Improvements in Pliers, Pincers, and similar Tools.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 28th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pliers, Pincers, and similar Tools.
I, WILLIAM ALEXANDER BERNARD, of No. 344, West 59th Street, in the City
and State of New York, United States of America, Machinist, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
In the manufacture of tools of different characters the handles have in some
instances been made out of sheet metal. The principal feature of the present
invention relates to a pair of handles made out of sheet metal and extended in the
form of double crossing or X shaped levers, secured together by separate rivets in
line with each other and the sheet metal is extended and connected with the jaws
of the pliers or pincers. In consequence of this construction there is a clear
central space or opening extending back between the pivots upon which the handles
move, hence a wire or rod can be introduced between the handle portions and
passed out between the jaw portious, and the handles being made out of sheet metal
are much easier to construct than the solid handles heretofore employed for this
class of tools, because the sheet metal can be cut out by dies of the proper shape
and then bent up to form the hollow handles and the parts that cross each other
can be passed one through the other with great facility and riveted together
without the expenditure of time and skilled labour heretofore necessary in forging or
fitting pliers or pincers having solid handles.
I combine with the aforesaid sheet metal handles jaw pieces at the short ends of
the double X levers and these jaws are sometimes made out of the same sheet
metal as the handles, but usually they are separate pieces with the ends thinned or
tapering as usual, and slotted in the rear for the reception of cross pins or rivets
equi-distant from the pins of the crossing or X levers so that the jaws can be
opened or closed and will remain parallel to each other, and when these pincers or
pliers are especially adapted to leather workers or for machinist's belts, an arm is
made to extend from one side of one of the jaws and a removable punch passes
through both jaws being screwed into one of them, and the end of the punch acts
with a changeable die near the end of the arm that perforates the leather or other
sheet material, and there is an adjustable gauge between the arm and the jaw to
which the arm is attached, for adjusting the position of the punch in relation to
the edge of the belt or other material that is to be perforated and a spring is some-
times applied for separating the handles and jaws.
This tool is very strong and light and can be made almost entirely by machinery
so as to lessen its cost.
Dated this 6th day of May 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pliers, Pincers, and similar Tools.
I, WILLIAM ALEXANDER BERNARD, of No. 344, West 59th Street, in the City
and State of New York, United States of America, Machinist, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In the manufacture of tools of different characters, the handles have in some
instances been made out of sheet metal.

page_text: out of sheet metal and extended in the form of double crossing or X shaped levers
secured together by separate rivets in line with each other and the sheet metal is
extended and connected with the jaws of the pliers or pincers. In consequence of
this construction, there is a clear central space or opening extending back between
the pivots upon which the handles move, hence a wire or rod can be introduced
between the handle portions and passed out between the jaw portions, and the
handles being made out of sheet metal are much easier to construct than the solid
handles heretofore employed for this class of tools, because the sheet metal can be
cut out by dies of the proper shape and then bent up to form the hollow handles
and the parts that cross each other can be passed one through the other with
great facility and riveted together without the expenditure of time and skilled
labour heretofore necessary in forging or fitting pliers or pincers having solid
handles.
In the drawings
Fig. 1. represents approximately the shape of the blank cut out for the pliers
represented by the side view Fig. 2, and
Fig. 3, is an end view of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4, represents the pliers in a form adapted to use as pipe or gas tongs.
Fig. 3 shows the improved tools with parallel jaws.
Fig. 6. is an end view of Fig. 7.
Fig. 7. is a side view of the pliers with parallel jaws and a punch adapted to the
use of leather workers and as a belt punch and
Fig. 8, is a section longitudinally of the jaws.
Fig. 9, is an end view of part of one of the jaws shown in Fig. 4.
The handles A, B, are cut out of sheet metal preferably steel and approximately
the shape shown in Fig. 1, and the portions 2, 2, are sufficiently wide for the
reception of the rivets 3. there being a longitudinal incision in the sheet metal as
shown at 4, so that the parts 2, 2, are separated and can be spread apart the desired
distance as the blank is struck up to form the semi-circular or trough shaped handle
portions 3.
These handle portions are rendered very stiff in consequence of being trough
shaped and increasing in width towards the fulerin 3.
Upon reference to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the fint portions 2, of the handles
pass one within the other and that the rivets 3, are in line with each other but it is
preferable not to pass the rivet 3, entirely across from one side to the other, but to
provide two separate rivets, so that the flat portions 2, of the handles may move
on on the other in the form of double X shape levers, and these levers are very
trong and there is an opening right through between the levers, so that a rod or
other article can be passed through between the handles and out between the jaw
portions of the implement, and the pliers or pincers are very stiff and well adapted
to withstand the twisting strain and leverage to which they are subjected while in
use in the ordinary manner.
I sometimes make the jaw portions 6, integral with the handle portions A & B,
as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, & 4, the sheet metal being bent up to shape and the
adjacent faces roughened, and for gas tongs or for grasping circular articles, the
edges of the sheet metal adjacent to the jaws may be serrated as at 7, Fig. 4, to
facilitate the grasping of any such round article as a pipe or rod.
For ordinary purposes it is preferable to make use of parallel jaws upon the
pliers or pincers and these jaws are shown at D, E, Figs. 5, 6, 7 & 8 ns made of
solid bars or castings with beveled or tapering ends as usual and the handles A, B,
are constructed as before described, but the forward ends of the double X levers
are comected to the jaws by the pivot rivets or screws 9, and there are similar
rivets or screws 10, passing through the handle portions to the rear of the pivot 3,
and through slots in the back ends of the jaw pieces and the distances between the
pivots 3, 9 & 10 being the same, or nearly so, the movements of the jaws D & E,
will be parallel to each other as they are opened and closed, and in consequence of

page_text: the double X lever portions of the handles A & B coming outside of the jaws D & E,
the lever handles act to better advantage upon the parallel moving jaws D & E, than
in those pliers having parallel jaws and in which the handle portions are introduced
into slots in the parallel jaws themselves, the crossing or X shaped levers being
single instead of double as in my improvements, and in addition to this, the pivots 3,
being in line but separate from each other, is a great convenience in passing rods or
other articles through between the jaws as such articles can be within the
handles A, B, and of any desired length.
The inner faces of the jaws D & E, may be straight and flat from end to end or
there may be an offset at the rear of the pivots 3, as represented upon one of the
jaws in Fig. 5.
In Figs. 7 & 8, the parallel moving jaws are adapted to the reception of a punch,
which punch is removable so that it may be taken out and the pliers used without
the punch and the punch may be inserted whenever it is necessary to use the same.
5 In this case the punch H is provided with a head 12, that is screwed into the
jaw D, and it is provided with a parallel smooth portion passing through the hole
in the jaw E, so that the movement of the punch is guided by such jaw E, and there
is upon the jaw E, an overhanging arm K, having near the end a movable die L,
with a hole through it adapted to the punch H. As the tool is opened, the jaws
O separate by a parallel movement and the punch His drawn back and a piece of
leather or other material can be inserted between the arm K and the jaw E, and
the punch acts to perforate the same when the handles A, B, are closed. By
removing the die L, and punch H, a different size or shape of punch or die may be
inserted.
The gauge M, is adapted to be moved between the arm K and jaw E, and it is
held by a stem 16, and screw 17.
This gauge is adapted to set against the edge of the belt or other article to
determine the point where the perforation is to take place.
A longitudinal hole may be bored in one of the jaws for the reception of a
O contractile spring N, acting between the pin 10, and a pin 18, passing through the
jaw, which contractile spring tends to open the tool by separating the jaws.
5
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
First. The pliers, pincers or similar tool having levers of sheet metal cut out and
stamped up into semi-circular or trough shaped handles and having the flat
portions 2, crossing each other and riveted together at 3, to form double X shaped
levers between the handle and jaw portions of the tool, substantially as set forth.
Second. The sheet metal lever handles A, B, having the flat portions 2, crossing
each other and riveted together at 3, to form double X levers, in combination
with the parallel moving jaws D, E, and connecting pivots 9 & 10, substantially as
set forth.
Third. The combination with the lever handles having flat crossing portions 2,
forming double X levers, of the jaws D E, the arm K, and the punch and die,
substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The pliers or pincers formed of sheet metal cut out and stamped up to
shape and having the flat portions 2, crossing each other and forming double
X shaped levers and the sheet metal between the lever ends forming the jaws 6,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this
day of January 1891.
W. A. BERNARD.
By Brewer & Son,
33, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.