AN IMPROVED MODE OF CONSTRUCTING DOVETAIL JOINTS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Rodrigues Rogers, of Gray's Inn Road,
in the County of Middlesex, Builder, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
MODE OF CONSTRUCTING DOVETAIL JOINTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Rodrigues
Rogers, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 14th December 1861.
I, WILLIAM RODRIGUES ROGERS, of Gray's Inn Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF CONSTRUCTING DOVETAIL JOINTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel mode of forming dovetail joints, whether
in boxes, frames, or other articles, the improvement being chiefly applicable
to articles of small size. Supposing, for example, a dressing case is required to
be made, I take the wood that is to form the sides and ends, and bevil it to
the proper angle to make a close joint; I then, by means say of a rotary saw
or revolving chisel cutter, form corresponding dovetail grooves in the bevilled
surfaces that are intended to be brought together, running the grooves through
the work from end to end of the bevilled surfaces. After the cutter has made
a slow cut, I shift the work into a direction that will enable the cutter to
enlarge the skew cut laterally by making a second cut at a different angle.
The bottom, therefore, of each groove thus formed will be broader than the

page_text: mouth of the groove, and otherwise suitably shaped to receive the half of a
dovetailed tongue or key. When, therefore, two bevilled surfaces prepared as
above explained are put together it is only necessary to drive into the grooves
a dovetailed tongue or key of corresponding section, that of the groove and
the joint will be firmly secured. The tongues may be made of wood, metal, or
other material, but for small articles where the sides and ends are formed of
thin wood, I prefer to use metal tongues. In common work it will not be
necessary to use keys with a splay commonly called a dovetail, but keys to fit
grooves formed with parallel sides may be used, glue being applied to secure
the adhesion of the parts. This will form what may be termed an inferior
kind of dovetail.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Rodrigues Rogers in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
RODRIGUES ROGERS, of Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Builder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Rodrigues Rogers, Her special license that I, the
said William Rodrigues Rogers, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Rodrigues Rogers, 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 "AN IMPROVED MODE OF CONSTRUCTING DOVETAIL
JOINTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Rodrigues Rogers, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Rodrigues Rogers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same.
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
The chief object of this Invention is to effect in an economical and
expeditious manner the joining of the sides and end pieces of boxes, trays,
frames, and other like articles, on the dovetail or locking principle.
The Invention may be described as consisting in the use of keys or locking
pieces for coupling together the parts that are required to be joined.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn the manner of carrying out
the Invention, Fig. 1 being a plan view, and Fig. 2 an edge view of a piece
of wood (say a portion of the side of a box) prepared to receive the key or
locking piece, and Fig. 3 shewing a joint made according to the Invention.
Suppose, for example, it is desired to make the body of a dressing case, I take
the pieces of wood that have been cut to the proper size for forming the sides
and ends, and bevil their vertical edges to the proper angle to ensure close
fitting joints. I then, by means, say, of a rotary saw or revolving chisel
cutter, or their equivalent, form corresponding dovetail grooves in the bevilled
surfaces that are intended to be brought together, running the grooves through
the work from end to end of the bevilled surfaces, as shewn at Figs. 1 and 2.
When the rotary cutter (if such tool be used) has made a skew cut parallel
to the longitudinal edges of the bevilled surface, I shift the work into a
direction that will enable the cutter to enlarge the bottom of the skew cut
laterally, by making a second cut at a different angle, but in a line parallel to
the first, the bottom of the groove will then be broader than the mouth of the
groove, and will be ready to receive the key or dovetailed tongue, shewn
detached at Figs. 4.
In order to put together two bevilled surfaces prepared as above explained
it is only necessary to drive into the grooves a dovetailed tongue or key of
corresponding section to that of the compound groove, as shewn at a, Fig. 3,
and the joint will be firmly secured. The tongues may be made of wood,
metal, or other suitable tenacious material, but for small articles, the sides and
ends of which are formed of thin wood, I prefer to use metal tongues formed
of rods or bars, which may be drawn, rolled, or cast in convenient lengths, and
of any suitable section. When, however, the keys or locking pieces are made
of wood, it will be desirable to cut them with the grain running crosswise; a
great strength will be thereby ensured.
:

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Mode
of Constructing Dovetail Joints, and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent, I claim inserting in the grooves of adjacent or contact
surfaces metal or other keys for locking the parts together in the manner and
for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Rodrigues Rogers, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
WILLIAM RODRIGUES ROGERS. (L.S.)