IMPROVEMENTS IN BOXES AND PINS OR SCREWS FOR VICES AND PRESSES
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
WILKES, of Darleston, in the County of Stafford, Iron Founder, 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 Twenty-sixth day of September, in the third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Wilkes, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Samuel Wilkes, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Samuel Wilkes, my exors, admors, 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, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOXES AND PINS OR SCREWS FOR VICES AND
PRESSES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said Samuel Wilkes, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
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 KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Wilkes, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:
According to the ordinary means now pursued in the making of boxes for
vices, the same are made of several parts and joined together, and the female
screws on the inside of such boxes are made by rods of iron bent into the
spiral direction of thread of a screw, which are affixed within the boxes by
brazing, as is well understood; and owing to such means being pursued, con-
siderable difficulty is found in making such boxes and the female screws therein
with strength and truth; and with many boxes for presses similar means are
pursued with like difficulties, and like want of truth and strength: In making
the pins or male screws of vices, the same are usually cut out of solid iron or
steel in lathes.
Now, the object of my Invention is, first, to construct the boxes of vices of
malleable cast iron.
Secondly, to constructing the pins of male screws of vices of malleable
cast iron.
Thirdly, my Invention relates to the construction of the boxes of screw
presses of malleable cast iron.
Fourthly, my Invention relates to the construction of the male screws of
screw presses of malleable cast iron.
And, fifthly, my Invention relates to the mode of producing moulds and
cores for casting the boxes and pins or screws of vices and presses of any
similar cast metal.
And in order to give the best information in my power, I will proceed to
describe the means pursued, by me. In making moulds for the boxes of vices,,
the most important part of the process is the making of a suitable core, in
order to produce the internal surface and female screw; and I make the cores.
of sand, or sand and loam, as is well understood in casting in metals, I prefer
a box by preference of brass, of the exact figure I desire to have in cast
metal, such brass box being made with great accuracy; and I also. make
the pin or male screw. by preference of brass, to fit the brass box with
accuracy, and such brass, box and-pin-or male, screw, become the means of
producing the cores for the interior of the boxes, and, the brass screw the
means of making moulds for the pins or screws. The brass box I divide into,
three equal parts longitudinally, and hinge them together, and have two rings
or hoops of brass which fit over the ends of the box, in order to keep all
parts closely together when the same are shut together in the act of making a

page_text: core.
up
In making a core, I proceed to dust charcoal or other suitable material
over the surfaces, and fill each of the three parts of the mould, and pressing
the sand into the worm of the screw I scrape off the side of the sand, so that
the sand stands up in an angle of each of the three parts of the mould, and I
make a rod of wood (about a quarter of an inch square, and somewhat longer
than the core, so as to protrude at each end) in the centre on one of the
angles, in such manner that the rod will be in the centre when the mould is
shut, and this rod strengthens the core when produced, and also is the means
of carrying the core in the centre of the sand mould, made of a suitable shape
for the external of the box; and I make the boxes for vices of the same
intended and external figure as those now used, as above explained, are made
of several parts. The mould or brass box being closed with the sand core on
the inside, I place the two rings or hoops on the ends of the same, which bind
the
parts closely together; I then with a mallet strike the outer surface of the
brass box or mould lightly in different places, and then remove the rings or
hoops from off the ends, and open out the three parts of the mould, by which
the core will be released, which is then to be dried, as is well understood by
workmen engaged in casting with sand cores; the mould for the external
figure of the boxes is formed in sand in two halves, as is ordinarily practised
in casting other articles in sand moulds, by models of the external figure and
size of the box being pressed into two surfaces or frames of sand, and a core
is placed longitudinally across, that is, from end to end one half of such
mould, and then the two frames are to be brought together and clamped, and
the casting made, the workman pursuing the same care and means usually
observed in casting hollow articles in iron. And I would remark, that my
Invention does not relate to the process of casting, such process in this case
being similar to the ordinary means in general practice for casting of iron;
and I would only remark, that the workman should pay particular attention to
the accuracy of placing and making the core, particularly the female screw
portion thereof; and I employ in performing the first part of my Invention
that description of cast iron which is well known as malleable cast iron, and
which, after being cast of the figure desired, becomes very tough and strong
by annealing, and will allow of strong and heavy blows of a hammer or other
instrument without breaking; indeed, it is well known that after annealing
malleable cast iron may be hammered and forged when cold, and hence I
have discovered that it is peculiarly applicable in the making of the boxes of
vices; and by suitable care in the process of casting, boxes may be made
requiring little dressing or after treatment. The casting of a box for a vice

page_text: being produced from malleable cast iron, it is to be annealed, as is well
understood by persons in the practice of making articles in malleable cast iron;
and I prefer to perform this operation by employing the rich iron ores of
Cumberland in the state of powder in the annealing pots, and I place the vice
boxes in a vertical position in such pots, closely filled inside and out with such
rich ore; but I do not confine myself to the use of such rich ores, as other of
the materials for annealing the malleable cast-iron boxes may be employed
which are now used in annealing other articles made of malleable cast iron..
The above observations also apply in making the pins of male screws of vices
of malleable cast iron; and in placing them in the annealing pot, I also take
care to keep them vertical.
I will now proceed to describe the second part of my Invention, which
relates to the making of the pins or male screws of vices. I make the mould
for the screw part of the pin by means of sand, or sand and loam, by placing
it in a tube or other similar receptacle, and on one end of the tube containing
the sand I have a top to fit on such top or cover, having a female screw formed
therein of a proper size to allow of the brass model of the male screw above
mentioned to screw there through such top, acting as a means of correctly
guiding the model screw as it is turned into the sand contained in the tube.
When the sand is closely pressed into the tube, and the top fixed thereon, I
force a cylindrical rod into the sand, so as to produce a hole nearly as large as
the smaller diameter of the intended screw, and of a length into the sand
equal to the screw part of a male screw or pin of the vice; I then take the
model screw and cause it to pass through the female screw in the top or cover
of the tube, and by continuing to turn the model screw it enters into the sand
and produces a female screw therein. I then remove the model screw by
turning it back, and by this means a mould for a male screw will be produced;
I then remove the cover or top of the tube, and add the tube to a mould
properly prepared for forming the head of the pin or male screw of a vice; I
then run the melted metal into the conjoined mould, by which a male screw
or pin with a head and stem is produced corresponding to those of the
ordinary kind used in vices, but differing inasmuch as the cast one being of
malleable cast iron, which is to be annealed in like manner to what has been
explained in respect to the malleable cast-iron boxes of vices. And I need
only further remark, in respect to this part of my Invention, that I have found
that about five days and nights' annealing is sufficient for the boxes and pins
of vices; but this time may with advantage be extended if the boxes and
screws be large.

page_text: In making boxes of screw presses I make the core in a similar manner to
that pursued for making boxes of vices, and the same is similar in respect to
the female screw part thereof, and only differs in respect to the other parts; but
whatever be the shape of the boxes they will be cast, as is well understood in
making moulds for casting hollow bodies in iron, the core for the female screw
part of such box being made as above explained. And in respect to the male
screws of screw presses, they are to be made in moulds produced by a proper
model screw being turned into a quantity of sand in any proper tube or
receiver, as above explained in respect to screws for vices, and the screw part
of the mould is to be joined to a proper mould for forming the head or end of
the screw, and I run the molten metal into such moulds; and the only
difference in the boxes and screws of screw presses from those ordinarily used,
will be in respect to those according to my Invention being made of malleable
cast iron; and such boxes and pins or screws are to be annealed in like
manner to those above described. It should be stated, that in case any
inequality exists in the boxes in respect to the female screw after they are
annealed, I run a screw tap or tool into them, which quickly removes such
trifling inequalities, and such is the case with respect to the pins or male
screws made according to my Invention; but I have seldom found that the
male screws have required to be passed into or acted on by a screw tool.
I would in conclusion remark, that the mode of making the core may be
varied by using more than three parts properly jointed or hinged together, and
the mode of making such core may be employed in casting screw boxes for
vices and screw presses from other metal, and such is the case in respect
to the making of male screws or pins for vices and presses; but I have not
found any other metal offer the strength and cheapness and general utility
of malleable cast iron.
And I would have it understood, that in making boxes and pins or screws
for vices and presses of malleable cast iron, the mode of making the moulds
and the mode of carrying on the various processes may be varied without
departing from my Invention; but I would have it understood that what I
claim is,―
First, the constructing boxes of vices of malleable cast iron.
Secondly, I claim the constructing the pins of male screws of vices of
malleable cast iron.
Thirdly, I claim the construction of boxes of presses of malleable cast iron.
Fourthly, I claim the constructing of male screws of presses of malleable
cast iron.

page_text: And, lastly, I claim the mode of making the moulds for making cores for
asting the boxes of vices and screws of three or more pieces.
And also I claim the mode of forming the moulds for casting male screws
f vices and presses when casting them in metal, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Wilkes, have hereunto set my 5
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty.