AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING CASES FOR KNIVES, SCISSARS, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1824

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GUNDY, of New Kent Road, in the County of Surrey, Sword and Gun
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King. George the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster,
the Fourteenth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four, in
the fifth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said John Gunby, my
cxors, adiñors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said John Gunby, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, during
the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING
CASES FOR KNIVES, SCISSARS, AND OTHER ARTICLES;" in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso that if I, the said John Gunby, shall not particu-
larly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under his
hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all
liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, deter-
mine, and become void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: End view of the Press.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Gunby, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which I perform the same, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawing in
the margin, and the following description thereof (that
is to say) :-
A Upper part of Press.
BThe lower part of do.
To make cases or scabbards for sword blades, bayonets,
dirks, cartridges, &c., &c., I take leather (made from
sheep or other skins), paper, or cloth (linen, woollen, or
cotton) of a proper size for the intended purpose, and
having formed it on a modal, I use very strong paste or
melted glue to secure the connecting edges. When the
The flap or lid in the press. case or scabbard so formed is sufficiently dried I add
one or more thicknesses of paper, or cloth, or leather, according to the strength
or bulk required, taking especial care to have every coat so managed that
when dry the article presents, as a whole, a complete firm body. When so
finished, and the surface well rubbed down with a burnisher or otherwise, I
take oil or varnish colour, and completely coat both the inner and the outer
side of such formed case or scabbard, and dry the same in the air, a hot room,
or a japanner's stove, repeating said coating as often as may be found requisite,
so as to form a defence against the action of the air-damp or excessive heat,
all of which have a destructive effect on cases or scabbards composed of
leather only, and made in the ordinary way, that is, by joining the edges by
means of a waxed thread, and the leather no otherwise prepared than by the
common process of currying; the consequence is, that when a case or scabbard
so made is exposed to the wet or excessive hot climate, the nature of the
leather is destroyed, the stitches become rotten, and in a short time such case
or scabbard is rendered intirely useless; whereas, on the contrary, cases, &c.
made upon the principle of my Patent, are alike impervious to wet or heat,
consequently no damp can remain on the inner or outer surfaces to the deter-
ment of the sword blade, the bayonet, or dirk, &c.
For cartridge cases I proceed as follows:-The magazine part I make of
wood or millboard (composed of paper), and when formed and partitioned I
cover the same with paper or cloth in the same manner as the cases for
swords, &c., employing one or more thicknesses as may be thought requisite;
and when the case or box so made is thoroughly dry, I proceed to coat it
with oil or varnish colour inside and out, and dry it in a stove, or otherwise,
according to circumstances, repeating said coating as often as may be found
necessary, so as to effectully defend the article so made against the action of a

page_text: wet or a hot climate. The flap or lid of said cartridge case I make of mill-
boad as aforesaid, and proceed as follows:-Having cut said flap or lid to the
size wanted, I saturate the same with a solution of melted glue and linseed or
any other drying oil (said solution being composed of 3 or 4 parts of melted
glue, and one part of the oil, and which will readily mix at a moderate heat
by being constantly stired till so mixed). When said flap or lid is partially
dry I bring it into the form wanted by means of a press made of wood or
iron, &c. as may be considered most convenient to a workman.
In this press
it remains till it is dry, and is then coated with layors of paper or cloth, or
both, in the same manner as the cases for sword blades, &c., and afterwards
defended with oil or varnish colour, and dried upon the same principle as
sword cases, &c. When said flap or lid is so prepared, or before the last coat
of cloth is put on, I fasten the joint, being made of iron, tin, or other metal,
or of tough leather on cloth, as the principal consideration is the facility with
which the soldier can raise the lid or flap to take out the cartridge, and the
lid or flap to readily fall into its place. A cartridge case so made will be
found much lighter than any heretofore produced, and being defended as
aforesaid, and finished on the principle of japanned goods, is but calculated
to resist the effects of various climates.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gunby, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord One