A SET OF ENGINES, TOOLS, INSTRUMENTS, AND OTHER APPARATUS FOR THE MAKING OF BLOCKS, SHEAVERS, AND PINS
Year: 1762

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELIZABETH
TAYLOR, of the Town of Southampton, Widow, Relict and Executrix of
Walter Taylor, late of the same place, Block Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said Elizabeth Taylor, did, by my Petition, humbly
represent unto His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third
that my said late husband had, by his ingenuity, labour, and industry, and at
a great expence, invented "A SET OF ENGINES, TOOLS, INSTRUMENTS, AND OTHER
APPARATUS FOR THE MAKING OF BLOCKS, SHEAVERS, AND PINS," whereby I, the
Petitioner, had been able to supply His said Majesty's Navy with all kinds of
ship rigging and gun tackle, blocks, sheavers, and pins, in iron, brass, and
wood, more certain and efficacious in their operation than any before used, and
which would be the means of a great saving of the ship's cordage and rigging;
that the said blocks were first examined by the principal officers of His said
Majesty's Admiralty and Ordnance in the year One thousand seven hundred
and fifty-nine, and in the month of July last a tryal was made between them
and the best blocks before used, in the presence of the principal officers of His
said Majesty's Navy in His said Majesty's Yard at Deptford, in which tryal
those made by me were found to be greatly superior to all others; that the
Commissioners of His said Majesty's Navy had contracted with me for
supplying His said Majesty's Navy with a quantity of the said blocks, sheavers,
and pins, and are desirous of supplying the whole Navy therewith; but,
forasmuch as I was apprehensive that, by employing a great number of work-
men under nie, the method of constructing the said engines, tools, instruments,
and other apparatus, and of making the said blocks, would be discovered,

page_text: whereby I might be deprived of the benefit of the said Invention, I did, there-
fore, most humbly pray His said Majesty to grant unto me, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, Ilis Royal Letters Patent, under the Great Seal
of Great Britain, for the sole making and using the said engines, tools,
instruments, and other apparatus so first invented by my said husband, within
that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called England,
His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, for the term
of fourteen years, according to the Statute in that case made and provided;
in order thereby to secure to me, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
the full benefit and advantage of the said Invention; His said Majesty, taking
the premisses into His Royal consideration, and being willing to give
encouragement to all arts and inventions which may be for the publick good,
was most graciously pleased to condescend to my said request, and therefore
His said Majesty, by His Royal Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster,
the Sixth day of December, in the third year of His reign, of His especial
grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion, did, for Him, His heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Elizabeth Taylor, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole priviledge
and authority, that I, the said Elizabeth Taylor, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and every of us, by myself and ourselves, or by mine and our
deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said Eliza-
beth Taylor, 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 of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend my said husband's Invention within that part of His
said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called England, His Dominion of
Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner as to me, the said
Elizabeth Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or any of us,
should in our discretions seem meet, and that I, the said Elizabeth Taylor, my
executors, aditiors, and assigns, should and lawfully might have and enjoy
the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from time to time
coming, growing, accrewing, and arising by reason of the said Invention, for
and during the term of years therein mentioned, to have, hold, exercise, and
enjoy the said licence, powers, priviledges, and advantages therein-before granted
or mentioned to be granted unto me, the said Elizabeth Taylor, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, for and during and unto the full end and term
of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent next and imme
diately ensuing, and fully to be compleat and ended, according to the Statute
in such case made and provided; in which said Letters Patent is contained

page_text: a proviso that if I, the said Elizabeth Taylor, should not particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of my said husband's 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 said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within four kalendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties
and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine,
and become void, anything therein-before contained to the contrary thereof
in anywise notwithstanding, as in and by the said recited Letters Patent (relation
being thereunto had) more fully and at large appears.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Elizabeth Taylor, in compliance with
the said proviso, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said
husband's Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
in manner and form following (that is to say):-
The engines for boreing consist of a square frame of wood of different
dimensions, screwed and keyed together, in which frame a bed of wood with
a groove is affixed; on which bed are also applied two or more poppet heads,
with a collar to one through which a maundrell of iron and steel runs, to be
turned by a crank, hand, foot, or water wheel, as the power may require,
and to the maundrel the several instruments for boreing the sheavers of diffe-
rent sizes in iron, brass, or wood are screwed, which instruments are made
and edged throughout from the entering end, and gradually increase one
degree above another to the ultimate size of the intended boring, the
larger instruments that follow the first sizes running in a center at the enter-
ing end; and likewise to the same maundrell are the tools screwed for boring
of blocks, which are made of iron and steel, resembling center bits of different
sizes, and likewise other bitts in an half circle, like the pod of an auger, and
turned up at the ends in different shapes as the size of the borings require.
There are also frames of wood screwed and keyed together, which slide in
the inside of the frame first expressed, and on the top of the bed. In the
center of which frames or slides are fixed with screws the sheavers, blocks,
or what else is intended to be bored, being placed for said purpose at right
angles to the boring instruments or tools above described, and likewise to the
said frames, and slides, tools, or instruments of different sizes, made of wood,
brass, and steel, are affixed and applyed in such manner as gradually to bring
on the slides in the working, and thereby compleating by that mechanism the
pins and also the borings.
The engines for turning the sheavers consist of a strong bed of wood,
supported with posts and braces, on which are affixed two or more poppet

page_text: heads, collar, and inaundrel, to which maundrell are screwed other maundrels
of different sizes on which the sheavers intended to be turned are made
fast by screws turned either with foot, hand, or water wheels.
The engines for sawing consist of wood frames of different sizes, screwed
and keyed together, at the end of which two other upright wood frames
are affixed in right angles, between which the frame in which the saw
is strained and fixed works. And, likewise, there is a slide supported on rails
or rollers and slides in the inside of the frame, on which slides the timber
intended to be sawed for sheavers or blocks is fixed with screws, and moves
parelel to the end of the frame under the saw, to a stop which shifts to the
different thickness required; and the said slide is fastened with screws on the
side through the upright posts of said frame.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elizabeth Taylor, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of March, in the third year of the
reign of His Majesty King George the Third, and in the year of our
Lord One thousand seven hundred and sixty-three.
ELIZABETH TAYLOR (L.S.)
Signed and sealed (being first duly
stamped) in the presence of us,
SAME TIGGALL READE.
JOSEPII TAYLOR.
AND BE IT REMEMBRED, that on the Twelfth day of March, in the
third year of the reign of His Majesty King George the Third, the said Eliza-
beth Taylor came before our said Sovereign Lord the King in Ilis Chancery,
and acknowledged the Writing aforesaid, and every matter and thing therein
contained, in form above said. And the said Writing was stamped according
to the Statute made in the sixth year of the reign of the late King William
and Queen Mary, and so forth.
Inrolled the Nineteenth day of March, in the third year of the reign of
His Majesty King George the Third, 1763.