IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL GAUGES AND IN THE MACHINERY FOR MAKING THE SAME.”
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hughes, of Holywell, in the County of Flint,
for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL GAUGES AND IN THE
MACHINERY FOR MAKING THE SAME.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hughes at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th December 1879.
THOMAS HUGHES, of Holywell, in the County of Flint.
METAL GAUGES AND IN THE MACHINERY FOR MAKING THE SAME.”
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
My Invention has reference to improvements in metal gauges, and in the
machinery for making the same, and has reference in particular to the gauges
known as "wire gauges."
"
The wire gauge is a well known instrument throughout the United Kingdom
and foreign countries, and is used principally for measuring wire and sheets or
plates of metal. There are, however, a number of different gauges, such as the
Birmingham wire gauge, the Lancashire wire gauge, the Warrington wire gauge,
the Yorkshire wire gauge, and other local and individual gauges, all of which differ
more or less from each other in their dimensions and details of notches. These .
wire gauges are made by various manufacturers, who each maintain that their
particular make is the correct one, whereas it is well known that rarely two gauges
agree in size. Thus these various sizes are a source of confusion, and differences
which constantly give rise to disputes amongst those who trade in articles regulated
by such gauges. It is therefore most desireable in the interests of trade and
commerce that an accepted class of gauge should be established which will fulfil
the two requirements of gauging both wire and plates accurately, and without
complication.
My gauge is a perfectly practical instrument, and may be made of almost any
external shape to suit the requirements of any trade, as in the case of gauges now
in use; but they will embrace the handiness of the old plate and wire gauge and
the accuracy of the taper plate gauge. As before mentioned, I make the outward
shape to suit any requirements and to include any desired number of notches or
sizes, such, for instance, as No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Now my No. 1
would be cut taper, being wider at the mouth than at its extremity or narrowest

page_text: part, and No. 2 notch would at its mouth be the exact No. 1 gauge at its narrowest
part, and No. 3 notch would be made at its mouth the same as No. 2 at its
narrowest part, indeed the exact No. 1, 2, 3, or other gauges, would be the width
of each notch at the narrowest part, which is the bottom of each notch. Along
each side of these notches I mark the divisions +, 1, 2, or other suitable divisions,
such as decimal parts, which enables me to really gauge a much larger number of
different sized wires or other articles than with the present parallel mouthed gauge,
and yet the gauge is equally effective for plates, besides the advantage of ordering
wire, say 5 or 51, instead of 5 full, which may mean almost anything between 5
and the next gauge. These notches consecutively following each other are a check
upon each other's accuracy. These gauges may be made entirely of iron or steel,
as hitherto, or a compound of two metals, the face or gauge part being steel, and
the body or lower part of softer metal, such as wrought iron. I also make the
bodies of soft metal or soft steel, and dovetail several separate pieces in to form the
notches, or each notch, so that any part of the gauge may be renewed without
great expense. These compound gauges could be made cheaper and more accurately
finished.
My standard gauge would be constructed of 2 steel plates, say 100 inches
long, and divided into any number of divisions, the two sides being inclined to
each other, and one of these standards could be kept at some public place in each
large town or district; the exchange in each district would be a suitable place.
In making my improved gauges I use a special machine for obtaining the various
angles of inclination in the slots or notches. My machine resembles in some
respects a slide compound rest. The top part is a circular table upon which is
mounted the required holding arrangements for securing the plate in a fixed
position; the outer edge of this table is accurately divided, and may be radiated to
any desired angle, and the holding arrangement may be advanced to any part of
the diameter of the table by means of a slide and screw, which is also indexed for
the different angles of slots required.
This table is set upon a stout base in slides, when it may be either advanced or
withdrawn, while suitable saws and other tools operate upon the gauge in hand.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th June
1880.
THOMAS HUGHES, of Holywell, in the County of Flint.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
METAL GAUGES AND IN THE MACHINERY FOR MAKING THE SAME."
My Invention has reference to improvements in metal gauges, and in the
machinery for making the same, and has reference in particular to the gauges
known as wiro gauges.
"
The wire gauge is a well known instrument throughout the United Kingdom
and foreign countries, and is used principally for measuring wire and sheets or
plates of metal. There are known a number of different gauges, such as the
Birmingham wire gauge," the " Lancashire wire gauge," the "Warrington wire
gauge," the "Yorkshire wire gauge," and other local and individual gauges, all of
which differ more or less from each other in the dimensions and details of notches.
These wire gauges are made by various manufacturers, who each maintain that
their particular make is the correct one, whereas it is well known that rarely two
gauges agree in size. Thus those various sizes are a source of confusion and
difference which constantly give rise to disputes amongst those who trade in
articles regulated by such gauges. It is therefore most desirable in the interests
of trade and commerce that an accepted class of gauge should be established which
will fulfil the two requirements of gauging both wire and plates accurately and
without complication.
My improvements in metal gauges are to accomplish these important objects.
They are to be called the "English wire gauge," and the dimensions of the several
notches or sizes might be based upon an average of the present best gauges, or any
other approved sizes may be adopted. It will be seen, on reference to Figures 1
and 2 on the Drawings, that my gauge is a perfectly practical instrument, and
does not necessarily vary much in appearance from the gauges at present in every-
day use, indeed, they may be made in any required design as to external shape so
as to suit the requirements of any trade or purpose for which such gauges are now
in use. They will, in fact, embrace the handiness of the old plate and wire gauge,
and the accuracy and range of the taper plate gauge. Figure 1 illustrates a gauge
in outward shape much like many in present use, in which there are shown eleven
taper notches. The bottom of each notch represents the particular size or number as
marked at that part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. Now my number 1 notch
is wider at the mouth than at the extremity, indeed, its mouth is exactly the 0
size, and the mouth of number 2 notch is exactly number 1, and the mouth of
number 3 is exactly number 2 at its narrowest part, thus each size or number of
gauge is repeated twice, which constitutes an important check one upon the other,
and a most peculiar and marked feature in my measuring instrument. It will be
noticed that between 1 and 0 in the first notch, i.e., between the bottom and the.
top, are three marks or divisions, the middle or long one being the size half between
0 and 1, or practically half, the other two marks being the and the *, or prac-
tically so. The tapers may of course be made of any convenient length, according
to the work required, and may be divided into a greater number of divisions when
necessary. It will thus be clearly seen that whatever particular size the various
numbers may represent, or that may be finally decided upon by either the Board of
Trade or Internationally, my gauge will have the peculiar advantage of not only
one notch checking the next, but of each notch being either divided fractionally or
decimally in itself. Taking, for instance, the eleven notches in Figure 1, there are
44 sizes distinctly given, so that in an ordinary gauge of 31 notches there are 124
divisions which are clearly defined, and they may be extended or curtailed to any
desired extent.

page_text: These gauges may be made either of iron or steel, solid as heretofore, or from two
metals, such, for instance, as a steel face, with the body or back of some softer
metal fastened together by screws, as illustrated by Figure 1 in section A, or in
any other convenient manner. Or the hard gauging parts may be dove-tailed into
the body as a separate piece for cach hole, as shown at c, Figure 2, plan and
section B. Or the pieces may include, more than one hole, as illustrated at the
other end by d, d. These compound gauges would be cheaply made, and would
not be so easily broken, which is very important, and when one or more of the
notches were worn they could easily and with little expense be renewed without
interfering with the others which might not be worn. Each notch would be
checked by a standard plug E, which would have to fit accurately. The standard
gauges which I propose to place in the exchanges, and in the hands of inspectors
of weights and measures, would be 100 inches long, or other convenient length, of a
V section, as seen at Figure 4 in section and Figure 3 in plan, i.e., from the junction
of the two sides at g to f would measure 100 inches, and at f the two sides would
be opened out and be apart from each other by half an inch, or other convenient
distance. On one side or limb might be marked the numbers and marks of existing
gauges. On the other limb, opposite to the numbers, might be given the sizes or
diameters in decimal parts of an inch with the accurate distance from the apex to
the mark, such, for instance, as the mark number 1 on the left limb, with the
distance from the apex opposite of 60 inches, and its size 3 of an inch, or at
number 5, which measures 44 inches from the apex, and is 22 inches between at
that point.
Thus it will be clearly understood that any convenient notes of
reference might be marked on such a standard gauge. This reference gauge may
be made from any desired metal, but I prefer to make the body of bronze metal,
and the limbs of steel fitted and screwed to the body. For the purpose of cutting
the notches in my common wire gauge, as shown by Figures 1 and 2, I have invented
a machine which enables me to obtain the proper angle with very great facility,
indeed, any desired angle may be obtained for either side of the taper slot. Figure 5
is a sectional elevation on J, K, of the machine; Figure 6 is a plan, and Figure 7
is an end elevation. The gauge to be cut is held in position under the Figures L, l.
The inclination of the taper slots is determined by the saddle which pivots on the
pin W to the circular index m, which is shown at zero in the Drawing for a
parallel notch, and by the horizontal slide O regulated by index v, v.
The gauge
is then easily adjustable by the slide N, when it is brought against the saw or
other tool P by the screw Q, carrying the whole slide U forward.
Having now described my before mentioned improvements in metal gauges, and
in the machinery for making the same, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein explained, as these may be varied to
meet special cases, but what I do claim is,-
First. The combination of the taper notches to the ordinary gauges so as to
check each other, and as explained and illustrated by Figures 1 and 2.
Second. The compound gauges, as herein described and illustrated by Figures 1
and 2, and in section at A and B.
Third. The standard gauge, as illustrated and described.
Fourth. The machine for cutting the said gauges.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hughes, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
THOMAS HUGHES. (L.S.)