IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF HORNS AND HOOFS, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THERE- FOR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Stewart, of the City and County of Aberdeen,
North Britain, Master of Arts, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
TREATMENT OF HORNS AND HOOFS, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THERE-
FOR"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Stewart at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd November 1876.
DAVID STEWART, of the City and County of Aberdeen, North Britain, Master
of Arts. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF HORNS AND HOOFS, AND IN THE
MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFor."
This Invention, which relates to improvements in the treatment of horns and
hoofs, has for its object the heating of such horns or hoofs for the purpose of
flattening, bending, pressing, and cutting the same in the manufacture of useful
and ornamental articles therefrom, such as combs, spoons, forks, tumblers, paper
cutters, and other articles made from such materials.
The improvement constituting the first head of the Invention consists in the
employment of ignited coal or other inflammable gas, acting directly upon the
horns or hoofs. This is effected by leading the heat from the flame of the gas
through perforations in the heating plate, or through a flat reticulated surface or
grate-like surface, on which the horns or hoofs are supported whilst being heated;
or an open frame for holding the horns or hoofs may be substituted, and in any or
all of these cases, when necessary, the pieces of horns or hoofs are held in the
requisite position by means of weights or their equivalent.
The improvement constituting the second head of this Invention is an improve-
ment upon the machinery or apparatus for cutting combs for which Letters
Patent were granted to George Stewart, dated the First day of January, A.D. 1876,
No. 4.
This improvement consists in the employment of gas for heating the bed of the
comb-cutting engine described in the Specification of the aforesaid George Stewart,

page_text: this being effected by a pipe provided with burners, being arranged in the hollow
of the said bed.
By means of this improvement the metallic heaters at present in use, as well as
the stoves or furnaces for heating them, which cause much dust and dirt, are dis-
pensed with.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said David Stewart in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd May
1877.
DAVID, STEWART, of the City and County of Aberdeen, North Britain. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF HORNS AND HOOFS AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR."
My said Invention; which relates to improvements in the treatment of horns and
hoofs, has for its object the heating of such horns or hoofs for the purpose of
flattening, pressing, cutting, and setting the same in the manufacture of useful and
ornamental articles therefrom, such as combs, spoons, forks, tumblers, paper cutters,
and other articles made from such materials.
The improvement constituting the first head of the Invention consists in the
employment of ignited coal gas or other inflammable gas acting by means of the
apparatus herein-after described upon the horns or hoofs. This is effected by
leading the heat from the flame of the gas through perforations in the heating plate
or through a flat reticulated surface or grate-like surface, on which the horns or
hoofs are supported whilst being heated; or an open frame for holding the horns
or hoofs, or pieces of them, may be substituted, and in any or all of these cases,
when necessary, the pieces of horns or hoofs may be held in the requisite position
by means of weights or an equivalent pressure if necessary.
The improvement constituting the second head of this Invention is an improve-
ment upon the machinery or apparatus for cutting combs for which Letters
Patent were granted to George Stewart, dated the First day of January, in the year
of our Lord Eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, No. 4.
This improvement consists in the employment of gas for heating the bed of the
comb-cutting engine described in the Specification of the aforesaid George Stewart,
this being effected by a pipe provided with burners being arranged in the hollow
of the said bed.
By means of this improvement the metallic heaters at present in use, as well as
the stoves or furnaces for heating them, which cause much dust and dirt, are dis-
pensed with.
And in order that my said Invention and the system, mode, or manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, may be fully understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective
view of the apparatus I employ for carrying out the first part of my Invention.
This consists of a box A of iron or other suitable metal, and the bottom of which
is by preference formed of wire gauze, so as to steady the flame; or the bottom
may be dispensed with. Inside the box A there are tubes (one of which is shown
detached in Figure 2, and it is preferred to place in each tube a burner from
which the gas issues, and meeting with air at the entrance y it is ignited. These
tubes are perforated along their upper side to allow the burning gas to escape
upwards through the heating plate; or it can be ignited at the perforations on the
top of the pipe. Each pipe is also provided with a stop-cock, shown at B, Figure 2,
to regulate the quantity of gas allowed to pass through them. The top plate C is
also perforated, as shown at one end of Figure 1, it being here explained that in
practice the entire plate is similarly perforated. Upon this plate Ċ the pieces of

page_text: horn to be either flattened, pressed, or heated for being acted upon by the engine
for cutting the horn into combs or other articles are placed.
In using gas for heating the ends of combs after they are cut for the purpose of
setting in the end tooth D, shown at Figure 6, which Figure represents in side
elevation a comb as it appears when first cut (it being explained that two combs
are cut from one piece of horn with the teeth of one comb dovetailing into the
teeth of the other comb, and that therefore the cutting is not completed until the
teeth are properly set), I use the apparatus represented at Figures 3, 4, and 5
of the annexed Drawings, and of which Figure 3 is an end elevation, Figure 4
a side elevation of the frame or table with the top part removed, and Figure 5
a plan corresponding to Figure 4. Longitudinally in this apparatus a gas
pipe A, preferably fitted with a burner like the burner x in Figure 2, is situated
and parallel therewith at either side is a pin B running the entire length
of the frame. At each side of the frame or table A there are alternately holes C
and raised pieces D. The holes C constitute sockets for the reception of
the hinge portion of the moveable plate E, and the pins B passing there-
through constitute the same into hinge joints. Each plate E is fitted with a
weighted lever, which is for the purpose of enabling the attendant to lift the
plate E for placing between them and the triangular-shaped projections on
the under frame the combs whose end teeth are to be heated for being set, and
when placed thereon the weight on the levers presses on the comb, so as to retain
it in position, thus enabling one attendant to operate with the setting of the end
teeth of several combs at a time. The end tooth of a comb having been heated
either directly by the gas escaping through the perforations in the gas tube A, or
by the heat communicated to it by the action of the burning gas on the metal
plates, the attendant takes the comb out of the apparatus and pulls in the end
tooth (then in a soft and pliable state) by the hand, until it is made to assume the
required position relatively with the other teeth, which being done it is cooled by
being dipped in cold water, or by an equivalent application of cold, so that after-
wards the tooth remains set in the proper position, and similarly any piece of horn
or hoof twisted as it always is in the operation of cutting by heat, or if twisted by
some other cause can be so set.
The second part of my said Invention, namely, that relating to the improve-
ment upon the Invention for which Letters Patent were granted, as aforesaid, to
George Stewart, A.D. 1867, and numbered 4, I do not illustrate by Drawings, as
Drawings thereof are not necessary for the proper understanding thereof; and to
render my improvement the more distinctly to be understood I refer to the
Drawing of the said Invention attached to the aforesaid Specification of the said
George Stewart.
This improvement consists in running a gas pipe, similar to the pipes herein-
before described, and perforated inside the travelling bed of the said machine, also
in taking away the sides of the bed to admit air for burning the gas, and so heating
the top of the bed.
By means of this improvement the metal heaters
stoves or furnaces for heating them, which cause
pensed with.
presently in use, as well as the
much dust and dirt, are dis-
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the system, mode, or manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The heating of horns and hoofs by ignited gas for the purposes of softening
them, to enable the same to be flattened, pressed, cut, and set, and the apparatus
therefore, substantially as herein-before described and shewn on the annexed Sheet
of Drawings.
Second. The employment of gas for heating the bed of the comb-cutting engine
described in the Specification of George Stewart, No. 4, A.D. 1867, in the manner

page_text: substantially as herein-before described, and whereby metallic heaters are dispensed
with.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Stewart, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
DAVID STEWART. (L.S.)