IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO TONGS. PLIERS. VICES, AND OTHER HOLDING INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Brodie, of Bow of Fife, in the County of
Fife, North Britain, Clerk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
APPLICABLE TO TONGS. PLIERS. VICES, AND OTHER HOLDING INSTRUMENTS."
Sealed the 24th August 1855, and dated the 27th February 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Brodie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with 'his Petition, on the 27th
February 1855.
I, JAMES BRODIE, of Bow of Fife, in the County of Fife, North Britain,
Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND APPLICABLE TO TONGS, PLIERS, VICES, AND OTHER HOLDING INSTRUMENTS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in adapting and applying to various kinds of holding
& pressing instruments certain parts which I call "holders," or in otherwise
constructing the instruments in such a manner as to insure a more equable
distribution of the pressure on the substance or article that is held or pressed.
In the first place, I make one or both of those parts of the instruments which
are intended to hold or press the substance or article by pressing upon it,
moveable upon the lever, screw, or wedge with which it may be connected, or
moveable upon the part of the instrument that is acted upon by the lever,
serew, or wedge. By this means the holding part or parts of the instrument
may be adapted so as to be capable of accommodating themselves to the form
of the substance or article required to be held or pressed, in such a manner
as thereby to distribute their pressure more equably over the surface of the
same.

page_text: In the second place, I construct the instrument with two or more com-
pressing parts or surfaces on the one jaw or part of the instrument which is
intended to be applied to one side of the substance or article required to be
held, and one or more compressing part or surface on the other jaw or part
of the instrument which is intended to be applied to the opposite side of the
substance or article, the latter compressing part or surface being situated so
as to be capable of acting at a place not directly opposite to either of the two
or more former ones, but intermediately between them.
And in the third place, I adapt and apply to the levers or arms of tongs,
pliers, and similar instruments in a position behind the centre of motion of
the levers an additional holder or holders, similar to the holder or holders
ordinarily applied in front of such centre of motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Brodie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th August 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BRODIE, of Bow of Fife, in the County of Fife, North Britain, Clerk, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Brodie, Her special license that I, the said James Brodie,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Brodie, 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 AND APPLICABLE
TO TONGS, PLIERS, VICES, AND OTHER HOLDING INSTRUMENTS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Brodie, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 James Brodie, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say): :-
My Invention of "Improvements in and applicable to Tongs, Pliers, Vices,
and other Holding Instruments," consists in adapting and applying to, various
kinds of holding and pressing instruments certain parts which I call "holders,"
or in otherwise constructing the instruments in such a manner as to ensure
a more equable distribution of the pressure on the substance or article that is
held or pressed.
In the first place, I make one or both of those parts of the instruments
which are intended to hold or press the substance or article by pressing upon
it, moveable upon the lever, screw, or wedge with which it may be connected,
or moveable upon the part of the instrument that is acted upon by the lever,
screw, or wedge. By this means the holding part or parts of the instrument
may be adapted so as to be capable of accommodating themselves to the form
of the substance or article required to be held or pressed, in such a manner
as thereby to distribute their pressure more equably over the surface of the
same than is done by instruments of the usual construction.
In the second place, I construct the instrument with two or more com-
pressing parts or surfaces on the one jaw or part of the instrument which is
intended to be applied to the one side of the substance or article required to
be held, and one or more compressing parts or surfaces on the other jaw or
part of the instrument which is intended to be applied to the opposite side of
the substance or article, the latter compressing part or surface being situated
so as to be capable of acting at a place not directly opposite to either of the
two or more former ones, but intermediately between them.
And in the third place, I adapt and apply to the levers or arms of tongs,
pliers, and similar instruments in a position behind the centre of motion of
the levers an additional holder or holders, similar to the holder or holders
ordinarily applied in front of such centre of motion.
In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood, I will
proceed to describe it more particularly by the aid of the accompanying
Drawings, in which are represented holding instruments constructed on the
principles herein-before referred to.
Figs. 1 and 2 represent instruments in which the parts which I call "holders'
are connected with levers, such as plyers, tongs, or rope holders; Figs. 3, 4,
and 5 represent instruments in which the "holders' are connected with a
"

page_text: screw, such as a vice or toolholler.
These Figures represent instruments
constructed according to the principle stated under the first head of my
Invention. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 represent instruments constructed as stated
under the second head thereof; and Figs. 9, 10, and 11 represent the same
as stated under the third head of my Invention.
a, b, (Fig. 1) is a moveable holder attached to the shorter end of one of the
levers of a pair of pliers. This holder has its centre of motion on the lever
at c. Instruments of this class are intended to have the moveable holder
applied to the shorter end of one of the levers on the front or part of such
lever that is opposite to the other lever.
a, b, a, b, (Fig. 2) are holders, of which one or both is or are moveable,
applied to the sides of both the levers or arms of pincers, pliers, and similar
instruments, and turning on pivots or centres c, c. The holders are placed
opposite to each other, as represented. d is the pivot or centre of the levers.
When these instruments are used for holding ropes, wires, or bars, a hole may
be formed at the ends of the longer arms of the levers at e, through which a
rope may be passed, by which the holders may be drawn together firmly.
a, b, (Fig. 3) is a moveable holder, connected with a screw and forming a
bench or table vice. This holder moves on a centre at c, in order to accom-
modate the instrument to the horizontal irregularities of the substance or article
which is intended to be held by it. a, b, is another holder applied to the
moveable jaw of the vice, and moving on a pivot or centre c", in order to
accommodate the instrument to the vertical irregularities of the same substance
or article.
a, b, (Fig. 4) is a moveable holder, turning on the pivot or centre c, and
applied to one jaw of the vice. a, b, is a fixed holder, formed by the end of
the opposite jaw.
At Fig. 5 is a tool-holder similarly constructed.
a, b, (Fig. 6) is a holder applied to instruments constructed according to
the principle stated under the second head of my Invention. The holder in
this case forms the lower jaw of an instrument, such as a pair of smith's tongs;
it is slightly hollowed out in the middle between the points a and b, so that a
straight rod or bar, if placed thereon, would rest on these two points. a* is
the upper jaw or holder at the end of the other lever of the instrument, which
holder has a projecting part at a*, so formed that when the jaws are brought
together the projecting part a* of the upper jaw will be made to press upon
the rod or bar at a point intermediate between a and b of the upper jaw, and
by this means hold the rod or bar securely between the two.jaws
Fig. 7 represents the two jaws"in tiansverse sectiontherupper jawa

page_text: in this case being hollowed out, as shewn, in order to prevent the lateral
motion of a rod or bar held between them, as well as the vertical motion,
above referred to.
Fig. 8 represents the same principle applied to pliers and nippers.
a, b, and a, b (Fig. 9) are holders applied to instruments constructed
according to the third part of my Invention. Four holders or projecting claws
are fixed to the arms or levers of the instrument, two on each side of the
centre of motion c. To whatever distance the levers may be extended or
opened, a line drawn from a to a* will always be parallel to a line drawn
from 6 to 6*.
Fig. 10 represents a modification of the same instrument intended to hold
rods and bars of uniform thickness.
Fig. 11 represents another modification of the same instrument intended to
be used as cross-holding tongs, when it is required to hold a rod or bar at the
side, the tongs forming a right angle with the bar. a, b, a, b, are four pro-
jecting claws or holders, fixed on the ends of the T levers m and 2, which have
their centre of motion at c. These holders are fixed in pairs on opposite sides
of the centre c, and are opened and closed by a corresponding motion of the
longer arms of the levers m and n.
Fig. 12 represents an arrangement in which the first and second parts of
my Invention are combined.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
intend to confine myself to the precise forms and applications of the parts
represented and described; but what I claim as of my Invention is, the con-
struction of holding instruments on the principles described.
In witness whercof, I, the said James Brodie, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
ROBERT HONEYMAN,
Monkstown, by Ladybank.
JAMES BRODIE. (L.B.)