Improvements in Spring Hooks.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spring Hooks.
I, JOHN SLATER, of 27 Green Lane, Walsall in the County of Stafford, Spring
Hook 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 :—
29"
Spring hooks, as heretofore usually constructed, have had the springs, against the
pressure of which the "short sides are pushed in to open the hooks and by which
such sides are automatically returned to close the hooks, riveted in place. This
method of fixture of the springs necessitates their being of considerable thickness
to allow for the reduction in strength at the part where the rivet hole is formed,
and thus the springs are unnecessarily stiff causing inconvenience in manipulating
the hooks; and, moreover, notwithstanding the thickness of the springs, there is
special liability of their fracturing at the part where the rivet passes through,
owing to such part being considerably weaker than the main portions of the
springs.
"
Now, according to this invention, the springs are each formed in one piece with
the "short side" of the hook; and this is conveniently effected by forming the
"short side" of sheet metal (preferably steel when for an iron or steel hook, or it
may be of hard brass when for a brass hook) bent into a trough shape, with the
spring formed as a tongue on the outer end thereof and bent back into, or mainly
into, the bollow or open mouth of the trough. The two sides of the inner end of
the "short side" embrace the inner end of the "long side," and are pivoted thereto.
By forming the spring in one piece with the "short side the weakening of the
spring occasioned by forming a rivet hole therethrough is avoided, and economy in
manufacture is effected. Any desired degree of elasticity in the spring, also, may
be insured by selecting sheet metal of the necessary strength therefor, and thus hooks
may be constructed which are more convenient in manipulation than those heretofore
in use in which (on account of the rivet holes) the springs have had to be
unnecessarily strong in regard simply to their purpose in securely keeping the hooks
closed. When the "short side" and spring are made of steel the spring is tempered,
and it is found convenient to temper the short side" therewith, as being in the
same piece of metal it would be more trouble to temper the spring alone than the
entire piece of steel.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shews, in section, a spring hook con-
structed according to this invention; and Figure 2 an outside elevation of same.
In Figure 1 the hook is shewn closed, and in Figure 2 open.
Figure 3 is a vertical section, taken at right angles to Figure 1, looking in the
direction of the "short side;" and
Figure 4 is a corresponding section of the hook when open as in Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on line of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a sheet metal "blank" for the "short side" and spring, as it appears
before being bent into shape.
Figure 7 is an elevation of a spring hook constructed according to this invention,
but having a swivelled eye.
The "short side a is formed of a hollow or trough shape, by bending into such
shape the part of the blank shewn by Figure 6.
b
The tongue of such blank is
then bent back to form the spring d. This tongue is bent back, as shewn, so that
a portion of it d¹ bears against the inside of the trough or "short side" some
distance down from the root or inner end of the tongue; and this is done so that
the strain caused by the pressure and movement of the spring may be borne chiefly
by the part thereof, where the curve is comparatively easy, and not by the root
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or inner end where the curve is very quick and where the spring would be liable to
snap if it had to support the whole strain occasioned by the pressure and movement
of the spring. The tongue is bent back so that it is preferably entirely within the
hollow of the "short side," before the "short side" is pivoted in place. The
holes for the pivot pin by which the "short side" is pivoted to the "long
side e are, preferably, formed square in the sides of the "short side" so that when
the ends of the pin are riveted up they will be enlarged to some extent in the
´square holes and will thus prevent the "short side" from turning on the pin and
causing wear in the holes. The pin will turn only in the hole through the
long side," where the substance of metal affords ample wearing surface. The
holes for the pivot pin are formed in the blank before it is bent into a trough
shape.
י,
The portions of the outer end of the "short side," and of the outer or open end
of the long side or hook, which bed against one another when the hook is closed,
as in Figures 1 and 7, may be of any convenient shape. They may, for instance,
be of a plain slanting shape. It is convenient, however, to form the outer end of
the "short side" of a plain slanting shape as shewn, and the outer end of the hook
with notched corners of which the slanting sides g bed against the slanting sides of
the "short side," and the vertical sides tend to maintain the "short side
position sideways.
"
in
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. In a spring hook, the "short side" and spring formed in one piece, substan-
tially as described for the purpose set forth.
2. In a spring hook, the "short side" and spring formed in one piece of sheet
.metal, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.
ני
3. In a spring hook, the "short side" and spring formed in one piece of sheet
metal of which a portion is bent into a trough shape and pivoted to the "long side
and a portion is bent back in the form of a spring, substantially as described, for
the purpose set forth.
4. A spring hook having its "short side" and spring formed in one piece,
substantially as described and shewn by the drawings herewith, for the purpose set
forth.
Dated this 4th day of January 1902
STEPHEN
WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.