IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AXLES, SHAFTS, RODS, AND BARS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fenton, of Low Moor, in the County of
York, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF AXLES, SHAFTS, RODS, AND BARS."
Sealed the 13th July 1855, and dated the 23rd January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fenton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd January 1855.
I, JAMES FENTON, of Low Moor, in the County of York, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF AXLES, SHAFTS, RODS, AND BARS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing axles, shafts, rods, and bars of plates.
of iron rolled into a bent shape, or rolled flat and afterwards bent. A core
may be employed either solid or hollow, or may be altogether omitted. The
plates are laid one over another. until a rod or shaft of the required diameter
is produced, when the whole is brought to a welding heat and drawn to
the required shape under a hammer, or it may be passed through rolls, or
welded in any other manner.
My Invention further consists in manufacturing axles, shafts, rods, and bars,
whether formed in the manner above described, or according to the method
for which I obtained provisional protection, the 16th December last, with an

page_text: outer or surface plate of metal superior to that composing the interior of the
axle, shaft, rod, or bar, or with an outer plate of steel. This outer plate may
be in one piece, or in two or more segments, and rolled to the curve required,
or rolled flat and afterwards curved. The plate or segments are welded on to
the interior, are drawn together under the hammer, or are passed through rolls;
or they may pass through both processes, if required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jamas Fenton, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
FENTON, of Low Moor, in the County of York, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Fenton, Her special licence that I, the said James
Fenton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Fenton, my executors, administrators, and 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 AXLES, SHAFTS, RODS, AND BARS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Fenton, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 James Fenton, do hereby declare S
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say -
My Invention consists in a mode of manufacturing axles, shafts, rods, and
bars from plates of iron rolled into a bent shape, or rolled flat and afterwards 3
bent, with or without the employment of a core or centre, which may
(

page_text: be either solid or hollow. The manner in which my Invention is performed
is as follows:
The plates of iron are rolled into a bent shape, or rolled flat and afterwards
bent to such a form that two, three, or more of them when put together shall
produce a tubular mass, and the curve or arc of the bend given to them will
be greater or less, according as the plates are to form the exterior or interior
of the tubular mass. The plates are then laid together by twos or threes at a
time, according as their curve is semi-circular or segmental, until a mass of
sufficient.size to produce the intended axle or other article is formed. This
mass will consist, as it were, of a series of tubes, each composed of two or three
portions, and care must be taken in putting the curved plates together that the
lines of junction of their edges shall, as it is technically called, break joint
with each other. The mass of metal thus produced is then brought to a
welding heat in an air or other suitable furnace, and drawn to the required
shape under a hammer, or it may be passed through rolls or welded in any other
manner. The same process is followed when a small core or centre (which
may be either solid or hollow) is employed.
My Invention further consists in manufacturing axles, shafts, rods, and bars,
whether formed in the manner above described, or according to the method for
which I obtained Letters l'atent, dated the Sixteenth day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, with an outer or surface plate of metal
of superior quality to that composing the interior of the axle, shaft, rod, or bar,
or with an outer or surface plate of steel. This outer plate may be in one
piece, or in two or more segments, rolled to the curve required, or rolled flat
and afterwards curved. The plate or segments having been welded on to the
interior mass of the axle shaft, rod, or bar, the whole is drawn down under the
lammer to the required shape, or it is passed through rolls, or it may undergo
both processes, if required. Instead of welding the outer plate to axles,
shafts, rods, and bars, formed after the method described in the Specification
of my Patent of the Sixteenth December, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-four, aforesaid, in the manner above described, the outer part of the plate,
or that which is to form the exterior of the axle or other article, may be
welded to the sheet or plate of iron before it is formed into the axle or other
article. Or the slab from which the plate is rolled may be made of two or
more qualities of iron, or iron and steel, care being taken in the hammering
and rolling of the same that the better quality of iron or steel shall form
that portion of the plate which afterwards becomes the exterior part of the
axle, shaft, &c. The process of manufacture is then performed in the manner
described in the said Specification.

page_text: And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is,―
First, the mode of manufacturing axles, shafts, rods, and bars by welding
together a series of bent plates of iron so combined as to form a tubular mass,
consisting of several layers arranged concentrically, with or without a small
core or centre, which may be either solid or hollow.
And, second, the manufacture of axles, shafts, rods, and bars, whether formed
in the manner above described, or according to the method described in the
Specification of the Letters Patent granted to me the Sixteenth day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, with an outer or surface
plate of metal of superior quality to that composing the interior of the axle,
shaft, rod or bar, or with an outer or surface plate of steel....
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fenton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five.
JAMES FENTON. (L.S.)