IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SCYTHES, REAPING HOOKS, HAY KNIVES, AND SUCH LIKE CUTTING INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen John Charles Skurray, of the Firm of John
Skurray and Company, of Chippenham, in the County of Wilts, Edge Tool
Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF SCYTHES, REAPING HOOKS, HAY KNIVES, AND SUCH LIKE CUTTING
INSTRUMENTS."
Sealed the 19th December 1879, and dated the 21st June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen John Charles Skurray
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st June 1879.
STEPHEN JOHN CHARLES SKURRAY, of the Firm of John Skurray and Company,
of Chippenham, in the County of Wilts, Edge Tool Manufacturers. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SCYTHES, REAPING HOOKS, HAY KNIVES, AND
SUCH LIKE CUTTING INSTRUMENTS."
The object of the Invention is simplicity and economy of manufacture, as well as
superiority in the article produced.
Scythes and such like cutting blades are usually made by the combination of four
separate pieces of metal, three of which are of iron, and one of them for the cutting
edge is of steel, and these are welded and worked together for the combination and
form of the desired instrument, involving the exercise of considerable skill, cost, and
labour.
My Invention consists in forming all the metal parts of the instrument out of one
picce of steel.
For this purpose I employ steel, by preference that produced from Swedish iron,
and I hammer or draw it out into the desired form; but instead of the back of the
blade of the scythes, reaping-hooks, hay-knives, and such like cutting instruments
being obtained by the turning up of the metal at that part at right angles to the
blade, I obtain sufficient rigidity for the purpose by dressing it with hand hammers
into an angular section; and having obtained the desired form to the instrument I
protect the back and other of the parts of it not required to be hardened during the
heating for the hardening of the cutting portion by enclosing such back and other
parts in clay, and I effect the required hardening to the exposed part by immersion
in fish oil, by preference whale oil.
The cutting portion of the blade is then tempered in the usual way by regulating
the operation according to the colour or tint of colour produced.
By these means I obtain a better, lighter, and cheaper article, more readily ground
to a cutting edge.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Stephen John Charles Skurray in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th December 1879.
STEPHEN JOHN CHARLES SKURRAY, of the Firm of John Skurray and Company,
of Chippenham, in the County of Wilts, Edge Tool Manufacturers. "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SCYTHES, REAPING-HOOKS, HAY-KNIVES, AND
SUCH LIKE CUTTING INSTRUMENTS."
Tho object of the Invention is simplicity and economy of manufacture, as well as
superiority in the article produced.
Scythes and such like cutting blades are usually made by the combination of
four separate pieces of metal, three of which are of iron, and one of them for the
cutting edge is of steel, and these are welded and worked together for the combina-
tion and form of the desired instrument, involving the exercise of considerable skill,
cost, and labour.
My Invention consists in forming all the metal parts of the instrument out of
one piece of steel.
For this purpose I employ a crucible steel, by preference that produced by Messrs.
Wilson, Hawksworth, Ellison, & Co., Carlisle Works, Sheffield, from foreign iron,
and called by them "Warranted Cast Steel for Scythes," and I hammer or draw it
out into the desired form; but instead of the back of the blade of the scythes,
reaping-hooks, hay-knives, and such like cutting instruments being obtained by the
turning up of the metal at that part at right angles to the blade, I obtain sufficient
rigidity for the purpose by dressing it with hand hammers into an angular section,
and having obtained the desired form to the instrument I protect the back and
other of the parts of it not required to be hardened during the heating for the
hardening of the cutting portion by enclosing such back and other parts in clay,
and I effect the required hardening to the exposed part by immersion in fish oil, by
preference whale oil.
The cutting portion of the blade is then tempered in the usual way by regulating
the operation according to the color or tint of colour produced.
By these means I obtain a superior article, with a hard edge and a soft back, and
one more readily ground to a cutting edge.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying the
samo into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the manufacture
of scythes, reaping-hooks, hay-knives, and such like cutting instruments, each with
a hard cutting edge and a soft back thereto, produced from one piece of steel, sub-
stantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen John Charles Skurray, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
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