IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF IRON TUBING, AND IN THE MEANS OF PRODUCING AND APPLYING AN ORNAMENTAL CASE TO THE SAME, WHICH SAID MEANS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTS IN METAL OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1863

page_text: ham, in the County of Warwick, and John Key, of the Firm of
Key, Hoskins, & Co., Brass and Iron Bedstead Manufacturers, also
of Birmingham aforesaid, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF IRON TUBING, AND IN THE MEANS
OF PRODUCING AND APPLYING AN ORNAMENTAL CASE TO THE SAME, WHICH
SAID MEANS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTS IN METAL
OTHER PURPOSES."
PAD
Sealed the 18th November 1863, and dated the 23rd May 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ferdinand Potts and
John Key at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 23rd May 1863.
We, FERDINAND POTTS, Tube Manufacturer, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, and JOHN KEY, of the Firm of Key, Hoskins, & Co., Brass
and Iron Bedstead Manufacturers, also of Birmingham aforesaid, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF IRON TUBING, AND IN THE MEANS OF
PRODUCING AND APPLYING AN ORNAMENTAL CASE TO THE SAME, WHICH SAID MEANS
ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTS IN METAL FOR OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows (that is to say):-
Our improvements relate, firstly, to the description of tubes made of sheet
iron, and generally with a non-soldered joint to be covered with a thin outer
tube of brass or other metal, but for a variety of purposes such iron tubes
Dine 8d1

page_text: soldered or unsoldered at the joints are commonly used, and our improvements
in their production consist, instead of cutting strips from a sheet of iron, we
prefer using iron rolled to the required thickness and width, or otherwise, such
strip iron being usually denominated hoop iron. The bending of the strip into
the tubular form may be altogether a subsequent process, or done from the
rolls before the iron is allowed to get cold, or partly so, by drawing it from
the finishing roll through a hole, or between the circular jaws of a pair of pliers
in the ordinary way in which tubes are or may be formed. not requiring a
welded joint.
Secondly, our improvements in producing an ornamental covering for such
tubes, the same being applicable for other purposes, consist in forming the
design around the periphery of a roll, the sectional form of which being a half
or segment of the tube we desire to cover, and on the face of this roll we
form our design by engraving or otherwise, and in connection with this roll we
use another, the sectional form of the periphery of which being the counter-
part of the other, allowing a space between, which may be varied as desired;
these rolls being set up in suitable standards and gearing may be considered
ready for giving effect to this part of our Invention, which is to take any
metal excepting iron that will permit of being rolled in a red hot. state,
receiving the ornament or impression from the roll or rolls, and setting as it
passes between them in the process of rolling, which for illustration may be in
its transverse section of a semicircular or other portion of a circle less than
one-half, and a sufficient number being put together and held by binding wire
on a tube or otherwise as described under the first head, when the joints may
be soldered, and the tube thus ornamented finished and lacquered in any of
the ordinary ways now practised; or a solid drawn tube may be heated and
ornamented as herein described; and this mode of producing ornamental
surfaces, whether in bold relief or simply engraved superficial design, we
purpose applying to a variety of other useful purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 3
by the said Ferdinand Potts and John Key in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd November 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FERDINAND
POTTS, Tube Manufacturer, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, and
JOHN KEY, of the Firm of Key, Hoskins, & Co., Brass and Iron Bedstead 3
Manufacturers, also of Birmingham aforesaid, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Ferdinand Potts and John Key, Her special license that we, the
said Ferdinand Potts and John Key, our exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Ferdinand Potts and John Key, our
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 THE MANUFACTURE
OF CERTAIN DESCRIPTION OF IRON TUBING, AND IN THE MEANS OF PRODUCING AND
APPLYING AN ORNAMENTAL CASE TO THE SAME, WHICH SAID MEANS ARE ALSO APPLI-
CABLE TO THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTS IN METAL FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Ferdinand Potts and John Key,
by an instrument in writing under our 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 within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Ferdinand Potts and John Key,
.do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement (that is to say):―
Our improvements relate, firstly, to the description of tubes made of sheet
iron, and generally with a non-soldered joint, such description of tubing being
intended to be covered with a thin outer tube of brass or other metal, but for
a variety of purposes such iron tubing soldered or unsoldered at the joint is
commonly used without an outer casing. And our improvements in the pro-
duction of such tubes consist, instead of cutting strips of the desired width
and gauge from sheet iron, we purpose using iron rolled to the required
thickness and width, such strip iron being usually denominated "hoop iron;"
the bending of the strip into the tubular form may be altogether a subsequent
process, or done from the rolls before the iron is allowed to get cold, or partly
so, by drawing it from the finishing roll through a hole, or between the cir-
cular jaws of a pair of pliers in the ordinary way in which tubes are or may be
formed requiring or not requiring a welded joint.
Secondly, our improvements in producing an ornamental covering for such

page_text: tubes, the same being applicable for other purposes, consist in forming the
design around the periphery of a roll or rolls, the sectional form of which may
be a half or other part or segment of the tube we wish to cover, which tube
may be of a regular or irregular shape in its transverse section, and on the face
of the roll or rolls we prefer to use we form a design by engraving or otherwise,
and in connection with such ornamented roll or rolls we, use a roll or its
equivalent, from which we derive the necessary internal resistance, the sectional
form of the periphery of which being the counterpart of the roll or rolls for
imparting the desired design to the outer surface, allowing a space between,
which may be varied as desired for the thickness of the metal used. for the
outer case. These rolls being set up in suitable standards and gearing
according to the power and means by which they are to derive their motion,
may be considered ready for giving effect to this part of our Invention, which
is to take any metal excepting iron that will permit of being rolled in a red
hot state, receiving the ornament or impression. from the roll or rolls, and
setting as it passes between them in the process of rolling, which for illus-
tration may be in its transverse section of a semicircular or other portion
of a circle less than one-half, or other desirable form, and a sufficient number
of parts or segments being put together, they may be held in the ordinary way
by binding wire on a tube for internal support or otherwise as described under
the first head of this our Invention, when the joints may be soldered and the
tube thus ornamented finished and lacquered in any of the ordinary ways now
practised, or a solid drawn tube may be heated and ornamented as herein
described; and this mode of producing ornamental surfaces, whether in bold
relief or simply engraved superficial design, we purpose applying to a variety of
other useful purposes, such as metallic sash bars, frames, screens, or other
fittings; and as this mode of ornamenting is susceptible of all classes of design,
whether florid, arabesque, or otherwise, this cheap and inexpensive process of
manufacturing metallic solid ornaments renders it particularly applicable for
ecclesiastical purposes, as will be seen in the different examples illustrated in
the Drawings hereunto annexed, which we will now proceed to describe.
Fig. 1 represents a strip of iron before referred to, technically known as
"hoop iron," from this we purpose forming what are termed open-jointed tubes,
rolling the iron of the width according to the diameter of the tube we wish to
make, and forming the tube either at the time that the iron is being rolled and
in a hot condition or at a subsequent process, and which process in either case
is very simple and well understood by tube manufacturers, as the strip of iron
may be bent up at the end and pushed through a hole, or between the jaws
of a pair of pliers, such as are commonly used in the manufacture of welded

page_text: iron tubes, say, as exhibited at Fig. 2, with the handles omitted for convenience
of space, and the strip of iron being drawn, through the hole or jaws of the
pliers, the tube will be formed as exhibited at Fig. 3; and by adopting the
means herein described a great saving in the cost of producing such tubes is
effected from three causes, first, an inferior quality of iron may be used; and
secondly, the guaging and cutting off or preparing strips to the proper width,
according to the tube desired, is entirely saved; and thirdly, the iron rolled in
sheets of such long lengths being very expensive, this constitutes the first part
of our Invention, as such tubes are frequently required, and are extensively
manufactured and required in this condition.
And the second part of our Invention consists in the covering of such tubes
with an outer ornamental case of any suitable metal or alloy, or mixture of
metal that will admit (for the sake of expedition) of being worked in a hot
or heated state, as will be seen by referring to Fig. 4, A being a front view
and B an end view of an ornamental segment produced from a strip of
metal being passed in a heated condition between two suitable rolls, the
one being ornamented on its periphery with the inverse of the design
here shown, the other roll may be plain or the obverse of the former, or
produced by using a suitably shaped mandril or support, in which case the
said mandril or support may pass over the periphery of a smooth-faced roll;
three such segments as here shown being sufficient to form a case for the iron
tube as exhibited at Figure 3, the said outer ornamental case being bound
together with suitable binding wire and soldered or fastened at the joints, and
in this combined condition Fig. 5 is a representation, A, A, being the outer
case, and C, C, the inner or iron tube. Fig. 6 also represents in flat and end
view a similar segment to Fig. 4, but of a different design and larger size,
and which again is further exhibited in a front and end or sectional view
at Fig. 7, the three parts necessary to form a hexagonal tube being exhibited
in a transverse section at Fig. 8; the joints or meetings of the segments are
intended to be united with solder or otherwise fastened. Tubes or standards
thus produced may be used with or without an internal iron tube, or applied
to a solid internal bar, which may be necessary in cases where great strength
is required, and by which means strength and elegance of finish may be con-
veniently combined, and in which case the soldering of the joints may be
unnecessary, as they may be otherwise held together; nor are we bound to a
strictly parallel form, as we merely adopt this for economy; but in cases where
it would be desirable, such as the requirement of a great number of taper
pillars or standards, the same may be readily accomplished by rolls arranged

page_text: in the breadth and eccentricity of their periphery to meet the requirement, as
it will be readily seen that this may be effected with the addition of the design
in the same way in which rolls are formed for producing tubes intended for
gun barrels, which are larger at one end than the other. At Fig. 9 we have
endeavoured to exhibit, say, for example, a thin sheet of metal in flat and end
view, the same having a slightly relieved ornament on its surface produced by
the sheet being passed in a hot state, as in the former examples, between the
peripheries of suitable rolls; and in this case it will be readily understood by a
skilled mechanic or artisan accustomed to such kind of work that this design
may be made to gradually diminish from one end to the other, so as to be
suitable for bending up by any suitable process into a taper case or other tube;
and we may elaborate this process to any extent to show its applicability for a
variety of ecclesiastical and other metallic superficial or other ornamentation;
but we will confine ourselves to two more examples. Fig. 10 is intended to
represent a piece of fretwork produced from a strip of metal being passed, as
before stated, in a heated state between rolls, and the small circular orifices
being subsequently removed by the process of piercing, which may be readily
accomplished with suitable tools and a fly press. Figs. 11 and 12 represent
a side and sectional end view of a metal sash bar ornamented and produced
according to the manner herein-before described, and which will need no
further description than that the part D may be of iron, if so preferred, for the
sake of strength, and which iron may assume the forin exhibited by the dotted
lines in the section, Figure 12, the outer or remaining portion being produced
from an alloy of brass or other suitable metal that admits of being ornamented
or impressed by being rolled in a heated condition.
Having now given a general description of our Invention, and the manner
in which the same may be realised, we wish to state,-
Firstly, that we do not claim the making of open-jointed tubing of iron, as
that is common and well known; but what we claim under this head is
the making of such kind of tube in a hot state in the manner herein-before
described, which is new and efficient, and effects a large saving in the cost of
production.
And secondly, that we do not claim the application of ornamented cases to
such iron tubes, for that also is old, and has been done in many ways; but
what we claim is the ornamenting of cases for tubes or other metal part or
parts (except iron) that will admit of being rolled, worked, or impressed in a
hot state, either strip, bar, sheet, or other form or forms that we may require for
the ornamenting of metallic tubes or other purposes, that the said Invention

page_text: is or may be applicable to, excepting the ornamenting of iron by the like
process, which forms the subject of a Patent granted to us, No. 1661,
1862.
In witness whereof, we, the said Ferdinand Potts and John Key,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-first day of
November, in the year of our Iord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty three.