FOR CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING FILES OF VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS
Year: 1826

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL.COME, I, BENJAMIN
Cook, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Brass Founder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George, the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing.date.at West-
minster, the Seventh day of February, in the seventh year of His reign, did, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,.the.said Benjamin
Cook, His especial licence that I, the said Benjamin Cook, my executors,
adıministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin Cook; my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention "FOR
CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING FILES OF VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Benjamin
Cook, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed; and to cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and, by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Benjamin Cook, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is described and ascertained
in the following explanation thereof (that is to say):-
I first make of cast-iron, wrought-iron, steel, metal, wood, or wood plated
with metal, a frame or carcase, upon or into which I affix plates or strips of
steel cut-into files, of such sizes as the frame is intended for. These frames
may be constructed of any form or weight required. See the following
A is the carcase or frame, to which any shape may be given, admitting of
the desired weight. Supposing the Drawing above to be intended as an eight
pound rubber, the carcase or frame A would be made about six pounds weight.
B is a piece of steel to weigh about two pounds, cut as a file either on one
sidle or both; this piece of steel or file is driven into the blank space of the
carcase marked C, which is made sunk, leaving projecting dovetails or grooves
which hold it fast, and it is then to all intents a rubber, and when worked
down may be turned, or a fresh face put in. But the modes of fastening these
faces or strips admit of great variety; several of the more obvions are here par-
ticularized; it is not to the method of fastening the face or file upon the
carcase to which I confine myself.
The merit of the Patent, and for which I claim the exclusive privilege, is,
the affixing movable faces cut as files, of whatever weight or shape, to be used
upon carcases or frames in the place of files or rubbers as at present con-
structed, one advantage of which plan is, that they may be afforded for little
more than half the price of files as heretofore made; a still more important
advantage will be gained by the strips or file parts being made of the very best
materials, thereby rendering them much more durable. The present rubbers
are of necessity composed of iron in the centre, the substance not allowing of
the foreign iron of which they are made being converted into steel throughout;
now, the plate or strip inserted into the carcase may be made either of the
purest cast steel or the best bars, thereby admitting of being re-cut until too
A further advantage will be found in the facility with which
different descriptions of files may be obtained; thus, a set of sliding or move-
able faces may be made to consist of the following proportion to a dozen or
any other number required: say, four rough face, four bastard cut, two second
cut, one smooth, and one supersmooth; the three latter descriptions, which

page_text: •
would be very expensive as rubbers, and are often required, would be much
reduced in expence by being moveable faces. These strips would further admit
of re-cutting several times, as before stated, and might always be conveyed for
re-cutting at a slight expence, where they. would be re-cut, fitted into a
standard carcase or frame kept at the works, and sent back equal in every
respect to new ones. The suggestion or wish of any consumer could be com-
plied with as to the weight or shape of his carcase or frame, the pattern of
which nay be required to vary for different descriptions of work on his sending
a drawing or wood model. Frauds might be prevented or checked by the con-
sumer's name being cast or struck on the frames, if desired. The first cost of
the frames of cast-iron would be comparatively light, and they would last for
an indefinite period. The advantages, as regards the saving, are particularly
striking where large files are consumed; the heavier these are required the
greater the economy. In many manufactories heavier rubbers would be con-
sumed than at present, as enabling the workmen to perform their work both
better and quicker, but that the expence is so great; now, upon my patent prin-
ciple, an effect may be produced by a plate of steel weighing two pounds or
less, if required, equal to what would be derived from a ten or twelve pound
rubber. By means of a frame made of hard wood, a file or rubber little more
than the weight of the plate itself would be obtained. In short, the Patent is
calculated to answer, with a comparatively small assortment of strips, purposes
which would require an expensive collection of files and rubbers as now usually
made. The Patent may also be rendered applicable for half-round files, three
squares, rasps, floats, and any or every description of cut or tooth.
The following are a few of the methods which may be made use of for
fastening the strips, in addition to the one previously described, as No. 1.
A is the carcase; B, the strip, let in to prevent its moving, in an
angular shape at top, and grooved in so as to admit of the sides turning and
falling square at the handle, where it fastens by means of a screw passing
through the handle, the top of which would form a cap. This strip may be cut

page_text: This strip B. may be let in as the former one, but held firm by a screw
falling into a countersunk hole at C, and passing through the carcase held fast
by a nut on the outside.
Extras in Chancery.
AND BE. IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Fourth day of August, .in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Benjamin Cook came before our Lord
the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and
all and every thing therein contained, in form .above written. And also the
*Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute in
that case made and provided.
Inrolled the 'Seventh day of August, in the year above written.