CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING TUBES FOR GAS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CORNELIUS
WHITEHOUSE, of Wednesbury, in the County of Stafford, Whitesmith, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-sixth day of February, in the sixth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Cornelius Whitehouse, His especial licence that I, the said Cornelius
Whitehouse, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Cornelius Whitehouse, my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING TUBES FOR GAS AND OTHER
PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said Cornelius Whitehouse, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to 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 in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
Cornelius Whitehouse, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the
following description thereof (that is to say) :-
purposes
consist
This
My improvements in manufacturing tubes for gas and other
in heating the iron of which such tubes are to be made in a blast furnace,
and immediately after withdrawing them from the furnace, passing them
through swages or other such like instruments in manner following:-I
prepare a piece of flat iron, commonly called plough plate iron, of a suitable
substance and width, according to the intended calibra of the tube.
piece of flat iron plate is prepared for welding by being bent up on the sides,
or, as it is commonly called, turned over, the edges meeting or nearly so, and
the piece assuming the form of a long cylindrical tube; this tube is then put into
à hollow fire heated by a blast, and when the iron is upon the point of fusion,
it is to be drawn out of the furnace by means of a chain attached to a draw-
bench, and passed through a pair of dies of the size required, by which means
the edges of the iron will become welded together. The apparatus which I
employ for this purpose is shewn in the Drawing at Fig. 1, which is a side
view of the furnace a, and of the drawbench b, with its spur wheel c, which
may be put in operation by a hand winch, or by attaching its axle to the
moving part of a steam engine. d is a screw press, in which the dies are
placed for swaging and uniting the edges of the iron tube e as it passes through.
A front view of this screw press with its dies is shewn at Fig. 2, and one of
the dies removed from the press is shewn at Fig. 8. The iron tube e, having
been heated to the point of fusion in the blast furnace a, is drawn out by the
chain of the drawbench; and the screw of the press & being turned so as to
d
bring the dies to their proper point of bearing, the two edges of the iron
become pressed together, and a perfect welding of the tube is effected. The
screw clamp or other fastening f, by which the end of the tube is held and
attached to the chain, is now opened and the tube removed; the reverse end of
the tube is then grasped by it, and that part which has not been welded is
introduced into the furnace, and after being heated is drawn through the dies,
and welded in the manner above described. The process of welding these
tubes may be performed without the screw press and dies above described.
A pair of pincers, as shewn at Fig. 4, may be employed instead, having a
hole for the tube to pass through similar to the dies. One arm and chap of
these pincers is shewn at Fig. 5 for the purpose of exhibiting the conical

page_text: figure of the hole which the tube is to pass through as the tube e is drawing
out of the furnace by the chain of the drawbench. A workman brings the
pincers, and takes hold of the tube, resting the pincers against the standard d
as a steadying place, and as the tube passes through the hole of the pincers
the welding of the edges of the iron is effected.
I have thus described the modes which I have employed, and found fully to
answer the purpose, in welding tubes of iron; but I do not confine myself to
the employment of this precise construction of apparatus, as several variations
may be made without deviating from the principles of my Invention, which is,
to heat the previously proposed tubes of iron to a welding heat, that is, nearly
to the point of fusion, and then, after withdrawing them from the wire, to pass
them between dies or through holes, by which the edges of the heated iron
may be pressed together, and the joint firmly welded. The advantage of this
tube compared with those made in the ordinary way are these:-The iron is
considerably improved by the operation of the hollow fire, the heat being
generally diffused. The length of the pieces of tube thus made is likewise
a great advantage, as by these means they may be made from two to eight
feet long in one piece, whereas by the old modes the lengths of tubes cannot
exceed four feet without considerable difficulty, and consequently an encreased
expence. These tubes are likewise capable of resisting greater pressure from
the uniformity of the heat throughout at which they have been welded.
And, lastly, both their internal and external surfaces are rendered smooth, and
greatly resembling drawn lead pipes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Cornelius Whitehouse, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.
CORNELIUS (L.s.) WHITEHOUSE.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of August,
in the year of our Lord 1825, the aforesaid Cornelius Whitehouse, came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.

page_text: Wednesday the Thirteenth day of January, in the tenth year of the
reign of His Majesty King George the Fourth, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty.
In the matter of Cornelius Whitehouse's Patent.
Upon consideration this day had, by the Right Hoñble. the Master of the
Rolls, of the humble Petition of James Russell, of Wednesbury, in the County
of Stafford, Gas Tube Manufacturer, setting forth, that Ilis Majesty, by Ilis
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-sixth day of Febry, One thous eight hundred & twenty-
five, after reciting that Cornelius Whitehouse, of Wednesbury, in the County
of Stafford, Whitesmith, had, by his Petition, humbly represented that he had
invented Certain Improvements in the Manufactory of Tubes for Gas and
other Purposes, did, for Himself, His heirs & successors, give & grant unto
the sd Cornelius Whitehouse, his exors, admors, & ass, His especial licence,
full power, sole privilege & authority, that he, the sd Cornelius Whitehouse,
his exors, admors, & ass, and every of them, by himself & themselves, or
by his or their deputy or deputies, serv" or agents, or such others as he, the
said Cornelius Whitehouse, his exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter, during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exer-
cise, and vend the said Invention within that part of the United Kingdom called
England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in
such manner as to him, the said Cornelius Whitehouse, his exors, adñors,
and assigns, or any of them, should in his or their discretion seem meet, and
that he, the said Cornelius Whitehouse, his exors, admors, & assigns, should
& lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profits, benefit, commodity, and
advantage, from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and arising by reason
of the sd Invention for and during the term of years therein mentioned; to
have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the s licence, powers, privileges, & advan-
tages therein-before granted or ment so to be unto the said Cornel White-
house, his exors, adiñiors, & assigns, for and during and unto the full end &
term of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent next ensuing,
and fully to be complete and ended, according to the Statute in that case made
and provided; and in the s* Lřes Patent was contd a proviso that if the said
Cornel Whitehouse shod not parlarly describe & ascert" the nature of
the said Invention, & in what manner the same was to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under his hand and seal, and cause the

page_text: same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next after the date of the said Lres Patent, then
the sLres Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever tħby
granted, shod utterly cease, determine, and become void: That previously
to the application for the granting of the said Patent to the sd Cornl®
Whitehouse, the Pet" entered into an agreement, with the said Cornl®
Whitehouse for the pchase from him of all benefit & advantage of the s
Invention, the Pet" agreeing and undertaking to pay the whole expence of the
appion for and obtaining the said Letters Patent, and also agreeing to find
work and employment for the said Cornel" Whitehouse during the term of
years to be expressed in such Lřes Patent at a certain rate of wages, & like-
wise to pay unto the said Cornel Whitehouse an ann' of Twenty pounds
during the like term: That by an Indre of Assignment bearing date the Ninth
day of April, One thous eight hundred & twenty-five, and made betw" the sª
Cornl Whitehouse of the one part & the Pet of the other part, after
reciting the herein-before ment or referred to Agreement bet the sd Cornel"
Whitehouse & the Pet' for the taking out of the said Patent, and for the
assignment of the said Invention and Letters Patent, & all benefit and
advantage thereof, by the said Cornel Whitehouse to the Pet, and also reciting
the said Letters Patent of the Twenty-sixth day of Febry, One thousand eight
hundred and twenty-five, and further reciting that the s parties had entered
into an Agreement bear equal date with the sd Indre, whby the Pet' had agreed
to find work & employment for the sd Cornelius Whitehouse acc to the term of
their afores Agreem'; and that the Pet had laid out and expended the sum of
One hundred and twenty-five pounds in obtains the sd Lřes Patent, & that the
Pet' had also agreed to increase the afsd allow to an ann' of Fifty pounds: It
is witnessed; that in purs" of the sd recited Agreem, & in conson of the pay-
ments so as afsª made by the Pet and of the covenants therein-after cont on his
part, and for the nominal conson therein expressed, he, the sª Cornel Whitehouse,
did grant, assign, & set over unto the Pet', his exors and admors, the sª Letters
Patent, & all the right, title, & interest of him, the sd Cornel" Whitehouse, of,
in, & to the sd Invention so granted unto him by His Majesty as afs; to
have and to hold the sd Letters Patent & Invention, with all benefit, profit,
& advantage thereof to the Pet, his exors & admors, in as full, ample, and
beneficial manner, to all intents and purposes, as he, the sª Cornel Whitehouse,
by virtue of the s Lies Patent, might have and hold the same if the s
assignment had not been made, for and during all the rest & residue of the
said term of fourteen years granted by the sª Letters Patent as afs; and the
s Cornel Whitehouse did thereby constitute and appoint the Pet his assee-

page_text: & grantee of & for the sd Invention & the profits thereof for the rem³ of
the said term of fourteen years, and did thereby covenant with the Pet', that the
Petitioner, his exors & adiñors, should & might, by virtue of the said Indenture,
have, reče, & take all profits & advantages whatsoever that might or should be
made for or by reason of such Invention; and the Pet" thereby also
covenanted with the said Cornel Whitehouse for payment of the sd any of
Fifty pounds during the term of the sd recited Lres Patent by half-yearly
paym", as therein ment; that in compliance with the requisition of the said
recited Letters Patent in this behalf, the Pet' caused the draft of the Specifica-
tion of the said Invention, & the manner in which the same is to be performed,
to be prepared, & sent the same to his agent, Mr. Moses Poole, of Lincoln's
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, for the purpose of having the same engrossed
upon parchm* & upon the proper stamp; that on the Twenty-third day of
Aug, One thousand eight hundred & twenty-five, the sd Moses Poole trans-
mitted by post the Engrossment of the said Spečon to Wednesbury afs with
dirons to have the same acknowledged by the sd Cornel Whitehouse before a
Master Extraord' in Chancery, & returned to him, the sd Moses Poole, for the
purpose of being lodged at the Inrollment Office, on or before the Twenty-
sixth day of the same month of August, wch was the last day on which the
same could be enrolled, according to the terms of the afsd proviso in the sd
recited Letters Patent; that the Engrossment of the said Specification was
accordingly reced at Wednesbury on the Twenty-fourth day of the same month
of August in the course of post, that is to say, about eleven o'clock in the
forenoon; that the Pet" was absent from Wednesbury on business of import
at the time of the arrival of the sd Specificat", but the Pet', expects about that
time to reče the same from the sd Moses Poole, had left word at his manu-
factory at Wednesbury afs with the Pet** clerk, Mr. Joseph Hobbins, that if
the same shod arrive during the Pet" absence, that the sd Cornelius Whitehouse
shod be directed forthwith to acknowledge the same, & return it to Mr. Poole
for inrollm; that accordly, imñidly on the arrival of the sª Specification, the
sd Mr. Hobbins accompanied the sd Cornelius Whitehouse to the office of
Mr. Stephen Faulkner Crowther, a Master Extraord' in Chancery, residing at
Wednesbury afs, before whom the same was acknowledged by the sd Cornelius
Whitehouse, and the same was, the same day, about two o'clock in the after-
noon, put into the post office at Wednesbury, directed to the said Mr. Poole,
who, on the receipt of the same on the following day, viz, the Twenty-fifth
day of the same month of August, lodged the same with the proper officer at
the Inrolm* Office of this Court in Chancery Lane; that the sd Specification
appears to have been engrossed by the sd Moses Poole, or by his diřon, from

page_text: the draft thereof furnished to him by the Pet' for that purpose; that the
Pet hath been informed by his said clerk, the sª Mr. Hobbins, that the sd draft
did not accompany the Spečon, & that the sd Specification was not exam or
perused by the sd Cornel Whitehouse previously to his acknowledgm' thereof;
but the Pet believes that if the sd Cornel Whitehouse had perused & exam
the same, he wo not have been able to discover & detect the clerical error
therein-after ment & referred to, he, the s* Cornel Whitehouse, being an
uneducated person, or at least unaccustomed to the perusal of writing of any
description; that the Pet, having lately & within the last fortnight had
occasion to refer to the Engrossment of the s Specification so as afores
acknowledged by the sd Cornel Whitehouse, discov" that there is a mistake in
such Ingrossment, viz., in the eighth line from the bottom thereof, wherein the
word "wire" occurs, but which shod & ought to have been written "fire;"
that the s error is a mere clerical one arising in the Engrossment of the
Specon, as appears by the original dr of the s Spečon from Wch such
Engrossm' was made; that the Pet', on discov³ the sª error in the Engrossm* of
the s Specification, immedly caused applicon to be made at the Inrollm' Office,
when it was ascert" that the entry thereof on the orig' Roll was & is erroneous
& incorrect as to the use of the sd word "wire" instead of "fire;" that
no scire facias hath been issued or applied for the repeal of the sd recited
Letters Patent, nor is any suit or action instituted or depending touching the
s Patent right; that the Pet' is advised that under the circes afsª he is
entitled to have the s original Roll amended, the Pet' submitting that the sd
error is merely clerical, as may be seen by a comparison of the afs original
draft & the Ingrossm' thereof: It was therefore prayed, and, upon reading an
affidavit of Moses Poole and an affidavit of James Russell, the original draft
of the said Specification, and the Engrossment of the same, as acknowledged
by the said Cornel Whitehouse, it is accordingly ordered, that the proper
Officer do amend the original Roll or entry of the said Specification remaining
of record in the Inrolment Office of this Court by altering the letter "w" in
the sd word "wire" to the letter "f," so that the same may be read "fire."
F. B. BEDWELL D. Reg.