IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FORKS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
We HENRY VAUGHAN of Park Road, Grimesthorpe and JAMES BALL Providence
Cottage Hilsborough both of Sheffield in the County of York Manufacturers of
Cutlery do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF FORKS to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of Table Forks, the
object being to produce forks in which, durability lightness, elasticity and strength
are combined and we attain these objects in the following manner.
We punch or cut out of sheet steel or from strips of steel of the desired thickness,
the blank of the fork, that is a flat piece of steel the shape of the fork but without
prongs the spaces between the prongs are then cut out by the aid of suitable tools,
and the required curves may then be given to the fork by bossing it between
suitable top and bottom tools, the tapered points, or any other parts that vary in
thickness may be produced by rolling the strips in suitably shaped rolls before the
blanks are punched out, or the blanks may be passed through eccentric rolls in the
usual well known way. When the fork is finished it may be hardened and
tempered and either glazed polished or electro plated.
1004

page_text: We HENRY VAUGHAN, of Attercliffe Sheffield in the County of York Mechanic
and JAMES BALL, Hillsbro Mount, Sheffield aforesaid, Manufacturer do hereby
declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
FORKS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement that is to say:―
Our invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of what are known
in the trade as "French" or "Spoon" Forks, the object being to produce forks that
are economical in the cost of manufacture of great durability, combined with
lightness strength elasticity, and durability, and we accomplish this in the following
manner.
We punch or cut from sheets or strips of steel of a suitable thickness, the blank
of the fork; that is, a flat piece of steel of the shape, configuration, or outline of
a fork, and we form the prongs by cutting out the intermediate spaces by means of
suitable beds and punches.
The required curves are produced by stamping the partly made fork between
correspondingly shaped top and bottom tools.
.
The tapered points, and other parts that vary in thickness may be produced by
passing the strips of steel between suitably shaped rolls before the blanks are
punched out, or the blanks may be operated upon by eccentric rolls in the usual
manner.
The Fork so formed is then hardened and tempered, and is finished by being
polished, and either nickel or silverplated, or otherwise finished.
•
The prongs of such forks are hard and elastic, not liable to be bent, or cut with
the knife, and of much greater durability than forks of the usual make.
Having now. particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed We declare that what
we claim is :-
The manufacture of elastic Steel Table Forks of the description known as
"French pattern," by punching or cutting the blanks from sheet or strip steel, and
afterwards hardening and tempering them, for the object specified and substantially
as herein before described.
Dated the 4th day of November 1884.