IMPROVE. MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES USUALLY MADE IN BRITANNIA METAL, PEWTER, GERMAN OR NICKEL SILVER, AND SILVER, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND ORNAMENTATION OF SUCH ARTICLES. PARTS OF WHICH LAST-NAMED IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Henry Ashberry, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Britannia Metal Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES USUALLY MADE IN
BRITANNIA METAL, PEWTER, GERMAN OR NICKEL SILVER, AND SILVER, AND
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND ORNAMENTATION OF SUCH ARTICLES.
PARTS OF WHICH LAST-NAMED IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 7th September 1866, and dated the 10th March 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip Henry Ashberry
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th March 1866.
I, PHILIP HENRY ASHBERRY, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Britannia
Metal Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES USUALLY
MADE IN BRITANNIA METAL, PEWTER, GERMAN OR NICKEL SILVER, AND SILVER, AND
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND ORNAMENTATION OF SUCH ARTICLES, PARTS
OF WHICH LAST-NAMED IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture and
ornamentation of articles usually made in Britannia metal or pewter of a much
Price 8d.]

page_text: harder alloy than is usual or possible to employ according to the present mode
of manufacturing the same; also, in the manufacture and ornamentation of
articles possessing most of the qualities of German or nickel silver at a much
cheaper rate than has hitherto been the case; also, in combining and applying
such ornamentation to articles of furniture, houses, and other buildings, handles
of cutlery, covers of books, carriages, chandeliers, and other articles. The alloy
of metals is to be composed of tin, 80 parts; antimony, 14 parts; copper, 2 parts;
nickel, 2 parts; aluminium, 1 part; zinc, 1 part; melted together in the usual
manner for common articles.
article to be manufactured.
I add lead in proportion to the quality of the
The molten metal or alloy is to be forced into
the mould for casting the desired article or part of an article by means of a
force pump, and the application of pressure to the mould containing the metal
whilst in a molten or semi-molten state to condense the pores, and to force
the metal into all the crevices of the mould. I make the press or fly in the
ordinary manner, excepting that at the back of it I cast two brackets, one
above the other, to receive a round shaft or pin through them, round which the
fly or press revolves. The shaft or pin is held by a wall plate having two
brackets, one above the other, to correspond with the two brackets on the fly
or press. When both are connected together by the pin they resemble a hinge,
by which the press may be swung horizontally to and from the orifice of the
force pump. I also put a screw thread on the bottom end of the pin to work
in a similar thread in the bottom bracket of the wall plate. The other end
of the pin is made to receive a spanner, by which it may be turned, by
which means (the pin having a washer pinned upon it for the bottom bracket
of the press to rest upon) the press may be raised or lowered to bring the
opening of the mould exactly opposite the opening of the tube which conveys
the metal from the force pump. I also make the stand that holds the bottom
half of the mould to work with a ball-and-cup movement. The ball part or
the part which is made to hold the bottom half mould has its lower part made
into a hemisphere, which works in another stand dished out to receive it, and
which is fastened on the bed of the fly. or press by screws. By the use of this
ball-and-cup movement the faces of the half moulds come in close contact
or bed together, according to the pressure put upon them, and thus prevent
the metal from escaping or "fashing." The nosebit which carries the upper
half mould I fit into the slide of the fly or press in the following manner :-
The tang of the nosebit is turned to fit a corresponding hole in the slide. Near
the top of the tang I turn a groove all round it, and cut holes through the
slide to correspond, into which I drive two pins; when inserted they hold the

page_text: nosebit and the mould which it carries in any desired horizontal position.
The barrel of the force pump I cast to the side of the pit or pan; at its lower
end it has a tube projecting outwards and upwards to convey the metal to the
mould. About halfway between the top and bottom of the barrel an orifice
opens into the pan or pit to allow the melted metal to flow in when the pump
rod is raised. On depressing the lever which is attached to the top of the
pump rod or plunger, it closes (on passing) the orifice into the pit and forces
the metal contained in the barrel of the pump up the tube and into the mould
prepared to receive it.
To allow pressure to be applied to the metal contained in the mould I con-
struct the moulds so that they will prevent the metal running out, and yet not
be closed or "bedded" together. To effect this I sink the shape of the article in
the moulds deeper than is usual by the ordinary process, varying from the eth
to th of an inch in depth; the sides are left perpendicular, and the corre-
sponding mould is made to fit into this depression, also having its sides made
perpendicular; thus the moulds may be held apart to the extent of the depth
of this depression, and yet not allow any metal to escape when pressure is
applied to the mould. To allow the surplus metal to escape I make "nicks"
or gates," through which the metal is forced until the moulds come together
face to face or "bed." In some cases it is preferable to have a separate piece
to contain this depression.
"
The improvements in the ornamentation of articles usually made in the
before-mentioned metals, and which are also applicable in combination there-
with and other suitable metals for the ornamentation of houses and other
buildings, particularly the woodwork, furniture, handles of cutlery, covers of
books, carriages, chandeliers, and other articles, consist in filling crevices or
interstices made in the article itself (or a separate piece soldered or fastened
to it) with a colored composition to imitate enamelling and inlaid work.
The composition which I propose to use is formed by mixing the desired
color or pigment ((in fine powder) with copal varnish until a stiff paste is
formed; with this I fill the crevices or interstices, and then put the article in
a stove to dry; when dry I rub the surface smooth with Trent sand and sweet
oil, and polish off with rottenstone and oil. In some cases it is preferable to
use a composition formed by mixing the color (in fine powder) with superfine
plaster of Paris or gypsum in water, filling the crevices or interstices as before,
drying, and then varnishing with a mixture composed by melting two parts of
rosin in one part of boiled oil, and finishing as before. With regard to those
parts which require to be handled, such as the handles of tea-pots, I prefer

page_text: to make them of copper, and to enamel them all over with a vitreous enamel
by the ordinary method. Another process is to make them of papier mache
pressed into the shape desired, and enamelled or japanned by the usual process;
also to make them of vulcanized india-rubber by pressing the composition into
moulds and afterwards polishing them by the usual procese
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Philip Henry Ashberry, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th September 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PHILIP
HENRY ASHBERRY, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Britannia Metal
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Philip Henry Ashberry, Her special licence that I, the said Philip
Henry Ashberry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Philip Henry Ashberry. 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 MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES
USUALLY MADE IN BRITANNIA METAL, PEWTER, GERMAN OR NICKEL SILVER. AND
SILVER, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND ORNAMENTATION OF SUCH
ARTICLES, PARTS OF WHICH LAST-NAMED IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Philip Henry
Ashberry, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Philip Henry Ashberry, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of
articles usually made in Britannia metal or pewter, by which means harder
alloy of metal may be used than is capable of being used by the present
system of manufacturing the same. Also, the ornamentation of articles in the
above metals, and in combination therewith and other suitable metals appli-
cable to the ornamentation of furniture, houses, and other buildings, handles
of cutlery, covers of books, carriages, chandeliers, &c. The alloy which I prefer
to use (but I do not limit myself to this mixture) I propose to call "Ashberrium,"
it is composed of tin, 80 parts; antimony, 14 parts; copper, 2 parts; nickel, 2
parts; aluminium, 1 part; zinc, 1 part; melted together in the usual manner.
For common articles I add lead in proportion to the quality of the article
desired to be manufactured. I force the molten metal or alloy into the mould
to cast the desired article or part of an article either by means of a force pump
or by the force of its own gravity.
The force pump plan is shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3.
J is a pan containing the molten metal; K is a piston working in a
cylinder; is a lever to work the same; as the lever is represented it shews
the piston ready to force the molten metal which has entered by the hole Q
out of the barrel of the pump up the tube which conveys it into the moulds
N and 2; (the dotted lines in Fig. 3 shews the section of the pump pan and
tube); the piston closes on passing the orifice Qin the barrel of the pump.
Fig. 4 shews the plan of using the force of the metal's own gravity instead of a
force pump; J is the pan to contain the molten metal; M is the tube which
conveys the metal to the mould N' and 2; R is a rod which fits tight on the
bottom end of the tube M to prevent the metal flowing out; S is a helical
spring for the purpose of pressing the rod down; L is a lever to raise the rod
and allow the metal to flow into the mould. I do not limit myself to these
plans of filling the moulds with metal. I make the fly or press to hold and
give the requisite pressure to the moulds in the usual manner, excepting that
at the back of it I cast two brackets upon it, one above the other, see
Figs. 1, 2, 3. A is the frame of the fly; A' and A are the brackets which
receive the round shaft C through them, round which the fly partly revolves;
the shaft is held by a wall plate B, having two brackets B' and B³, one above
the other, to correspond with the brackets on the fly. When both are connected
together by the shaft C it resembles a hinge, by which the press may be
swung horizontally to and from the orifice M of the force pump. I also put

page_text: screw thread on the bottom end of the shaft C to work in a similar thread in
the bottom bracket B of the wall plate B; the other end of the shaft C is
made to receive a spanner, by which it may be turned; by which means (the
shaft having a washer D pinned upon it for the bottom bracket A of the
press to rest upon), the press may be raised or lowered to bring the opening
of the mould N¹ and N exactly opposite to the opening of the tube M which
conveys the metal from the force pump. E is a nut to fix the press at the desired
elevation. I make the stand F, G, that holds the bottom half of the mould
to work with a ball-and-cup movement; the ball part G (shewn by the dotted
line, Fig. 3) which holds the bottom half of the mould, on which may be part
of the mould itself, has its lower part made into a hemisphere, which works in
another stand E dished out to receive it; both are held to the bed of the
press by screws, the arrangement of which is shewn by the dotted lines in
Fig. 3. By the use of this ball-and-cup movement the faces of the mould
come into close contact or "bed" together, according as the pressure is put
upon them, and thus prevent the metal from "fashing" or escaping. The
nosebit H which carries the upper half of the mould N¹ I fit into the slide I
of the press in the following manner:-The tang H of the nosebit is turned
to fit a corresponding hole in the slide; near the top of the tang (in the dotted
lines, Fig. 3, I turn a groove all round it, and cut holes through the slide to
correspond, into which I drive two pins (Figs. I and 4); when inserted they
hold the nosebit and the mould which it carries in any desired horizontal
position.
Fig. 4 shews another arrangement of the press; in this case the press part
is placed at an angle of about 45 degrees. I do no limit myself to the form
and arrangement of the fly or press described, but adapt the principle to the
different requirements of the articles to be manufactured. To complete the
description of the Figs. 1, 2, 3, T is the wall of the building; U, U, are the
sides of the furnace to melt the metal; V is a flue; W is the top plate over
the fire; X is the front plate and door; Y is the draw plate or door of the
furnace; Z is the ash place. In Fig. 4 the furnace is carried by a pillar Z.
Fig. 1 is a side view; Fig. 2, a plan; and Fig. 3, a front view. The press
is represented with the moulds ready for filling with metal. o is a wheel to
work the screw of the fly or press; and P is the screw which raises or lowers,
and gives the required pressure to the moulds. To allow pressure to be
applied to the metal whilst in the mould I construct the moulds so that they
will prevent the metal running out, and yet not be closed or bedded together;
to effect this I sink the shape of the articles in the moulds deeper than is

page_text: usual by the ordinary process of casting, varying in depth from 'th to of an
inch; the sides of this depression are left perpendicular, and the corresponding
mould is made to fit into this depression, also having its sides made perpen-
dicular. Thus the moulds may be held apart to the extent of the depth of
this depression, and yet not allow any metal to escape. To allow the surplus
metal, when necessary, to escape when pressure is applied to the moulds, I
make niches or "gates," through which the metal is forced until the moulds
come together face to face, or "bed." In some cases it is preferable to have
a separate piece to contain this depression.
For the purpose of keeping the moulds warm I construct the stand so as to
allow the combustion of gas underneath it, see Fig. 1, 3, 4. In Fig. 3 the
arrangement not seen in the others is shewn by dotted lines. a is a pipe to
convey the gas to the burners, and is connected with the source of supply by
flexible piping; it enters through a hole in 'the bottom of the fly bed for the
purpose, and is then divided into four burners; s are openings to allow the
heated air to escape. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, shew the construction of the moulds,
which are drawn working size, to cast a tea spoon. Fig. 4 represents the
mould closed or bedded together; the dotted lines shew the section down the
centre of the mould; the space between the dotted lines is the space to be
fitted with the molten metal, and which forms the spoon; Fig. 5 represents
the two halves of the mould held apart, shewing in the top half mould N' the
projection, the shape of the article which fits into a corresponding depression
(shewn by dotted lines) in the bottom half mould No. Fig. 6 represents the
face of the top mould; Fig. 7, the face of the bottom mould. o is the gate
or entrance for the molten metal to fill the mould; P are pegs which fit into
corresponding holes in the other mould to guide the moulds together. For
general purposes steel is the best material with which to construct the moulds,
but I do not limit myself to this metal, nor to the particular arrangement just
described of constructing the moulds, but adapt the principle to the require-
ments of the article to be cast.
The manner in which I ornament articles usually made in Britannia metal,
pewter, German or nickel silver, and silver, and which is also applicable in
combination with these and other suitable metals, for the ornamentation of
houses and other buildings, particularly the woodwork thereof, furniture,
handles of cutlery, covers of books, carriages, chandeliers, &c., is as follows:--
I fill ornamental crevices made in the article itself or a separate piece soldered
or fastened to it, with a colored composition, to imitate enamelling and inla
work.

page_text: The composition which I use is formed by mixing the desired color (in
fine powder) with copal varnish until a stiff paste is formed; with this I fill
the crevices, and then put the article in a stove to dry; when dry I rub the
surface smooth with Trent sand and sweet oil, and polish off with rottenstone
and oil. In some cases it is preferable to use a composition formed by mixing
the color (in fine powder) with superfine plaster of Paris in water, filling the
crevices as before, drying, and then varnishing with a mixture composed by
melting two parts resin in one part boiled linseed oil, and finishing as before.
The manner in which I apply this Invention to the ornamentation
of buildings is as follows:-I form a metal web to contain the colored
paste, either by casting, as the process herein-before described, or by piercing,
or any other known process; when it is intended for walls or purposes which
have little wear I make it very thin, about 1 th of an inch thick, but for
floors I make it thicker, in proportion to the wear it is likely to be placed to.
The pattern of the web may be in any style desired, or, when it is intended
to be used for an object of which only one or few would be wanted, it would
not be remunerative (unless expense was no object) to construct the necessary
moulds; in this case I construct the web in the form of fine cheques, and the
coloured paste is filled in to form the design in a similar manner that Berlin
wool is worked to represent different designs.
The pieces of webbing may be made in squares, or diamonds, or any other
shape to fit into each other, or a running border, or especially made to fit the
object intended to ornament, and may be filled with the paste whilst away
from the object, and fastened to it either by pinning or cementing, when it is
necessary to previously fasten the webbing to the object before filling; the
paste will dry of itself; (the application of the stove is for the sake of
expedition), and may be finished in the same manner as previously described.
In those parts of articles which are usually made in Britannia metal,
pewter, German or nickel silver, and silver) which have to be handled, such
as the handles of tea and coffee pots, I prefer to make of thin copper, and
enamel them all over with a vitreous enamel by the usual method of effecting
the same; ot make them of papier mache by pressing it into the desired shape
by means of dies, and afterwards enamelling or japanning by the usual process;
or make them of vulcanized india-rubber by pressing it into moulds to form the
desired shape, and afterwards polishing by the usual process.
Fig. 8 illustrates the system of ornamentation; the dark spaces represent
the coloured paste filled into the crevices; the light part of the design represents
the metal webbing. Fig. 9 shews it applied to the ornamentation of a spoon.

page_text: The application of pressure to the article in the process of casting whilst in
the mould, and whilst the metal is in a semi-molten state, to condense the
pores and to force the metal into every crevice of the mould; and the con-
struction of the moulds to allow this pressure to be applied.
The forcing of metal into the mould to cast the desired article or part of an
article, that is to say, all articles usually made in Britannia metal or pewter.
The application of the colored paste in filling crevices in metal for the
purpose of ornamentation.
The hinge movement of the press, and the arrangement for raising and
lowering the press for this object.
The arrangement by which the nosebit is held for this object.
The ball-and-up arrangement of the stand for this object.
The mixture of metal called "Ashberrium."
The application of a vitreous enamel for enamelling the handles of tea pots,
coffee pots, and kettles.
The application of papier mache for the same purpose.
And the application of vulcanized india-rubber for the same purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philip Henry Ashberry, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
JOHN CLARK,
7, St. James' Row,
Sheffield.
(5.8.)