AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SNUFFERS
Year: 1821

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SIMPSON, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Surgical Instrument
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster, the
Third day of July, in the second year of His reign, give and grant unto me,
the said James Simpson, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said James Simpson, my
exors, adñiors, and assigns, during the term of years therein mentioned, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SNUFFERS;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso that if I, the said James Simpson, shall not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty High Court of
Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties
and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine,
and become void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Simpson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the following descrip-
tion thereof (that is to say) :-

page_text: My improvement in snuffers consists in the application of compound levers
annexed to the handles of the snuffers, by the action of which a scraper
is projected along the box or chamber, and the snuff immediately after it
is cut is forced into a receptacle, which prevents it from falling out of
the chamber when the chop of the snuffers is again opened.
A representation of this improved construction is shewn in the Drawing
annexed, the top of the chamber being removed for the purpose of exhibiting
the action of the parts within. a, a, a, a, are the compound levers, connected
together by pivot joints, their extremities being attached to the bows of the
handles at b, b, and to the rod of the scraper at c. It will now be perceived
that by bringing the bows or handles together, the moving chop d cuts the
snuff off against the straight edge, which snuff immediately falls into the
chamber e, at the same time by the closing of the bows the compound lever
projects the scraper f forward, which in its passage raises the lever g for the
purpose of lifting the cap or cover h, while the scraper forces the snuff into the
receptacle below.
The various parts of these improved snuffers may be made of steel, silver, or
any other material which may appear suitable; and their form or fashion may
be varied at the pleasure of the manufacturer.
My Invention and consequent claim of originality being confined simply to
the adaptation of the compound levers to snuffers for the purpose of projecting
a scraper forward as above described, and which contrivance is perfectly new
in that situation, to the best of my knowledge and belief.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Simpson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-one.