AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF WEIGHT
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF WEIGHT."-A
communication from abroad by Daniel Baker Lacy and Isaac Augustus
Lacy, of Mott Haven, in the State of New York, and Thomas
Thompson Lacy, of Jersey City, in the State of New Jersey, United
States of America.
Sealed the 8th March 1867, and dated the 21st September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by. the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st September 1866.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF WEIGHT,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of weights applicable to window
sashes, clocks, and other uses of the "slag" from blast furnaces run into
suitable moulds or forms, and having incorporated with them shanks, rings,
or eyebolts, the molten slag when set serving to secure the shank or ring.
The weights are made either with or without outer cases, which latter (where

page_text: used) may form the mould for the slag and constitute part of the weight, and
may be conveniently constructed of sheet iron. By this improvement. weights
may be manufactured at a much less cost, or with a smoother exterior, or
both, than when made of cast iron.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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
"AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF WEIGHT," being a communication from abroad,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton,
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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists in the construction of weights applicable to window
sashes, clocks, and other uses of the "slag" from blast furnaces run into

page_text: suitable moulds or forms, and having incorporated with them shanks, rings,
or eyebolts. These weights are made either with or without outer cases,
which latter (where used) may form the mould for the slag and constitute
part of the weight. By this improvement weights may be manufactured at a
much less cost, or with a smoother exterior, or both, than when made of cast
iron.
In the accompanying Drawing the Invention is illustrated in connection
with the manufacture of sash weights.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a weight constructed according to this
Invention, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same. Similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts in both Figures.
'
A is an outer case which is open at its lower end x, and may be made of
sheet iron or other suitable, metal, and which may be of any desired shape,'
but when the weight is designed for a clock or window sash it is preferred to
be cylindrical in its main length, as from a to b in Fig. 1, with its upper end
made tapering or conical, as shewn at b, c, in the said Figure, there being an
orifice or opening in the top thereof at d, through which the shank e of the
ring staple B is thrust into the said case A; this ring staple may be made of
wrought or malleable iron, and the inner or lower end of its shank e is formed
into two laterally projecting prongs f, or may be simply made somewhat
thicker than the main length of the shank in order to enable the staple to be
properly secured in place by the filling contained in the case A, as will be
presently fully explained. The cord by which the weight is suspended is
attached to a ring upon the outer end of the said staple when the weight is in
use. The case A may be made by bending or folding the sheet metal of
which it is formed into the proper shape and securing the adjacent edges
together by any suitable means. The case A being constructed and the
shank e of the ring staple B being inserted therein, as herein-before fully set
forth, the case is inverted, and has its tapering end together with the ring or
head of the staple B solidly embedded in earth, moulding, sand, or equivalent
substance with its open bottom 9 uppermost, the interstices around the
shanke where it passes into the case A being closed by the sand or earth
surrounding the end of the case, the sand or earth at the same time holding
the case in an upright position, and also keeping the ring staple B in its
proper place with reference thereto. The case A is then filled with molten
slag" from blast furnaces poured in at the open end of the case.
when cooled forms a solid and heavy filling within the case A, as shewn at C,
and constitutes the greatest portion of the weight, and surrounding the shank e
of the ring staple B together with the prongs or enlargement upon the inner
The slag

page_text: end thereof securely fastens the ring staple thereto. As the "slag" is of little
or no intrinsic value, and the sheet iron cases A may be made at a very
moderate cost, and as the operation of filling the cases with the "slag" may
be performed by boys or other unskilled and inexperienced persons, it follows
that the weights may be manufactured at a much less cost than those formed
of cast iron in the ordinary way. This improved weight is also better adapted
for use as a sash weight than those heretofore made, inasmuch as the outer
surface of the sheet iron of which the cases A are formed may be made much
smoother than that of the weights made of coarse cast iron in the usual way,
and are thus rendered much less liable to cut or abrade the cords by which
In
they are suspended by passing and coming in contact with the same.
some cases, especially where the weight is required to be large and heavy, the
outer casing may be dispensed with and the weight be formed by running the
molten slag into either sand or metal moulds; also instead of the ring or
shank an eyebolt passing through the weight and secured by a nut below may
be substituted.
Having now set forth the nature of this Invention of "An Improved
Construction of Weight" and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood, that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim constructing weights of slag with or without an outer
case, and having incorporated with them a shank, ring, or eyebolt for
attaching the same, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my band and seal, the Twenty-first day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)