IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF JOINTS OR HINGES, AND IN THE MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Rowan, of 92, Fawcett Street, Sheffield,
in the County of York, Silversmith, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF JOINTS OR HINGES, AND IN THE MACHINERY
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN."
"
Sealed the 26th July 1872, and dated the 30th January 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Rowan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th January 1872.
I, SAMUEL ROWAN, of 92, Fawcett. Street, Sheffield, in the County of
York, Silversmith, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF JOINTS OR HINGES, AND IN THE
MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the mode or method
of manufacturing joints or hinges of brass or other malleable metal, and
also in the machinery. to be used therein.
At present in making hinges the wire is drawn of a flat but wide
section with a shallow groove at one side, upon which short lengths of

page_text: round wire are soldered to form dovetail blocks, or by other method cast
in metal being ultimately pierced and pinned so that two separate
divisions so pinned may constitute the hinge or joint; but according to
this Invention I propose to draw the wire in one solid piece or section
including the round portions of the joint, after which the round portion
is cut at suitable intervals so as entirely to remove sections thereof,
leaving the solid parts to form dovetails with the corresponding spaces
when two bars thus treated are placed together to form a hinge. Thus
after the wire or bar is properly rolled between rollers having dies on
their periphery to suit the form and size of hinge required, the wire is
cut into suitable lengths by a circular saw or otherwise, after which the
parts are fixed in a wire or holder and brought under the action of
rotating or circular cutters which remove solid sections so as to form the
dovetails in the rounded portion of the wire or bar. Of course this
operation leaves between the solid portions a flush or flattened surface
which would not admit of the reception of the corresponding round edge
of the opposite part of the hinge; and it is therefore necessary to form a
recess by cutting down into the metal. This I propose to do by placing
the division of the hinge under a vertical piercer which roughly cuts
away the metal between the bead blocks to form a groove, which
concave space is finished off to form a true semicircular groove by
subjecting it to the action of oscillating chisels set on a rocking shaft or
other equivalent, by which means the hinge becomes complete for union
by piercing and pinning. By these improvements hinges can be made
more rapidly than by the ordinary process, and with greater strength
and uniformity of construction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Rowan in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
ROWAN, of 92, Fawcett Street, Sheffield, in the County of York,
Silversmith, send greeting.
1
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-

page_text: fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Samuel Rowan, Her special license
that I, the said Samuel Rowan, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Rowan, my executors,
administrators, or 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 JOINTS OR HINGES, AND IN THE MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED
THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel
Rowan, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and scal, 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 I, the said Samuel Rowan, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
My said Invention relates to certain improvements in the mode or
method of manufacturing the joints or hinges of brass or other malleable -
metal; and also in the machinery to be used therein.
According to the ordinary method of making hinges the wire or bar of
metal from which they are to be made is drawn or rolled of a flat but
wide section with a shallow grove at one side, in which groove short
lengths of round wire are soldered for the purpose of forming the
dovetail or knuckle blocks, or by another method they are cast in metal;
being ultimately pierced and pinned so that two separate divisions so
pinned may constitute the hinge or joint.
According to my Invention I draw or roll the wire or bar from which
I form hinges in one solid piece or section including the round portions
for forming the joint, after which the round portion is cut at suitable.
intervals so as to entirely remove sections thereof, leaving the solid parts
to form the dovetail or knuckle blocks and corresponding spaces.

page_text: After the bar of metal has been properly rolled to the section shewn
at Figure 1 of my Drawings between rollers having dies on their
peripheries to suit the form and size of hinge required, it is cut into
suitable lengths by a circular saw or otherwise, after which the parts are
fixed in a vice or holder and brought under the action of rotating or
circular cutters which remove parts of the rounded portion or bead a of
the wire or bar so as to form the dovetails or knuckle blocks 6 (see
Figure 3 of my Drawings represents in front elevation the apparatus
which I employ for effecting this operation. A, A, are rotatory cutters
mounted upon the spindle B, which spindle works on centres C carried
in the uprights D of the main framing. The spindle B is provided with
a driving pulley E, and receives its motion by a strap from any prime
mover. The piece of rolled bar to be operated upon is held firmly in the
vice jaws or holder F attached to the sliding bed or table G, and is
moved to and from the cutters by means of a screw or otherwise in
order to regulate the depth of cut. The cutters A are arranged in
numbers and at distances apart to suit the size of the hinge to be
produced. This operation leaves between the solid portions or knuckle
blocks b a flush or flattened surface as at c,. Figure 2, which would not
admit of the reception of the corresponding round edge of the knuckle
blocks d, Figure 4, of the opposite part of the hinge, and it is therefore
necessary to form a curved recess as at e, Figure 4, by cutting down into
the metal. This I effect by first placing the spaces between the knuckle
blocks 6 under a vertical piercer or drill, which roughly cuts away the
metal between the knuckle blocks so as to form a groove, which I then
finish off to a true semicircular form by subjecting it to the action of
oscillating chisels set on a rocking shaft or other equivalent as shewn in
Figure 5, which represents a front elevation of my improved apparatus
A is a rocking shaft or
for smoothing or finishing the curved recesses.
frame carrying the toothed cutters or chisels B; this shaft works in
centres C, C, in the framing D. The piece of metal to be operated upon
is held in the vice E, which is fitted to the table F, and is capable of
being raised and lowered therewith by means of the rack G worked by a
pinion H carried on the shaft I, which is provided at one end with the
hand wheel K for imparting motion thereto. The piece of metal having|
been brought up to the cutter, the latter receives a rocking motion either
by means of the handle L or from any suitable arrangement of

page_text: machinery for imparting a reciprocating or rocking motion to the
cutter holder. The pieces after having been subjected to the action of
this machine are then completed and formed into hinges by piercing and
pinning in the ordinary way.
By these improvements hinges can be made more rapidly than by the
ordinary process and with greater strength and uniformity of con-
struction..
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
First. The manufacture of hinges from bars of rolled metal having a
rounded rib or bead formed along one of its edges, in which bead the
joint is formed in the manner herein-before described and illustrated by
my Drawings.
Second. The application and arrangement of rotatory cutters for cutting
away portions of the metal bead for the purpose of forming joints of
hinges, as herein-before described and illustrated by Figure 3 of my
Drawings.
Third. The peculiar construction and arrangement of machinery for
finishing or smoothing the curved recesses in the joints of hinges, as
herein-before described and illustrated by Figure 5 of my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Rowan, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of
July, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.