AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHETS AND CUTLASSES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Mole, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, and Frederick Major Mole, of Birmingham
aforesaid, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHETS AND CUTLASSES."
Sealed the 17th October 1860, and dated the 17th August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Mole and
Frederick Major Mole at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 17th August 1860.
We, ROBERT MOLE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, and FREDERICK MAJOR MOLE, of Birmingham aforesaid, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for. "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHETS AND CUTLASSES," to be as.
follows:-
Our Invention consists in galvanizing matchets and cutlasses, that is 'to say,.
coating them with zinc, whereby the said matchets and cutlasses are preserved
from oxidation, and the grinding process is rendered wholly or in part
unnecessary.
We effect the said galvanizing or coating with zinc in the way ordinarily

page_text: practised in coating iron with zinc, that is to say, we cleanse the surface of the
matchets and cutlasses and plunge them into a bath of melted zinc, the surface
of, which is covered with sal ammoniac or other flux. Although we prefer to
-use zinc unalloyed with other metals in carrying our Invention into effect, yet
alloys consisting mainly of zinc may be employed with nearly the same effect
as unalloyed zinc.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Mole and Frederick Major Mole in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 15th February 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
MOLE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, and
FREDERICK MAJOR MOLE, of Birmingham aforesaid, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
-Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign; did, for. Herself, Her heirs and successors, give: and grant unto us,
the said Robert Mole and Frederick Major Mole, Her special licence that
we, the said Robert Mole and Frederick Major Mole, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Mole and
Frederick Major Mole, our 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
"AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHETS AND
CUTLASSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Robert
Mole and Frederick Major Mole, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or their hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us or them, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Major Mole, on behalf of
myself and the said Robert Mole, do hereby declare the nature of the. 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, that is
to say:
Our Invention consists in finishing the blades of matchets and cutlasses by
galvanizing them, that is to say, by coating them with zinc. By galvanizing or
coating the blades of matchets and cutlasses with zinc they are preserved from
rusting or oxidation, and the grinding process, by which they are ordinarily
finished, is rendered wholly or in part unnecessary.
We effect the galvanizing or coating of the blades of matchets and cutlasses
with zinc in the way ordinarily practised in coating iron with zine, that is to
say, we cleanse the surfaces of the matchet and cutlass blades by immersion
in dilute sulphuric or muriatic acid, and by scouring the said surfaces with
sand mixed with dilute sulphuric or muriatic acid. After the matchet and
cutlass blades have been thus made quite clean and free from scale or oxide,
and have been dried, we plunge them into a bath of melted zinc, the surface of
which is covered with sal ammoniac or other flux. On removing. the matchet
and cutlass blades from the bath of melted zinc they are coated with metallic
zinc.
We do not think it.necessary to describe in detail the several stage of the
process by which the matchet and cutlass blades are galvanized or coa. with
zinc, as the said galvanizing, process is well known and commonly practised,
and constitutes no part of our Invention.
When matchet and cutlass blades are to be galvanized or coated with zinc
according to our Invention, the grinding process by which matchet and cutlass
blades are ordinarily finished is unnecessary, as the coating of zinc gives to the
said matchet and cutlass blades a smooth surface. When, however, it is
wished to give a very smooth surface to the finished matchet or cutlass blades,
the said blades may be ground before being galvanized, but in this case it is
not necessary to grind them to the extent required when they are not to be
galvanized. Although we prefer to use zinc unalloyed with other metals in
carrying our Invention into effect, yet alloys consisting mainly of zinc may be
employed with nearly the same effect as unalloyed zinc.
Having now described the nature of our Invention and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we claim as
our Invention the improvement or improvements in the manufacture of matchets
and cutlasses herein-before described, that is to say, galvanizing or coating the

page_text: blades of matchets and cutlasses with zinc, so as to prevent their rusting or
oxidation, and rendering the grinding process wholly or in part unnecessary.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Major Mole, have hereunto
⚫ set my
:hand and. seal, this Fourteenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to 'George Shaw.
FREDERICK MAJOR MOLE. (L.S.)