IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMERS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMERS."-A communication from
abroad by Joseph A. Venzie, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts,
United States of America.
Sealed the 5th July 1867, and dated the 25th January 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th January 1867.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMERS," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to obviate the necessity of holding the nail
with the fingers while being "stuck," and hence to facilitate the driving of
nails, especially in positions rather elevated above the operator.
The Invention consists in providing the hammer at one side with a taper
socket or groove to receive the head of the nail, and thereby to hold it and
admit of the "sticking" of the same and the ready detachment or withdrawal
of the hammer from the nail when "stuck."

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Edward Newton, 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 HAMMERS," being a communication to me from abroad,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton,
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 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 William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, 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) :-
This Invention relates to a simple means for securing a nail to the head
of a hammer, so that the nail may be "stuck," as it is techanically termed,
into the wood preparatory to driving it.
The object of the Invention is to obviate the necessity of holding the nail
with the fingers while being "stuck," and hence to facilitate the driving of
nails, especially in positions rather elevated above the operator.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side view of one of the improved
bummers; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional view.

page_text: The Invention consists in providing the hammer at one side of the head
with a taper socket or groove to receive the head of the nail, and thereby
to hold it and admit of the "sticking" of the same and the ready detachment
or withdrawal of the hammer from the nail when "stuck."
form, its outer end
A represents the head of a hammer, which may be of the usual or any
suitable form, and provided with a handle B as usual. At one side of the
hammer there are two lips or projections a, a, which form a socket or groove c.
The lips or projections a, a, are somewhat out of parallel with each other,
as shown in Fig. 1. By this arrangement the socket or groove c is of taper
being larger than its inner end, as shown in Fig. 1.
The groove c extends the whole depth or thickness of the hammer and is
in line with its handle B. The groove c is sufficiently large to receive the
head and upper part of the nail to be "stuck" and driven, and at the same
time hold the nail firmly. This will be understood by referring to Fig. 2,
in which the nail shown in red is seen inserted in the groove. When the
nail is thus inserted in the groove c, which is but the work of an instant,
the nail may be readily "stuck" by the operator, a slight blow being sufficient
for the purpose, and the hammer is then withdrawn from the nail and the
latter driven in the usual way.
This Invention it will be seen will not materially increase the cost of the
'hammer, while it will form a great acquisition in cases where the nail cannot
be readily held by the fingers of the operator until "stuck" into the work or
the place where it is to driven.
Having now described the Invention of " Improvements in Hammers,"
which has been communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as new and
desire to secure by Letters Patent, constructing hammers with a taper groove c
at its side to receive and hold a nail for the purpose of sticking the samo
without the aid of the fingers preparatory to driving it, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)
.