IM- PROVEMENTS IN HANDSAWS FOR CUTTING DOVETAILS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Steel, of 159, Park Road,
Clapham, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN HANDSAWS FOR CUTTING DOVETAILS AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES.!!
Sealed the 14th August 1868, and dated. the 19th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Steel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th February 1868.
I, WILLIAM HENRY STEEL, of 159, Park Road, Clapham, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HANDSAWS FOR CUTTING DOVETAILS AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain improvements in the construction
of handsaws for cutting dovetails and other purposes, whereby the
dovetails are completed by the handsaws without the use of any other
tools. This is effected by having part of the blade plate turned up at
an angle to the blade, which angle is determined by the character of
the dovetail required; on the edge of this turned blade the teeth are
made. On using this the blade is placed flat upon the edge of the board;

page_text: the angular saw is thus brought into position to cut the dovetail exactly
to the necessary angle. After having made the downward cuts the same
saw is used to make the cross cut; this is accomplished by inserting the
blade in the angular downward cut in such manner that the angular
part of the saw is made to cut straight across, whereby the root of the
wood is removed leaving the hole ready for the pin. The pins are made
by using a similar saw to the above excepting that the part of the blade
plate is turned up exactly at right angles to the blade, so that the cuts
may.be made in a straight line.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Steel in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY STEEL, of 159, Park Road, Clapham, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant: unto me, the said William Henry Steel, Her special
Licence, that I, the said William Henry Steel, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry
Steel, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HANDSAWS FOR CUTTING DOVETAILS AND FOR OTHER PUR-
POSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Henry Steel, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Steel, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention consists of certain improvements in the construction
of handsaws for cutting dovetails and for other purposes, whereby the
dovetails are completed by the handsaws without the use of any other
tools. This is effected by having part of the blade plate of the saw
turned up or projecting sideways at an angle to the main blade, which
angle is determined according to the forms of the dovetails required to
be cut; upon the edge of the turned or projecting angular portion of
the blade ordinary saw teeth are formed. By placing the front end
of the blade of this improved construction of handsaw flat upon the
edge of a board on which dovetails are to be formed, the angular
portion of the saw may be caused to effect the side or down cuts of
the dovetail accurately to the requisite angle. After having made the
down cuts the same saw is used for effecting the cross cuts by inserting
the end of the blade in each of the angular cuts, and then causing the
angular portion of the saw to make straight cuts, whereby the root of
the piece of wood between the angular or down cuts is severed, and the
piece is completely removed or cut out, thus forming the hole or space
ready for receiving the "pin" or interlocking piece for connecting two
pieces of wood together. The "pins' are made by using a saw of
similar construction with the exception that the turned or projecting
part of the blade (upon the edge of which the saw teeth are formed) is
exactly square, or projects at a right angle to the flat part of the main
bladė.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into practice I will proceed to describe the Drawing
hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a side view of a handsaw constructed in accordance
with my Invention. Figure 2 is a plan of the blade a shewing the
turned or projecting angular portion a¹ of the blade plate a; Figure 3 is
a transverse section of the projecting angular part a¹ of the blade plate a

page_text: Figure 5 shows the side view of another handsaw constructed in
accordance with my Invention; from A to B the blade plate a is formed
with ordinary saw teeth on the edge, as in, ordinary saws, but from
O to D this part of the blade plate a is turned sideways or at an angle;
as previously described in reference. to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the
Drawing Figure 6 shows a plan, and Figure 7 a transverse section of
the angular or projecting part a¹ of the blade plate a of Figure 5.
Figures 8 and 9 show a side view and plan of another form of hand,
saw constructed in accordance with my Invention, which is suitably
formed for cutting keyholes or for other similar uses. I prefer to form
'a, recess at a where the angular part a' of the saw commences in
order to facilitate the commencement of the cut, a chisel edge being
formed on the upright part of the recess.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is canied into practice, I would have it understood
that I do not confine-myself to the exact details herein described -so
long as the true character of my Invention is retained.;. but what I claim
is, the improved construction of handsaws for cutting dovetails and for
other purposes, in which part of the blade plates are turned up or project
sideways.at suitable angles to the main portion of the blades, on which
angular or projecting part ordinary saw teeth are formed, for the purpose
substantially as herein described and shewn in the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, the said William Henry Steel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
WILLIAM HENRY STEEL. (L.S.)
Witness,
6:31.
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
1
Chancery Lane, W.C.