IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPADES, SHOVELS, SCOOPS, SCRAPERS, AND SIMILAR IMPLEMENTS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Clément Spineux, of Liège, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
SPADES, SHOVELS, SCOOPS, SCRAPERS, AND SIMILAR IMPLEMENTS.”
"
Sealed the 27th May 1879, and dated the 9th December 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Clément Spineux at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th December 1878.
CLEMENT SPINEUX, of Liège, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer.
IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPADES, SHOVELS, SCOOPS, SCRAPERS, AND
SIMILAR IMPLEMENTS."
"
Spades, shovels, scoops, scrapers, and similar implements, as they have been made
till now, consist, with the exception of a recess for receiving the handle, only in a
flat piece or blade, which is not reinforced or strengthened by any suitable means
and therefore offer no other safety against bending or breakage than that dependent
upon the thickness of metal, such as iron, steel, copper, brass, or other material
employed for their manufacture. They are consequently very often spoiled by
frequent bending and breaking, particularly in their cross-extension, and for this
reason require an exorbitant resisting thickness of metal, rendering them very
heavy, and absorbing to no purpose a considerable amount of labour which other-
wise could be saved.
The object of my Invention is to remedy these grave defects by providing the
blade of the implement with grooves or flutes, varying in their sectional and longi-
tudinal form, their number, and length, according to the shape of the tool, the
purposes for which it is intended, and the nature of the bodies or materials to be
displaced or removed.
The grooves may have the same width and depth throughout, as shewn in
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawing, or they may be made gradually
narrowing down to a point, as represented in Figures 3, 4, and 5, or the reinforcing
grooves may run transversely or in any other convenient direction of the tool, as
indicated in Figures 1 and 3.

page_text: Experience having proved that the strength and resistance of a corrugated plate,
compared with a plain one, increases as the square of depth of the grooves, it will
be evident that the resistance of a corrugated or fluted shovel or other similar
instrument will increase in the same proportion, that is to say, it will offer the
same strength by a much lighter weight and permit a man to perform with its aid
a more effectual work by an equal effort on the same quantity of work by applying
less power. These implements will moreover have the advantage of being less
liable to breakage than plain ones.
The eye of the implement in which the handle is fixed, as heretofore obtained by
welding, is also easily forced open or broken because the welding operation does
not always elicit favorable results by reason of the small thickness of metal
available.
In order to obtain greater strength in this respect I operate in the upper part of
the plate intended to form the blade of the instrument, cross-cuts extending from
the sides to the centre groove; I then lap the resulting strips over each other and
rivet them together, thus forming a very strong eye or socket, as shewn, Figure 6.
Another very strong eye is obtained by providing several cross-cuts in the neck of
the tool and bending the resulting strips alternately outwards and inwards, as
illustrated in Figure 4. The portions cut may also be turned up on the back
as shewn, Figure 3, with a view to still more increase the solidity of the tool.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Clément Spineux in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th May
1879.
"IM-
CLÉMENT SPINEUX, of Liège, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer.
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPADES, SHOVELS, Scoops, SCRAPERS, AND
SIMILAR IMPLEMENTS."
Spades, shovels, scoops, scrapers, and similar implements, as they have been made
till now, consist, with the exception of a recess for receiving the handle, only in a
flat piece or blade, which is not reinforced or strengthened by any suitable means,
and therefore offers no other safety against bending or breakage than that dependent
upon the thickness of metal, such as iron, steel, copper, brass, or other material
employed for their manufacture. They are consequently very often spoiled by
frequent bending and breaking, particularly in their cross-extension, and for this
reason require an exhorbitant resisting thickness of metal, rendering them very
heavy, and absorbing to no purpose a considerable amount of labour which other-
wise could be saved.
The object of my Invention is to remedy these grave defects by providing the
blade of the implement with grooves or flutes varying in their sectional and longi-
tudinal form, their number, and length, according to the shape of the tool, the
purposes for which it is intended, and the nature of the bodies or materials to be
displaced or removed.
The grooves may have the same width and depth throughout, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawing, or they may be made gradually
narrowing down to a point, as represented in Figures 3, 4, and 5, or the reinforcing
grooves may run transversely or in any other convenient direction of the tool, as
indicated in Figures 1 and 3.
Experience having proved that the strength and resistance of a corrugated plate,
compared with a plain one, increases as the square of depth of the grooves, it will
be evident that the resistance of a corrugated or fluted shovel or other similar
instrument will increase in the same proportion, that is to say, it will offer the
same strength by a much lighter weight, and permit a man to perform with its aid
a more effectual work by an equal effort, or the same quantity of work by applying
less power. These implements will moreover have the advantage of being less
liable to breakage than plain ones.
The eye of the implement in which the handle is fixed, as heretofore obtained
by welding, is also easily forced open or broken, because the welding operation
does not always elicit favourable results by reason of the small thickness of metal
available.
In order to obtain greater strength in this respect, I operate in the upper part of
the plate intended to form the blade of the implement cross-cuts extending from
the sides to the centre-groove, I then lap the resulting strips over each other and
rivet them together, thus forming a very strong eye or socket as shewn, Figure 6.
Another very strong eye is obtained by providing several cross-cuts in the neck of
the tool and bending the resulting strips alternately outwards and inwards, as
illustrated in Figure 4. The portions cut may also be turned up on the back, as
shown; Figure 3, with a view to still more increase the solidity of the tool.
Having now described my Invention, I wish it to be understood that I claim and
desire to have the following secured to me by Letters Patent,-
Firstly. The manufacture of spades, shovels, scoops, scrapers, and similar imple-
ments having impressed on their flat part or blade a number of grooves and
elevations intended to secure greater strength, resistance, and durability by less
thickness of metal, and consequently less weight of the tool, substantially as set
forth with reference to the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The strong and durable eye for the reception of the handle of the tool,

page_text: obtained by bending and riveting together strips or slips cut in the blade, substan-
tially as described and illustrated.
Thirdly. The very strong eye obtained by bending alternately outwards and
inwards several strips cut in the neck of the implement, substantially as herewithin
set forth, and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Clèment Spineux, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
CLEMENT SPINEUX.
(L.S.)