapered plug, or plug formed as the frustrum of a
cone, within an inwardly enlarging part of the socket, said plug being formed to an
acute angle around its base and having its taper or slant substantially greater than
that of the inwardly enlarging part of the socket, and provision being made by which,
when the plug is in position within the socket, a space is left around the back edge of
the plug, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.
4. In combination with the means above described of fixing a tubular sheet metal
handle within the handle socket of a saucepan or other utensil, forming a slit or slits
for a limited distance up the inner end of the handle in addition to the ordinary butt
joint, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.
5. In combination with the means above described of fixing a tubular sheet metal
handle within the handle socket of a saucepan or other utensil, the means substantially
as described by which any liability of the handle turning within the socket after
having been fixed therein is obviated.
6. The means, substantially as described with reference to the drawings herewith,
by which a tubular sheet metal handle is fixed within the handle socket of a saucepan
or other utensil, for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 5th day of Santoruber 1888
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton and Walsall,
Agent for the Applicants.