A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF FORKS, SPOONS, AND LADLES."
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Cope, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
MANUFACTURE OF FORKS, SPOONS, AND LADLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Cope at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th March
1856.
I, DAVID COPE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED
MANUFACTURE OF SPOONS, FORKS, AND LADLES," to be as follows:-
My said Invention consists in the manufacture of spoons, forks, and ladles
from the metal zinc, or from alloys composed mainly of zinc.
In carrying my Invention into. effect, I make the said spoons, forks, and
ladles, by rolling the said zinc into strips, "cross rolling" the said strips, and
cutting out blanks therefrom, and raising the said blanks by the methods
ordinarily prectised in the manufacture of German silver and iron spoons,
forks, and ladles; or, I make the said spoons, forks, and ladles, by casting the
same in suitably formed moulds. The said spoons, forks, and ladles may
afterwards be electro-plated or finished in any other desired manner. Although
spoons; forks, and ladles made of commercial zine are sufficiently rigid for
ordinary purposes, yet, where it is thought desirable, the said zinc may be

page_text: hardened by the addition of a small quantity of copper or other metal capable
of hardening the same.
The essence of my Invention consists in making spoons, forks, and ladles of
zine, or of zinc .to which a small. portion of other metal or metals has been
added capable of hardening the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Cope in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
September 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
COPE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth, day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
David Cope, Her special licence that I, the said David Cope, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said David Cope, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE
OF SPOONS, FORKS, AND. LADLES," upon the condition (amongst. others): that I,
the said David Cope, my executors or administrators,. by an instrument in-
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and.seals, sliould 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. David Cope, 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 the manufacture of spoons, forks, and.ladles.from
the metal zinc, or from alloys composed mainly, of zinc.
In carrying my Invention into effect, I prefer to make the said spoons, forks,.

page_text: and ladles by the method ordinarily practised in the manufacture of German
silver and iron spoons, forks, and ladles, that is to say, I roll the zinc or alloy
of zinc into strips, and I afterwards subject the strips, cut into proper lengths,
to the process of "cross rolling." I afterwards cut out blanks from the said
strips, and raise and form the said blanks into spoons, forks, and ladles by the
use of dies and pressure. As the processes of rolling, "cross rolling," and
cutting out the blanks, as well as forming the said blanks into spoons, forks,
and ladles, are well-known and commonly practised, and constitute no part of
my Invention, I do not think it necessary to describe the same.
Instead of carrying my Invention into effect by the method I have described,
I sometimes make the said spoons, forks, and ladles, of zinc or alloy of zinc,
by casting the same in moulds, either of sand or metal, and finishing the same
by filing, burnishing, or by any of the well-known processes for finishing
articles in metal.
The spoons, forks, and ladles made according to my Invention may be
electro-plated or finished in any desired manner. Although spoons, forks,
and ladles, made of commercial zinc, and of the ordinary thickness, are suffi-
ciently strong or rigid for general purposes, yet, where it is thought desirable,
the said zinc may be hardened by the addition of a small quantity of copper
or other metal capable of hardening zinc. In adding copper to the zinc for
the purpose of hardening the same, I use a quantity of the said copper insuffi-
cient to produce any sensible or material change in the colour of the zinc.
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, manufacturing spoons, forks, and ladles of zinc, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Cope, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
E. LAWSON.
DAVID COPE. (L.S.)