IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC PENS, AND IN MACHINES FOR MANUFACTURING METALLIC PENS
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHŃ
HINKS, GEORGE WELLS, and JOSEPH FINNEMORE, all of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Metallic Pen Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fourth day of January, in the seventh year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said John
Hinks, George Wells, and Joseph Finnemore, Her especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that we, the said John Hinks, George Wells, and
Joseph Finnemore, our exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said John Hinks, George Wells, and Joseph Finnemore, our exors, adñiors,
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, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
METALLIC PENS, AND IN MACHINES FOR MANUFACTURING METALLIC PENS;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that we, the said John Ilinks,
George Wells, and Joseph Finnemore, or some or one of us, shall cause a par.
ticular description of the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW ANOWIE, that in compliance with the sand proviso, we, the sand
John Hinks, George Wells, and Joseph Finnemore, do hereby declare that
the nature of our said Invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, are fully described and, ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Our Invention relates, first, to improvements in the manufacture of metallic
pens by using iron, and converting and. hardening it in the process of manu-
facture into pens.
Secondly, our Invention relates to improvements in machinery used for
manufacturing metallic pens...
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the means pursued by us in
carrying out our Invention.
In the manufacture of metallic pens, when of steel, the same is cut into
strips and annealed, and subjected to the process of rolling, in order to reduce
the strips to the desired thickness; the process of forming the pens is then
performed by a succession of dies or tools as is well understood.Now; accord-
ing to our Invention, we, materially improve the manufacture of, metallic,pens,
by reducing the, cost thereof; by substituting iron for steel, and convert it; in
the process of manufacture, into, pens. We take, strips of the best charcoal
iron, of similar widths to those used of steel when intended to make the same
sizes of pens, such iron being generally about twenty-six of the wire gauge ;, and
we reduce the same in thickness by rolling to the desired thickness; for the
pens intended to be made therefrom; and having done so, we cut and pierce
the blanks by dies as when using steel. The blanks so obtained are then put
into the annealing, pots (or other suitable vessels) used when annealing like
blanks made of steel. Into, this pot we introduce with the blanks-vegetable
charcoal or other matter suitable for converting the iron, and we place a layer
of charcoal and a layer of blanks for pens and so on till the pot is nearly full,
and Iwe then fill up the pot with charcoal, and cover, the same to exclude, the
air. The pot is then introduced into a muffle" or other furnace to heat-the
same and to retain it at a bright "worm" red heat for about fourteen hours,
by which the iron will be converted, and be in a condition to be treated (in
completing the making of pens from the blanks) in the same manner-as if the
blanks, had been originally cut from strips of steel; and as the dies and processes
for making pens from blanks are well known and in use, it will not be necessary,
to describe them here, as this part of the Invention does not depend on the tools
used in making pens. And we would only further remark, that although we

page_text: consider that the blanks are the best form, to have the iron in; in order to
carry on the process; offconversion; yet the process may be performed at a later
stage, or it may be performed when the metal is, in 'strips, prepared for pen
making
few
a
es: Welwill now proceed to describe the second" part of our Invention which
relates to machines for making metallic pens.
yotte DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews: an elevation of the machine used for giving motion to several
punches oft dies for performing certain of the processes of making metallic pens;
Figure 2.is an end elevation of the machine; Figure 3 shews a plan of the press;
and Figure 4:shews'an:end elevation in section of some of the parts, in order: that
the mode of giving motion to the punchies of the various dies may be more fully
shewn than could be the case in the other Figures; the same letters of reference
in all these Figures indicating the same parts wherever they occur. a, a, is
the framing of the machine bis: the main or driving shaft, which receives
motion from a steam engine (or other power. On this shaft is affixed an
excentric c; c, which works the sliding plated by means of connecting
rods e, e, the length of which is capable of adjustment, by means of screws and
nuts as is shewn. The sliding plate d is guided in:V guides, affixed to the end
framings by means of the screws f, f; as shewn; 9,h,i,j, and g, h, i, j,
are two sets of punches; g; h', i, j, and g, h, are two sets of lower, dies
with which the respective punches work. In making metallic pens, it is very
commonly the case that the strips of metal' are each wide enough for two pens,
and the machinery shewn is suitable for making from strips of metal wide
enough for two pens to be cut end to end across the strip of metal.;., On the
axis or shaft bis the plate with the crank pin k; and is a connecting rod
attached at one end to the crank pin k, and at the other end to the arm or
lever m which moves freely on the axis. On the axis n is affixed the
ratchet wheel o; to which motion is communicated by means of the driver p,
there being a click or stop'q which prevents the wheelco; moving back....On.
the axis:n are affixed the bevelled toothed wheels, which take, into the
bevelled toothed wheelsrs, which are affixed, on the axes of the upper
feeding rollerstand hence; as motion is; communicated to the main
shaft b, motion will be communicated to the punches) or dies g, h, i, j, of
the-machine; and, at the same time, I'motion will at intervals be given
to the axis,which will move forwards the metal from stage to stage;
each portion of metal for alpen, in its progress through the machine, being
acted on successively by the dies g, h, i, j, in the following manner:-A strip
i

page_text: of metal is introduced between the rollers t, by which it will be brought, first,
under the punch g, then under h, and so on under i and j; the metal will then
be successively operated on by the other dies g, h, i, j, when the metal strip
will pass between the rollers v, and the continued working of the machine will,
at each time of moving the shaft or axis n, carry the metal forward a distance
equal to that between the centre and centre of two neighbouring blanks; the
dies g being for the purpose of stamping. the metal with the maker's name or
other device; the dies h being for perforating the metal for the top of the
centre split; the dies being for forming the side or shoulder splits; and
the dies are for the purpose of cutting out the blanks. By this means it
will be seen that the blanks are not cut out of the strip of metal till certain
of the preparatory processes by dies have been performed thereon, by which
means the metal for making a pen is more readily carried from process to
process by the working of a machine. than can be the case when the blanks
are first cut out. At the same time we would remark that we are the first
who have arranged suitable means for conducting portions of metal from stage
to stage so as to have a succession of operations performed thereto without the
aid of work-people moving them from process to process; and we would wish
it to be understood that, although we prefer to have the machinery so arranged
as not to have the metal cut into blanks till the preparatory processes have
been performed thereon, yet we do not confine ourselves thereto so long as
there are a succession of dies so arranged in succession that the machinery
combined therewith may be capable of carrying the metal from die to die
without conveying the same from die to die by hand, as heretofore practised.
We have in the Drawings shewn the. dies suitable. for making pens of one
form, but as pens are formed according to various devices, as far as the side
splits and perforations are concerned, it will be evident that when a different
formation of metal pen is desired to be made the dies will be changed for.
others suitable for making the particular form or cut of pen required.
Figure 5 shews a front view of a machine for bending metal pens; Figure 6
shews an end view; and Figure 7 shews some of the details more clearly.
This machine works the punch u. by rotatory motion, in a similar manner to
that above described; and the peculiarity of this machine consists in causing
the lower die to be moveable, and combining therewith apparatus to facilitate
the feeding of blanks (for making pens) into the machine, and removing the
bent blank from the lower die. The lower die w is hollow, and is made
capable of being slided to and fro in the bed plate x, as shown, the sliding to-
and-fro being caused by the rising and falling of the sliding plate to which the
die or punch ú is affixed, as will be hereafter explained. y is a projection or

page_text: finger, affixed in front of the bed plate a so as to rest within the hollow of the
lower die w, by which means, as the die moves from under the punch u, the
bent blank for a pen will. be removed from the hollow.die.
2,2; are plates fixed
at the upper part of the lower die; these plates form guage plates, between
which the workman, places a metal blank to be bent. (1) is a guard to prevent
the person getting the fingers too far into the machine; to the back of the
die w is attached the connecting rod (3), which slides through the fixed guide
(4); and it has the plate (5) affixed to its end with a slot formed therein, as is
shewn, within which the projecting stud (6) of the lever (7) works, the lever
(7) moving on an axis at (8), there being a slot (9) formed through the lever,
as is shewn, through which the stud (10) of the arm (11) works, the arm (11)
being affixed to the sliding plate which carries the upper die or punch u,
hence, as that plate rises and falls, there will be a to-and-fro motion com-
municated to the lower die w.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we would wish it to be understood that,
although we have been particular to shew and describe the various details of
the machines as practised by us, yet we would wish it to be understood that
we do not confine ourselves to such details so long as the peculiar character of
either part of our Invention be retained; but what we claim is,-
First, the mode of manufacturing metallic pens by the application of iron
converted in the progress of manufacturing the same into pens.
Secondly, we claim the mode of manufacturing metallic pens by causing the
portions of metal to be subjected to preparatory processes of dies before cutting
out the same into blanks.
Thirdly, we claim the so combining a series of dies and apparatus for the
manufacture of metallic pens, that several processes may be successively per-
formed on the same portions of metal as the same are moved from die to die
by the working of the machinery employed.
Fourthly, we claim the feeding of punching machines, used in the manu-
facture of metallic pens, by means of rollers.
.
And, fifthly, we claim the mode of arranging dies for bending blanks for
making metal pens by causing the lower die to slide to and fro combined with
apparatus herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hinks, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-four.
JOHN (L.S.) HINKS.

page_text: "
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourth day of July, in the
year of our Lord 1844, the aforesaid John Hinks: came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowleged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified in form 'above
written: Andalso the Specification caforesaid: was stamped according to
the tenor, of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-four.