IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOVELS OR SPADES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake,
and Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings,, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOVELS OR SPADES".communicated
to him from abroad. by Edward Lawson Fenerty, of Halifax, Dominion of
Canada, Manufacturer
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left. by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th December 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
SHOVELS OR SPADES" [A communication to him from abroad by Edward Lawson
Fenerty, of Halifax, Dominion of Canada, Manufacturer]
This invention relates more especially to the sockets of shovels and spades and
the method of attaching the same to the body or blade, and consists in a novel
construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth, by
which the cost of manufacture is greatly reduced, and a more durable, effective and
desirable article of this character.produced than is now in ordinary use.
In ordinary cone-rivetted shovels the handle is secured to the blade by means of
straps, one being provided with a V-shaped flange, which extends downward y
and is rivetted to the blade, and the other unprovided with a dange but having its
lower end also rivetted to the blade, both straps being rivetted to the handie.
which is exposed on either side at its lower end. This method of construction
affords a cheap, but not very durable shovel, and one which is also objectionable
in other respects but principally for the reason that the flange being raised or
elevated above the lower surface of the blade with its rivets projecting, obstructs:
the entrance of the blade into the ground, and greatly increases. the wear at that
point, the lower flange rivets rapidly wearing out and breaking, thereby permitting
roots gravel and the like to enter between the flange and blade, and rendering the
tool substantially useless.
Another form of the ordinary shovel sometimes called the "Oxford" has its
lower strap formed integral with the blade, and its upper strap provided with a

page_text: V-shaped flange, which is rivetted to the blade of the shovel thereby rendering it
very costly to manufacture, and objectionable on account of the rivets which
protrude on the under side of the blade. The last named shovel is a variety of the
English socket coal shovel in which the socket and blade are integral, or forged in
one piece no rivets being used, the principal objections to it being first, its cost to
manufacture, the necessity for forming the socket integral with the blade, resulting
in a great waste of stock; and, second, its weakness necessarily resulting from the
manner in which it is constructed, the metal being reduced in thickness and
weakened at a point in forming the base of the socket.
The ordinary welded strap shovel is also comparatively expensive and requires
a bent handle which has to be rivetted between the straps.
My improvements are designed to obviate these difficulties and objections, and
to that end I make use of means hereinafter described.
In carrying this invention into practice an A-shaped depression is formed in the
lower side of the blade at its upper edge, and the socket for receiving and holding
the handle and the flange by which it is attached to the blade of the shovel, are in
integral, or formed of a single piece of metal, the flange being V-shaped and struck
up and bent or formed to fit the depression but of such width or size as not to
extend below the lower surface of the blade. The socket proper, or that portion
of the socket which is designed to receive the handle of the shovel, is formed by
curving or bending the sides inwardly at their centres and upper ends, and slightly
curving them downwardly and outwardly at their lower ends, thereby bracing and
greatly strengthening the socket at the point where it is subjected to the severest
strain in using the shovel. The socket is also bent or curved to form a goose-neck
but this bend may be slight or entirely omitted if desired. Both the socket and
its flange may be made of cast metal, either malleable or otherwise, if desired
although wrought iron or steel is preferable.
Among the advantages arising from my improvement are the following: first,
cheapness of construction, nearly one half the labor being saved in making the
shovel; second, a slight saving in the material used in making the socket as
compared with the old method of using straps formed in two pieces; third, a great
saving in valuable stock over the method described of forming the socket, or any
part of it, integral with the blade; fourth, the handle does not necessarily require
bending or rivetting; fifth, but four rivets are required in place of double that
number sometimes used; sixth, the heads of the rivets on the under side of the
shovel being above the lower surface of its blade, and within the depression, are
protected from wear, not liable to be broken off, and do not. interfere with the
entrance of the blade into the ground; seventh, the flange when attached to the
blade by rivets; being housed in the depression and above the lower surface of the
blade, does not act as an obstruction to the entrance of the blade into the ground,
and is also protected from wear; eighth, the shape of the depression in-the blade
of the shovel renders it much stronger at the point where the socket is attached
than a flat blade; ninth, the flange reinforces the blade, bracing and strengthening
its rear or upper edge; and tenth, the blade at its depression reinforces the flange
thereby greatly strengthening the shovel at the point of the greatest strain.
I do not confine myself to rivetting the flange to the blade although I deem this
preferable, as it may be welded thereto if desired. Neither do I confine myself to
attaching the flange to the under side of the blade as it may be attached to the
upper side, the flange being formed accordingly.
Neither do I confine myself to making the depression in the blade A-shaped in
cross-section or V-shaped in area, as it may be arched or curved in cross-section, or
of some other form, the flange being formed to correspond therewith.
It will be obvious that my invention is applicable to spades as well as to.
shovels..

page_text: Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line x x Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section showing a modification of my improve-
ment.
Figure 6 shows views of shovels and spades variously constructed, and hereinafter
more specifically referred to. and
Figure 7 is a view of an English socket coal shovel.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A Figure 6, indicates the bottom of an ordinary shovel sometimes called the
"cone rivetted shovel." In this shovel the handle is secured to the blade by means
of the straps m, f, the strap m being provided with a V-shaped flange d, which
extends downwardly and is rivetted to the blade, and the strap f unprovided with
a flange, but having its lower end (not shown) also rivetted to the blade, both
straps being rivetted to the handle which is exposed on either side at its lower end.
This method of construction affords a cheap but not very durable shovel, and one
which is also objectionable in other respects but principally for the reason that the
flange d, being raised or elevated above the lower surface of the blade with its
rivets, projecting, obstructs the entrance of the blade into the ground, and greatly
increases the wear at that point, the lower flange rivets rapidly wearing out and
breaking, thereby permitting roots, gravel, etc, to enter between the flange and
blade, and rendering the tool substantially useless
Another form of the ordinary shovel, sometimes called the "Oxford", is also
shown in Figure 6, B indicating a view of its top or upper side, and D of its
bottom or lower side
This shovel has its lower strap 1 formed integral with the blade, and its upper
strap provided with a V-shaped flange i, which is rivetted to the blade of the
shovel, thereby rendering it very costly to manufacture, and objectionable on account
of the rivets V, which protrude on the under side of the blade. The last named
shovel is a variety of the English socket coal-shovel shown in Figure 7, in which
the socket and blade are integral, or forged in one piece, no rivets being used, the
principal objections to it being first, its cost to manufacture, the necessity for
forming the socket integral with the blade resulting in a great, waste of stock:
and, Second, its weakness, on the line n necessarily resulting from the manner in
IT:

page_text: which it is constructed, the metal being reduced in thickness and weakened at this
point in forming the base of the socket
The ordinary welded strap shovel is also comparatively expensive and requires a
bent handle which has to be rivetted between the straps.
The present improvements are designed to obviate these difficulties and
objections, and to that end I make use of means hereinafter described readily
understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation, the
extreme simplicity of the invention rendering an elaborate description unnecessary
In Figure 1, E indicates the blade, and G the socket, an A-shaped depression a
(in cross section) being formed in the lower side of the blade at its upper edge, as
best seen in Figures 3. 4 and 5.
The socket for receiving and holding the handle, and the flange by which it is
attached to the blade of the shovel, are integral, or formed of a single piece of
metal as best seen in Figure 3, the flange h being V-shaped and struck up and bent
or formed to fit the depression a but of such width or size as not to extend below
the lower surface of the blade.
The socket proper, or that portion of the socket which is designed to receive the
handle of the shovel is formed by curving or bending the sides r, r inwardly at
their centres and upper ends and slightly curving them downwardly and
outwardly, as seen at, t, t, at their lower ends, thereby bracing and greatly
strengthening the socket at the point where it is subjected to the severest strain in
using the shovel,
The socket is also bent or curved to form a goose-neck, as best shown at w in
Figures 1 and 2, but this bend may be slight or entirely omitted if desired. Both
the socket and its flange may be made of cast metal either malleable or otherwise,
if desired, although wrought iron or steel is preferable
Among the advantages arising from my improvement are the following: First,
cheapness of construction, nearly one half the labor being saved in making the
shovel; Second, a slight saving in the material used in making the socket as
compared with the old method of using straps formed in two pieces; third, a great
saving in valuable stock over the method described of forming the socket, or any
part of it, integral with the blade; fourth, the handle does not necessarily require
bending or rivetting; fifth, but four rivets are required in place of double that
number sometimes used; Sixth, the heads of the rivets y on the under side of the
shovel being above the lower surface of its blade, and within the depression a are
protected from wear, not liable to be broken off, and do not interfere with the
entrance of the blade into the ground; Seventh, the flange h when attached to the
blade by the rivets y, being housed in the depression a and above the lower
surface of the blade, does not act as an obstruction to the entrance of the blade
into the ground, and is also protected from wear; eighth, the shape of the
depression & in the blade of the shovel renders it much stronger at the point where
the socket is attached than a flat blade: ninth, the flange h reinforces the blade
bracing and strengthening its rear or upper edge; and, tenth, the blade at the
depression a reinforces the flange h, thereby greatly strengthening the shovel at
the point of the greatest strain.
I do not confine myself to rivetting the flange h to the blade, although I deem
this preferable, as it may be welded thereto if desired. Neither do I confine
myself to attaching the flange to the under side of the blade, as it may be
attached to the upper side, as shown in Figure 5, the flange being formed
accordingly
Neither do I confine myself to making the depression in the blade A-shaped in
cross-section or V-shaped in area, as it may be arched or curved in cross-section, or
of some other form than that shown in area, the flange / being formed to
correspond therewith
In Figure 6 a spade C is shown having a socket constructed substantially the
same as those of the shovels, B, D, my improvement being equally applicable to
11

page_text: Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim:-
First. In a shovel, the blade E provided on its under side with the depression a,
and the socket G having the curved sides r, r, and flange h, all constructed,
combined, and arranged substantially as set forth.
Second. The socket G having the inwardly curved sides, r, r, the outwardly
curved portions t, t, and the flange h, all of said parts being integral or formed in
one piece, the said flange being bent or formed to fit a corresponding depression in
the blade of a shovel, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twenty ninth day of May in the year of our of Our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty four.