AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE ROPE."
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Horsfall, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE ROPE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Horsfall, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents,. with his Petition, on the
7th July 1856.
I, JAMES HORSFALL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE ROPE," to. be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in the manufacture of wire rope from steel wire,,
which has been hardened and tempered, as herein-after described.. In carrying
my Invention into effect I harden the said steel wire by first heating and
afterwards suddenly cooling the same; I then reduce the hardened wire to the
requisite temper by exposing it to the heat necessary to effect the desired
tempering; the said hardening and tempering may either be effected before or
after the final drawing of the said wire. Wire rope made from, wire manu-
factured according to my Invention is stronger than wire rope made from wire
of the ordinary manufacture.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Horsfall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HORSFALL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, 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
James Horsfall, Her special licence that I, the said James Horsfall, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Horsfall, 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 IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE ROPE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Horsfall, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 James Horsfall, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in the manufacture of wire rope from steel wire,
which has been hardened and tempered, as herein-after described.
In carrying my Invention into effect I harden steel wire by first heating it
to redness, and then suddenly cooling it; I then reduce the hardened wire to
the requisite temper by exposing it to the heat necessary to effect the desired
tempering; the said tempering may be effected by immersing the hardened wire
in a bath of melted lead, or by exposure of the said wire to the requisite
temperature in any other convenient manner. Both the hardening and
tempering of the wire may be effected by any of the well-known and commonly

page_text: practised processes for hardening and tempering steel. The hardening and
tempering of the wire may either be effected before or after the final drawing
of the said wire.
In making the said hardened and tempered steel wire into rope the said
wire may either be used alone or combined with fibrous material, and the
twisting or combining of the wires into rope may be effected by any of the
processes which are or may be employed for the manufacture of wire rope.
Wire rope made of steel wire, hardened and tempered according to my
Invention, is stronger than wire rope of the same size made from wire of the
ordinary manufacture.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied without
departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim as my Invention
the improvement or improvements in the manufacture of wire rope, herein-
before described, that is to say, manufacturing wire rope wholly or partially of
hardened and tempered steel wire.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Horsfall, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of January, in the year of our Lord One:
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,.
GEORGE SHAW..
JAMES HORSFALL. (L.S.)