AN IMPROVED MODE OF ATTACHING TOOLS TO HANDLES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF ATTACHING TOOLS TO HANDLES."—-
A communication from abroad by James Ezekiel Emerson, of San Fran-
cisco. California, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th March 1860.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lano,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF ATTACHING TOOLS TO HANDLES,"
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to attach picks, axes, and other similar
large and heavy tools to their handles without having an eye made through
them, as hitherto, to receive the handles, thereby avoiding the loosening of
the handle by the shrinking of the same, the handles being usually made
of wood.
By means of the present Invention the weakening of the tools in conse-
quence of having the eyes made through them is avoided. The Invention also
admits of the use of one handle for several tools.

page_text: In carrying out this Invention, the tool may be encompassed transversely
by a stirrup to form a socket to receive the handle, or a socket may be forged
and permanently connected with the tool. The pick may be constructed in
any of the usual or known forms, with a recess in its upper surface to receive
a stirrup, which extends down each side of the pick a requisite distance to
form a socket to receive the end of the handle, which may be of the usual
form. The stirrup of course is of metal, and has a hole made through each
side of it to receive a wedge and key. The end of the handle, which is fitted
in the stirrup or socket, has a metal strap or head attached to it the outer end
of the said strap or head abutting against the inner side of the pick within
the stirrup or socket. The handle has a hole made through it to allow a
wedge and key to pass through, which causes the tool and handle to be firmly
secured together; the wedge, by being driven in, draws the end of the strap
or head firmly against the inner side of the pick. In certain cases, if
necessary, a pin may be formed on the end of the strap or head to fit in a
corresponding hole in the inner side of the pick, or a hole may be made in
the end of the strap or head to receive a pin at the inner side of the pick.
The above forms a very fine fastening, and the pick is not injured or
weakened in any way in forming the fastening or connection. There are
certain tools, however, in which the stirrup would be objectionable, as, for
instance in axes, and many cutting and riving tools or implements which.
require to have smooth sides to admit of their ready passage through the
clefts made in riving and splitting. In tools or implements of this class
sockets are formed direct on them, being forged separately or forged and then
welded, a projection extending down at each side of the tool at its inner edge.
These projections have each a hole made in them to receive a key and a
wedge. The handle of the axe is, like the handle of the pick, provided with a
metal strap or head secured to it by bolts, the strap or head extending down
a requisite distance at the front and back side of the handle. The key is
fitted in the lowor parts of the holes, the wedge being driven in over it, and
bearing against the under side of the strap or head.
By this latter described modo of forming the sockets, the sides of the axe
are equally as smooth as those of the usual construction, the objection
attending the previously described stirrup when applied to cutting tools being
fully obviated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I; WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Newton; 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 "AN IMPROVED MODE OF ATTACHING TOOLS TO HANDLES," being a
communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to attach picks, axes, and other similar
large and heavy tools to their handles without having an eye made through
them as hitherto to receive the handles, thereby avoiding the loosening of
the handle by the shrinking of the same, the handles being usually made.
of wood.
By means of the present Invention the weakening of the tools in con-
sequence of having the eyes made through them is avoided. The Invention
also admits of the use of one handle for several tools.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side view of a pick attached to

page_text: its handle according to the present Invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse section
of the same taken in the line x, x, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal
sectional view of the same taken in the line y, y, of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side
view of an axle attached to its handle according to the present Invention;
Fig. 5 is a back view of the same; Fig. 6 is a section of the same taken in
the line,, of Fig. 4; and Figure 7 is another sectional view taken in the
line z', ', of Figure 5. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in the several Figures.
In carrying out this Invention, the tool may be encompassed transversely
by a stirrup to form a socket to receive the handle, or a socket may be forged
and permanently connected with the tool.
In Figures 1, 2, and 8, the pick A is constructed in any of the usual or
known forms with a recess a in its upper surface, as shown in Figure 8, to
receive a stirrup B, which extends down each side of the pick a requisite dis-
tance to form a socket to receive the end of the handle C, which may be of
the usual form. The stirrup B of course is of metal, and has a hole 6 made
through each side of it to receive a wedge and key c and d.
The end of the handle C, which is fitted in the stirrup or socket B, has a
metal strap or head e attached to it, the outer end of the strap or head
abutting against the inner side of the pick within the stirrup or socket. The
handle has a hole made through it to allow the wedge c and key d to pass
through, which causes the tool and handle to be firmly secured together.
The wedge, by being driven in, draws the end of the strap or head e firmly
against the inner side of the pick. In certain cases, if necessary, a pin may
be formed on the end of the strap or heade to fit in a corresponding hole in
the inner side of the pick (see Figures 2 and 3,) or a hole may be made in
the end of the strap or head e to receive a pin e* at the inner side of the
pick.
The above forms a very good fastening, and the pick is not injured or
weakened in any way in forming the fastening or connection. There are
certain tools, however, in which the stirrup B would be objectionable, as for
instance in axes and many cutting and riving tools or implements, which
require to have smooth sides to admit of their ready passage through the clefts
made in riving or splitting. In tools or implements of this class sockets are
formed direct on them, being forged separately or forged and then welded, a
projection g extending down at each side of the tool at its inner edge, as seen
in Figures 4 and 5. These projections 9 have each a hole made in them to
receive a key i and a wedge j.
The handle D of the axe is (like the handle C of the pick) provided with

page_text: a metal strap or head & secured to it by bolts l, the strap or head extending
down a requisite distance at the front and back side of the handle, as shown
in Fig. 7. The key i is fitted in the lower parts of the holes h, the wedge j
being driven in over it, and bearing against the under side of the strap or
head, as shown in Figures 6 and 7.
By this latter described mode of forming the sockets, the sides of the axe
are equally as smooth as those of the usual construction, the objection
attending the previously described stirrup when applied to cutting tools being
fully obviated.
Having now described this Invention of an improved mode of attaching
tools to handles, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I claim, as the
Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode herein set
forth of attaching tools to handles.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Sixth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFatt,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)