AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT WHICH MAY BE USED AS A SCREW KEY OR GAUGE
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Millward, of Patricroft, near the City of
Manchester, Foreman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT
WHICH MAY BE USED AS A SCREW KEY OR GAUGE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Millward at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th July 1856.
I, ROBERT MILLWARD, of Patricroft, near the City of Manchester, Foreman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT
WHICH MAY BE USED AS A SCREW KEY OR GAUGE," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing an instrument with a fixed and a
sliding jaw, and with a polygonal stop piece to regulate the opening between
the fixed and the sliding jaws. I attach the polygonal stop piece excentrically
to a fulcrum stud, so that on turning the stop piece partly round and bringing
the sliding jaw against it, the opening between them may be changed to suit as
many sized bolt heads or nuts, or other objects, as there are sides on the
polygonal stop piece.
I also propose to have more than one hole for the fulcrum stud of the
polygonal stop piece, to increase the range of the instrument.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, file
by the said Robert Millward in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
MILLWARD, of Patricroft, near the City of Manchester, Foreman, send greeting
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Millward, Her special license, that I, the said Robert Millward, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Millward, 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 INSTRUMENT WHICH MAY
BE USED AS A SCREW KEY OR GAUGE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Robert Millward, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Robert Millward, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
.formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
The nature of my said improved instrument, which may be, used as a screw-
key or gauge, consists in the application of a polygonal stop piece to regulate
the opening between the fixed and the sliding jaws forming part of the
.instrument.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 an edge view, of, my improved
instrument; a is the fixed jaw, forged with or attached to the handle b; c is
the sliding jaw, capable of moving freely on the upper end of the handle;

page_text: d is the polygonal stop piece, having a fulcrum stud e fitting in one of the
holes ff. The stop piece d has in this instance four sides, each one-eighth of
an inch further from the centre of the fulcrum stud e than the other; the
number of sides and the dimensions may, however, be varied to suit the
particular object for which the instrument is intended. The sliding jaw c has
a thumb screw g to secure it in its place on the handle b.
The Drawing shows the stud e in the uppermost hole f, and the sliding jaw
in contact with the longest side of the polygonal stop piece. When it is
desired to increase the distance between the jaws, the thumb screw is
slackened, and the sliding jaw is raised sufficiently to allow the stop piece to
be turned one-fourth or one-half round; the sliding jaw is then brought against
the side of the stop piece thus brought round, and the thumb screw is tightened
to retain it there. It is evident that by turning the stop piece to bring each
side in succession against the sliding jaw, the opening between the jaws may
be changed to suit four different sized bolt heads, or nuts, or other articles,
and by bringing the stud e in succession into the other holes f, f, the range of
the instrument may be increased threefold.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the details shewn; but what I do claim is, the polygonal stop piece
described when used for regulating the distance between the jaws of screw
keys or gauges.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Millward, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
ROBERT MILLWARD. (L.S.)