AN IMPROVED RATCHET, SCREWING, AND DRILLING STOCK, WHICH MAY ALSO BE USED AS A SPANNER
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Nicholson, of Blackwall, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED RATCHET,
SCREWING, AND DRILLING STOCK, WHICH MAY ALSO BE USED AS A SPANNER."
Sealed the 6th October 1854, and dated the 6th June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Nicholson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
June 1854.
I, JOHN NICHOLSON, of Blackwall, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED RATCHET,
SCREWING, AND DRILLING STOCK, WHICH MAY ALSO BE USED AS A SPANNER," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in fitting inside a double sided circular head two
blocks of metal, the inside of which are threaded, and which, when they come
together, form a circle or circular orifice. These blocks are capable of receding
from or advancing towards each other, and are adjusted by means of a wedge
or inclined plane, which passes through the head of the tool and terminates at
one end in a screw thread; the wedge is kept in its position or is altered, as
required, by means of a nut. A ratchet wheel is placed round the head and
between the two sides thereof, and is worked by means of a forked paul,
which is fitted to the handle of the tool in such manner that the paul will

page_text: take into the ratchet wheel whether turning from left to right or vice versa.
When the tool is to be used as a spanner, then the blocks, instead of being
circular on their inner face, must be shaped to suit the form of nut they are
to operate upon..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Nicholson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
NICHOLSON, of Blackwall, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent, Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Nicholson, Her special licence that I, the said John Nicholson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Nicholson, 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 RATCHET,
SCREWING, AND DRILLING STOCK, WHICH MAY ALSO DE USED AS A SPANNER," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Nicholson, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and scal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Nicholson, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly-described-and-ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is
to. say :-
My Invention consists in fitting inside a double sided circular head two
blocks of metal, the insides of which are threaded, and which, when they
come together, form a circle or circular orifice. These blocks are capable

page_text: of receding from or advancing towards each other, and are adjusted by means
of a wedge or inclined plane, which passes through the head of the tool
and terminates at one end in a screw thread; the wedge is kept in its posi-
tion or is altered, as required, by means of a nut. A ratchet wheel is formed
round the head and between the two sides thereof, and is worked by means of
a forked paul, which is fitted to the handle of the tool in such manner that the
paul will take into the ratchet wheel whether turning from left to right or
vice versa. When the tool is to be used as a drilling stock or as a spanner,
then the blocks, instead of being circular on their inner face, must be shaped
to suit the form of drill bit they are to receive, or that of the spanner which is
to operate upon the nut.
Figure 1 of the Drawings annexed is a sectional elevation; Figure 2, a sec-
tional plan; Figure 3, an elevation; and Figure 4, a plan of a screwing stock,
constructed according to my Invention. A is the handle of the stock, and B
is the head in which the revolving parts C, C', C, are mounted. The head B
is slotted away at the centre, to admit the revolving block C, and circular
portions are removed from each side to receive the parts C. C. The centre
slot is carried down as far as D in the handle, for the purpose of allowing the
forked paul to act, as will be presently explained. E, E, are two blocks, cut
on their inner faces to act as screw cutting dies, which are inserted in an
oblong recess formed through the parts C, C', C, and are capable of being
adjusted so as to recede from or advance towards each other by means of the
wedge or inclined plane F, which passes through the head of the tool and is
acted on by turning the nut G. H, H, are two side plates which are screwed
against each side of the head by the screws I, I, passing through the parts
C, C, C; and J is a washer, by which the blocks E, E, are prevented from
shifting sideways in the head of the stock. K is a forked paul which is mounted
on the centre pin L, and takes into the ratchet teeth formed on the revolving
part C in the head of the stock; M is a spring inserted in a recess formed in
the handle A; and N is a button or stud, which is caused to press by the action
of the spring against the forked paul K, so as to keep either arm of the paul
in action, as may be required.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation; Figure 6, a side elevation; and Figure 7, a
plan, of a screwing stock, similar to that before described, but constructed in
fewer parts. A is the handle of the stock, which is cranked or formed with
an elbow, to admit of the stock being used where a straight handle could not
be conveniently employed; B is the head of the stock, and C is the revolving
block in which the dies E, E, are fitted; F is the wedge for adjusting the
dies, and G the nut by which it is moved; K is the forked paul mounted, and

page_text: turning on the pin L. The spring and stud to the paul are in this case
dispensed with.
Figure 8 is a side elevation, Figure 9 is a sectional elevation, and Figure
10, a plan of a screwing stock, similar to that last described. A is the handle,
which is cranked or formed with an elbow for the purpose before mentioned;
B is the head of the stock, and C the revolving part; E, E, are the screw
cutting dies; K is the forked paul, and L the pin on which it works; M and
N are the spring and stud, which act on the paul as in Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4.
The wedge or inclined plane F, with its nut, is in this case dispensed
with.
Figure 11 is a side elevation of a drilling stock constructed according to
my Invention. A is the handle, which may be straight, as shewn in Figure 11,
or formed with an elbow, as shewn in Figure 12. B is the head of the stock,
and C the revolving part, in which are fitted two blocks suitably shaped to
receive the body of the drill bit D. The adjusting wedge with its nut and the
forked paul are not shewn in this Figure.
Figure 13 is a plan of the stock when fitted with the blocks required
to enable it to be used as a spanner. The construction of the stock is the
same as before described, and will be readily understood from the foregoing
description.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is,-
First, the construction of an improved ratchet stock, in such manner that
those parts which act as the dies or cutters when the tool is used as a screw-
ing stock, and which receive the drill bits and hold the nuts when the tool is
used as a drilling stock or as a spanner, may be adjusted or caused to recede
from or advance towards each other, and retained in such position by means of
a wedge or inclined plane, and a screw and nut, as herein-before described.
And, second, the adaptation to a ratchet stock, constructed as herein-before
described, of a forked or double paul, for the purpose of enabling the stock
to be worked in either direction, that is, from left to right or vice versâ, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Nicholson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of December,-One thousand eight
JOHN NICHOLON. (L.S.)