IMPROVEMENTS IN TOOLS OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING OR FINISHING METALLIC HINGES."
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Underhill, of Aston, near Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Brassfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TOOLS OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING OR FINISHING METALLIC HINGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Underhill at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th December 1877.
JOSEPH UNDERHILL, of Aston, near Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Brassfounder. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOOLS OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING OR
FINISHING METALLIC HINGES."
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in constructing
tools or apparatus for dressing or finishing by a filing or planing operation the
flaps and knuckles of metallic hinges.
By the use of tools or apparatus constructed according to my Invention much
time and labour in the dressing or finishing of metallic hinges are saved, and the
manufacture of the said hinges is in consequence much cheapened.
I construct a tool or file for simultaneously filing or dressing the two flaps of the
hinge and the knuckles of the same in the following manner:-I take a flat bar of steel
having a thickness about double that of the hinge to be dressed, and having a
breadth greater than that of the hinge when open, and along the middle of the said
bar I form a nearly semicircular groove or channel of a size proper to receive the
knuckles of the hinge. By means of a planing machine, or by revolving cutters, or
otherwise, I make in the upper face of the bar, or that face containing the semi-
circular groove or channel, a series of large oblique teeth, the said teeth being so
deep that they reach below the bottom of the semicircular groove in the middle of
the bar. A file-like cutting surface is thereby produced both on the flat parts on each
side of the longitudinal central groove, and in the central groove itself. The file-like
tool described has by preference a reciprocating motion given to it by a machine,
but the said tool may be worked by hand.

page_text: In using this file-like tool I take the butt hinge to be dressed or finished, the two
flaps of the hinge having been engaged and connected together in the usual way,
and I open the two flaps of the bingo and fix them with the inner face upwards in
a suitable holder or bed, and by subjecting the said open hinge to the reciprocating
action of the file-like tool the inner faces of the flaps and the knuckles of the joint
aro simultaneously dressed or finished by a filing operation, the toothed or cutting
parts of the tool on either side of the longitudinal groove or channel dressing the
two flaps, while the toothed or cutting parts of the groove dress the knuckles
between the said flaps. I next close, or partly close, the two flaps of the hinge thus
operated upon, and having fixed the closed hinge in a holder I finish the back parts
of the knuckles of the joint by operating upon them by means of the semicircular
cutting part of the reciprocating tool.
Instead of making the tool described of one piece or bar of steel, it may be made
of two longitudinal halves, the division being situated at the middle of the semi-
circular groove or channel of the tool. The halves of the tool are fastened or bolted
together by clamps or holders, or in any other convenient way.
Or I construct tools for the purpose described in the following manner -I con-
struct tools for dressing the front and back of the knuckles of the joint of the hinge
by taking a bar of steel having, by preference, nearly a lozenge shape in cross
section, one of the acute angles of the lozenge being cut away so as to form a flat
base part In this flat baso part I cut a semicircular groove or channel, and give a
cutting or filing surface to the said groove or channel by forming teeth across the
flat face similar to those of the tool herein-before described. After the knuckles of
the hinge have been dressed by this tool I dress the faces of the two flaps by means
of a tool consisting of two longitudinal parts separated from each other by a space
equal to the diameter of the knuckles of the hinge. Each part of this tool has a
width exceeding that of the flap to be dressed. The two parts of the tool are held
by their ends at the required distance apart in suitable holders. When this tool is
in use the two cutting parts of the tool operate upon the two flaps of the hinge,
while the knuckles of the hinge are situated in the space between the two cutting
parts, and are consequently not operated upon by the said tool.
The tool last described may be made from one piece of steel instead of two
pieces In this case a longitudinal slot or opening is made in the middle of the
tool, in which the knuckles of the hinge are situated during the operation of
the tool.
I also construct tools for simultaneously dressing the flaps and knuckles, or for
dressing the flaps or the knuckles separately, in the following way--I take a metal
bar and make in it a series of equidistant cross slots, thereby converting the bar
into a hollow or rack-like frame. In this rack-like frame or holder I fix pieces of
steel, the acting or cutting edges of which are shaped either to plane or smooth the
whole surface of the hinge at one time, or to operate only upon the knuckle part or
upon the flaps. These pieces of steel are fixed in the rack-like frame or holder by
screws or wedges, and when so fixed constitute a series of strong parallel blades or
cutting parts. I fix this compound tool by preference in a machine of the kind used
for "squaring" metallic hinges, the said tool when in use passing over and planing
the hinge after the manner of the cutter of a planing machine.
When any of the blades or cutters of this compound tool are injured or worn
they can be readily replaced by new ones, and the same rack-like frame may be used
for holding blades or cutters for dressing hinges of different sizes, and for operating
upon different parts of the hinges.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Underhill in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st May
1878.
JOSEPH UNDERHILL, of Aston, near Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Brassfounder. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOOLS OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING OR
FINISHING METALLIC HINGES."
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described, and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawings, in constructing tools or apparatus for dressing or
finishing by filing or planing operation the flaps and knuckles of metallic hinges.
Figure 1 represents in plan of under side; Figure 2, in side elevation; and Figure 3,
in plan of upper side, a tool or apparatus constructed according to my Invention to
be used for simultaneously dressing or finishing the two flaps of hinges, and the
knuckles of the same; Figure 4 represents a cross section of the same drawn of the
full size.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
The body of the tool consists of a rectangular holder open at bottom, the said
holder being composed of two side and end plates a, a, a², a³, and a top plate a³, the
the said top plate as being bolted to the said side and end plates by the screw bolts
at b. In the said holder a, a, a³, I fix a series of steel blades or cutters marked c.
The acting or cutting edges of these cutters are shaped to plane or smooth the whole
of the surface of the flaps of the hinge and its knuckles. The shape of the said
steel blades or cutters c is best seen in the cross section, Figure 4. Each of the said
steel blades or cutters c has a breadth greater than that of the hinge when open, and
along the middle of the said blades or cutters I form a nearly semicircular groove or
channel d of a size suitable to receive and dress the knuckles of the hinge. The
bottom edges c², c³, of the cutters c, as well as the edge of the semicirular groove
or channel d, are made into cutting or planing edges.
The series of cutters or blades c is arranged face to face in the holders a, a³, a³, so
that their semicircular grooves d coincide or are situated in the same line, as illus-
trated in the plan, Figure 1. When the said cutters or blades c, c, have been arranged
and fixed in the holder, the acting surface of the tool thus made resembles the acting
surface of a large file having parallel teeth.
The series of parallel blades or cutters is fixed in the holder by the side screws
e, e, and end screw f pressing and bringing the cutters against the sides and ends of
the holder. The side screws e bear against a thickness piece 9 of brass or other soft
metal or material, and the end screw f bears against a similar thickness pioce h. By
means of the top screws i bearing upon a thickness piece at k, the exact distance to
which the acting ends of the cutters c project from the holder may be determined.
The end thickness pieces of the holder and the under side of the holder are pro-
vided with grooves forming a continuation of the grooves d in the middle of the
cutters c, as represented in the plan, Figure 1.
The file-like or compound cutting tool represented has by preference a recipro-
cating rectilinear motion given to it by a machine, but the said tool may be worked
by hand.
I prefer to fix the compound tool in a machine of the kind used for “ squaring "
metallic hinges, but I do not limit myself thereto.
In using the file-like tool I take the butt end to be dressed or finished, the two
flaps having been engaged and connected together in the usual way, and I open the
two flaps of the hinge and fix them with the inner face upwards in a suitable holder
or bed, and by subjecting the said open hinge to the reciprocating action of the file-like
tool the inner faces of the flaps are dressed or finished by the operation of the parts
,, of the cutters c, c, and the knuckles of the joint are at the same time dressed
or finished by the action of the cutting edge of the semicircular part d. I remove
the partly dressed edge from the holder or bed, and close or partly close the two
flaps of the hinge, and having fixed the closed hinge in a holder, I finish the back

page_text: parts of the knuckles of the joint by operating upon them by means of the semi-
circular cutting part d of the reciprocating tool.
Although I prefer to simultaneously dress the flaps and knuckles of the hinge by
the use of one tool, yet the flaps may be dressed by one tool and the knucklos by
another tool.
In constructing a tool for dressing the flaps only, the part d of the reciprocating
tool is not furnished with a cutting edge, the said part & being replaced by a plain
semi-cylindrical channel or groove in the compound tool. When this tool is in use
the two cutting parts o³, c², on either side the plane groove or channel operate upon
the two open flaps of the hinge, while the knuckles of the hinge are situated in the
space between the two cutting parts, and are consequently not operated upon by the
said tool
In constructing a tool for dressing the front and back of the knuckles I take
cutters or blades of the kind marked c, but instead of making the parts c², c², with
cutting edges I leave those parts plain, and I use only the semicircular cutting part d,
the said semircular cutting part operating upon the front and back of the knuckles
of the joint.
When any of the blades or cutters of the compound tools described are injured or
worn, they can be readily replaced by new ones, and the same frame or holder may
be used for holding blades or cutters for dressing hinges of different sizes, and for
operating upon different parts of the hinge, by adapting to the frame the desired
shaped blades or cutters.
Instead of using a holder of the kind represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, a rack-.
like frame or holder may be used, that is, a holder having in it a series of equidistant
cross slots
In the cross slots the blades or cutters c may be fixed by screws, or
wedges, or otherwise, so as to constitute a series of strong parallel blades or cutting
parts A tool made as last described is used in the manner described with respect
to the tool, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Figure 5 represents in side elevation, and Figure 6 in plan of under side another
file-like or compound tool constructed according to my Invention; and Figure 7 is:
a cross section of the same drawn of the full size, the said Figure 7 exhibiting the
action of the tool upon the open hinge placed on a rising and falling support or
bed; Figures 8 and 9 represent parts of the tool drawn to the same scale as
Figure 7.
In this arrangement a block of metal is used instead of a frame for receiving the
detachable cutters or blades, and side cheeks are used for holding the said cutters in
the said block. m is the metal block, shown separately in section in Figure 8. In
this block a horizontal recess n is made of a size and shape suitable to receive the
series of cutters or blades c, c, the said cutters or blades being constructed in the
manner herein-before described
In one side of the block is a vertical rocess p for receiving the fixing cheeks q, q,
one of which is shown separately in Figure 9. On the top edges of each of the
checks q is a rounded shoulder or flange 92, which takes into a correspondingly
shaped depression p² in the block m. After the series of cutters c, c, has been placed
in the recess n, the said cutters are clamped face to face by the end screw 7, and 4
are retained in the block by the side cheeks q, q, bearing against the edges of the
cutters, the said cheeks being fixed in their places by the strong screws and nuts at s,
the said screws passing through the block m and cheeks q, as represented in Figure 7.
t is the bed or support on which the open hinge u is supported during the operation
of the reciprocating file or compound tool upon it.
Although I have described and represented the frames or holders which I havo
found to answer well in practice for holding the parallel blades or cutters, and also
the means for binding or clamping the said blades or cutters in the frames or
holders, yet I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the said frames
or holders and means for binding the cutters in them, as holders or frames and 5
mechanism for binding the cutters therein of other constructions may be employed
in the production of compound tools of the kind described and illustrated.

page_text: By the use of tools or apparatus constructed according to my Invention much
time and labour in the dressing or finishing of metallic hinges are saved, and the
manufacture of the said hinges is in consequence much cheapened.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,
the improvements in tools or apparatus for dressing or finishing metallic hinges herein-
before described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, reci-
procating rectilinear tools or apparatus for simultaneously filing or dressing the two
Haps of hinges and the knuckles of the same, or the flaps and knuckles separately,
consisting of a series of parallel blades or cutters constructed and fixed in a holder
or frame, substantially as described and illustrated, the acting ends of the said blades
or cutters constituting strong file-like parallel teeth, which pass over and plane the
hinge or part thereof after the manner of the cutters of planing machines.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Underhill, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JOSEPH UNDERHILL. (LS)