A NEW METHOD OF WORKING OF FLEXIBLE OR MALLEABLE METALLIC PLATES INTO CONVEX AND CONCAVE FORMS OR HOLLOW SHAPES
Year: 1806

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
SOUTHCOMBE, of Brick Lane, in the Parish of Saint Luke, in the County of
Middlesex, Tinplate Worker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of
January, in the forty-seventh year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the
said Benjamin Southcombe, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Benjamin
Southcombe, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"A NEW METHOD OF WORKING OF FLEXIBLE OR MALLEABLE METALLIC PLATES INTO
CONVEX AND CONCAVE FORMS OR HOLLOW SHAPES;" in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Benjamin Southcombe, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within one calendar month after the date of the said recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso in the said
Letters Patent contained, I, the said Benjamin Southcombe, do hereby describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, as follows, that is to say :-

page_text: My new method of making (or working) flexible or malleable metallic plate
into convex or concave forms or hollow shapes, is effected by a tool or machine
which I call a stretcher, being two rollers so formed and so framed that the
one roller is presented to the concave or pretended concave side of the metallic
plate, which roller I call the inner roller, and which has its arbor or spindle
resting on a firm piece, which piece, projecting into the concave of the metallic
plate, may be raised upwards for stretching, or lowered to allow the plate or
plates to be entered or withdrawn without acting on the extreme edges of the
said plate or plates, which raising or lowering is effected by a screw or lever
provided for that purpose under such picce. On the convex or intended con-
vex sides of the plate or plates a roller is placed which has its surface nearly
cylindrical, and which is fixed on a spindle or windlass to be worked by a
handle in a revolutionary or rotatory direction, or, when it better suits the
purpose intended, by a swing pendulous handle with a retrograde motion,.
which it is likely will be found most advantageous. This Invention is appli-
cable to all kinds of metal requiring to be worked into concave and convex
forms or hollow shapes; but it is more absolutely useful to untractable or
refractory metals which cannot be annealed or softened by fire during the
process. Gold, silver, and copper may be worked by raising hammers on
stakes; but iron, and tinned iron called tin plates, cannot be worked in that
way with certainty of success, the iron being less tractable than gold, silver,
or copper; for this reason, the usual method of working iron plates, and more
especially tinn'd iron plates, has hitherto been by a hammer stricking one or
more pieces on some softer substance, which as a wood block or lead, or with
a hammer on an iron or steel anvil, by each of which processes the grain or
surface of the metal is opened, and often fractured; whereas, by the present
contrivance, the plates are worked in the machine under the government or
varied direction of the workman's hand by successive impressions, like furrows
or ridges, whereby the concavity or convexity is increased at pleasure without
fracturing the plates, as frequently happened in former way of working by a
hammer on a block, lead, or anvil. By this Invention a considerable saving
will be made, more especially of tinn'd plates.
The Drawing annexed will shew one mode of fixing and using the rollers.
The construction of the frame is not considered as any part of the Invention,
the novelty for which this Patent is obtained being simply for working within
a concave or hollow by a roller or stretcher, which receives its motion from
the upper roller pressing the plate or plates thereon. The rollers may be
made of steel or any other hard metal. The inner roller must be of such
diameter or latitude as will suit the work it is intended to perform, and

page_text: B. SOUTHCOMBE. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-first day of February,
in the year of our Lord 1807, the aforesaid Benjamin Southcombe came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowleged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in
form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt accord-
ing to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-first day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seven.

page_text: B. the inner Roller with its longitudinal surface convex. C.
the firm resting piece to be raised or lowered. D the screw to
raise or lower the picce ( which it meets at about E.-F., the
piece C taken out of its place and showing the profection which
goes (groove to preserve it in its due place & a front picco
to keep the spindle and whed in its place and by removing.
in a
which the machine may be taken usunder. II. the pendulous
handle affixed to the spindle of Roller. A. I. a wright to
- increase the force when required. R. vide view of Rotter A . _ _ Tr.
Side view of convex Roller B. M. the spindle - N. side view
of handle H. O. Side view of the wright I. - P. Sketch of al
Concave or Convex piece under operation. Q. side view
of the
front piece . R.R.R. the side view of the solid Iron Frame
S.S. back veuw of the Frame and pendulous handle. T. a winch
handle.
V. a tool to move the nuts. I. the wood Bench.