IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH PLIERS, NIPPERS, AND SMITHS' TONGS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William McIntyre Cranston, of Worship Street, in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED
WITH PLIERS, NIPPERS, AND SMITHS' TONGS." A communication from abroad
by James Folsom Cranston, of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the United States
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William McIntyre Cranston
at the Office of the Cominissioners of Patents on the 26th November 1880.
WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON, of Worship Street, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH PLIERS, NIPPERS, AND SMITHS'-
TONGS." A communication from abroad by James Folsom Cranston, of Springfield,
Massachusetts, in the United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to curve one jaw of a pair of pliers, nippers,
or smith's-tongs, and to pin or joint a tongue piece thereto in order that articles
of an inclined or tapered, as also articles of a parallel, form may be held firmly
between it and the fixed jaw. The tongue piece is formed with a cutting edge
that wire may be severed by it when put in position for that purpose, the
cutting edge impinging against the face of the fixed jaw for the severance. The
back of the tongue piece is roughened, and also the inner portion of the curved
jaw to act in conjunction with the roughened face of the fixed jaw for use as a
wrench, the tongue piece adjusting itself to the diameter of the pipe or other
article to be turned by it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
"
by the said William McIntyre Cranston in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th May 1881.
WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON, of Worship Street, in the County of Middlesex.
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH PLIERS, NIPPERS, AND SMITHS'
TONGS." A communication from abroad by James Folsom Cranston, of Springfield,
Massachusetts, in the United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to curve one jaw of a pair of pliers, nippers, or
smith's tongs, and to pin or joint a tongue piece thereto in order that articles of an
inclined or tapered, as also articles of a parallel, form may be held firmly between
it and the fixed jaw. The tongue piece is formed with a cutting edge that wire
may be severed by it when put in position for that purpose, the cutting edge
impinging against the face of the fixed jaw for the severance. The back of the
tongue piece is roughened, and also the inner portion of the curved jaw to act in
conjunction with the roughened face of the fixed jaw for use as a wrench, the
tongue piece adjusting itself to the diameter of the pipe or other article to be
turned by it.
The Invention will be clearly understood by the annexed Drawings, the
Figures on which give a few of the uses to which the improved apparatus may be
applied.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the article as a pair of pliers with a parallel
piece of wire on a thin flat plate A between the hinged tongue piece B and the lower
jaw C, which is in a piece with one of the handles D, the hinged tongue piece B
being connected by a pin E to the other jaw F, which is curved or looped at G
and roughened on the inner face. The jaw F terminates in a handle H.
These pliers, like ordinary pliers, have the common joint and pin I, but any
known joint by which the jaws can be opened and closed may be adopted.
Figure 2 represents sufficient of a pair of pliers to enable any person to under-
stand how the hinged tongue B can adjust itself to hold a double angled or wedge
shape piece of metal or other material J between itself and the other jaw C, the
grip of the jaw C and of the hinged tongue piece B being for the full length of the
material placed between them.
Figure 3 shows the pliers with a single angled or chamfered piece of metal or
other material between the jaw C and the hinged tongue piece B and held in a
similar manner as that shown at Figure 2, the thin end of the material being
nearest the joint I.
Figure 4 illustrates the reverse, i.e., the piece of metal or material having its
thickest end near the joint I, the hinged tongue piece being equally adapted for
gripping any angled material, from either end of it, of a thickness ranging within
the opening capacity of the hinged tongue piece B and jaw C.
Figure 5 represents a view of the jaw end of the pliers with the hinged tongue
piece B "set up " at right angles, that its edge a (which is shaped for the purpose)
serves as a cutting edge for severing wire or a thin strip of metal A, the abutinent
being formed by the jaw C, against which for cutting purposes the edge a is forced
by pressure being put upon the handles D, H.
Figure 6 shows the application of the pliers for turning pipes or of threaded rods
to connect or to disconnect their screw threads, the jaws C and F being opened out,
and the hinged tongue piece set at the desired angle to suit the diameter of
pipe 6 or of a rod which is gripped at three parts, as shown, so that it can be
turned.
Figure 7 illustrates the position of a gas nipple (or it may be any other article
of about the same diameter) may be gripped to enable it to be turned or unscrewed.

page_text: The nipple, rod, or other article may however be gripped at the part of the pliers
as shown at Figure 8.
•
These pliers can be made of any convenient size, and by dispensing with the
cutting edge a, they can be adapted and used as smiths' tongs, and the gripping
faces of the hinged tongue piece and the jaw C may be flat, hollowed, or grooved.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
The tongue piece B hinged to a curved or looped jaw F to act in conjunction
with an ordinary jaw C of a pair of pliers or of a pair of nippers, or of a pair of
smith's tongs, and with or without the cutting edge a, as described, for the purpose
of holding the parallel, angled, or tapered ends of articles, substantially as shown
in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William McIntyre Cranston, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
WM M. CRANSTON. (L.S.)