IMPROVEMENTS IN THE HANDLES OF TROWELS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE HANDLES OF OTHER IMPLEMENTS AND TOOLS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Heaton, of the Firm of William Hunt and Sons, of
the Brades Steel Works, Oldbury, in the County of Worcester, Manufacturers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE HANDLES OF TROWELS, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE HANDLES OF OTHER IMPLEMENTS
AND TOOLS." Partly a communication from abroad by Messieurs Underhill
Brothers of Boston, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Heaton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th November 1879.
GEORGE HEATON, of the Firm of William Hunt and Sons, of the Brades Steel
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
Works, Oldbury, in the County of Worcester, Manufacturers..
THE HANDLES OF TROWELS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE
HANDLES OF OTHER IMPLEMENTS AND TOOLS." [Partly a communication from
abroad by Messieurs Underhill Brothers, of Boston, in the United States of America.]
The said Invention consists of the improvements herein after described in the
handles of trowels, which improvements may also be applied to the handles of other
implements and tools, such, for example, as the handles of hand turning tools and
files.
I will describe the said Invention as applied to the handle of a trowel.
The handle of a trowel as ordinarily made consists of a wooden gripping piece
terminating at the end in which the tang of the trowel is inserted with a taper or
slightly conical metallic ferrule, and at the other end with a similar ferrule to
which a closing disc is rivetted.
In making the said handles according to the said Invention, the ferrule at the
fore end of the handle, or that end in which the tang of the trowel is inserted is
curved or cupped inwards at its smaller end so as to cover the greater part of the
wooden end of the grip and give a rounded termination to the ferrule. The
curved or cupped in end of the ferrule has an axial hole somewhat larger than
the hole in the grip into which the tang of the trowel is driven. The other
with
or rear end of the handle is covered either with a ferrule having a cap

page_text: a rounded edge rivetted thereto or with a shallow conical cap having a rounded
edge.
The ferrules and caps described may either be made of wrought iron or brass or
other malleable or ductile metal or alloy by the processes of stamping or pressing;
or they may be made of the annealed cast iron commonly called malleable iron, in
which case they are cast and annealed in the usual way. If made of brass, they
may either be raised by dies and pressure or be made by casting.
In cases where great strength is not required the ferrule or cap at the rear end of
the handle may be dispensed with.
The handles of trowels made according to the said Invention are more agreeable
to grasp and are stronger and more durable than handles of the ordinary kind.
The application of the said Invention to handles of various implements and tools
differs in no essential respect from its application to the handles of trowels as
herein before explained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Heaton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th April
1880.
GEORGE HEATON, of the Firm of William Hunt and Sons, of the Brades Steel
Works, Oldbury, in the County of Worcester, Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE HANDLES OF TROWELS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE
HANDLES OF OTHER IMPLEMENTS AND TOOLS." Partly a communication from abroad
by Messieurs Underhill Brothers, of Boston, in the United States of America.
The said Invention consists of the improvements herein after described in the
handles of trowels, which improvements may also be applied to the handles of
other implements and tools, such, for example, as the handles of hand turning tools
and files.
I will describe the said Invention as applied to the handle of a trowel.
The handle of a trowel as ordinarily made consists of a wooden gripping piece
terminating at the end in which the tang of the trowel is inserted with a taper or
slightly conical metallic ferrule, and at the other end with a similar ferrule to which
a closing disc is rivetted.
In making the said handles according to the said Invention the ferrule at tho
fore end of the handle, or that end in which the tang of the trowel is inserted, is
curved or cupped inwards at its smaller end, so as to cover the greater part of the
wooden end of the grip, and give a rounded termination to the ferrule. The curved
or cupped in end of the ferrule has an axial hole somewhat larger than the hole in
the grip, into which the tang of the trowel is driven. The other or rear end of the
handle is covered either with a ferrule having a cap with a rounded edge driven on
or rivetted thereto, or with a shallow conical cap having a rounded edge.
The ferrules and caps described may either be made of wrought iron or brass or
other malleable or ductile metal or alloy by the processes of stamping or pressing;
or they may be made of the annealed cast iron, commonly called malleable iron, in
which case they are cast and annealed in the usual way. If made of brass they
may either be raised by dies and pressure or be made by casting.
In cases where great strength is not required the ferrule or cap at the rear end of
the handle may be dispensed with.
The handles of trowels made according to the said Invention are more agreeable
to grasp, and are stronger and more durable than handles of the ordinary kind.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which the said Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation, and Figure 2 in longitudinal section, a trowel
handle made according to this Invention; Figure 3 represents the fore end of the
handle, and Figure 4 the rear end of the handle. a is the wooden grip of the
handle, and b, c, are the conical metallic ferrules at the ends of the said wooden
grip. The ferrule b at the fore end or at that end at which the tang is inserted in
the handle is curved or cupped inwards at its smaller end so as to cover nearly the
whole of the wooden end of the grip a, and form a rounded termination to the ferrule,
as represented. In the said curved or cupped end of the ferrule is a hole b², through
which the tang of the trowel is driven. The ferrule c at the rear end of the grip
terminates in a cap c³ having a rounded edge, and a hole is made in the axis of
the cap for the passage of the tang of the trowel. After the tang of the trowel has
been passed through the holes in the wooden grip a and metallic ferrules b, c, the
protruding end of the tang is rivetted on the outer side of the cap c³ of the rear
ferrule c, whereby the said ferrules b and c are firmly secured in their places on the
wooden grip a.

page_text: Figure 5 represents in elevation, and Figure 6 in longitudinal section, a trowel
handle in which the rear end of the wooden grip is covered by a shallow metallic
cap & having a rounded edge instead of by a ferrule with a cap or closed end, as
represented in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 7 represents in elevation, and Figure 8 in longitudinal section, a handle
in which a conical ferrule, curved or cupped inwards at its smaller end, and having
a rounded edge, is used at the fore end only of the wooden grip of the handle.
In the said Figures 7 and 8 the wooden grip is marked a, and the conical ferrule
at the fore end of the grip is marked b, 6%. In this handle the tang of the trowel
does not pass through the rear end of the wooden grip.
The application of the said Invention to handles of various implements and tools
differs in no essential respect from its application to the handles of trowels as herein
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Having now 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 claim as the said
Invention, the improvements in the handles of trowels and other implements and
tools herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is
to say, covering the fore ends of the wooden grips of the said handles with metallic
conical ferrules curved or cupped inwards at their smaller ends so as to form rounded
terminations to the said ferrules, and covering the rear ends of the said wooden
grips either with metallic ferrules having caps with rounded edges at their smaller
ends, or with shallow metallic caps having rounded edges, substantially as described
and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Heaton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
night hundred and sighter
Witness,
SAM. BRIDGWATER,
Brades, near Oldbury.
GEORGE HEATON. (L.S.)