IMPROVEMENTS IN BENCH KNIVES OR HOLDFAST TOOLS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Woodburne, of Ulverston, in the County of
Lancaster, Revolving Shutter Manufacturer's Manager, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BENCH KNIVES OR HOLDFAST TOOLS."
Sealed the 26th September 1879, and dated the 9th April 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Woodburne at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th April 1879.
HENRY WOODBURNE, of Ulverston, in the County of Lancaster, Revolving
Shutter Manufacturer's Manager. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BENCH KNIVES OR HOLD
FAST TOOLS."
My Invention refers to tools for joiners, carpenters, and others, applicable to
benches and other places for bench knives and holdfasts; and the chief object of
the Invention is to provide simple and efficient means for retaining and adjusting
the position, and when so adjusted, of securely retaining the knife or hold fast in
the required position, as may be desired and required for the work to be performed.
The apparatus or tool made according to my Invention is provided with a bed
plate of convenient size, having two or more pins or legs connected thereto or cast
in a piece therewith, which fit into corresponding apertures formed in the table or
bench to which the holdfast is to be applied, and for this purpose a series of
apertures are or may be formed in the bench, so as to be able to vary the position
of the tool therein according to circumstances, as may be necessary to suit the
requirements of the work in hand. The pins or legs, or one of them, are serrated
or notched to afford a better grip or hold of the material of which the bench is
composed, than would otherwise be the case. The holdfast lever proper is a metal
bar bent at its outer end, and at its extremity formed with teeth or a serrated edge.
The bar is preferably made flat and thin, so that a joiner's plane or other tool may
pass over without inconvenience, and to work or swivel in line with the surface of
the table or bench. According to one modification, I connect or cast to the bed
plate a long or short standard, forming a bearing for a short horizontal shaft or
stud carrying a cam shaped lever operated by a lever arm, so that the cam may be
rotated in the direction required; an arm free to turn on a pin or stud on the bed
plate is provided with bent outer end and teeth thereon at one end, and on the long
arm thereof, the tail or short arm at the other end is arranged, that the cam may

page_text: operate thereon and abut against the same so as to arrest it, or to change its
position as may be required, and this is effected by raising or depressing the lever
arm which operates the cam.
According to another modification, I use a coiled spring round the spindle
carrying the bench knife lever or holdfast, and a stud stop is provided in the bed
plate to limit the movement of the long lever which is operated by a handle outside;
a spring operates against the lever on the opposite side of the lever to the stop stud,
either one or both of the springs may be used.
According to another arrangement, the handle works on or forms an eccentric
which operates the tail end of the lever holdfast.
According to another arrangement, the short arm of the lever holdfast is formed
with a conical shaped recess to receive conical shaped end of the screw, and to
admit of the screw pressing sideways against the short arm, the screw working
through bracket on bed plate and holdfast.
According to another modification, the holdfast lever is operated by a side lever
swivelled to the bed plate, having a quadrant shaped slot in same through which a
pin on the short arm of the holdfast lever takes, according to the direction the
lever handle is moved; the holdfast is adjusted as required.
According to another modification, the short arm or tail of the holdfast lever is
secured by screw passing through swivelled pin on bed plate, and entering cavity
formed in tail of holdfast for that purpose.
Other modifications might be devised; for example, the short arm may be slotted-
to work over a pin, and when adjusted in position, fastened by a nut on the pin, or
the short end may be jambed by means of cam or eccentric, but I believe I have
described sufficient to explain my Invention. Bench knives or hold fasts made
according to my Invention can be adapted to any joiner's bench. All that is
necessary being to bore a series of holes therein in a straight line down the bench,
so that the two pins or legs will fit into them.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Woodburne in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
October 1879.
.
HENRY WOODBURNE, of Ulverston, in the County of Lancaster, Revolving
Shutter Manufacturer's Manager. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BENCH KNIVES OR HOLD-
FAST TOOLS."
My Invention refers to tools for joiners, carpenters, and others, applicable to
benches and other places for bench knives and holdfasts, and the chief object of the
Invention is to provide simple and efficient means for retaining and adjusting the.
position, and when so adjusted, of securely retaining the knife or holdfast in the
required position as may be desired and required for the work to be performed.
Apparatus or tools made according to my Invention are provided with a bed
plate of convenient size, having two or more pins or legs connected thereto or cast
in a piece therewith, which fit into corresponding apertures formed in the table or
bench to which the holdfast is to be applied, and for this purpose a series of
apertures are or may be formed in the bench, so as to be able to vary the position of
the tool therein, according to circumstances, as may be necessary to suit the
requirements of the work in hand. The pins or legs, or one of them, which might
be made plain, round, or square, are serrated or notched to afford a better grip or
hold of the material of which the bench is composed, than would otherwise be the
The holdfast lever proper is a metal bar bent at its outer end, and at its
extremity formed with teeth or a serrated edge, the bar is preferably made flat, so
that a joiner's plane or other tool may pass over without inconvenience, and to
work or swivel in line with the surface of the table or bench. The accompanying.
Drawings illustrate the manner in which I carry my Inventionanto effect. Figure 1
is a view in plan, and Figure 2 an end view of a tool made according to one
modification. Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the Figures
where the same or corresponding parts occur. k is the bedplate; l, l, are the pins
or legs, and f is the holdfast lever proper.
case.
I connect or cast to the bed plate k a long or short standard a, forming a bearing
for a short horizontal shaft or stud b, carrying a cam shaped lever c, operated by a
lever arm d, so that the cam c may be rotated in the direction required, an arm f
free to turn on a pin or stud g on the bedplate, k is provided with bent outer
end f¹ and teeth thereon at one end; and on the long arm thereof the tail or short
arm i at the other end is arranged that the cam c may operate thereon and abut
against the same, so as to arrest it or to change its position as may be required,
and this is effected by raising or depressing the lever arm d which operates the
cam; 1, 1, are the pins or legs on the underside of the bedplate for insertion in the
apertures provided for that purpose in the bench, and serrated on the circumference
as shown.
Figure 3 is a side elevation, and Figure is a plan of another arrangement.
According to another modification where I use a coiled spring m round the spindle
b, carrying the bench knife lever or holdfast f, and a stud stop n is provided in the
bedplate k, to limit the movement of the long lever f, which is operated by a handle
d outside, a spring o operates against the lever f on the opposite side of the lever to
the stop stud n, and either one or both of the springs may be used.
Figure 5 is a side elevation, and Figure 6 is a plan of another arrangement,
according to another modification where the handle d works on or forms an
eccentric P which operates the tail end i of the lever holdfast f.
Figure 7 is a side elevation, and Figure 8 is a plan of another arrangement.
According to another modification, the short arm i of the lever holdfast f is formed
with a conical shaped recess i¹, shown in dotted lines to receive conical shaped end
and screw j, and to admit of the screw passing sideways against the short arm i,
the screw working through bracket j¹ on bed plate k, and holdfast f.

page_text: Figure 9 is a side elevation, and Figure 10 is a plan of another arrangement
According to another modification wherein the holdfast lever f is operated by a
side lever q swivelled to the bedplate at q', having a quadrant shaped slot rin
same, through which a pin on the short arm i of the holdfast lever f takes;
according to the direction the lever handle is moved the holdfast is adjusted as
required.
Figure 11 is a side elevation, and Figure 12 is a plan of another arrangement.
According to another modification, the short arm or tail i of the holdfast lever f is
secured by screw 8 passing through swivelled pin 8¹ on bedplate k, and entering
cavity formed in tail i of holdfast f for that purpose.
Bench knives or holdfasts made according to my Invention are capable of being
adjusted to any joiners' bench, all that is necessary being to bore a series of holes
in the bench in a straight line down the bench, so that the two pins or legs will
fit into them.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improvements in bench
knives or hold fast tools,-
First. The construction and employment of such apparatus or tools with a bed-
plate and plain, round, square, or serrated edged legs supporting a flat metal bar
capable of being made to swivel on a line with surface of the table or bench, and to
be adjusted and secured in position as required, all substantially in manner and for
the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accom-
panying Drawings.
Second. The several particular constructions and arrangements for operating,
adjusting, and securing bench knives or holdfast tools, substantially as described
and illustrated with reference to the accompanying Drawings, together with any
mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Woodburne, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
HENRY WOODBURNE. (LS.)