Improvements in or relating to Hammers, Axes, Picks, Adzes, Hatchets, or other like Tools.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 180%
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Hammers, Axes, Picks, Adzes,
Hatchets, or other like Tools.
We, MARMADUKE MILLER of the Firm of I. Miller and Company of 124 and
126 Commercial Street Whitechapel, Wholesale Ironmonger and Sanitary Engineer,
CHARLES MOSSMAN of 4 King Henry Street Stoke Newington Traveller, and
SAMUEL WILLIAMS of 56 Ravenscroft Street Bethnal Green Engineer, all in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention relates to improvements in or relating to hammers, axes, picks, adzes,
hatchets, or other like tools.
A common cause of complaint amongst workmen is that in tools of this character
there is no secure way of fastening the head to the handle or haft, and it not
infrequently happens that the head of a tool flies off and causes more or less damage,
whilst in the case of heavy instruments such as sledge hammers such an accident
commonly occasions bodily injury to persons in the immediate neighbourhood.
Now the object of the present invention is to secure the head of the tool to the
haft or handle in such manner that it will be impossible for it to break adrift, whilst
at the same time the haft or handle will be materially strengthened and the breakage
thereof even by the exercise of something more than ordinary force will be difficult
or impossible.
In carrying the invention into effect the handle or haft which is preferably of wood
although it may be of other suitable material is formed hollow, that is to say an axial
hole is formed longitudinally from end to end thereof.
The head of the haft or handle is grooved or split in the ordinary manner to receive
a wedge, and the wedge employed to distend the wood and fix the handle or haft
with the head is of the ordinary shape but the smaller end thereof is welded
or otherwise fixed to a metal rod or spindle which passes through the bore of
the handle or haft and projects beyond the butt thereof or preferably into a
recess therein.
The end of this metal rod or spindle is threaded to receive a nut and after the
placing in position of the wedge which may be hammered home in the usual way a
washer is placed upon the threaded end of the spindle or rod and a nut is screwed
tightly thereon so that it abuts against the butt of the handle or haft, and according
to one arrangement the nut projects at the end of the haft, whilst according to the
other arrangement it is countersunk or recessed therein.
By this arrangement of parts the wedge and consequently the head of the tool will
be securely held in place and the wedge may be haminered home or adjusted from
time to time as wear takes place the necessary slack being readily taken up
by means of the nut, whilst if desired the end of the rod may be burred over or
any other suitable device may be employed to prevent the nut working loose or
becoming lost.
In lieu of employing a nut as the means of holding the wedge against accidental
displacement the threaded end of the rod or spindle may be rivetted over a washer,
although the arrangement first described is the preferred one, inasmuch as it provides
for the adiustment of the parts.

page_text: By the means herein before described the tool is much improved inasmuch as the
head is securely fixed with the handle or baft, the strength and spring of the handle
are increased whilst in the event of the haft or handle splitting or breaking-an
improbably contingency with this construction--it will be impossible for the head to
fly off, whilst the durability of the handle is increased and furthermore the tightening
up of the head is provided for.
Dated this 10th day of June 1800
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27 Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.
Improvements in or relating to Hammers, Axes, Picks, Adzes,
Hatchets, or other like Tools.
We, MARMADUKE MILLER of the Firm of I. Miller and Company of 124 and
126 Commercial Street Whitechapel, Wholesale Ironmonger and Sanitary Engineer,
CHARLES MOSSMAN of 4 King Henry Street, Stoke Newington, Traveller, and
SAMUEL WILLIAMS of 56 Ravenscroft Street Bethnal Green, Engineer, all in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the foliowing statement :-
n
The invention relates to improvements in or relating to hammers, axes, picks,
adzes, hatchets, or other like tools.
A common cause of complaint amongst workmen is that in tools of this character
there is no secure way of fastening the head to the handle or haft, and it not
infrequently happens that the head of a tool flies off and causes more or less damage,
whilst in the case of heavy instruments such as sledge hammers such an accident
commonly occasions bodily injury to persons in the immediate neighbourhood.
Now the object of the present invention is to secure the head of the tool to the
haft or handle in such manner that it will be impossible for it to break adrift, whilst
at the same time the haft or handle will be materially strengthened and the breakage
thereof even by the exercise of something more than ordinary force will be difficult
or impossible.
In carrying the invention into effect the handle or haft which is preferably of wood
although it may be of other suitable material is formed hollow that is to say an axial
hole is formed longitudinally from end to end thereof.
The head of the haft or handle is grooved or split in the ordinary manner to
receive a wedge, and the wedge employed to distend the wood and fix the handle or
haft with the head is of the ordinary shape but the smaller end thereof is welded or
otherwise fixed to a netal rod or spindle which passes through the bore of the handle
or haft and projects beyond the butt thereof or preferably is received into a recess
therein.
The end of this metal rod or spindle is threaded to receive a nut and after the
placing in position of the wedge which may be hammered home in the usual way,
a washer is placed upon the threaded end of the spindle or rod, and a nut is
screwed tightly thereon so that it abuts against the butt of the handle or haft, and
according to one arrangement the nut projects at the end of the haft, whilst
according to the other arrangement it is countersunk or recessed therein.
By this arrangement of parts the wedge and consequently the head of the tool
will be securely held in place and the wedge may be hammered home or adjusted
from time to time as wear takes place, the necessary slack being readily taken up
by means of the nut, whilst if desired the end of the rod may be burred over or

page_text: provided with a long key hole slot therein to receive the rod or spindle c¹ and thus
after the driving home of the wedge c the wedge shaped washer c may be corre-
spondingly adjusted with relation to the haft band rivet head co of the spindle c¹.
Although the arrangement lastly herein before described will more or less answer
the purpose in view it will be obvious that the former arrangement is the preferred
one inasmuch as it provides for the better adjustment of the parts.
Although the invention is hereinbefore described in connection with a hammer it
will be understood that it is equally applicable to other tools such for example as axes,
picks, adzes, hatchets, or the like, but inasmuch as all tools of this class are provided
with an eye in the head to receive the haft or handle in a similar manner to that
hereinbefore shown and described with respect to a hammer it is obviously unnecessary
to herein represent the invention applied to such other tools, but such application will
be readily understood from the examples hereinbefore given.
By the means hereinbefore described the tool is much improved inasmuch as the
head is securely fixed with the handle or haft the strength and spring of the handle
are increased, and in the event of the haft or handle splitting or breaking-an
improbable contingency with this construction,-it will be impossible for the head to
fly off whilst the durability of the handle is increased and furthermore the tightening
up and adjustment of the wedge are provided for.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is-
1. A tool comprising a head, a handle formed with a longitudinal hole there-
through, a wedge having a rod or spindle fixed therewith and extending through
the bore of the handle and means for fastening the end of the rod with the handle
to prevent the shifting of the wedge substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose stated.
2. A tool comprising a head, a handle formed with a longitudinal hole there-
through, a wedge having a rod or spindle fixed therewith, and extending through
the bore of the handle and means for fastening and adjusting the end of the rod
and consequently the wedge with relation to the handle substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose stated.
3. A means for securing the head of a tool comprising a wedge having a rod or
spindle fixed therewith and adapted to extend through and be fastened with the
handle of a tool substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
.stated.
4. A tool handle formed with a longitudinal hole therethrough adapted for the
reception of a rod or the like connected with means for preventing the tool head flying
off substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 10th day of Marah 1807
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27 Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.