Improvements in Fire Tongs, and in the Manufacture of the same.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 17th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Tongs, and in the Manufacture of the same.
1, THOMAS REGINALD VOCE, of the Bolton Novelty Co. of 176-8 Bolton Road,
Small Heath, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows :-
My invention has for its object improvements in fire tongs and in the manufacture
of the same by which both strength, lightness, and cheapness are ensured in the
following manner :-
I make my tongs from a single piece of metal tubing when the tubing is of solid
metal such for instance as unwelded butt jointed steel tube or brass tube or similar
tubes of solid metal. First 1 take a piece of tube say Besseiner steel and I flatten
it at the centre the joint of the tube being inside the bow or spring part. Then I
open out the tube at each end from which I form the claws in tools under a press.
The tube is then bent round to form the bow when the tongs are finished so far as
the forging or construction is concerned. In the case of compound tubes such as
a steel inside, covered with a sheet of brass, I prefer tubing having the sheet brass
not only coiled round the outside but turned round the edges inside so that the
edges would not become bare by bending. In the case of covered tubing I may
put a collar on the bottom at the root of the claws to secure the coating from
turning back. By these means I obtain very light tongs without joints which are
both strong light and cheap.
Dated this 27th day of May 1895.
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.
I, THOMAS REGINALD VOCE, of the Bolton Novelty Co. of 176-8 Bolton Road,
Small Heath, Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturer do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention aud in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention has for its object improvements in fire tongs and in the manufacture
of the same by which both strength, lightness and cheapness are ensured in the
following manner :-
I make my tongs from a single piece of metal tubing when the tubing is of solid
metal such for instance as unwelded butt jointed steel tube or brass tube or similar
tubes of solid metal. First I take a piece of tube say Bessemer steel and I flatten
it at the centre the joint of the tube being inside the bow or spring part then I
open out the tube at each end from which I form the claws in tools under a press.
The tube is then bent round to form the bow when the tongs are finished so far
as the forging or construction is concerned. In the case of compound tubes such
as a steel inside, covered with a sheet of brass I prefer tubing having the sheet brass
not only coiled round the outside but turned round the edges inside so that the

page_text: -edges would not become bare by bending. In the case of covered tubing I may
put a collar on the bottom at the root of the claws to secure the coating from
turning back. By these means I obtain very light tongs without joints which are
both strong light and cheap.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practical effect I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings
upon which I have illustrated a pair of fire tongs as made according to my
improved method although I do not bind myself to the exact design as shown
which may be varied to a considerable extent without departing from the nature of
my said invention.
Figure 1 is a front view of a pair of my improved tongs.
Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 1-2 Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an enlarged section on the line 3-4 Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the bow or spring part a² of the tongs looking
at the inside portion.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the claws or feet of the tongs.
Figure 7 is an alternative section for Figure 3 showing a steel tube with a brass
⚫covering.
I make my tongs A from a single piece of metal tubing iron steel or brass when
the tubing is of solid metal such for instance as that shown by the section Figure 3
being by preference unwelded butt jointed steel, brass or other similar tube I then
flatten this piece of tube a¹ at the centre part so that the section resembles that
shown in Figure 4 the joint a³ of the tube being inside the part a² which forms the
spring or low part of the tongs I then open out the tube a¹ at each end to form what
I call the claws at in tools under a press. These claws however may be of any
desired configuration or design. The tube is then bent round to form the bow or
spring part a as shown in Figure 1 when the tongs are finished so far as the
construction is concerned. The clip B is attached to hold the legs of the tongs
together. In making the tongs A of compound tubing such for instance as steel
covered or coated with brass as shown at Figure 7 where a represents the steel
tubing with the brass covering a. I prefer the tubing with the sheet brass covering
turned round the edges a' of the steel tube so that when bent the edges do not
become bare. but the usual covered tubing may be used. Also in the case of
compound tubes I may affix a collar a³ at the root of the claw part a* where the
covering or coating a ends in the manner as illustrated in Figure 8 which secures
the coating a from turning back or collars may be fixed in other parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
-claim is
The improvements in fire or other such like tongs and in the manufacture of the
same consisting of a piece of metal tubing whether plain or coated flattened for the
bow and opened for the claws and otherwise manipulated and formed substantially
as and for the purpose herein set forth and as shown upon the drawings.
Dated this 15th day of February 1896.
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.