AN IMPROVED METAL SHOVEL
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Reddie, of Anstruther, in the County of Fife,
North Britain, Ironmonger, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METAL SHOVEL."
Sealed the 14th August 1855, and dated the 28th February 1855.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said James Reddie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 28th February 1855, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent
Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JANES
REDDIE, of Anstruther, Fifeshire, North Britain, Ironmonger, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED METAL
SHOVEL,
," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and
have made solemn declaration that I verily believe myself to be the first and
true Inventor thereof:

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Reddie, do hereby declare that
the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully describes
and ascertains the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, viz:-
My Invention consists in constructing the shovel of iron or other metal in
such a manner as to combine the following features:-
First, as to shape.-It is of the form hitherto made only in wood, and known
as the ordinary shovel employed for lifting herrings, and used in the curing of
herrings, and other purposes, also as the bowl or vessel for bailing water out
of boats.
Secondly, it has a wire applied round the edge, such wire being covered by
the plate of iron or other metal of which the bowl is made, and serving in
some cases to aid in fastening the bowl or shovel to the tongue, by twisting
it round the neck of the tongue or socket. If preferred, the space occupied by
the wire round the edge of the bowl may be filled with solder in place of
wire, or folded over without either wire or solder.
And, lastly, the metal strap, by which the bowl is connected with the
handle by means of either a tongue or a socket, is divided at its junction
with the bowl, so as to embrace the latter on each side instead of only fitting
against the back of the same. The rivets are passed through both thicknesses
of the strap and the bowl between them. The strap may be fastened to the
bowl by solder as well as by rivets.
In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood, I will
proceed to describe the accompanying Drawing, in which my improved shovel
is represented in different views.
Fig. 1 is a plan or horizontal view; Fig. 2 is an elevation; Fig. 3 a
longitudinal section; and Fig. 4 a transverse section of the same. In all these
Figures the same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
a is the metal bowl; 6 is the wire, which is carried round the edge of the
same; c is the metal strap by which the bowl is connected to the handle.
This is divided, as shewn at Fig. 3, so as to embrace the bowl at each side.
The metal strap or means of connection c may be formed, if preferred, with a
socket for the handle to fit into instead of the tongue d, as shewn, which is
intended to fit into the handle. The wire 6 may be used to aid the fastening
of the bowl to the tongue d.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
claim as of my Invention any particular mode of fastening the handle to the

page_text: bowl or shovel; but what I do claim as of my Invention is, the general mode
of constructing the shovel of iron or other metal, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Reddie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
JAMES REDDIE. (LS.)
WILLIAM LAMB, Witness.