AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE JOINTS OF MEASURING RULES." IMPROVEMENTS IN THE JOINTS OF MEASURING RULES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Dixon, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Schoolmaster, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE JOINTS OF MEASURING RULES."
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE JOINTS OF MEASURING RULES."
Sealed the 27th October 1854, and dated the 29th April 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Dixon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
April 1854.
I, BENJAMIN DIXON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, School-
master, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN Improve-
MENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE JOINTS OF MEASURING RULES" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in making the joints of measuring rules from sheet
metal, cut and bent in the manner herein-after described, instead of making
the same of plates of cast or unbent' sheet metal, as is usually practised.
Figure 1 represents in elevation the joint of a rule constructed according
to my Invention, and Figure 2 represents an edge view of the same; Figures
3, 4, and 5, represent the parts of which the same is composed. To form the
side of the joint marked a, Figure 1, I take a piece of sheet metal, cut by a
press or otherwise into the shape represented in Figure 3; by bending the plate
at the dotted lines, so that the portions b, c, shall be at right angles to the
said dot
==
portions between the said dotted lines and in planes parallel to each other, the
plate, Figure 3, assumes the form of the side a, Figure 1; and by bending
a piece of sheet metal cut of the form represented in Figure 4, after the

page_text: manner described with reference to Figure 3, the said plate, Figure 4, assumes
the shape of the unmarked side of the joint, Figure 1. A piece of iron or
other metal, of the form of Figure 5, is introduced between the parallel sides
of the part a, Figure.1, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, and fastened
thereto by rivetting or otherwise, and the head or circular part of Figure 5
being introduced between the circular and parallel parts d of Figures 1 and 2,
and an axis passed through the whole and rivetted, the joint is completed.
Joints of measuring rules constructed according to my Invention are simpler
and cheaper than joints made according to the ordinary method, being com-
posed of three picces only, exclusive of the rivet or axis, and made out of sheet
metal. The said joint being made independently of the wood sides of the rule,
and not constructed upon the said sides, has the advantage of permitting the
said sides to be made of one piece of wood, first inserted in the joint and
afterwards divided. The difficulty of matching the sides of the rule is thus
avoided.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Dixon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th October 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
DIXON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Schoolmaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, IIer heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Benjamin-Dixon, Her_special licence that I, the said Benjamin
Dixon, my executors, .administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said-Benjamin Dixon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 JOINTS OF MEASURING RULES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin Dixon, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Dixon; do. hereby declare
the nature of the. said Invention, and in what manner the same is to-be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists in making the joints of, measuring rules from sheet
metal, cut and bent in the manner herein-after described, instead of making
the same of plates of cast or unbent sheet metal, as is usually practised...
Figure 1 represents in elevation the joint of a rule constructed according to
my Invention, and Figure 2 represents an edge view of the same; Figures
3, 4, and 5 represent the parts of which the said joint is composed. To form
the side of the joint marked a, Figure 1, I take a piece of sheet metal, cut by
a press or otherwise into the shape represented in Figure 3; by bending the
plate so that the portions b, c, shall be situated in planes parallel to each other,
the plate, Figure 3, assumes the form of the side a, Figure 1; and by bending
a piece of sheet metal, cut of the form represented in Figure 4, after the
manner described in reference to Figure 3, the said plate, Figure 4, assumes
the shape of the unmarked side of Figure 1. A piece of iron or other metal
of the form of Figure 5 is introduced between the parallel sides of the part a..
Figure 1, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1; and the said part, Figure 5,
is fastened to the part a, Figure 1, by rivetting or otherwise, and the circular
head is introduced between the circular and parallel parts d, Figures 1 and 2;
an axis e being passed through the two sides of the joint and rivetted, the
said joint is complete. I sometimes modify my Invention in the following
manner, that is to say, I make both sides of the joint of the rule by folding
up pieces of sheet metal of the form of Figure. 4; one side so constructed is
represented in Figure 6. Instead of inserting the piece, Figure 5, between the
circular parts, Figure 6, I make the other side of the joint in the manner
represented in Figure 7; that is to say, the side, Figure 7, resembles the side,
Figure 6, excepting that the two circular parts of Figure 7 are brought into
contact and rivetted together, as will be understood by an inspection of the
edge view of Figure 7. The head of the side, Figure 7, is introduced between
the circular sides of Figure 6, and the two sides are jointed together by an axis ;
they then constitute a rule joint, such as is represented in Figure 8. Rule
joints made according to my Invention are simpler and cheaper than joints
made according to the ordinary method, being composed of two or three pieces
only, exclusive of the rivet, and made out of sheet metal.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of

page_text: 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 the
methods herein described, and represented in the accompanying Drawing, of
constructing the joints of measuring rules.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Dixon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
BENJAMIN DIXON. (L.S.)