Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 9th Jan., 1889:
Complete Specification Accepted, 12th Feb., 1889
I ROBERT ALLEN of West Challow, Wantage, Berkshire Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention is an improved form of tongs or grippers in which the gripping
ends invariably ineet each other when the arms are brought together.
To effect this I make on one arm a guide and cause the other arm to move in
or over the said guide so that no lateral deviation is possible.
The guide can be made by twisting one arm into one or more loops in which the
other arm can move, or one arm can be bent inwards to form a rectangular projection
and the other arm twisted into a loop moving over this projection or the guide may
be a separate piece attached to one arm and embracing the other.
If desired the gripping ends can be made removable so that any form of grip can
be attached to the arms.
A very simply constructed pair of tongs or grippers can be made according to
this method by twisting a wire or rod of round or other section into the described
form, the arms being normally kept apart by spring action if required.
Dated this 7th day of July 1888.
}

page_text: 1, ROBERT ALLEN, of West Challow, Wantage, Berkshire, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention is an improved form and construction of tongs or grippers in which
the gripping ends are made to meet each other without material lateral deviation
when the arms are pressed or otherwise brought together.
To effect this I construct on one arm one or more guides and cause the other
arm to move in or over the said guide. The guide can be made by twisting one arm
into one or more loops in which the other arm can move as shown in Fig. 1. The
arm A is bent into a loop B near the grip end and the arm C moves in this loop.
The arms are united in the spiral spring D.
Or, as shown in Fig. 2 one arm A can be bent inwards to form one or more loops
or rectangular projections B and the other arm C twisted into one or more loops E
approximately transverse to B and moving over B.
Or, the guide may be one or more separate pieces attached to one arm and
embracing or working in one or more loops of the other.
The gripping ends can be made removable and secured to the arms in any suitable
manner, so that any desired form of grip may be used.
A very simply constructed pair of tongs or grippers can be made according to the
methods described and shown in Figs. 1 & 2 by twisting a wire or rod of round or
other section into the described form, the arms being normally kept apart by spring
action if required.
Fig. 3 shows a method of carrying out my invention with arms A & C pivoted
at F as in ordinary fire tongs. The guide arrangement may be as shown or similar to
that shown in Fig. 1, and the grip pieces G. may be in one piece with or detachable
from the arms.
Fig. 4 shows another form of tongs in which the guide is at the end remote from
the grips and on the other side of the pivot.
Fig. 5 shows the construction of the arms separately.
The arm A is pivoted at F and continues so as to form the spiral 'groove "H.
The other arm C is also pivoted at F and continued so that its extremity J moves
in the said groove H. The groove may be made separate and soldered or otherwise
attached to the arm A. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 4 & 5, the groove H
serves as a convenient handle.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be. performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The use and construction of tongs and grippers in which the movement of the
arms is so regulated by guides that the grip ends are prevented from material
lateral deviation substantially as described.
'
2. The special forms of tongs and grippers shown in the drawings with the modifi-
cations described in the foregoing specification.
W. H. MUNNS,
Agent for the Applicant.