An Improved Method of Joining or Piecing Hoop Iron or other Metals.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 2nd Nov. 1892-Accepted. 3rd Dec. 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Joining or Piecing Hoop Iron or other
Metals.
WILLIAM ROURKE Merchant Lime Cottage Clare Road Levenshulme near
Manchester do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the invention is to dispense with studs, rivets, buckles, or any other
loose articles, which may be used for coupling or piecing hoop or sheet metal. The
piecing is accomplished by punching a narrow slot through and across the hoop,
and at the same time, and by the same motion partially punching a tongue of the
metal nearer the end of the piece of metal leaving it attached at the widest part,
and farthest from the slot, but bent out at an angle of, say, 45 degrees, and pointing
towards the slot.
It will be seen that two pieces punched in this manner only require to be fitted
together, the tongues each put through the corresponding slot, and then clinched,
to make a strong joint.
Dated this 30th day of January 1802
WILLIAM ROURKE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Joining or Piecing Hoop Iron or other
Metals.
I WILLIAM ROURKE of Lime Cottage, Clare Road, Levenshulme, near
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying
drawings:-
My said invention relates to an improved method of coupling or piecing together
strips, sheets or hoops of sheet iron or other malleable metal without the extraneous
aid of studs, rivets, buckles or the like. The improvement is applicable to a variety
of purposes the chief of which is the connecting together of the free ends of bale
hoops, and other hoops and strips of metal embracing and holding objects and
bodies together.
The accompanying sheet of drawings clearly illustrates my invention.
Fig. 1 represents in perspective the two ends a and b of a strip of hoop iron such
for example as would form a bale hoop. The said ends a bare prepared to be
secured together in accordance with my invention.
Near the end of each hoop, I punch or press out a tooth, tongue or projection c,
which might be either of the indicated shape or of any other shape which might be
thought requisite or suitable. I also punch or otherwise form slots d in the two
ends, the said slots being of such a size and at such a distance from the teeth or
tongues c that when the two ends a and b are laid one upon the other the tongue c
of one end enters and occupies the opposite slot d in the other end.
I then press or hammer or clinch down the tongue of the end a upon the end b
and the tongue of the end 6 upon the end a thus firmly securing and interlocking
the two ends together and causing them to present the appearance shown in Fig. 2
which is a perspective view of the ends thus secured together.
It will be seen that any strain upon the hoop ends is resisted by the roots of the
interlocking tongues c.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate a slight modification in my improved hoop fastening

page_text: the object of which I will explain. When such hoops are used to surround
bales and other bodies subject to rough handling, it sometimes happens that a
sudden and violent shock has the effect of moving one overlapping hoop end upon
the other thereby disengaging the fastening. It will be seen that the fastening
shown at Fig. 2 is liable to this disadvantage. I therefore provide against this by
forming two additional tongues e one on each hoop end (see Fig. 5). These
additional tongues act as stops against which the ends of the hoops abut so as to
prevent the said overlapping ends from being moved upon each other further. In
forming the hoop ends with these additional stop tongues or abutments e I curve or
buckle the ends as shown at f in the sectional view Fig. 3. This is to enable the
ends to clear the tongues e as the two hoop ends are put together preparatory to
clinching up. I then hammer or clinch down the tongues e and e, the tongue e
lapping over the buckled ends f which are flattened down as clearly appears in
Figs. 4 and 5. When thus secured the hoop ends cannot be moved upon each other
either way.
There might be two or any greater number of the tongues or slots.
I do not confine myself to the exact shapes and proportions of hoop joints herein
set forth as these might be modified without departing from the spirit of my
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1) The improved method of connecting or coupling the ends of hoops or strips of
sheet metal without the aid of studs, rivets, buckles or other extraneous fastenings
substantially as described and as illustrated in the drawings.
2) As means for connecting together the ends of hoops or strips of sheet metal,
punching or pressing tongues or projecting parts from the metal of one hoop end
and similarly forming slots to receive the said tongues in the other hoop end, and
clinching or securing the two hoops ends together by means of the said tongues and
slots as described and as illustrated in the annexed sheet of drawings.
3) As means for connecting together the ends of hoops or strips of sheet metal,
the combination of the tongues c and slots d with the abutment or stop tongues e
and the method of effecting the union of the overlapping hoop ends for the purposes
and substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5
of the drawings.
Dated this 1st day of November 1892.
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.