IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VICES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Wood Aston, of Cradley, in the County of
Worcester, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF VICES."
Sealed the 5th September 1861, and dated the 13th March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Wood Aston at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th March 1861.
I, JAMES WOOD ASTON, of Cradley, in the County of Worcester, Manu- .
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VICES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
My improvements refer to those parts of vices known as the ""box" and the
"pin" or screw," which works in the box; these have hitherto been made in
cast, wrought, or malleable iron, or in brass. I propose to make them of
steel, either forged or cast, but by preference the latter, as it will be much less :
expensive.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Wood Aston in the Great Seal Patent Office on the¨
13th September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WOOD ASTON, of Cradley, in the County of Worcester, Manufacturer, send
greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me
the said James Wood Aston, Her special license that I, the said James Wood
Aston, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
-James Wood Aston, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF VICES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Wood Aston, 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 immédiately. after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Wood Aston, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by. the following
statement (that is to say),:-
My improvements refer to those parts of vices known as the "box" and
the pin" or screw which works in the box; these have hitherto been made in
cast, wrought, or malleable iron, or in brass; I propose to make them of steel,
either forged or cast, but by preference the latter, as it will be much less
.expensive.
:
And in carrying my Invention into effect I proceed in any one of the
following ways:-The male screw or pin, as it is technically termed, working
in the female screw in the box, I make of steel, either forged or cast, or of a
mixture of iron and steel, either forged or cast; and in making the box I first
proceed to form an internal screw, to be of such a thickness as may be neces-
sary when it has subsequently, as by this my Invention, to be encased in a box
and entirely enclosed by a tube of either steel, or iron, or both these metals
combined;, which tube is to form the box of the vice! For greater-convenience
in making this "box," I take the metal in a semicircular tubular form, and
laying the internal screw in one half of the tube, I enclose it with the corre-
sponding half, and then, by the use of rolls, or by hand, or in any other
convenient manner, I securely weld all the parts together. This process may
under ordinary conditions be thoroughly effected at one welding heat, thus

page_text: preserving the quality of the metal, saving much labour, and producing a
thoroughly solid box. Or by another process I take steel, iron, or both com-
bined, in the form of a strip of suitable section, angle iron being preferable,
and twisting or coiling it whilst heated upon a screwed mandril, so that the
joints of the metal overlap; I lay this coil in the one half of the tube forming
the box, and enclose it as in the former case, with the corresponding half;
I then weld the whole of the parts together, as already described. Or by a
third process I make the female screw and the "box" at one and the same
time, and generally at one beat. I take the strip of metal, as in the process
last described, but of greater strength, and of any suitable section, and after
heating it, I coil it upon a mandril, so as to allow the joints to overlap, and
I then weld securely together the joints of the coil, either by rolling or by
hand, or in any other suitable manner, and the metal being of sufficient
thickness for this purpose I have thus the internal or female screw and the
box formed at the same time, or rather I am able to dispense with the outer
tubular casing or separate box. In both these last-named methods the
projecting flange upon the section of iron produces when coiled the thread or
worm of the internal or female screw, which may afterwards be bored or
cleaned out by the ordinary tools. The ferule or breech upon the end of the
box is formed by forging washers on to the end of the box, and welding them
together either in the rolls or by hand, or in any convenient way. The
welding of the screw and box may, if preferred, be effected by stamping,
pressing, or forging, in dies, but I prefer the rolling process.
The box
complete may also be cast in steel, or a mixture of iron and steel.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim the several improvements in the
manufacture of vices, substantially as herein more fully set forth and
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Wood Aston, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
JAMES WOOD ASTON. (L.S.)