IMPROVE- MENTS IN COMBINED TOOLS, APPLICABLE EITHER AS PICK, AS SPADE, OR SHOVEL, OR AS HOE, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR INTRENCHING PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COMBINED TOOLS, APPLICABLE EITHER AS PICK, AS SPADE, OR
SHOVEL, OR AS HOE, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR INTRENCHING
PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Frederick Vogel and Hugo
Noot, both of Vienna, in the Austrian Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th June 1878.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINED TOOLS, APPLICABLE EITHER
AS PICK, AS SPADE, OR SHOVEL, OR AS HOE, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR
INTRENCHING PURPOSES." [A communication from abroad by Frederick Vogel
and Hugo Noot, both of Vienna, in the Austrian Empire.]
According to the present Invention, a combined tool, applicable either as a pick,
as spade, or shovel, or as hoe, is constructed as follows:-A blade having the form
of a shovel or spade has rivetted or welded thereto a shank in the form of a pick.
A shaft or handle is constructed with a central longitudinal cavity at one end, of a
size sufficient to receive the pick, and such part of the handle is enclosed by a
metal sheathing secured thereto. At the upper end, the handle and sheathing have
a lateral hole formed through them, also of a size to receive the pick. Thus when
the tool is to be used as a pick or hoe, the pick is passed through the transverse
hole in the handle and is secured therein by means presently to be described, so
that the pick blade projects laterally on one side of the handle, while the shovel or
spade projects laterally on the other side, so as to serve as a hoe.
For using the tool as a spade or shovel the pick is inserted into the longitudinal
recess in the handle, and is secured therein as I will now describe. In the said
recess in the handle there is a longitudinal groove into which is fitted a wedge-

page_text: shaped piece of metal, having a stud which projects through a slot in the sheathing,
so that on inserting the pick into the recess and then driving the wedge forward
by means of the stud thereof, the tool is securely fixed therein. The same wedge
also serves to secure the tool when this is passed through the transverse hole of the
handle, the pick being provided with a side notch into which the wedge is driven.
Instead of driving the wedge forward by blows upon the stud thereof, the stud
may be made to enter a spiral groove in a sleeve fitted outside the sheathing,
so that it can rotate thereon but cannot shift longitudinally; thus, by turning the
sleeve by hand, the stud of the wedge being moved by the spiral groove thereof
causes the wedge to be pushed forward.
In order further to secure the pick in the longitudinal recess the latter may have
a stud projecting inwards which enters a longitudinal groove in the pick as this is
inserted, and then by turning the pick somewhat round in the recess the stud is
made to enter a lateral groove in the pick, branching from the longitudinal groove.
According to another arrangement for securing the tool, a hole is formed trans-
versely through the pick, and a corresponding hole is formed through the handle
and sheathing at right angles to the hole through which the tool is passed, so that
whether the pick be inserted longitudinally or transversely into the handle a pin
can be driven through the hole of the latter and through that of the handle, thus
securing the tool in position. The pin has a groove into which enters a setting
screw passing through the end of the handle, thus preventing the pin from falling
out.
Or, in place of the pin, a screw may be made to pass through a threaded lateral
hole in the sheathing (which is in this case formed with an external boss), and to
enter the side hole in the pick.
According to another arrangement the tool is hinged to the handle at the junction
of the pick with the shovel, so that it can be turned either into the position in
which the pick and the shovel project laterally from the handle or in the position
in which the pick lies against the handle, the shovel projecting in line with the
latter. In both positions the tool is secured by a suitable catch or by a pin passing
through holes or eyes in the tool and handle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th December 1878.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINED TOOLS, APPLICABLE
EITHER AS PICK, AS SPADE, OR SHOVEL, OR AS HOE, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE
FOR INTRENCHING PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Frederick Vogel
and Hugo Noot, of Vienna, in the Austrian Empire.
According to the present Invention, a combined tool, applicable either as a pick,
as spade, or shovel, or as hoe, is constructed as follows:-A blade having the form
of a shovel or spade has rivetted or welded thereto a shank in the form of a pick.
A shaft or handle is constructed with a central longitudinal cavity at one end, of a
size sufficient to receive the pick, and such part of the handle is enclosed by a metal
sheathing secured thereto. At the upper end, the handle and sheathing have a lateral
hole formed through them, also of a size to receive the pick. Thus, when the tool is
to be used as a pick or hoe, the pick is passed through the transverse hole in the
handle, and is secured therein by means presently to be described, so that the pick
blade projects laterally on one side of the handle, while the shovel or spade projects
laterally on the other side so as to serve as a hoe.
For using the tool as a spade or shovel, the pick is inserted into the longitudinal
recess in the handle, and is secured therein as I will now describe. In the said
recess in the handle there is a longitudinal groove into which is fitted a wedge-
shaped piece of metal, having a stud which projects through a slot in the sheathing,
so that, on inserting the pick into the recess and then driving the wedge forward
by means of the stud thereof, the tool is securely fixed therein. The same wedge
also serves to secure the tool when this is passed through the transverse hole of the
handle, the pick being provided with a side notch into which the wedge is driven.
Instead of driving the wedge forward by blows upon the stud thereof, the stud
may be made to enter a spiral groove in a sleeve fitted outside the sheathing, so
that it can rotate thereon but cannot shift longitudinally; thus by turning the
sleeve by hand, the stud of the wedge being moved by the spiral groove thereof,
causes the wedge to be pushed forward.
In order further to secure the pick in the longitudinal recess the latter may have
a stud projecting inwards, which enters a longitudinal groove in the pick as this is
inserted, and then by turning the pick somewhat round in the recess, the stud is
made to enter a lateral groove in the pick, branching from the longitudinal groove..
According to another arrangement for securing the tool, a hole is formed trans-
versely through the pick, and a corresponding hole is formed through the handle
and sheathing at right angles to the hole through which the tool is passed, so that
whether the pick be inserted longitudinally or transversely into the handle a pin
can be driven through the hole of the latter and through that of the handle, thus
securing the tool in position. The pin has a groove into which enters a setting
screw, passing through the end of the handle, thus preventing the pin from falling
out.
Or in place of the pin a screw may be made to pass through a threaded lateral
hole in the sheathing (which is in this case formed with an external boss) and to
enter the side hole in the pick.
According to another arrangement, the tool is hinged to the handle at the junction
of the pick with the shovel, so that it can be turned either into the position in
which the pick and shovel project laterally from the handle, or in the position in
which the pick lies against the handle, the shovel projecting in line with the latter.
In both positions the tool is secured by a suitable catch or by a pin passing
through holes or eyes in the tool and handle.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1 to 8 of the Drawings shew the first before-described construction of
combined tool.
Figs 1, 2, 3, and 4 show respectively a front view, a side view, a longitudinal
section, and a cross section of the same arranged as a spade or shovel.
Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 shew respectively front view, a side view, a longitudinal
section, and a sectional end view of the tool arranged as a pick and hoe.
The shaft d has its end covered by a metal sheathing e with head piece f, and
has a central recess g in which is a longitudinal groove i extending through f, and
containing a wedge-shaped piece 7. This wedge has a stud m projecting through a
slot k, so that when the blade a constituting the pick is inserted into the recess
and the wedge is driven up by the stud m the blade is held securely in the
position shewn in Figs. 1 to 3, in which the blade c serves as a spade or shovel.
The blade a has a tail piece b to which c is secured firmly by rivetting. The
head of the sheathing has holes h formed transversely through it, so that on the
blade a being withdrawn from the recess and inserted through the holes h, and
being securely fixed by driving the wedge l, as shewn in Figs. 5 to 8, the tool can
be used either as a pick or as a hoe.
Figs 1 to 8, 1b to 8b; and 1 to 8° shew variously modified arrangements for
securing the blade on the shaft, the respective views being the same as those
designated by the same numerals in Figs 1 to 8, and the corresponding parts being
indicated by the same letters of reference.
In the arrangement, Figs. 1 to 8ª, the blade, blade is fixed by means of a pin q
passing through a hole therein, and through holes formed in the head fat right
angles to the holes h through which the blade passes, so that the blade is held in either
position by the pin passing through its hole as shewn. In order to secure the pin q
it is provided with a groove, into which enters a small stud u so that it can only be
drawn out a certain distance.
In the modification shewn at Figs 1b to 8b, the blade is secured in either position
by means of a setting screw o screwing through a boss in the head ƒ and having an
internal head to prevent its falling out, which head enters a corresponding recess in
the side of the blade.
In the modification shewn at Figs. 1° to 8°, a wedge l, similar to that shewn in
Figs. 1 to 8, has a stud m passing through a slot in the sheathing e and into a
helical slot formed in a sleeve q, free to turn on a, but prevented from moving
lengthwise thereon by a pin p, so that on turning the sleeve in one direction the
wedge is moved upwards so as to secure the blade, as described with reference to
Figs. 1 to 8, while by turning it in the contrary direction the wedge is drawn
down so as to release the blade.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents,
I claim the improved construction of combined tool wherein a blade serving as both
pick and as spade, shovel, or hoe, is secured to a shaft, either by passing it into a
longitudinal recess, or through transverse holes in the latter, where it is fixed either
by a sliding wedge, or by a setting screw, or by a pin passing through a hole in the
blade, as herein described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.