A METHOD OF MAKING SICKLES AND REAPING HOOKS WITH IRON OR STEEL BACKS FIXED UPON THE BLADES THEREOF, WHETHER SUCH BLADES BE FORGED, ROLLED, CASTED, HAMMERED, OR OTHERWISE MANUFACTURED
Year: 1809

page_text: ALL-TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HUTTON, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Thirty-first day of July now last past; did give and grant unto me,
the said William Hutton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His special
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Hutton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that
part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England,
His Majesty's Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "A METHOD OF MAKING SICKLES AND REAPING HOOKS WITH IRON
OR STEEL BACKS FIXED UPON THE BLADES THEREOF, WHETHER SUCH BLADES BE
FORGED, ROLLED, CASTED, HAMMERED, OR OTHERWISE MANUFACTURED;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that if I, the said William Hutton,
should not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, and cause. the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within one calendar month next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent,
and all liberties and advantages thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine,
and become void, as by the said Letters Patent, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Hutton, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as follows
that is to say):-
Take a piece of steel, hammer or roll it into a proper thickness, then cut or
pare it into the form of a sickle or reaping hook (this may be called the blade
of the sickle or hook), then tooth the blade (if for a sickle) in the usual
manner, next harden the blade in the hardening mixture now used for saws,
and give a temper or colour, according to the quality of the steel of which it is
made, then set and grind it; the back may be made and affixed to or upon the
blade in manner following: take a blade made as above, pierce holes through
that part intended to be affixed to the back, then take a piece of iron or
steel, and hammer or draw it into the form of the back of the sickle or hook,
and fit it to the blade, afterwards pierce holes in the back to correspond with
those pierced in the blade, and fasten them together either with rivets or screws;
or the backs may be made and fastened to the blades as follows: take a
piece of iron or steel, roll, forge, cast, or hammer it to a thickness, and it
pare
to a breadth proper for the purpose you intend it, then double it by means of a
vice, stamp, or fly press, then fasten the tang unto or into the back, either by
welding or brazing, then bammer the back upon a stithy or block of iron or
steel, so that it may be flat and level, then close the edges nearly together,
taking care to leave the back part more open than the edge, in order that it
may form a spring for the purpose of holding itself fast to the blade, which
done, put the blade into a vice and forge on the back through its nearly closed
edges with a hammer, or force the blade into the back by a woodden hammer
striking on the edge of the blade; in this latter mode any number of revits or
screws may be used more effectually to fasten to the back to the blade.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hutton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our
Lord Christ One thousand eight hundred and nine.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named William Hutton (being first duly
stamped), in the presence of us,
W. HUTTON. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-sixth day of August,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Hutton came before
our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year above written.