IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR SCYTHES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Julius Boult, of the firm of W. P. Thompson &
Boult, Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors of 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex and 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster
Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR SCYTHES"
Communicated to him from abroad by Anton Hagedorn of Osnabrück in the
German Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Julius Boult at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th August 1882.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of the firm of W. P. Thompson & Boult Agents for
Foreign Patent Solicitors of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
and 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster Engineer, "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR SCYTHES." [a communication to him from abroad by
Anton Hagedorn of Osnabrück in the German Empire.]
These improvements are for the purpose of securely and expeditiously attaching
the blade of a scythe to its handle.
A circular plate or ferrule is placed upon the end of the handle being strengthened
by an additional thickness if necessary-A T headed or similar bolt passes through
the ferrule & handle & a slot is provided in the T head into which the tang or
heel of the blade is inserted and the nut being screwed up tight holds the blade
firm. To prevent side play a second plate is fastened upon the handle higher up
& having a slot at an angle of about 45° with the centre line of the handle; a
projection upon the tang fits into this slot so that when the scythe is in use the
side play of the blade tends to drive the projection down the slot and holds the
blade all the firmer.
In a modification the ferrule is formed with one flat side (instead of being
circular as before) and the ends of the strip from which the ferrule is made are
Duinn 21

page_text: crossed, giving a double thickness of metal at the joint. A stirrup shaped plate
goes round the ferrule leaving a space between the flat side of the ferrule and the
inside of the stirrup for the tang of the blade. The stirrup has a boss if required
upon the round part opposite the flat and a set screw serves to tighten up the
whole, the point of the screw bearing against the double portion of the ferrule.—
The upper plate with its angle slot employed as before.
Where it is desired to have an attachment which fits different sizes of handles
one long plate with its edges turned up is employed instead of two and the angle
slot is formed in its upper portion The stirrup is used as in the last case and a back
plate can be inserted for the set screw to bear against

page_text: Fig. 7, details for Fig. 3.
The scythe handle A consists, as usual, of wood and its top is provided with a tip
or ferrule of metal, preferably sheet iron (Figs 1 and 1a)
This ferrule is shown in detail in Fig 5 and consists of a shell A¹ bent from
sheet iron and on the top thereof a strengthening plate p' is brazed or rivetted
fast. This shell A' is fixed to the extreme end of the scythe handle and on its
flat underside has a slot x. Into the upper strengthening plate a hole y is drilled
(Fig 5.)
•
The front end of the screw k is spread out into an eye which has a slot / of such
size that the tang B of the scythe (Figs 1 and 1º) can easily be inserted. A piece
of sheet metal B' is also attached to the handle A. and has a slot s¹ which is at
an angle of about 45° to the centre line of the scythe handle (Figs 1 and 5.)
Into this notch or slot 8' the nose or pint of the scythe tang (Figs. 1 and 1º)
takes in such a manner that the pressure inserted upon the scythe blade in moving
tends to better fastening, and no loosening can take place. In use the tang of the
scythe is slipped through the eye of the screw k and at the same time the pin t is
inserted in the slot s¹ of the plate B'. Now if the screw k is tightened by means
of the nut, Figs 1, 1º and 5, the tang of the scythe is firmly pressed against the
lower surface of the handle A and thus securely held.
As however the scythe tang has a certain amount of play in the eye of the
screw the blade can be placed obliquely within certain limits.
The slot & in plate B' acts during the working with the scythe in the manner
of a cam surface as the pin t in the same tends to draw the tang downward
whereby the attachment is made additionally secure.
In Figures 2, 2a a modification of this fastening is shown. The shell C is also
made of sheet metal and at its upper part the ends, soldered, rivetted, or welded
together are so laid one over the other, that the same will be strengthened thereby
(see details in Fig. 6). The plate with the inclined slot 8¹¹ is constructed exactly
as already described and acts in the same manner
The stirrup shaped ferrule z¹ surrounds both the tang of the scythe and the

page_text: handle and is drawn tight by means of the pressure plate i so that the tang is
firmly pressed against the handle and thus is held securely.
This construction is of special value as one is not tied to exact measurements in
the scythe tang. Moreover by making the fittings of the handle in two parts it
is possible to use scythes with either very long or very short tangs as in that case
the plate D (Figs 2, 2ª and 6) or the plate B¹ (Figs 1, 1a and 5) can be fastened
on the handle according to the position of the pin t
Figs. 3, 3 and 7 show a further modification of this fastening.
The fittings of the scythe in this consists of two sheet metal parts E and pl
(Fig 7) no complete shell being used.
The plate E is of such length that it will receive the oblique slot g¹¹¹ also and is
nailed or screwed directly upon the scythe handle. The ferrule ¹¹ is shaped as has
already been described and is provided with a tightening screw n.
The arched plate 21 (Fig 7) serves only to prevent. the screw n from entering
the wood and is made sufficiently strong for that purpose. The manner of
attaching the tang will be obvious from the drawing. This construction `is
specially of advantage inasmuch as one is not tied to a particular thickness of
handle.
Having now described the said invention and the manner of performing the
same as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I wish it to be under-
stood that what I claim and desire to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is :
First: The herein described fastening or attachment for scythes, consisting of the
shell A with the strengthening plate p' screw k with slotted head t and plate B¹
with oblique slot of any suitable metal for the purpose of securely attaching the
tang of the scythe to the handle substantially as set forth and shown in Figs 1, 1ª
and of the accompanying drawings.
Second The modification of this fastening substantially as described and shown
in Figures 2, 2ª and 6 of the accompanying drawings, more especially the combination
of the shell C, the plate D the stirrup shaped ferrule z¹ and tightening screw i for
the purpose of firmly pressing the tang of the scythe against the handle, the
ferrule z being of sufficient size to allow for varying thicknesses of tangs..
Third: The further modification of this attachment substantially as represented
in Figures 3, 3 and 7 of the accompanying drawings and consisting of plate E, with
the oblique slot 8111, attached to the scythe handle in combination with the washer-
plate p and ferrule z with tightening screw for the purpose of attaching the
scythe tang to the handle without a shell and without being bound to a given
thickness for the handle.
i
In witness whereof I, the said Alfred Julius Boult have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty second day of February in the year of Our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.