AN IMPROVED FERRULE FOR ATTACHING PICKS AND OTHER EYED TOOLS TO THEIR HANDLES
Year: 1886

page_text: We, WILLIAM HENRY BARKER and GEORGE BARKER of King Street, Fenton, in
the County of Stafford, Tool Makers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for AN IMPROVED FERRULE FOR ATTACHING PICKS AND OTHER EYED TOOLS TO
THEIR HANDLES, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates primarily to the well-known method of attaching miners
picks to their handles, but is applicable to many other kinds of tools such as axes,
adzes, hammers, hatchets, hoes, etc.
It refers to tools having a socket or eye for the reception of the haft or handle.
The method referred to consists of a detached hoop or ferrule preferably of oval
section, but which can be oblong or square if preferred, or of any other configura-
tion. The said ferrule is driven tightly on to the enlarged end of a handle or haft
of similar shape to itself and can be fastened by screws or rivets when considered
necessary but no fastening is needed in most cases.
The eye of the tool to be held, is constructed of a rather smaller size but of
similar section to the ferrule so that when passed over the handle it wedges itself
tightly upon the said ferrule without being able to pass over it, owing to the outer
end of the ferrule being expanded, or larger than the inner end.
At present these sockets or ferrules are constructed either of maleable iron, or
made from strips of sheet-metal lapped over and rivetted or dovetailed together.
Our improvements consist in a novel and simple manner of constructing these
ferrules so as to preserve and improve their efficiency and also to reduce their cost
and render them available for many descriptions of tools to which they are not now
applied.
First we cause to be constructed sufficient solid or welded tube of suitable size
and strength, which tube may be round oval or square in section, and we then cut
it off into convenient lengths for forming the ferrules required.
We propose however generally to make our oval ferrules from ordinary round
tube.
To do this we place a cut off length of the tube under oval-shaped dies and
compress it so as to convert it into tube of an oval section.

page_text: We then drill or punch holes through it at a short distance from either ends.
At the end which is to form the outer end of the haft we cut out two slots so as to
allow of this end being expanded as required. These slots penetrate the tube as
far as the aforesaid holes say from 2 to 4 inches. At the other or inner end of the
tube we cut out two portions of the tube extending as far as the holes already cut
at that end, so as to leave semi-oval or conical shaped recesses on each side of the
handle; we do this merely to lighten the tube and improve its appearance.
The ferrule is now ready for use as a tool-holder and requires only to be driven
tightly on to a suitable handle the end of which is slightly swelled or enlarged.
The upper end of the ferrule in passing over this enlarged end is expanded and is
now ready to receive the tool.
The eye of the tool is made of a similar internal section to the external section
of the ferrule and also slightly tapered, and the tool being slipped on from the
handle end, is wedged tightly on to the ferrule where it is securely held.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. shows a length of round welded tube ready for conversion.
Fig. II shows the tube after being pressed into an oval section, and with the
holes pierced. The dotted lines shew the parts intended to be cut out.
Fig. III shows a ferrule of oval section ready for use.
Fig. IV shows a ferrule of square section ready for use.
Fig. V shows a pick mounted on a ferrule which is fixed on a handle or haft.
Fig. VI shows a sledge hammer similarly mounted.
Fig. VII. shows a hatchet similarly mounted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is;
1. The manufacture from solid wrought tubing of steel or iron ferrules or hoops
with expanding ends, for attaching picks and other eyed tools safely to their hafts,
substantially as described.
2. The method of fastening eyed tools of various kinds to their hafts by means
of solid wrought tubular metal ferrules, or hoops, of oval or other suitable section,
with expanding ends as herein set forth.