AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE CUTTING TOOLS EMPLOYED IN NAIL-MAKING MACHINES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Norris, jun', of New York, in the United
States of America, but at present residing in Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE CUTTING TOOLS EMPLOYED IN
NAIL-MAKING MACHINES."-A communication.
Sealed the 8th August 1856, and dated the 5th June 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Norris at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th June
1856.
I, JOHN NORRIS, junior, of New York, in the United States of America,
but at present residing in Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gentle
man, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVE-
MENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE CUTTING TOOLS EMPLOYED
IN NAIL-MAKING MACHINES," which Invention has been communicated to me
by a foreigner residing abroad, to be as follows, that is to say:
This Invention more particularly refers to the manufacture of the cutting
tools used in machinery for making wrought nails, the subject of a Patent
granted to George Tomlinson Bousfield, under the title of "Improvements in
the Manufacture of Wrought Nails," bearing date May 15th, A.D. 1855,
being a communication from the same foreigner on whose behalf the presen
application is made. In the Specification filed in pursuance of the proviso
t

page_text: contained in the Patent before named, the cutting tools are described as being
made of cast iron, with the edges chill cast. It is found in practice that these
cutters require frequent renewal, which it is the object of the present Invention
to remedy.
Instead of using ordinary cast iron, a mixture consisting of one-half of the
best sterling iron mixed with one-half of the description of iron commonly
known as malleable iron (from its capability of being rendered malleable) is
to be cast into the requisite form, and chill cast where necessary. It is
probable that other proportions than half of each may be found to answer, but
I prefer these proportions. This mixture of iron may also be employed
advantageously for the cutting tools of other wrought nail-making machinery,
and also in machines used in the cut nail manufacture.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Norris in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
NORRIS, junior, of New York, in the United States of America, but at
present residing in Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS IIer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Пer Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in tho nineteenth year of Her reign, did,
for Ierself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Norris, junior, IIer special licence that I, the said John Norris, junior,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others I, the said John
Norris, junior, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any timo
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 the Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE CUTTING TOOLS
EMPLOYED IN NAIL-MAKING MACHINES," being a communication from a foreigner
residing abroad, upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the said John
Norris, junior, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
'particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in a
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in

page_text: the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Norris, junior, do hereby declaro
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 (that is to say):-
The Invention has for its object the improvement of the shears or cutting
tools used in machinery for making nails, and more particularly refers to the
shears or cutting tools forming part of machinery employed for the purpose
of making wrought nails, and which machinery formed the subject of a Patent
granted to George Tomlinson Bousfield, on the Fifteenth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, under the title of
Improvements in the Manufacture of Wrought Nails." In these machines
the portion of iron required to form each nail is severed from a heated plate
of iron by cutting tools or shears, which cutting tools or shears have heretofore
been made by casting them into the proper form, of one description of ordinary
iron, and chilling or chill-casting the cutting edges of such tools afterwards,
dressing them or bringing the said edges to a sharp face on a "lap," as is
well understood by machinists. It is found by experience that tools so formed
being required to operate continually upon heated plates of metal, are apt to
become dull and to lose edge, thus entailing the evil of too frequent stoppage
of the machine to exchange the cutters, and causing considerable loss of time.
It, therefore, becomes highly desirable to form these cutters of metal better
adapted to maintain a tolerably keen edge whilst cutting heated iron, and thus
to avoid the delays above named in the renewal of the cutters. This is
effected in the following manner:-Instead of using ordinary cast iron of
one description in their formation, I employ a mixture consisting of one-half
of the best sterling iron, incorporated with one-half of the description of iron
commonly known as malleable iron (from its capability of being rendered
malleable, and which description of iron is herein-after, for the sake of brevity,
referred to as malleable iron), or I take equal parts of the two descriptions of
iron usually known in the trade as white and gray iron, and incorporate them
together, which admixture will produce a malleable iron; and having cast
the cutting tool in either of these mixtures of iron, the ends and edges being
chill cast, the cutter is then dressed or faced, as before stated, on a "lap."
Cutters or shears formed of this mixture are found to stand much longer in
the machinery already alluded to, and may also be employed advantageously
in other machines for making either wrought or cut nails, in which the metal
is to be operated upon in a heated state.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to these precise details, nor to the exact proportions of the
several descriptions of iron forming the mixtures herein referred to, as such
proportions will very possibly admit of variation, and I have merely given
those proportions which I prefer, having found them the best suited to my
purpose; but that which I claim and desire to have secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improvements described in
the manufacture of the cutting tools employed in nail-making machines, by
forming such cutting tools of a mixture of different descriptions of iron, as
herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Norris, junior, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
JOHN (L.S.) NORRIS, JR.