IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR BENDING THE ENDS OF WALKING STICKS AND THE STICKS OR HANDLES OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joshua Jones and Richard Daniel
Jones at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 10th March 1865.
We, JOSHUA JONES and RICHARD DANIEL JONES, both of New Mills,
Chalford, in the County of Gloucester, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR BENDING THE ENDS OF
WALKING STICKS AND THE STICKS OR HANDLES OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used for
bending the ends of walking sticks and the sticks or handles of umbrellas
and parasols. For these purposes a form or solid block is used; it is
made to the curvature desired to be given to the bent end of the stick,
and it is preferred that the form of block should be of a size to have several
sticks bent thereon at the same time. A flat chain is used with such form or
block. This flat chain is made with grooves on its surface, each groove being
arranged to receive a stick, so that the end of each stick which is about to be
bent is partly embraced by the groove on the surface of the flat chain. The form
or block is also made with grooves, and such is also the case with the jaws of a
vice, in which the sticks are held when bending their ends, and this vice has the
form or block before mentioned attached to it. The ends of the sticks to be bent
are first softened by inserting them into damp and warm sand, as has before
been the practice. The several sticks are inserted into the vice, and are held
at such a distance from their ends as is required to form the desired length of

page_text: bend. The flat grooved chain at one of its ends is fixed to the vice, whilst its
other end is fixed to a lever handle, by which the chain and the ends of the
sticks are bent against the form or block, so that when the ends of the sticks
are bent on the form or block the chain supports the grain of the wood at the
outer surface and prevents it being injured. In connecting the end of the
chain to the lever it is adjusted by a screw to the length desired. The lever,
when the bending has been effected, is retained by a lever hooked catch.
The form or block, which is solid, is kept heated on its external surface in
any suitable manner; heat is thus also communicated to the jaws of the vice,
by which the parts of the sticks held thereby are dried. The several sticks
when their bent ends have been held to the surface of the form or block for a
sufficiently long time to become dry or set are released. The form or block
and the flat chain used therewith may be made suitable for bending one stick
at a time, and in such case the form or block will be heated by a jet or flame
of gas on its external surface. It is not essential that the form or block
should be heated before bending the sticks thereon, as the bending may with
equal facility be performed when the forms or blocks are cold, the object
of applying heat to the forms or block and parts connected therewith is
for setting, hardening, and drying the sticks which have been previously
moistened.