Improvements in the Construction of Whips.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Whips.
I, CHARLES ASHFORD, of Cofton Hakett, Bromsgrove in the County of
Worcester, Whip Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention has for its object the construction of a whip which shall be more
pliable and more durable than the ordinary whips, and which will maintain its
correct shape and form and be less affected by damp and ordinary wear than is now
possible with the whips manufactured under the existing systems in common use..
In carrying my invention into effect in the manufacture of a driving whip I
construct the whip with its stock or handle formed in the usual or ordinary manner,
out of holly, cane or other suitable material as now generally adopted; but I
attach to the top of the ordinary handle my special pliable springing centre or
core.
This new form of top I make by placing a number of steel, iron, or other metal
wires around the stock or handle in such a manner that the handle is lengthened by
the wires. I bind or attach the wires to the stock by binding cord, fine wire or
other usual binding material and I arrange the wires so that they shall not all
terminate at the same point but by one or more projecting beyond the general body
of the other wires, greater elasticity and flexibility may be obtained from the
reduction of the body area of wire.
I then attach the thong to the flexible top by binding or by any well known
system of jointing the thong to the handle; or the thong may for instance be
plaited over the wires and thus form its own binding material.
I preserve the wires from becoming disarranged when arranged upon the stock
by inserting their ends in a collar or by placing over them, guards, or connecting
plates or bows, to ensure that the correct position of each wire in relation to the
others shall not be disturbed. These guards also serve as stiffening rings to
prevent too great a motion being given to the individual wires, and thus they
preserve the whip from becoming unduly sprung or bent when being used
carelessly.
To preserve the wires from rust I sometimes place a coating or cloth or other
fibrous material around cach of them, or I cause a deposit of nickel or other metal
to be given to the wires before joining them to the whip handle.
I do not limit the application of my invention to driving whips alone, but employ
the same system of construction to riding whips when I desire to make them very
flexible and durable.
Dated this 4th day of November 1890.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Whips.
I, CHARLES ASHFORD, of Cofton Hackett, Bromsgrove, in the County of
Worcester, Whip Manufacturer, 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 :-
My invention has for its object the construction of a whip which shall be more

page_text: pliable and more durable than the ordinary whips, and which will maintain its
correct shape and form and be less affected by damp and ordinary wear than
is now possible with the whips manufactured under the existing systems in
common use.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings-
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 illustrate my invention in various stages and
modifications.
'
In carrying my invention into effect in the manufacture of a driving whip I
construct the whip with its stock or handle formed in the usual or ordinary manner,
out of holly, cane or other suitable material as now generally adopted; but I
attach to the top of the ordinary handle my special pliable springing centre or
core.
This new form of top I make by placing a number of steel, iron, or other metal
wires around the stock or handle in such a manner that the handle is lengthened
by the wires. I bind or attach the wires to the stock by binding cord, fine wire or
other usual binding material, and I arrange the wires so that they shall not all
terminate at the same point but by one or more projecting beyond the general
body of the other wires, greater clasticity and flexibility may be obtained from the
reduction of the body area of the wire.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, A is the stock and B, B are the wires of which four are
generally used as seen in Figure 1A which is a plan in section through the wires.
In Figure 3 the four wires are laid in grooves in the stock and firmly attached to
the stock by leather lapping C. In Figures 1 and 2 the wires are attached by
collars D, E, F.
In Figure 1 the ends of the wires are bent out and spring into the holes as a
in the collar E and the stock and collars being tapered, the collars DE firmly
secure the wires to the stock. In Figure 2 the collar F has a bead b into which
the wire ends fit and so they are securely attached.
I then attach the thong to the flexible top by binding or by any well known
system of jointing the thong to the handle; or the thong may for instance be
plaited over the wires and thus form its own binding material. This plaiting over
is shown at Figure 2, where the thong G is attached in this manner. I preferably
bend or wave the ends of the wires as shown at H, Figure 1, to enable the thong
to be more readily secured.
I preserve the wires from becoming disarranged when arranged upon the stock
by inserting their ends in a collar, and sometimes by placing over them, guards, or
connecting plates or bows, to ensure that the correct position of each wire in
relation to the others shall not be disturbed. These guards also serve as stiffening
rings to prevent too great a motion being given to the individual wires, and thus
they preserve the whip from becoming unduly sprung, or bent when being used
carelessly. I find however, that the wires act well without other guards or plates
than the collars or attachments shown.
To preserve the wires from rust I sometimes place a coating of leather, cloth, or
other fibrous material around each separate wire or around all of them, as shown
at I Figure 7, or I cause a deposit of nickel or other metal to be given to the
wires before joining them to the whip handle.
I do not limit the application of my invention to driving whips alone, but employ
the same system of construction to riding whips when I desire to make them very
flexible and durable.
At Figures 5 and 6 I have shown the application of my invention to driving
crops such as are used extensively in the Colonies, Australia, and America. In
one case the wires form a loop K Figure 5, to which the thong is attached. In
another case the ordinary construction is adopted and attached by lapping as
indicated at L Figure 6.
Figure 4 illustrates the attachment of a small whalebone piece d by lapping e
to the ends of the wires and the wires together with this whalebone piece take the
place of the ordinary whalebone centre used in whip thongs of well known

page_text: construction. At Figure 6 the turned out ends c are clearly shown ready to be
attached to the stock by collars or lapping as hercinbefore described.
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) A whip in which the whalebone top is replaced by an arrangement of wires
securely attached to the stock and thong in any convenient manner substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
(2) In a whip having wires between the thong and the stock; the method of
attaching the wires to the stock by grooves in the stock, collars as D, E, Figure 1,
with holes as a to receive the bent ends of the wires or a collar as F Figure 2,
having a beading or expansion as to receive the wire ends substantially as herein-
before described reference being had to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
(3) In a whip having wires between the thong and the stock, the method of
attaching the thong to the bent or waved ends of the wires by plaiting the thong
over the wire ends or by plaiting the wires over the thong substantially as herein-
before described.
(4) In a whip having wires between the thong and the stock, covering the
wires as at I Figure 7, by plaited or woven work or protecting them by plating
with a suitable metal coating substantially as hereinbefore described.
(5) In driving crops, the formation of a wire termination as in Figure 5 with
an end as K or as in Figure 6 with the usual end as L arranged to receive the thong
substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.