IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHEEP SHEARS AND OTHER CUTTING TOOLS, AND IN MOULDS IN WHICH THE PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Melton Marsden, Saw and Steel Manu-
facturer, Don Saw Works, Hillfoot, Sheffield, in the County of
York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
SHEEP SHEARS AND OTHER CUTTING TOOLS, AND IN MOULDS IN WHICH THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Melton Marsden.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 21st December 1869.
I, HENRY MELTON MARSDEN, Saw and Steel Manufacturer, Don Saw
Works, Hillfoot, Sheffield, in the County of York, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURI
OF SHEEP SHEARS AND OTHER CUTTING TOOLS, AND IN MOULDS IN WHICH THE
MATERIAL IS CAST FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME," to be as follows:-
I propose to make sheep shears out of melted iron and steel sheets of
equal or unequal thickness, or out of cast steel sheets of two tempers and
qualities, and of either equal or unequal thickness, one temper and

page_text: quality suitable for the cutting parts, and another or milder temper
suitable for the shanks and bows, or I propose to make them out of
sheets of cast or shear steel of one temper and quality, but of unequal
thickness.
By making sheep shears out of melted iron and steel sheets much
saving of labour is effected & a stronger, better, and sounder article is
produced than if made out of common or even best forge iron. The
melted iron from the crucible being more homogenous and uniform in
quality gets up clearer and admits of higher finish. And by making
sheep shears out of steel sheets of two tempers and qualities. The
requisite hardness for the cutting parts or edges can be got, whilst the
required softness for the bows is obtained, and the difficulty hitherto
experienced in making them out of steel sheets of one temper and
quality is hereby removed. And in making them out of ordinary cast
steel sheets rolled suitably unequal in thickness the subsequent process
of cogging or goffing the bow in each separate pair of shears is dis-
pensed with and greater strength may be secured to the blades
or cutting parts. The steel portions of thesc melted iron and steel
sheets, and the hard steel of the hard and mild steel sheets may run
down both edges of one side, or may entirely cover one side of the
sheets, or the steel of the melted iron & steel sheets and the hard steel
of the hard and mild steel sheets may form the two opposite edges
entirely, thus producing when made up into sheep shears shears with
blades altogether of steel. The steel sheets rolled thin in the parts
intended for the bows and shanks will require cutting up crosswise
instead of lengthwise as at present, thus giving great advantage to the
cutting parts making the fibre of the steel vertical to the line of cut
instead of parallel with it as is now the case.
In carrying out my Invention I use an improved arrangement of the
mould for casting the material for the sheets. Instead of knocking
down the rings or fastenings to admit of the sides or loose tops being
changed, I use loose pieces tapering to the bottom with suitably arranged
holes, notches, or projections for the application of either a wedge, lever,
or pinion wheel to lift or force them out of the mould when the metal
has been poured in to leave a vacancy for the teaming of the other
portion of the metal. This arrangement admits of the back part of
the mould being used for the second teaming and prevents the detri-
mental effects of access of air through the loose sides.

page_text: Although I have specially refered to sheep shears, yet a like method
of manufacture is applicable to some other cutting tools, and the above
arrangement of the moulds for casting the material is equally applicable
where lumps of iron & steel or of two steels are required to be
made.
In the case of a pinion wheel being used to force out the taper or other
loose pieces from the mould after the first portion of the intended lump
had been formed it would be necessary to attach either loose or otherwise
a slight frame for the pinion wheel to work in.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Melton Marsden in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
MELTON MARSDEN, Saw and Steel Manufacturer, Don Saw Works,
Hillfoot, Sheffield, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Melton Marsden, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Melton Marsden, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Melton
Marsden, 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 THE. MANUFACTURE OF SHEEP SHEARS AND OTHER CUTTING
TOOLS, AND IN MOULDS IN WHICH THE MATERIAL IS CAST FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henry Melton Marsden, 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 Scal Patent Office within

page_text: six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Melton Marsden, 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 statement :-
My said Invention consists of two parts, the first part being for an
improved mode of making sheep shears and other articles with a cutting
edge, and the second part for an improved mode of making the moulds
in which the material is cast for the manufacture of such sheep shears
and other articles with a cutting edge.
The first part of my said Invention relates to the manufacture of
sheep shears out of melted iron and steel sheets, the steel for the cutting
parts to be about seven inches wide, and to run down like a thin
veneering on both edges of the same side of the sheet, or to cover
entirely one side of the sheet, or to form the two opposite edges of the
sheets altogether to the extent the length of blade may require. It
also relates to the making of sheep shears out of sheets of hard and mild
steel (hard and mild in relation to each other), the steel for the cutting
edge placed as before described, the hard for the cutting parts or edges,
and the mild for the shanks and bows. This hard steel should run down
both edges of one side or entirely cover one side of the sheets, or form
altogether the two opposite edges of the sheets to the extent the length
of the blades may require. In all respects the position of the hard steel
in relation to that of the mild should be like that of the steel to the iron
in the melted iron and steel sheets described above. These sheets of
combined steel or of melted iron and steel are to be rolled either equal
or unequal in thickness as may be required.
It also relates to the making of sheep shears out of sheets of cast
steel of one temper and quality, as made at present, but of unequal thick-
ness, such irregularity being intended to dispense with the need of
cogging or goffing the bows as is now the case in the manufacture of
cast steel sheep shears out of cast steel sheets of uniform thickness.
These cast steel sheets being rolled thin in the parts intended for the
bows of the shears (as also all sheets rolled thus unequal in thickness)
will require cutting up crosswise instead of lengthwise as now practised
thus giving great advantage to the cutting parts making the fibre of the
steel vertical to the line of cut instead of parallel with it as at present is

page_text: the case. Having got the sheets suitably rolled as to guage and width, I
pare or punch them to the required form by hand or power. I proceed
to turn up the back if required, then hollow the shank and curve the
blade, after which the bow must be bent to the required form or curve.
They will then be ready for hardening, and afterwards for the further
processes of grinding, polishing, bending, &c. in the ways known and
practised in the trade.
And in order to assist the understanding of the first part of my
Invention, I have appended Drawings or illustrations of the manu-
facture of sheep shears in accordance with my Invention as follows,
namely,
No. 1 of the Drawings appended represents a blank cut out of a sheet
of either iron and steel, or of two steels.
No. 1 represents a section of an iron and steel sheet with the thin
veneering of steel running like two ribbons down both edges of same
side.
No. 1 represents a section of iron and steel sheet with a layer of
steel all over one side.
No. 1° represents a section of iron and steel with its two sides or edges
entirely of steel. The same diagrams will serve to illustrate the position
of the hard steel in the hard and mild steel sheets.
No. 1º represents a section of either an iron and steel sheet or a mild
and hard steel sheet or of a cast steel sheet of one temper and quality
rolled unequal in thickness.
And having now described the first part of my Invention, and the
mode in which sheep shears and other cutting tools are to be made in
accordance therewith, I state that what I claim as being new in the
first part of my said Invention is, the making of sheep shears with the
steel of the iron and steel sheets and the hard steel of the hard and mild
steel sheets running down like a thin vencering for about seven inches
down both edges of one and same side of sheet forming both edges of
such sheets entirely or entirely covering one side of such sheets in a
thin even layer and also the making of sheep shears out of cast steel sheets
of onc temper and quality but suitably unequal in thickness.
The second part of my Invention consists of improvements in the
manufacture of moulds in which the material is cast for the mann-
°

page_text: facture of sheep shears and other cutting tools in accordance with the
mode described in the first part of my Invention.
. In carrying out the manufacture of sheep shears in accordance with
the first part of my Invention as above described, I employ an improved
arrangement of the moulds used in making the ingots or lumps required
to make the sheets of different metals as above described. Instead of
making lump moulds with two or more loose sides, some having projecting
pieces attached to and forming part of such loose sides I have them made
with only one loose side, and the piece or pieces intended to project into
the mould to form the vacant place for the steel I insert as a loose and
separate piece, so that instead of having to knock down the ring or rings
to admit of the projecting loose side top or lid being removed and its
place fitted with a lid top or side with a plain or flat inside or any
suitably formed surface as is usually practised, I use a loose piece or
pieces suitably tapering with suitably formed holes, notches, or projections
in order to admit of the application of a wedge, lever, or pinion wheel
for lifting or forcing them out or detaching them from the mould after
the first of the molten metals has been poured in. This is done in order
to leave a suitably formed cavity for the reception of the other molten
metal of a different temper and quality. This arrangement admits of
the back part or any other part of the mould being used for the second
teeming, and thus prevents the detrimental effects of access of air
through the imperfect fitting of the moveable sides. On the top of the
box part of the moulds used for making these lumps, and where the
wedge when in action is intended to apply or bear, I recommend that it
be made of additional thickness and also with suitable projections, &c.,
for the affixing of the frame required for the action of the pinion wheel
when that is employed to lift the loose pieces or piece from their place
in the mould. This improved arrangement of the mould used in making
iron and steel lumps for sheep shears is equally applicable where iron
and steel lumps are required for other purposes.
And in order to assist the understanding of the second part of my
Invention I have appended Drawings or illustrations of the manufacture
of moulds according to my said Invention in different stages, as
follows:-
No. 2 represents a view in plan of a loose piece required to form the
vacancy for the second teeming in making a plated lump.

page_text: No. 24 represents a side view of such loose piece shewing the hole
through which the wedge may be forced in lifting it from the
mould.
No. 2 represents a mould and lid with loose piece in its proper
place.
Having now described the nature of the second part of my said In-
vention, together with the manner in which the same may be carried
out, I would remark in conclusion that what I claim as the second part
of my said Invention is, the improved arrangement of the mould by
the introduction of a loose projecting part in such part of the
mould as may be required capable of being removed without disturbing
the other parts of the mould, substantially as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Melton Marsden, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of June, in
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
W*. FRETSON,
Solicitor,
Sheffield.
HENRY MELTON MARSDEN. (L.S.)