AN IMPROVEMENT OR IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC SPOONS, FORKS, AND LADLES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Moffat, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC SPOONS, FORKS, AND LADLES."
Sealed the 3rd June 1856, and dated the 5th December 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Moffat at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
December 1855.
I, JOHN MOFFAT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC SPOONS, FORKS, AND LADLES,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the method or methods, herein-after explained, of
rolling metal for the manufacture of spoons, forks, and ladles, and planishing
I take strips of sheet metal, such as are ordinarily used in the
manufacture of spoons, forks, and ladles, and in placo of the "cross rolling,"
to which the said strips of metal are usually subjected, I treat them in the
following manner:-I mount a pair of cylindrical rolls excentrically, so that
on rotating, the surfaces of the said rolls alternately approach to and recede
from one another, thus. diminishing and increasing the space between them.
The workinan stands on that side of the rolls on which anything being rolled

page_text: is delivered towards him. When the space between the rolls is widest be
introduces one end of the strip of metal, the rolls in their motion grasp and
reduce the thickness of the end of the strip, and return it to the workman;
both ends of the strips are subjected to the same treatment. Instead of using
a pair of rolls excentrically mounted, I sometimes use a pair of cylindrical rolls
with central axles. From one end of the rolls (the upper one by preference) I
cut a slot or groove at right angles to the axle in the direction of a chord to
the circle of the cylindrical roll. Two or more of such slots or grooves may
be formed on the roll. By the revolution of the pair of rolls last described the
strips of metal may be reduced in thickness at their ends, in a manner very
nearly similar to that effected by the first-described pair of rolls. I effect the
planishing of the spoons, forks, and ladles by means of a small pair of rolls
having highly polished surfaces, to which rolls I give an alternating instead of
a rotatory motion. In planishing the handles, I use a pair of highly polished
rolls, driven by steam or other power, the upper roll being weighted or pressed
down with. uniform pressure, so as to act uniformly. on the parts having
.different thicknesses. Or, instead of cylinders, I sometimes use semi-cylinders,
or other portion of a cylindrical surface, for effecting the hand planishing of
the spoons, forks, and ladles. The blanks are cut from the strips of metal
after rolling, and the said blanks are afterwards raised or bent into the
proper form, next coated when requisite with tin or other metal, and lastly
planished.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters. Patent filed
by the said John Moffat in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd June 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MOFFAT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of December; in the year, of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of. Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Moffat, Her. special licence that I, the said John Moffat, my.exe-
'cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Moffat,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
o others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term

page_text: 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 IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC SPOONS, FORKS, AND LADLES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Moffat, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their:
bands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain 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 inmediately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Moffat, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of the method or methods, herein-after explained, and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, of rolling metal to be used in the
manufacture of spoons, forks, and ladles. My Invention further consists in:
methods, herein-after described, of planishing spoons, forks, and ladles.
In carrying the first of my Invention into effect, I take strips of metal to be:
made into spoons, forks; and ladles. Instead of tapering the ends of the said
strips by the ordinary process of "cross rolling," I treat the said strips in the
following manner:-I construct a pair of rolls, such as are represented in eleva-1
tion in 'Figure 1, and marked respectively a, b. The said rolls are cylindrical,
but are mounted upon their axes c, d, excentrically. As the said rolls a, b, turn'
upon their axes c; 'd; their surfaces alternately approach to and recede from one
another, thus alternately diminishing and increasing the space between them..
The workman 'stands on that side of the rolls indicated by the letter.e, the said.
rolls turning in the direction indicated by the arrows.
When the space:
between the rolls a, b, is widest, the workman introduces one end of the strip
of metal to be operated upon between the said rolls. The rolls in their motion:
grasp the strip of metal, and reduce the thickness of the end thereof, and;
return it to the workman. The workman next introduces the other end of the
strip between the rolls, and effects the tapering of the said end. The distance,
to which the workman introduces the strip between the rolls depends upon the
length of that portion of the strip which he wishes to taper. Each end of,
the strip may be subjected once or more than once to the operation of the
rolls, according to the amount of tapering to be produced. Instead of using a
pair of rolls excentrically. mounted, as represented in Figure 1, I sometimes
use a pair of rolls whose axles are concentric with the said rolls, as repre-

page_text: 3
sented in end elevation in Figure 2, and side elevation in Figure 3. The said.
rolls are marked-respectively f and g. From one of the rolls (the upper one f
by preference) I cut a slot or groove at right angles to the axle, and in the
direction of a chord to the circle of the cylindrical roll, as represented at h,
Figures 2 and 3. By the revolution of the pair of rolls, Figures 2 and 3, the
strips of metal may be reduced in thickness at their ends, or at any other part.:
In carrying the second part of my Invention into effect, namely, the
planishing of spoons, forks, and ladles, I employ pair of small rolls having
highly polished surfaces, to which rolls I give either an alternating or a rotatory.
motion. In planishing the handles of spoons, forks, and ladles, I prefer to use
a pair of highly polished rolls, driven by steam or other power, the upper roll
being weighted or pressed down with a constant pressure, so as to act uniformly
on the parts having different thicknesses. Instead of effecting the planishing.
by cylinders, I sometimes use semi-cylinders, or other portion of a cylindrical
surface, for effecting the planishing of spoons, forks, and ladles. I prefer to
use the said semi-cylinders or other portion of a cylindrical surface for effecting
the planishing of spoons, forks, and ladles by hand. Figure 4 represents, in
front elevation, and Figure 5 in side elevation, a pair of planishing rolls made
according to my Invention; a reciprocating or oscillatory motion is given by
hand or otherwise to the roll i. The article to be planished is introduced
between the rolls i and k, and the motion of the roll i gives the said article a
backward and forward motion. The roll k receives an alternating rotatory
motion from the article being operated upon. The roll k is carried by the
bolt 1, which has a sliding motion, in the fixed guide m. By the pressure of a
spring, weight, or screw, the roll k is pressed upwards with the necessary
pressure. An alternating or a rotatory motion may be given to any of the
planishing rolls or machinery. After the strips of metal have been tapered,
according to the first part of my Invention, blanks are cut from the said strips.
The said blanks are afterwards raised and bent into the proper form, and
afterwards coated where requisite with tin or other metal. The said spoons,
forks, and ladles are, lastly, planished by the second part of my Invention.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the
nature of my said Invention; but I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly, preparing or tapering strips of metal, from which blanks to be made
into spoons, forks, and ladles are to be cut, by means of the rolling machinery
herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.

page_text: Secondly, planishing spoons, forks, and ladles, or the handles of spoons,
forks, and ladles, by means of rolls having highly polished surfaces, and an
alternating or rotatory motion, as herein described; also planishing spoons,
forks, and ladles by means of rolls having the form of semi-cylinders, or other
portion of a cylindrical surface, and having an alternating or rotatory motion,
whether the said rolls be actuated by hand or other power, as herein described
and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Moffat, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN MOFFAT. (LS.)