IMPROVEMENTS IN HANDLES FOR HAMMERS, MALLETS, PICKS, AND SIMILAR TOOLS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Burley, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Hammer Handle Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HANDLES FOR HAMMERS, MALLETS, PICKS, AND SIMILAR
TOOLS."
Sealed the 10th July 1860, and dated the 12th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Burley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th January 1860.
I, ROBERT BURLEY, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Hammer Handle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HANDLES FOR HAMMERS, MALLETS, PICKS, AND
SIMILAR TOOLS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention hàs for object to impart increased strength to handles for
hammers, mallets, picks, and similar tools. According to one plan, the
increased strength is obtained by inserting a metal core in an ordinary wooden
handle; or the handle may be composed or built up of a metal core or cores
and pieces of wood. Or, again, the metal core or cores may be covered with
a composition or material instead of wood. Finally, the handle may consist

page_text: of a metal case or sheath filled with wood or other material, or left unfilled,
and the outside of this metal case or sheath may be coated or covered to obtain
a suitable external surface for the hands.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Burley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
BURLEY, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Hammer
Handle Manufacturer, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Robert Burley, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Burley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Robert Burley, my executors, administrators, or 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 HANDLES FOR HAMMERS, MALLETS, PICKS, AND SIMILAR
TOOLS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Burley,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Robert Burley, do hereby declare 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
This Invention has for object to impart increased strength to handles for
hammers, mallets, picks, and similar tools. According to one plan, the
increased strength is obtained by inserting a metal core in an ordinary wooden

page_text: handle; or the handle may be composed or built up of a metal core or cores,
and pieces of wood; or, again, the metal core or cores may be covered with a
composition or material instead of wood. Finally, the handle may consist of
a metal case or sheath filled with wood or other material, or left unfilled; and
the outside of this metal case or sheath may be coated or covered to obtain a
suitable external surface for the hands.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood and
carried into effect, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory Drawings,
upon which are delineated examples of the application of my improve-
ments, the same reference letters marking the same or like parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a fore hammer, and Figure 2 is a cross section,
and Figure 3 a longitudinal section of the handle. In this example the
handle consists of a single piece of wood, A, having a malleable-iron or steel
rod B passed longitudinally through its centre. Figure 4 is an elovation;
Figure 5 is a transverse section, and Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of a
hammer handle, consisting of several pieces of wood C, strung or passed upon
the metal rod B; Figure 7 is a transverse section; Figure 8 is a longitudinal
section, and Figure 9 is an end view of pick handle similarly composed of
several pieces of wood C passed upon a central metal rod B. The metal
core B may be of various sections, those shown in Figures 2, 5, and 7 being
very suitable; and it may be fixed in the wooden handle or sheath A or C
also in various ways, a simple and satisfactory plan being to screw nuts D, E,
on both ends, as shown in Figures 1, 8, 4, and 6, a flat nut E being by pre-
ference used at the head for the hammer to stand upon; or a nut D may be
screwed upon the hand end, and provision be made for inserting a wedge at
the head, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. Figure 10 is a longitudinal section,
and Figure 11 is a transverse section of a hammer handle, which consists of
an external metal sheath F, which is filled with pieces of wood G.
I would here remark, that I do not consider this last modification to be
equal to those previously described, as it is wanting in the elasticity possessed
by the handles with internal metal cores, and which is liked by those using
tools of the kind. I would also observe, that my improvements are chiefly
designed for handles of the longer sizes, for which it is more difficult to obtain
wood of suitable length and quality.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I have to state,
that I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein described and
delineated, but that what I consider to be novel and original, and claim as the

page_text: Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is
the constructing of handles for hammers, mallets, picks, and similar tools with
metal cores or sheaths substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Burley, havo hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT, Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Sq.
Glasgow.
ROBERT BURLEY. (L.S.)