IMPROVEMENTS IN GIMLETS, AUGERS, AND OTHER TOOLS WHICH OPERATE BY A ROTARY MOTION
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GIMLETS, AUGERS, AND OTHER
TOOLS WHICH OPERATE BY A ROTARY MOTION." -A communication.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd September 1856.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GIMLETS, AUGERS, AND OTHER
TOOLS WHICH OPERATE BY A ROTARY MOTION," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain novel mechanism to be inserted in the
stock or handle of augers, gimlets, screw drivers, and other like tools, for the
purpose of imparting a rotary motion thereto in either direction. The handle
or stock is for this purpose made hollow, and the stem of the tool (if a centre-
bit, a corkscrew, or a gimlet, for example) is so fitted as to permit of the
handle or stock sliding up and down a short distance upon it.
The handle is fitted with two crown wheel ratchets, and the stem with two
corresponding ratchets, which are capable of sliding thereon and of taking into
the teeth of the adjacent fixed ratchet wheels as the handle is pressed forward
or drawn back. A coiled spring between these sliding wheels assists in

page_text: ensuring proper contact between the ratchet wheels. Instead of two pairs of
ratchet wheels for transmitting motion from the handle to the tool stem, the
like effect may be produced by fitting the stem with a pair of ratchet wheels,
between which is a cone or wedge-shaped piece. Into these wheels take a
pair of ratchet clicks, which are pressed forward from recesses in the handle
by means of springs, and when not required to act these clicks are forced
back by the conical wedge carried by the tool stem. According to the
direction of rotation required for the tool the handle is pressed forward or
drawn back, and thus one or other ratchet wheel is acted upon by its clicks.
It will be understood that this principle of operating boring and other
tools is capable of various modifications to suit varying circumstances.
Thus, for example, when applying the Invention to screw drivers, the stem
is not made to slide, but the equivalent action is obtained by fitting the socket
of the tool with a slider for throwing the pairs of ratchet wheels respectively
into and out of contact, as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd March 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alfred Vincent 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GIMLETS, AUGERS, AND OTHER TOOLS WHICH OPERATE BY A ROTARY
MOTION," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,

page_text: 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 Alfred Vincent 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, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, relates
to the application of certain arrangements of ratchet wheels to the stock or
handle of augers, gimlets, screw drivers, and other like tools, for the purpose
of imparting rotary motion thereto in either direction, at the pleasure of the
operator.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates that modification of the
Invention which is best adapted for the handles of gimlets and corkscrews,
showing a central section of a gimlet handle in a plane passing through the
axis of the gimlet or corkscrew, but shewing the socket and the ratchet gear
entire; Fig. 2 exhibits a similar section of the handle with the socket and
ratchets also in section; Fig. 3 is a central section of the same handle in a
plane perpendicular to the axis of the gimlet. The handle is divided in the
plane of the section represented in Fig. 3 into two parts, indicated by A, A', in
Fig. 1. Each of those parts contains a central cylindrical cavity, at the back
of which is placed one of two face ratchet wheels a, a'. These wheels stand
face to face, and have their teeth set in opposite directions, and they are firmly
secured in the handle, so as to be incapable of turning therein. The socket C,
which receives the gimlet D, has its shank E fitted to turn freely in the
handle, and for this purpose passes through the ratchet wheels a, a'. Between
these wheels a, a', the shank E is made of a square form, and on this square
part 6, Figures 1, 2, and 3, there are fitted two other face ratchet wheels c, c¹,
the former facing and taking into the teeth of the wheel a, and the latter
facing and taking into the ratchet wheel a'. The wheels c, c', are fitted to
slide some distance independently of each other on the shank E of the
socket C, though prevented by the square part of that shank, to which they are
fitted, from turning thereon. The distance of their sliding movement is limited
by two pins d, d', which are inserted through the socket above and below the
wheels c, c'. A spring e is applied between the backs of these wheels to force
them apart. The shank E is allowed a certain amount of longitudinal move-
ment in the handle, which movement is limited in one direction by the end of
the shank coming in contact with the end of its bearing, as shewn in Fig. 2,

page_text: and in the other by the pin d coming in contact with the top of the lower
bearing of the shank in the handle. The handle is made in two parts A, A',
to permit of the insertion of the ratchet gearing, and the two parts are securely
fastened together by screws f,f, after the gearing is put in. In using the
gimlet, the operator takes the handle firmly in his hand and turns it backward
and forward without releasing it from his grasp. In boring, he presses the
handle towards the gimlet, and by so doing throws the wheel a¹ out of gear
with the wheel c', and throws a into gear with c, as shewn in Fig. 2, but in
withdrawing the gimlet he pulls up the handle, and by that means draws the
wheel a out of gear with c, and a¹ into gear with c¹; thus in one case causing
the gimlet to rotate to the right, and in the other to the left. The one spring e
serves to hold either wheel c or c¹ in gear. In applying this Invention to a
corkscrew, the socket C might be dispensed with, and the head of the screw be
formed like the shank E of the gimlet socket, and have the wheels c, c³, and
spring e applied to it in the same manner as the shank E.
Fig. 4 illustrates another modification of the Invention, which is applicable
to the handles of gimlets and corkscrews, showing a central section of a gimlet
handle in a plane passing through the axis of the gimlet, but showing the
socket and the ratchets entire. Fig. 5 is a central section of the same handle
in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the gimlet. Fig. 6 is a plan of the upper
ratchet wheel and its pawles. This handle, like that first described, is made
in two parts A, A', and the socket C is fitted to turn freely in bearings in the
handle. The socket has firmly attached to it, at some distance apart, two
ratchet wheels a, a', with their teeth on their peripheries, the teeth being set
in opposite directions. These ratchet wheels are received within a cylindrical
cavity, formed partly in one half A and partly in the other half A¹ of the
handle. This cavity is extended lengthwise of the handle in both directions
for a portion of its length, to contain two pairs of sliding pawles 9, 9, and g', 9',
the former being for the purpose of engaging with the ratchet wheel a and
the latter with the ratchet wheel a¹. The two pairs of sliding pawles lie close
together, and therefore the ratchet wheels a, a¹, can never be both engaged at
once, and a narrow cylindrical collar h, of a circumference not less than the
circumscribing circles of the ratchet wheels, is secured to the shank E midway
between the two ratchet wheels, to serve as a resting place for the points of
one pair of pawles, while the other pair is in gear with its respective wheel.
The pawles have springs j, j, applied to their backs to throw them into gear.
The socket C is allowed to move longitudinally in the handle far enough to
bring one or other of the ratchet wheels into gear with its respective pawles;
this movement is limited by the depth of the cavity in which the ratchet

page_text: wheels are received, which is made just so much greater than the distance
between the outer faces of the pawles as to allow the required amount of
movement. The collar h is bevilled off at the top and bottom to meet the
imaginary circles inscribing the teeth of the ratchet wheels, as shewn at i, i, in
Fig. 4, and the inner sides of the pawles are bevilled off towards the point, to
correspond with the bevils i, i. When using the gimlet, the operator turns the
handle backwards and forwards, and at the same time presses it towards the
gimlet, or pulls it, according to whether he is boring or withdrawing the tool.
By pressing the handle the ratchet wheel a comes into gear, and on pulling it
back the ratchet wheel a becomes engaged. In commencing to push or pull
the handle to reverse the rotation of the gimlet, the pawles which have been
in gear are forced out by the bevils i, i, of the collar h acting on the bevils of
the pawles. Care must be taken to have the teeth of the ratchet wheels set
respectively in the proper directions, so that when the handle is pressed toward
the gimlet the gimlet will rotate in the proper direction to enter the work.
When this arrangement of ratchet wheels and pawles is applied to a cork-
screw, the head of the screw may have the ratchet wheels and collar h applied
to it, and may be fitted to the handle, all in the same manner as the socket C
is represented in Figures 4 and 5.
Fig. 7 illustrates generally that modification of the Invention which is best
suited to bit stocks, drill braces, and auger bandles, but particularly as adapted
to a bit stock or brace, representing a central section of the socket of the bit
stock, but showing the ratchet gearing, and inner socket, which receives the bit,
all entire. The bit D is received in a socket C, which is fitted to rotate within
the main socket F of the stock. To this inner rotating socket C is firmly
attached a ratchet wheel G, having two toothed faces a, a', the teeth of which
are set in opposite directions. The main socket F contains two other ratchet
wheels c, c', which are fitted to the interior of the socket in such a manner as
to slide therein independently of each other towards or from the teeth a, a¹, but
not to turn therein. Their turning is prevented by making the interior of the
socket F of polygonal form, and providing them with flanches k, k³, of a corre-
sponding form to fit therein. The inner rotating socket C passes freely through
the wheels c, c¹; its upper end C fits into a bearing at the top or back of the
main socket F, and its lower part fits to a bearing in a stationary collar I, which
is fitted into the bottom or front of the socket F, and secured by set screws m, m.
This collar is used to enable the wheels to be inserted in the socket F. A
helical spring n is placed between the wheel c and a small collar o on the
socket C serving to throw that wheel towards its fellow a, and a similar
spring n is placed between the wheel c' and the top or back of the interior of

page_text: the socket F to throw the wheel c¹ towards its fellow a'. The longitudinal
movement of the rotating socket C within the main socket F is limited in one
direction by the head of the socket C coming in contact with the top of its
bearing in the socket F, which condition is shewn in Fig. 7, and in the oppo-
site direction by the collar o coming in contact with a shoulder p near the
bottom of the collar 1. The movements of the wheels c, c', under the influence
of the springs n, n', is limited by stop pins 9, q', which project into the interior
of the socket F far enough to stop the flanches k, k', of those wheels. In
using the bit stock, the operator works the bow of the stock back and forth a
greater or less distance, according to the space he has for working, or to suit
his convenience, and at the same time either presses against or pulls the stock,
according to whether he is boring or withdrawing the bit. When the stock
is pressed for boring, the wheel c¹ is brought into gear with the teeth a', and
the wheel c is thrown out of gear with a, as shewn in Fig. 7; but when the
stock is pulled, the wheel c is brought into gear with the teeth a, and the
wheel c¹ is thrown out of gear with the teeth a', the wheel c or c', which is out
of gear, in either case bearing against its stop pins q, q', (see c, Fig. 7). To
adapt this modification of the Invention to an auger handle, a metal stock F,
having the ratchet gear and inner socket C fitted, as above described, is fitted
into a wooden handle. To adapt this modification to a common bit stock,
the socket F, instead of being made a part of the stock, may constitute a sepa-
rate box, and be made with a square shank to be received in the socket of the
bit stock, as is shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 7, where s, s, represents the
shank of a box so constructed, and the line w represents the top of the box
and its junction with the socket of the bit stock.
It will be seen that in all the above modifications of the Invention the
reversal of the rotation of the bit is effected by the same principle, (that is to
say,) by the longitudinal movement of the rotary socket C in the handle or
stock, produced by pushing or pulling the handle or stock to change the
ratchet wheel gearing. Now, it is obvious that to adapt either of those
arrangements of ratchet wheel gearing to a screw driver some other method
of effecting the change of gearing for the reversal of the rotation of the
motion must be adopted, for the reason, that the hold taken upon the screw
is not sufficient to admit of a longitudinal movement of the socket C or tool-
holder in the handle being produced by a pull on the handle. The same effect
may, however, be produced by the arrangement of ratchet gearing last
described by the addition of a sliding piece to operate upon the wheels c, c²,
to throw either into or out of gear, as is illustrated in Fig. 8, which represents
a longitudinal section of a screw driver handle, and in Fig. 9, which represents

page_text: a section perpendicular to Fig. 8 in the line x, x. To explain this, it is only
necessary to particularly describe such parts as differ from those represented in
Fig. 7, the like parts being indicated by the same letters of reference as in
that Figure. The socket C is not allowed in the screw driver handle any
movement endwise, but simply turns in the outer socket F. The sliding piece
by which the wheels c, c¹, are thrown in and out of gear with their fellows a, a³,
consists of a narrow strip of metal t sliding in a groove in one side of the
socket F, and having attached rigidly to it two forked arms u, u, which keep
the wheels c, c', always at such distances apart that when one is in gear the
other must be out. Either wheel is thrown into gear at the pleasure of the
operator by drawing the slide t outward from or pushing it inwards to the
socket F, a lip v being provided for that purpose on the end which protrudes
through the end of the socket. The slide t is also provided with a spring
catch, which engages with notches in the socket F to hold the ratchet wheels
in either condition.
Figures 10 and 11 illustrate a mode of reversing the action of the ratchets.
which enables a pressure to be applied to the handle in withdrawing screws.
These views exhibit an arrangement of ratchet wheel gearing, similar to that
exhibited in Figures 1, 2, and 3, applied to a handle of similar form, represent-
ing central sections of the handle, showing the socket and the gearing entire.
The shank E is made with a shoulder all round it below the handle, the said
shoulder having two deep recesses v, v, and two shallower recesses w, w; only
one of each of the recesses is visible in the Drawing, the others being ou
the opposite side of the handle. Between the shoulder and the handle a loose
collar R is fitted to the shank, and provided on the edge next the shoulder
with two teeth 2, %, which will fit into the two deep recesses v, v, or the two
shallow recesses w, w. By placing the collar with its teeth z, z, in the deep
recesses v, v, as shown in Fig. 10, it allows the ratchet wheels to operate in
the same manner as those shown in Figures 1 and 2, and berein-befor
described; the collar then being too low down the shank to interfere with the
change of gear of the ratchet wheels, by pushing and pulling the handle, but by
placing the collar with its teeth z, z, in the shallow recesses, w, as shown in
Fig. 11, the handle is prevented moving low enough down on the socket to
allow the disengagement of the ratchet wheels a', c', and engagement of a, c,
and consequently the ratchet wheel gearing is in the same condition as though
the handle were pulled, even though a strong pressure be applied.
Fig. 12 is a bottom view of the collar R. The collar and notched shoulder
above described may be applied to handles of any of the descriptions mentione
in this Specification.

page_text: Having thus fully described the nature of the Invention communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim the application to the handles or
stocks of tools or implements operating by a rotary motion of an arrangement
of ratchet wheel gearing, substantially as herein described, which admits of the
reversal of the rotation of the tool or implement by simply pushing or pulling
the handle or stock towards or from the tool, or, what is equivalent, by the
movement in similar directions of a sliding piece within the stock or handle, as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)