Improvements in Sheet Metal Tubular Handles of Saucepans and other Holloware or Culinary Utensils, and in the Means Employed in the Manufacture of such Handles.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Sheet Metal Tubular Handles of Saucepans
and other Holloware or Culinary Utensils, and in the Means
Employed in the Manufacture of such Handles.
We, CHARLES FREDERICK CLARK, of the firm of T. and C. Clark and Company,
of Shakespeare Foundry, Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, holloware
manufacturers, and JOHN LEWIS DUBOIS, of 43 Lilleshall Road, Clapham in the
County of Surrey, agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to improve the appearance of and increase the
hold or grip upon tubular taper sheet metal handles employed for saucepans
and other holloware or culinary utensils.
According to this invention the handles are formed with corrugations or flutes,
slots or openings, or ridges, running preferably lengthways thereof, and tapering,
by preference, in such case, to correspond with the taper of the handles, thus
considerably improving the appearance of the handles, and giving a much better
hold or grip for the hand, than in the case of the description of taper tubular
bandles usually employed. The slots or openings have the additional advantage of
allowing a circulation of air through the handles tending to keep them cool.
In constructing, according to this invention, tubular taper sheet metal handles
with corrugations or flutes, or ridges, for the purposes above described, we take
blanks of the usual character from which handles of the ordinary description are
made, but preferably of a thinner gauge of metal (as the corrugating or fluting or
ridging adds considerable strength to the handles), and stamp or press the corru-
gations or flutes, or ridges, therein by means of dies, or press them in by passing
the blanks between rollers. We then bend the blanks thus corrugated or fluted,
or ridged, around a taper maudril in the usual manner of forming tubular taper
handles, but in the case of longitudinal or spiral corrugations or flutes, or ridges,
the mandril which we employ has corrugations or flutes, or ridges, formed therein
or thereon corresponding with those formed upon the blanks, and in the case of
IP 21

page_text: concentric corrugations or flutes, or ridges, others corresponding there with are
formed on the lower bending die and the mandril is plain.
Ridges may be formed also by bending the blanks around a mandril of square,
hexagonal or other polyganal shape, so as to form a handle of corresponding shape
in cross section; the angles of the square or polygon constitute ridges which give
an increased hold or grip upon the handles.
If the tubular taper sheet metal handles are to be formed with slots or openings,
these are formed of any desired shape by punching out the metal from the blanks,
after which the blanks are bent around a mandril in the usual manner to form the
handles.
JT1000

page_text: Employed in the Manufacture of such Handles.
We, CHARLES FREDERICK CLARK, of the firm of T. and C. Clark and Company,
of Shakespeare Foundry, Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, holloware
manufacturers, and JOHN LEWIS DUBOIS, of 43 Lilleshall Road, Clapham in the
County of Surrey, Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement reference being had to the accompanying
drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The chief object of this invention is to improve the appearance of, and increase
the hold upon, tubular sheet metal handles, especially the taper handles employed
for saucepans and other holloware or culinary utensils.
According to one modification of this invention, the handles are formed with
corrugations or flutes running lengthways thereof, and, in the case of taper handles,
such corrugations or flutes taper, by preference, to correspond with the taper of
the handles. The appearance of the handles is thus considerably improved, and a
much better hold or grip for the hand is secured, than in the case of the description
of tubular handles usually employed.
.
In constructing, according to this invention, tubular sheet metal handles with
corrugations or flutes, for the purpose above-described, we take blanks of the usual
character from which handles of the ordinary description are made, but preferably
of a thinner gauge of metal (as the corrugating or fluting adds considerable
strength to the handles) and stamp or press the corrugations or flutes therein by
means of dies. It is preferred, both for the sake of appearance, and for convenience
of fixing the handle at one end, and of fixing an ornamental or other part, if
desired, to the other end, to form the corrugations or flutes so as to die out into
the plane of the sheet metal, and thus leave a plain margin at each end of the
blank. We then bend the blanks, thus corrugated or fluted, around a mandril, in
the usual manner to form tubular handles, but in this case some modification of
the mandril is necessary, and such modification may consist in turning down or
reducing the diameter of the mandril for the length of the corrugations or flutes,
and for a depth all round corresponding with the depth of such corrugations or
flutes, so that as the blanks are formed into a tubular shape around the mandril
the corrugations or flutes lie within the reduced part and are thus preserved from
injury from the bending tools. In lieu of reducing the diameter of the mandril,
as described, corrugations or flutes, may be formed within the surface of the
mandril, corresponding with the flutes or corrugations, in the blank, so that as the
sheet metal is bent into a tubular form the corrugations or flutes, in the sheet
metal lie within the corresponding corrugations or flutes in the mandril. The
former description of mandril is, however, preferred.
The above-described modification of this invention will be readily understood on
reference to the accompanying drawings, of which figure 1 illustrates a sheet metal
blank of the ordinary exterior shape or configuration required for the formation
of a plain taper tubular handle, but for the purpose of this modification of our

page_text: invention a number of corrugations or flutes ccc are stamped or pressed in such
blank. The blank is then bent into a trough shape in a similar manner, and by
⚫ means of similar tools, to that and those ordinarily employed in the manufacture
of plain taper tubular handles, and is next finished upon a mandril with tools
similar to those employed for finishing plain taper tubular handles. Figure 2
illustrates the mandril which we prefer to employ for this purpose. This mandril
is the same as those usually employed for completing plain taper tubular handles,
except that a part d, of the length of the corrugations or flutes, in the blank is
turned down so as to reduce the diameter sufficiently to allow the corrugations or
flutes to lie therein while the handle is completed, and thus be prevented from
being damaged by the tools. In order to withdraw the mandril from the corru-
gated or fluted taper tubular handle thus formed, the handle is grasped by the
hand while the smaller projecting end of the mandril is struck sharply upon a
block. By this means the part e forces open the smaller end of the handle and
then readily comes away.
When the mandril has been withdrawn the smaller
end of the handle may be easily closed up again by one or two slight blows on
either side.
⚫ Figure 3 illustrates in side elevation, and figure 4 in transverse section on
line of figure 3, a taper tubular sheet metal handle suitable for employment
with a saucepan or analogous article of holloware. Except for a plain margin a
at the smaller end, and a corresponding margin b at the larger end, the handle is
shewn to be corrugated with longitudinal corrugations. The part a is left plain
for fixture to the utensil in any well known or convenient manner, and the part b
is left plain in order that there may, if desired, be cast thereon or fixed thereto any
mounting for the sake of ornamentation or strength or for the closing in of the
larger end of the tube. The parts a and b are left plain, also, for the sake of the
neater appearance resulting from running the corrugations out into the plane of
the metal rather than extending them to the extreme ends of the handle.
It will be obvious that the stamped blank, as shewn in figure 1 of the drawings,
may be bent, to form a tube, in the reverse way to that already indicated, in
which case the corrugations or flutes, stand outwards from the plane of the metal
at the two ends a b. In this modification, in place of using a mandril, reduced in
diameter at the part d, as shewn at figure 2, a plain mandril is used, and the
upper and lower finishing tools have each a sunk er recessed part, corresponding
in length and depth with the corrugated or fluted part of the handle, so as to
allow the corrugations or flutes to lie therein.
According to another modification of our invention we form, in lieu of the
continuous corrugations or flutes, lengths thereof which are intermittent so that
each corrugation or flute is made up of two or more distinct shorter lengths, and
such shorter lengths may be varied in form, that is to say, they may be produced
in the shape of diamonds, squares, circles, or any other shape, and such parts may
be stamped or pressed in the blank so as to be made to follow any straight or
curved line. These parts not only improve the appearance, but afford a better
grip for the hand than the ordinary kind of plain round handle. Or any desired
pattern, or any projections or indentations, may be formed on or in the blanks
previously to such blanks being bent up into tubular handles.
According to a further modification of this invention, the handles may be
formed of a hexagonal, octagonal, or other polygonal shape, both for the sake of
appearance and as affording a better grip for the hand; and when such shaped
handles are required the blanks are first stamped or pressed between dies to give
an initial bend to the corners of the polygon, and the handles are completed in the
manner described for corrugated or fluted handles.
In lieu of bending the blanks into a tubular form to produce handles, as above-
described, such blanks may be rolled into a tubular form by means of bending
rolls constructed and operating in the manner of bending rolls usually employed
for bending sheet metal into a tubular or cylindrical form, but either the inner or
outer rolls, as may be necessary, according to whether the parts which are intended'

page_text: to give the increased grip are to project inwards or outwards from the plane of the
metal at the ends, must be provided with a recessed part or parts to receive such
projecting parts. This method of bending the blanks does not apply in the case
of polygon-sided handles.
For the purpose of ventilating the tubular bandles, and thus keeping them cool,
holes may be formed therein, preferably in the bottoms of the corrugations or
analogous parts, so as to prevent the edges of the holes hurting the hand.
The increased radiating surface formed by the corrugations or analogous parts
assists, also, in keeping the handles cool.
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. Sheet metal tubular handles of saucepans, and other holloware or culinary
utensils, formed with longitudinal corrugations or flutes (each in one length, or in
intermittent lengths) or of a polygonal form, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
2. Forming tubular handles, of saucepans, and other holloware or culinary
utensils, having corrugations, flutes, or other pattern or projections or indentations
thereon or therein, or of a polygonal shape, by first stamping or pressing the
corrugations, flutes, or other pattern or projections or indentations, or the initial
bends of the angles of a polygon, in the blanks, and afterwards bending the blanks
into a tubular form with the aid, preferably, of a mandril having a reduced part
to receive the currugations, flutes, or other pattern or projections, or indentations,
or the sides of the polygon, or with the aid of a mandril having corrugations,
flutes, or other pattern or indentations therein, or formed with a part of the length
thereof polygon-sided, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. As a part of the process of forming sheet metal handles, of saucepans, and
other culinary or holloware utensils, having corrugations, flutes, or other pattern or
projections thereon or therein, or of a polygonal shape, for the purpose described,
stamping or pressing the corrugations, flutes, or other pattern or projections or
indentations, or the initial bends of the angles of the polygon, in the blanks,
previously to bending up the blanks into a tubular form, substantially as set forth.
4. In lieu of the means referred to in claim 2 for bending up the handles from
blanks prepared as therein described, bending such blanks (with the exception
of those intended for polygnat-sided handles) into tubular form by means of
bending rolls constructed and operating substantially as described.
5. Holes formed in the bottoms of corrugations or analogous parts around a
tubular sheet metal handle, substantially as described for the purpose set forth...
6. Sheet metal tubular handles of saucepans, and other holloware or culinary
utensils, formed with longitudinal corrugations or flutes (each in one length or in
intermittent lengths) or of a polygonal form, and with a plain part at one or both
ends of each handle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this twenty-ninth day of October 1886