IMPROVEMENTS' IN STAMPING OR EMBOSSING HORN, LEATHER, AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Davies, of No. 1, Scrle Street, Lincoln's
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in
the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS' IN STAMPING OR EMBOSSING HORN, LEATHER,
AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUCH
PURPOSE." A communication from abroad by Joseph Victor
Combe, of Rouen, France, Mechanician.
-
Sealed the 16th February 1869, and dated the 10th September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th September 1868.
I, GEORGE DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, 'in the
5 County of Middlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in the City of
Glasgow, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STAMPING OR EMBOSSING HORN,
LEATHER, AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUCH

page_text: PURPOSE," (a communication to me from abroad by Joseph Victor Combe,
of Rouen, France, Mechanician,) to be as follows:-
The Invention consists principally in the application and adaptation
of the hydraulic press to the stamping or embossing of articles of horn,
leather, and other substances, and especially to the manufacture of
buffalo horn and other buttons.
The apparatus is composed of a pump body or cylinder in cast iron or
other metal fixed in a wooden bench or otherwise; it is terminated at
its upper part by a cast-iron or other bridge or spanner, and is closed
at its lower part by a cover or valve facing connected by flanges to the
body of the pump. The cover is provided with three orifices or ports
sarranged in the same manner as those of a steam engine. The first
orifice opens below the piston and serves for the admission of water
((under pressure) beneath the said piston. The second orifice communi-
cates with a passage formed within the thickness of the wall of the body
of the pump, and conducting the hydraulic pressure above the piston.
The third orifice is the exhaust port leading to the escape pipe. Beneath
the lid or cover is fixed a valve box enclosing a slide valve actuated by
a cam or projection from a hand lever. Under the valve box is screwed
or otherwise fixed the water supply pipe communicating with a reservoir
or with a pressure regulator, into which water is forced by a pump
actuated either mechanically or by hand.
The dies containing the article to be stamped are placed on the piston
head (which passes out through a water-tight cup leather), and bencath
:the bridge or spanner, after having been previously heated, as is usual
in this manufacture. Then by the aid of the lever the slide valve is
placed in such a. position that the water under pressure is admitted
beneath the piston. The button or other article is left under pressure
for about a minute, and then (by means of the lever) the lower port is
put in communication with the exhaust opening and the upper port
with the water supply pipe, causing the piston to descend again and
allowing the water beneath the same to escape. It will be perceived
'that this apparatus is very easy to manage and certain in its action.
One female can work from fifteen to twenty of these, presses without
fatigue, and at the same time perform double the work produced by a
man with the old fly press in use hitherto, for this manufacture.
The apparatus, as above described, will only press or emboss one
button or other article at a time, but it will easily be understood that

page_text: by placing the apparatus on its side, or in a horizontal position, and
fixing two long parallel.guides between the cylinder and the bridge or
spanner, fifteen or twenty pairs of dies may be placed between the
piston head and the latter, and be thus actuated at once, and by applying:
this arrangement to both ends of the cylinder and placing the valve
box at the top or side the apparatus may be made double acting, so.as
to operate a series of dies alternately at each end..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Davies in the Great Scal Patent Office on..
the 26th February 1809..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE. PRÉSENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE-
DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street,. Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Strect,. in the City of Glasgow, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent,, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her:
Letters Patent, bearing, date the Tenth day of September, in the ycar of.
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-..
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Hér heirs and successors,.
give and grant unto me, the said George Davies, Her special. licence.
that I, the said George Davies, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Davies,, my executors,.
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no.
others, from time to time and. at all times. thercafter 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
STAMPING OR EMBOSSING HORN, LEATHER,. AND OTHER. MATERIALS, AND IN THE..
APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE," (a communication to me from
abroad by Joseph Victor Combe, of Rouen, France, Mechanician,).,
upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the said George Davies,.
my executors or administrators,. by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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

page_text: Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Davies, do hereby declare
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 in writing, and on reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
The Invention consists principally in the application and adaptation
of the hydraulic press to the stamping or embossing of articles of horn,
leather, and other substances, and especially to the manufacture of
buffalo horn and other buttons.
The apparatus is composed of a pump body or cylinder in cast iron
or other metal fixed in a wooden bench or otherwise; it is terminated at
its upper part by a cast-iron or other bridge or spanner, and is closed
at its lower part by a cover or valve facing connected by flanges to the
body of the pump. The cover is provided with three orifices or ports
arranged in the same manner as those of a steam engine. The first
orifice opens below the piston and serves for the admission of water (under
pressure) beneath the said piston. The second orifice communicates
with a passage formed within the thickness of the wall of the body of
the pump and conducting the hydraulic pressure above the piston. The
third orifice is the exhaust port leading to the escape pipe. Beneath
the lid or cover is fixed a valve box enclosing a slide valve actuated by
a cam or projection from a hand lever. Under the valve box is screwed
or otherwise fixed the water supply pipe communicating with a reservoir
or with a pressure regulator, into which water is forced by a pump
actuated either mechanically or by hand.
The dies containing the article to be stamped are placed on the piston
head (which passes out through a water-tight cup leather) and beneath
the bridge or spanner after having been previously heated, as is usual
in this manufacture; then by the aid of the lever the slide valve is
placed in such a position that the water under pressure is admitted
beneath the piston. The button or other article is left under pressure
for about a minute, and then (by means of the lever) the lower part is
put in communication with the exhaust opening and the upper port
with the water supply pipe, causing the piston to descend again and
allowing the water beneath the same to escape. It will be perceived
that this apparatus is very casy to manage and certain in its action.

page_text: One female can work from fifteen to twenty of these presses without
fatigue, and at the same time perform double the work produced by a
man with the old fly press in use hitherto for this manufacture.
The apparatus, as above described, will only press or emboss one
button or other article at a time, but it will easily be understood that
by placing the apparatus on its side or in a horizontal position and
fixing two long parallel guides between the cylinder and the bridge or
spanner fifteen or twenty pairs of dies may be placed between the piston
head and the latter, and be thus actuated at once, and by applying this
arrangement to both ends of the cylinder and placing the valve box
at the top or side the apparatus may be made double acting, so as to
operate a series of dies alternately at each end.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention for "Improve-
ments in Stamping or Embossing Horn, Leather, and other Materials,
and in the Apparatus employed for such Purpose," I will now proceed
to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may
be performed or carried into practical effect; and in order that the same
may be distinctly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof, that is to say :-
In the annexed Drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2
a side view of the apparatus; Figure 3 is a section through the line 1-2,
Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section through the line 3-4, in Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a plan view as seen from above; and Figure 6 a similar
view as seen from below. The same letters indicate like parts in theso
respective Figures.
A is the cylindrical pump body of cast iron fixed in a wooden
bench B, or otherwise, and terminating at its upper part in a bridge
or spanner C, being closed at its lower side by a cover or valve facing D
connected by flanges to the cylinder A. The cover D has three orifices
or passages a, b, c, arranged in a similar manner to those of a steam
engine. The orifice a opens beneath the piston P and serves for the
admission of water beneath the same. The opening 6 leads to a
passage formed in the thickness of the wall of the pump body, and
conducting the hydraulic pressure above the piston. The orifice q is
the exhaust opening leading to the escape pipe d. On the cover D is
fixed a valve casing E, in which is the slide valve T, the rod F of which

page_text: is actuated by the projection g on the hand lever L, which latter works
on a stud O in the bracket h cast to the cover D. On the valve box E
is screwed the tube m which communicates with the reservoir or
regulator of the hydraulic pressure, into which a force pump of any
suitable kind driven by mechanism or by hand compresses the water.
The dies M, M', containing the piece to be stamped are placed on the
piston below the spanner C after having been previously heated as
usual; then by the aid of the hand lever L the valve is placed in such
a position that the water from the pressure regulator passes through
the passage a beneath the piston. The button is left under pressuro
about a minute, and then by aid of the valve the opening a is put
in communication with the exhaust opening c, the orifice 6 is thereby
opened and the hydraulic pressure comes on above the piston, which is
caused to re-descend, and the water contained in the cylinder escapes
by the opening c and tube d.
The action of the press may as readily be controlled by a four-
way cock instead of a slide valve. This arrangement is illustrated
by Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10, in which the distribution of the hydraulic
pressure is effected by means of the four-way cock A arranged in
such a manner that it can admit the water either above or below
the piston, and at the same time allow of the escape of the water.
The admission of the water takes place through the tube a, the tube b
conducting it above the piston,, and the tube c below the same. d is the.
exhaust pipe.
The apparatus as above described will only stamp one button at a time,
.but the following arrangement admits of the stamping of a considerable
number at one blow:-This apparatus is shown at Figures 11 to 17, and
possesses the following advantages:-Firstly, to stamp at least twenty
buttons at once and in the same time as was hitherto necessary for
stamping one. Secondly, it only requires one attendant to manage two
presses, working them simultaneously, avoiding also all loss of time and
incrcasing in a considerable degree the amount of work performed by
the operative.
Two kinds of press are represented, one of which is single-acting and
the other double-acting; the former is shown at Figures 11, 12, 13, 14,
and 15, and the latter at Figure 17. Figure 11 is a longitudinal view
of the apparatus, shown partly in section; Figure 12 is a plan view
thereof; Figure 13, an end view; Figure 14, a section through the

page_text: line 1-2, Figure 2; and Figure 15 is an end view of the guide.
The heated dies containing the buttons to be stamped are placed one
against the other between the two guides L and L'; the plate P is then
introduced into the head of the spanner M which joins the two guides,
and it is against this plate that the pressure produced by the hydraulic
press A, C, D, operates; ten, fifteen, or twenty buttons may be stamped
at once in this manner. This press may be made double-acting, as
shown at Figure 17, acting in each direction alternately. Figure 16
represents a row of the dies and buttons ready for pressing.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention
for "Improvements in Stamping or Embossing Horn, Leather, and other
Materials, and in the Apparatus employed for such Purpose," together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim
as the Invention communicated to me by the aforesaid Joseph Victor
Combe, the application of the hydraulic press to the stamping or
embossing articles of horn, leather, and other substances, together with
the arrangements of the press, and more particularly that for the distri-
bution of the hydraulic pressure on each side of the piston by means
of a slide valve similar to that used in steam engines.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Davies, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.