IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SICKLES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jonathan Castle and Charles Turton, of Premier
Works, Attercliffe, Sheffield, in the County of York, for the
66
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SICKLES,
Sealed the 9th April 1872, and dated the 18th November 1871.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Jonathan Castle and
Charles Turton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition and Declaration, on the 18th November 1871,
pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act,
1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JONATHAN
CASTLE and CHARLES TURTON, of Premier Works, Attercliffe, Sheffield,
in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS we are in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SICKLES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to
grant unto us, our executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal

page_text: Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that
we are the true and first Inventors thereof, and that the same is not in
use by any other person or persons to the best of our knowledge
& belief.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Jonathan Castle and Charles
Turton, do hereby declare that the following Complete Specification,
under our hand and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed in
and by the following statement :-
Fig. I. of the machine does the work hitherto done by hand called
mooding, that is, gives the sickles a thin edge, and also brings them to
a point. It consists of a stone bed on which is fixed an iron plate.
The frame containing the roller is let in to this plate. The lower roller
(a part of the real Invention) has a number of gaits, parallel and
eccentric. The parallel gaits are of equal breadth the entire circle of
the roller, and are also of equal dip (a). The eccentric gaits inrease in
breadth of gait, and also increase in dip (c). In the upper roller may
be cut one or more gaits (N) for the manufacture of iron and steel
sickles. The rollers may have any number of gaits increasing in dip or
breadth of gait to suit the work.
Fig. II. of the machine bends the sickle to the desired shape. It
consists of two pieces of iron, whose outer edge is in the shape of the
sickle required (C¹) fixed on a metal plate, which is secured on a stone
bed. The two pieces fit close, with the exception of the outer edges,
which are bevelled so as to form a mould exactly the size of the
required sickle. The two pieces are firmly fixed together by means of
a screw, which on being loosened admits of the easy removal of the
sickle. On a pivot at the bottom of the mould is fixed a lever working
backwards and forwards over the mould. Fixed in the lever is a roller,
which as the lever works over the mould presses the sickle into its place.
The roller, which may be either plain or grooved, is kept to its place by
means of a strong spring (c¹). If desired the mould by being fixed on
a shaft may be made to revolve, and the roller remain stationary. This
would easily allow of its being worked by steam power, or of being fixed
to and worked by the first part. Steam power may also be attached to
the lever.

page_text: -
Proscess. If the sickles are to be made entirely from steel, pieces of
the required size are cut from the sheet by an ordinary cutting machine
broader at one end than the other (E). These pieces are then placed in a
furnace situated near Fig. I. When taken from the furnace at a
white heat they are at once passed through one of the parallel
gaits, giving them a wedge-shaped appearance (F); they are then
repassed, but this time through one of the eccentric gaits, giving.
them an increasing breadth and an increasing dip (G). The sickle is
now placed with the broader end in Fig. II., and is kept in position
by a small staple (e). Upon raising the lever the roller c¹ presses upon
the sickle, and forces it into the mould, giving it at one movement the
required shape. If the sickles are to be made from iron and steel the
groove or gait N is required to be cut, increasing in dip to receive the
metal similar to (F). The iron and steel being heated and passed in the
first instance through the groove N, which effectually fastens the iron
and steel together, they are then repassed through an eccentric gait
and on to the bending as before.
By this Invention work previously done by hand at a great expendi-
ture of time, labour, and money is entirely saved. The sickles are every
way superior to the best hand-made, both in symetry, uniformity, and
finish.
The particular beauty of the machine is its easy adaptability to all
kinds of sickle. Likewise the saving in a pecuniary point will be great,
as sickles may be made entirely from steel at less cost than when made
from iron and steel as under the old method.
The principal advantages of this machine are the quickness of the
operation, the uniformity of the angle, and the greater regularity of the
work; the whole being greatly superior to the work of the most skilled
artisans, whilst the greater number which may be turned out in the
same amount of time is self-evident.
DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE MACHINE AS REPRESENTED
IN THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. I.-A, A, stone on which machine rests; A, a, metal plate into
which frame is let in; B, B, frame containing the two rollers; C, plain
roller or having groove N; D, gaited roller; a, a, parallel gaits and
equal in breadth and dip; c, c, c, eccentric gaits increasing in breadth
and dip; S, pinion wheel works top roller; H, fly wheel; I, strap
wheel.

page_text: Fig. II. A¹, A¹, stone on which is fixed B', B¹, an iron plate; C¹,
mould to receive sickle (varies according to sickle required); D¹, joint
admitting of half of top part being removed; d, screw; F, groove to
receive sickle; G, sickle placed ready for bending; H, lever fixed on
pivot (moving over the mould); a¹, roller in lever for pressing sickle
into mould (plain or grooved); c¹, spring keeping roller in position ;
e, staple keeping sickle in position; M, N, two separate parts of mould,
edges bevelled and fastened together by means of screw (d); E, steel as
cut from sheet; F, steel after leaving parallel gaits; G³, steel after leaving
eccentric gaits; K, representation of eccentric gait on flat; K 1, end
view; K 2, showing increase of dip; K 3, showing increase of breadth;
P, sickle before being pressed into mould; Q, sickle after leaving mould.
In witness whereof, we, the said Jonathan Castle and Charles
Turton, have hereunto set our hand and seal, this 16th day of
November, in the year of our Lord 1871.
HENRY IRELAND,
Witness.
JONATHAN CASTLE. (L.S.)
CHARLES TURTON.
(L.S.)