A NEW OR IMPROVED FLOORING CRAMP OR LIFTING JACK
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Brettell Collins, of Birmingham,
Factor, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED FLOORING CRAMP
OR LIFTING JACK."
Sealed the 17th January 1853, and dated the 20th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Brettell
Collins at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 20th November 1852.
I, JOHN BRETTELL COLLINS, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED FLOORING CRAMP OR LIFTING
JACK" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a bar a, having a joint at 6; c, d, are
two screws, passing through the ends of the bar a; plates e, f, are
connected by ball and socket joints, to the ends of the screws
c, d, g, h, are arms attached to the bar a, in the positions shown.
When the bar a, is laid across a rafter or joist, so that the arms g, h,
lie one on each side of the said joist, and the plates e, f, are by
means of the screws c, d, made to press against the boards to be
cramped; the arms g, h, are caused to bear tightly against and grasp
the joist. The cramping is thus effected. The cramp may also be

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said John Brettell Collins in the Great Sea
Patent Office on the 6th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I
JOHN BRETTELL COLLINS, of Birmingham, Factor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Brettell Collins, Her
especial license that I, the said John Brettell Collins, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Brettell Collins, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED FLOORING CRAMP
OR LIFTING JACK," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Brettell Collins, 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 immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Brettell Collins, do hereby
declare that the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon (that is to say):

page_text: Figure 1, represents my Invention in plan, and Figure 2, repre-
sents a portion of the same; Figures 3, and 4, represent a modifica-
tion of my Invention. Figure 1, represents my Invention as it
used in cramping floors: a, is the joist on which the cramp is laid;
b, b, the boards to be cramped; the said cramp consists of the bar c,
having a joint d, by which the cranked lever e, e¹, is jointed thereto;
an arm f, of a form corresponding to that of the arm e¹, of the
cranked lever e, e¹, is rivetted or otherwise fixed to the bar c. Atg,
the arms e, f, are furnished with flanges e, f, at their ends, for the
purpose of retaining the said ends of the said arms in their places;
and the arm f, has teeth on its face at both ends as represented in
Figure 2, which said figure represents the face of the arm f; the
arm e', has teeth at its end ell; h, i, are screws (which said screws
may be double or treble threaded) passing through screw boxes
k, l, on the ends of the arm e, and bar c; the screw box l, is fixed
to the bar c, and the screw box k, is connected with the arm e, by a
joint m; n, o, are plates, connected with screws h, i, by ball' and
socket joints; the said plates n, o, have teeth on their faces as repre-
sented in the Drawing. In using my new or improved cramp, the
bar C₂ is laid across the rafter or joist a, so that the arms e¹, f, shall
lie one on each side thereof; the flanges e",f, and the bar c, resting
on the top of the said rafter or joist; the screws h, i, are turned by
means of the handles ¹, ¹, so as to make the plates n, o, press
against the edge of the board b; the reaction consequent upon the
said pressure causes the ends of the arms e, f, to press against the
sides of the joist a, and the teeth on the ends of the said arms
grip the said joist, and affix the cramp firmly thereto; the teeth p,
also fix themselves in the joist, and secure the cramp in its place
more effectually. The continued motion of the screws h,.i, causes
the cramping of the boards b, b; and the greater the pressure exerted
against the said boards the greater the reaction by which the
cramp is fastened to the joist. On unscrewing the screws h, i, the
pressure by which it was secured to the joist a, being removed, the.
cramp is no longer attached. to the joist. My new or improved
cramp may also be used as a lifting jack, by placing it vertically
and causing it to grasp a vertical support, the action of the several

page_text: parts being the same as when it is used for pressing in a horizontal
plane, as herein-before described, or it may be used for pressing or
lifting in any position intermediate between a horizontal and a
vertical plane.
I sometimes modify my Invention in the following manner; that
is to say, instead of the parts e, f, I substitute the parts repre-
sented in Fig. 3, and 4, and marked q, r, the said parts resembling.
the jaws of a pair of pincers, the part r, being connected to the arm
e, and the part q, to the arm c, the said arms' c, e, being jointed or
hinged together at s; when the arms c, e, are laid on the joist a, the
jaws q,r, lie on each side of the said joist; and when by the
action of the screws h, i, the arms c, e, are forced back from the
boards b, b, the jaws.q, r, grip the joist a, and secure the cramp.
thereto.
Having now described, the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not limit myself to the precise manner of carrying
my Invention into effect, as the same may be varied without departing
from the nature of my said Invention.
But I claim as my Invention the constructing of a flooring cramp
or lifting jack, in which the reaction consequent upon the pressure
exerted by the said flooring cramp or lifting jack, causes the arms
of the same to grasp the joist or other support, and thereby fix the
said flooring cramp or lifting jack, as herein described and repre-
sented on the accompanying Drawing.
i In witness whereof, I, the said John Brettell Collins, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN BRETTELL COLLINS. (L.S.)