IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF FORKS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Parkes, of Brettle Lane, in the County
of Worcester, and Samuel Parkes, of Willenhall, in the County of
Stafford, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
MANUFACTURE OF FORKS."
Scaled the 12th May 1874, and dated the 13th November 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Parkes and
Samuel Parkes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 13th November 1873.
We, THOMAS Parkes, of Brettle Lane, in the County of Worcester,
and SAMUEL PARKES, of Willenhall, in the County of Stafford, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF FORKS," to be as follows:-
66
This Invention relates especially to dung forks, digging forks, potatoe
forks, hay forks, and coke forks, and may be applied to all forks having
two or more prongs. It has for its object an improved method of con-
structing and manufacturing forks, by which they are more readily and
firmly put together, and the prongs may be altered, removed, and
replaced more readily than in such forks as ordinarily constructed.

page_text: For the purpose of carrying out our Invention we make the prongs
loose and in pairs (except in forks containing an odd prong, which odd
prong we make single only), each pair consisting of two prongs connected
together at the middle of the prongs or nearest to the handle of the fork
by a straight or curved bar. This bar we make longer or shorter.
according to whether it connects together an outer or inner pair of the
prongs, and we prefer to make its centre rectangular in section at the
part where it is fitted to the handle of the fork.
In order to attach the prongs, constructed as described, to the handle
of the fork we make a carrying piece of iron or other metal of such a
size and shape, in cross section, that it fits into a corresponding hollow
socket formed upon or firmly attached to the end of the handle, and at
the outer end of the carrying piece described we make a transverse slot,
preferably rectangular in shape, and of such a size that the prongs can
be passed through it and arranged in their proper position, and the
other end of the carrying piece is then fitted into the hollow socket
described at the end of the handle of the fork. We then firmly fix the
prongs, the carrying piece, and the hollow socket together by means of
a screw, on one or more wedges, or keys, which are driven into a hole or
slot in the hollow socket, passing at the same time through the inner
end of the carrying piece. The outer ends of the hole or slot in the
hollow socket, as described, may be opened out slightly so that when the
keys or wedges are hammered into their proper place no projecting part
is left above the hollow socket.
The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of our Invention.
Figure 1 shews a four prong fork; and Figure 2 is a separate view of
the carrying piece of the same.
The pair of prongs a, a¹, are connected together by the bar a³; and the
pair of prongs 6, 6¹, are connected together by the bar. 62; and the
bars a² and 6² are passed through the slot c in the carrying piece d, the
inner end of which e (shown in dotted lines in Figure 1) fits into the
hollow socket f at the end of the handle (shewn broken off) and is held

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Parkes and Samuel Parkes in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 13th May 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
PARKES, of Brettle Lane, in the County of Worcester, and SAMUEL
PARKES, of Willenhall, in the County of Stafford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Parkes and Samuel
Parkes, Her special licence that we, the said Thomas Parkes and Samuel
Parkes, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said Thomas Parkes and Samuel Parkes, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF FORKS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Thomas Parkes and Samuel Parkes, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
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 we, the said Thomas Parkes and Samuel
Parkes, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, and accompanying
Drawing (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates especially to hay forks, dung forks, and forks
used for the purpose of digging, lifting, and carrying potatoes, coke, and
1
1
1 L

page_text: prongs. It has for its object an improved method of constructing and
manufacturing forks, by which they are readily and firmly put together
and the prongs may be altered, removed, and replaced with greater
facility than in such forks as ordinarily constructed.
In order to carry our Invention into operation we make the prongs of
the fork loose (separate from the body or handle) and in pairs, each pair
consisting of two prongs connected together at the ends nearest to the
handle of the fork by a bar straight or curved. This connecting bar we
make longer or shorter according to whether it connects together an
outer or inner pair of prongs, and we prefer to make it rectangular in
section at the part where it is fitted to the handle of the fork.
In order to attach the pairs of prongs, constructed as described, to the
handle of the fork we mako a carrying piece of iron, steel, or other suitable
material of such a shape and size that it fits into a corresponding hollow
socket formed upon or firmly attached to the end of the handle, and at
the outer end of such carrying piece we make a transverse slot or
opening, preferably rectangular and of such a size that the pairs of prongs
already described can be passed through it and arranged in their proper
position. The other end of the carrying piece is then fitted into the hollow
socket described, which is fixed upon the end of the handle of the fork.
We prefer to form a shoulder near the outer end of the carrying piece
into which the prongs are fitted, we then draw the shoulder against
or towards the outer end of the hollow socket upon the handle and thus
fix the prongs, the carrying piece, and the hollow socket firmly together
by means of a screw or screws, or one or more wedges or keys, which
are forced or driven into a hole or slot which passes through the inner
end of the carrying piece and the outer end of the hollow socket. The
outer ends of the hole or slot last described may be opened out slightly,
so that when the keys or wedges are driven into their place and
hammered down no projecting part is left above the hollow socket.
The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of our Invention.
Figure 1 shews a fork having four prongs; and Figure 2 is a separate
view of the carrying piece for the same.
The pair of prongs a, a¹, are connected together by the bar a³; and
the pair of prongs 6, 6', are connected together by the bar 62; and the
bars a and b are passed through the slot c in the carrying piece d, the
inner end of which e (shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1) fits into the

page_text: hollow socket f which is fixed upon the end of the handle g (shewn
broken off in the Drawing). The carrying piece d has a shoulder
which is tightened against the end of the hollow socket f by means of
the wedges which are hammered into the slot k passing through both
the carrying piece d and the socket f. We sometimes make a blade or
spike upon the end of the carrying piece by which it is attached to the
handle instead of fitting it into a socket upon the latter as described.
Having now described our Invention, and the manner in which it is
to be performed, we claim, the methods of making and arranging loose
prongs for forks, and of fixing them and attaching them to handles,
substantially as described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Parkes and Samuel Parkes,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twelfth day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
A. JOHNSON,
Patent Agent,
11, Cherry St.,
Birmingham.
THOMAS PARKES. (L.s.)
SAMUEL PARKES. (L.S.)