IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING MAKING HANDLES FOR CN DEVOITS DENFOLDERE AND STURD ARTICT DE "CILS PENHOLDERS OTHERIC
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Walker, of Gresham Street, in the City of
London, and of Alcester, in the County of Warwick, Needle Manufac-
turer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING
MAKING HANDLES FOR
CN DEVOITS DENFOLDERE AND STURD ARTICT DE "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Walker at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th May
1862.
I, HENRY WALKER. of Gresham Street, in the City of London, and of
Alcester, in the County of Warwick, Needle Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING HANDLES FOR
CROCHET NEEDLES, PENCILS, PENHOLDERS, AND OTHER ARTICLES," to be as
follows:-
I take a piece of paper of width and length according to the size of handle
to be made, which cover on one side with glue or some other adhesive
matter, and I wind it round a spindle, which spindle may be of such dimentions
that would give any suitable size or length of pole, and on those parts of the
handles which should be thicker or thinner than other portions. I wind round
I then
more or less paper accordingly, and I then withdraw the spindle.
proceed to cover the handles ornamentally with papers printed in imitation of
porcupine quills or with designs in imitation of enamelled work, or other

page_text: suitable ornamental designs, and sometimes I cover them instead thereof with
japan varnish. or with varnish mixed with coloured pigments. which when
dried, form a smooth even surface suitable for use, either with or without
further ornament. In some handles required to be very strong, I also use thin
cloth, hemp, or cotton, wool, or cord, with the paper, which I roll round the
enindlo
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Henry Walker in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WALKER, of Gresham Street, in the City of London, and of Alcester, in the
County of Warwick, Needle Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Walker, Her special licence that 1, the said Henry Walker, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Walker, my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING HANDLES
FOR CROCHET NEEDLES, PENCILS. PENHOLDERS, AND OTHER ARTICLES,"
upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Walker, my executors or
.administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 on or before the Twenty-
sixth day of November, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
NOW KNOW YE, that I. the said Henry Walker, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment, that is to say:-
I take a piece of paper of suitable length and width, according to the size
of handle to be made, which I cover on one side with glue, or some other

page_text: adhesive matter, and I then wind it round a spindle, which should be of such
dimensions that would give any suitable size or length of hole for the purpose
intended, and on those parts of handles which should be thicker or thinner
than other portions. I wind round, more or less paper accordingly, and 1 then
withdraw the spindle. I also make handles of paper or other materials and
ornament them with designs. such handles being round, oval, or of other forms.
for purposes and objects hereafter explained. It will be readily understood
therefore that when I wish to make a tapered handle I take an oblong piece
of paper, and having cut it from the corner at one end to the opposite corner
at the other end, I obtain two pieces. of triangular form. each piece having
one side with a right angle, and the other side an acute angle to its end, I
then apply the adhesive matter over one side of either piece of paper, and
placing a straight spindle parallel to the straight side I roll the paper round it,
and the spindle being then withdrawn leaves a tube tapered on the outside,
which is suitable for a handle for a crochet needle or a penholder, being very
light and of firm texture, and which may be used for pens, with or without a
mount or tip, in the ordinary manner, either the inside or the outside of the tube
being available for this purpose, according to the size of the mount or pen to
be used with it. By a similar proceeding with square or oblong pieces of
paper, not cut as before described from corner to corner, I obtain on a similar
spindles, tubes parallel on the outside suitable for handles for penholders or
cases for ever-pointed pencils, or for cedar pencils. or for covering leads or
crayons in place of cedar, as commonly used for that purpose, or for slate
pencils or styles for manifold writing, or for hair pencils. I also use these
tubes for crochet handles. either with one end open and the other end closed.
or with both ends open, as may be required; and when I wish to shape the
handles use a straight spindle, as before described, and roll more or less
paper on those parts where 1 desire to give more or less thickness.
By substituting a flat for a round spindle and rolling paper round it in the
same manner, obtain oval instead of round handles. I also make oval
handles of other suitable materials, with round or flat holes, by turning or
shaping in ordinary well known manner, and I find handles of this form
indicate at all times in the hand of the users thereof the exact position of the
crochet needle or other implement held in them. I also make handles of
paper on spindles suitably shaped to produce three or more sides, which may
be either flat or curved, or I make similar handles of metal tubes, shaped by
ordinary tools, and I make these various shapes of handles of any convenient
material for the purpose, and which are to be used for crochet needles or
penholders, all with the same object of indicating by the hand of the users

page_text: thereof the true position of the crochet needle, pen, or other implement held
by them. It is not. however, necessary that the oval or other shape should be
continued the whole length of the handle, but it should be at all times at or
near the end where the fingers take hold of the handle, and it may, in some
instances, particularly for crochet needles, be formed of a separate piece or
pieces of suitable material, and conveniently fitted upon the handles near the
end, or upon the wires of which the crochet needles are formed, or partly on
one and partly on the other; and for crochet needles I prefer to use the oval
form of handle, as described, or to make a flattened or slightly hollowed piece
on one or both sides of any shaped handle, so that the thumb and first finger
of the worker may readily keep the handle with its crotchet needle in its
proper position when at work.
The handles for penholders I prefer to make four sided, either all the length
and tapered or parallel, or only four sided at that part usually held by the
fingers, by either of which means find the pens are held at all times easily
in the proper position for writing.
Although, for the purpose of description, 1 have named paper only for
rolling round the spindles, I wish it to be understood that I sometimes use
cloth, scaleboard, twine, or any convenient. material alone or in combination
with paper, and when I make tubes for crayons, leads, or slate pencils, I prefer
to roll the paper or other material upon them, and to leave it thereon.
Having by the means described produced the handles, I next proceed to
cover them with japan varnish, or with other varnishes mixed with colored
pigments, which, when dried, give them a suitable surface. with or without
further ornament, or I cover them with papers or leather, either of plain
colours, or on which ornamental designs have been printed; I prefer, however,
to ornament them with designs in imitation of the marks on porcupine quills
with a hair pencil, or to cover them with papers printed in imitation of
porcupine quills, and which I find well adapted for handles. such as are herein
described, and I also use this paper, which I call porcupine paper, for covering
any other handles for similar uses, but which handles may not otherwise be
made in accordance with the processes herein described.
I am well aware that carpenters' pencils and tools have been made oval or
flat sided, and that japanning and blacking have been used before on handles
for crotchet needles and penholders, but these processes form no part of my
Invention.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which I carry it into effect, I do not confine myself to the exact details set
forth, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature thereof,

page_text: but I claim what is substantially herein set forth and explained as the
nature of my Invention for "Improvements in Making Handles for Crochet
Needles. Pencils. Penholders and other Articles."
In witness whereof. 1. the said Henry Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of November. in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
H. WALKER. (L.S.)