IMPROVEMENTS IN DRIVING WHIPS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRIVING WHIPS."-A communication
from abroad by Charles Tomlinson Shelton, of the City and County
of New Haven, State of Connecticut, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th April 1871.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRIVING WHIPS," (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Charles Tomlinson Shelton, of the
City and County of New Haven, State of Connecticut, United States
of America,) to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of common
driving whips, more particularly to that class which are made of great
length, and without a lash.

page_text: This class of whips are expensive, and in use are casily and frequently
broken, the break almost invariably occurring within two feet from the
upper end, and when so broken their appearance is so much injured as
to practically destroy the whip.
Various devices are resorted to to repair the whips so broken, that
generally practised being to lap the tip on to the lower part, and wind
the two together. This not only injures the appearance of the whip,
but makes a joint which the use of the whip tends to loosen and soon
again renders the whip useless, while the lower portion of the whip
remains in perfect condition. To overcome this difficulty I make the
tip independent of the stock, so that the tip becomes an article of
manufacture, and a person breaking the tip has only to remove it from
the lower portion and replace it by a new one.
This part of the Invention consists in constructing the tip of a whip
so as to be attached to the lower portion of the stock, by providing tho
lower end of the tip with a socket, in the inside of which is cut a screw
thread, so as to be attached to the lower portion of the stock by means
of the said thread.
On the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a side view of the whip
tip; Figure 2, the same, showing a section of the lower end of the tip;
Figure 3, the tip and portion of the stock, showing how the two are
united; Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, the manner of preparing the parts of
braided whips for attachment; Figure 8, a side view of the butt portion
of a whip; Figure 9 a vertical central section of the same; Figure 10, a
perspective view of the blank from which the butt mounting is formed.
A is the tip, made of any desirable length and in the usual manner
for making whips. At its lower end I place a socket B, which consists
of a cylinder fitting closely and secured to the tip, the tip extending
about half way through the cylinder. Within the cylinder and the
lower portion of it I cut a screw thread, as seen in Figure 2, and thus
constructed the tip is complete as an article of manufacture. The tip
is placed on the lower portion C, the upper end of which is formed so
as to fit the socket B, and on to this lower portion the tip is screwed,
therefore when one tip is broken another may be attached, and so on,
the lower and most costly portion of the whip remaining perfect, and
will by ordinary usage outlast many tips. Thus attached the whip as
a whole is practically as perfect as though made of entirely one piece

page_text: and in the usual manner, and is as strong at the point of connection as
at any other point.
Though I have described my tip as applicable to that class of whips
which are not provided with a lash, it is equally adapted to all classes of
driving whips.
I find that on a braided whip the braid is sometimes liable to work off
with the tube. To overcome this difficulty at the broken place in the
whip, as denoted in Figure 4, I cut away the covering for a short
distance, so as to form a shoulder, as at a, Figure 5, then on to the
end I place a ferrule d, and secure it thereto hard down against the
covering in any convenient manner. This forms a protection for
the end, and prevents the covering from slipping up on the stock.
I do this to both parts if both are covered, then I place thereon the
tube B, securing it on to both ends, as seen in Figure 7, as before
described.
The second part of this Invention relates to an improvement whereby
the whip is made waterproof, and consists in coating or sizing the whip
after it is braided with a composition of india-rubber or similar gum.
In the common preparation or sizing of whips but little exposure is
required before the gloss is injured or entirely destroyed, a great objection
in an article so often exposed as a carriage whip.
To render the whip waterproof I prepare a coating or sizing the body
of which is of india-rubber, or any of its allied gums, from which I form
a solution by dissolving the rubber in benzine or other similar solvent;
5 with this I mix in the proportion of two to one gum shellac dissolved in
alcohol, and in order to combine the shellac and rubber I add chloride
of ether in sufficient quantity to produce this result. This compound I
apply to the surface of the whip after it is braided, rolling and finishing
in substantially the same manner as for other sizing. This composition
O renders the surface perfectly impervious to water however long it may
be exposed. The body of the whip may in like manner be coated
previous to braiding, but this I do not find to be essential.
The third part of this Invention, which relates to the protection of
the stock at the handle, consists in the arrangement of a band upon the
5 lower or butt portion of the whip to take the bearing when placed in
the socket, and support the stock without immediate contact with the

page_text: socket. Also in forming the butt mounting from a single solid metal
piece, whereby the butt of the whip is protected from injury.
It is well known to all familiar with the use of carriage whips that
riding in the socket the whip is very soon worn around the stock at the
top of the socket, defacing the whip to no little extcut, and especially is
this the case in fine wood or braided butts. To overcome this difficulty
I form a band D of suitable metal, and on the band raise a head E, or
otherwise raise the centre of the band of sufficient height that when
placed upon the stock C it will take a bearing in the socket, and prevent
the butt of the whip from coming in contact with the neck of the
sockot. This band forms rather an ornament than otherwise to
the whip.
The butt mounting of whips as heretofore constructed has been
formed of a thin cylinder of metal, sometimes loaded or filled at the
base. Exposed as whips are to frequent blows or other use which
indents the metal, the butt of the whip in the carly stages of its use
is very materially injured in its appearance, and resting as the whip
always does upon the butt in the socket the surface is exposed to
constant rubbing, so that a fine mounting at that part of the whip
is almost useless. To overcome this dificulty I form the mounting
by first making a blank F struck up from thick metal or cast and
formed solid at the base. The outer surface of this mounting is then
turned into the desired form, by preference, as seen in Figures 8 and 9,
with ribs left projecting around the surface, the space between the
ribs sunken. Theso spaces may be ornamented or finished in the
highest degree, as the ribs will protect them from injury, and the thick
or ribbed portion gives strength to the whole, as does the thick bottom,
which is formed in the same piece with the sides, and the whole formed
without brazing or soldering.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 30
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents,
123, Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
35

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special
licence that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas
Hughes, 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
'IMPROVEMENTS IN DRIVING WHIPS," a communication to me from abroad
by Charles Tomlinson Shelton, of the City and County of New Haven,
State of Connecticut, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of common
driving whips, more particularly to that class which are made of great
length and without a lash.
This class of whips are expensive, and in use are easily and frequently
broken, the break almost invariably occurring within two feet from the
upper end, and when so broken their appearance is so much injured as
to practically destroy them.
Various devices are resorted to to repair the whips so broken, that
generally practised being to lap the tip on to the lower part and wind
the two together. This not only injures the appearance of the whip,

page_text: but makes a joint which the use of the whip tends to loosen, and
soon again renders the whip useless, while the lower portion of the
whip remains in perfect condition. To overcome this difficulty I make
the tip independent of the stock so that the tip becomes an article of
manufacture, and a person breaking the tip has only to remove it from
the lower portion and replace it by a new one.
This part of the Invention consists in constructing the tip of a whip
so as to be attached to the lower portion of the stock, by providing the
lower end of the tip with a socket, in the inside of which is cut a
screw thread so as to be attached to the lower portion of the stock by
means of the said thread.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of the
whip tip; Fig. 2, the same, showing a section of the lower end of
the tip; Fig. 3, the tip and portion of the stock, showing how the two
are united; Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, the manner of preparing the parts of
braided whips for attachment; Fig. S, a side view of the butt portion
of a whip; Fig. 9, a vertical central section of the same; and Fig. 10,
a perspective view of the blank from which the butt mounting is
formed.
A is the tip made of any desirable length and in the usual manner :
for making whips. At its lower end I place a socket B, which consists
of a cylinder fitting closely and secured to the tip, the tip extending
about half way through the cylinder. Within the cylinder and tho
lower portion of it I cut a screw thread, as seen in Fig. 2, and thus
constructed the tip is complete as an article of manufacture. The tip 1
is placed on the lower portion C, the upper end of which is formed so
as to fit the socket B, and on to this lower portion the tip is screwed,
therefore when one tip is broken another may be attached, and so on,
the lower and most costly portion of the whip remaining perfect, and
by ordinary usage outlasting many tips. Thus attached the whip as
a whole is practically as perfect as though made of entirely one piece
and in the usual manner, and is as strong at the point of connection as
at any other point.
Though I have described the tip as applicable to that class of whips
which are not provided with a lash, it is equally adapted to all classes

page_text: I find that on a braided whip the braid is sometimes liable to work
off with the tube. To overcome this difficulty at the broken place in
the whip, as denoted in Fig. 4, I cut away the covering for a short
distance so as form a shoulder as at a, Fig. 5, then on to the end I
place a ferrule d, and secure it thereto hard down against the covering
in any convenient manner. This forms a protection for the end and
prevents the covering from slipping up on the stock. I do this to both
parts if both are covered, then I place thereon the tube B, securing it
on to both ends as seen in Fig. 7 as before described.
The second part of this Invention relates to an improvement whereby
the whip is made waterproof, and consists in coating or sizing the
whip after it is braided with a composition of india-rubber or similar
gum.
In the common preparation or sizing of whips but little exposure is
required before the gloss is injured or entirely destroyed, a great
objection in an article so often exposed as a carriage whip.
To render the whip waterproof I prepare a coating or sizing the body
of which is of india-rubber or any of its allied gums, from which I form
a solution by dissolving the rubber in benzine or other similar solvent;
with this I mix in the proportion of two to one gum shellac dissolved
in alcohol, and in order to combine the shellac and rubber I add
chloride of ether in sufficient quantity to produce this result. This
compound I apply to the surface of the whip after it is braided, rolling
and finishing in substantially the same manner as for other sizing.
This composition renders the surface perfectly impervious to water,
however long it may be exposed. The body of the whip may in liko
manner be coated previous to braiding, but this I do not find to be
essential.
The third part of the Invention, which relates to the protection of the
stock at the handle, consists in the arrangement of a band upon the
lower or butt portion of the whip to take the bearing when placed
in the socket and support the stock without immediate contact with
the socket. Also in forming the butt mounting from a single solid
metal piece, whereby the butt of the whip is protected from injury.
It is well known to all familiar with the use of carriage whips that
riding in the socket the whip is very soon worn around the stock at
the top of the socket, defacing the whip to no little extent, and especially

page_text: is this the case in fine wood or braided butts. To overcome this
difficulty I form a band D of suitable metal, and on the band raise a
bead E, or otherwise raise the centre of the band to sufficient height
that when placed upon the stock C it will take a bearing in the socket,
and prevent the butt of the whip from coming in contact with the
neck of the socket. This band forms rather an ornament than otherwise
to the whip.
The butt mounting of whips as heretofore constructed has been
formed of a thin cylinder of metal, sometimes loaded or filled at the
base. Exposed as whips are to frequent blows or other use which
indents the metal, the butt of the whip in the early stages of its use
is very materially injured in its appearance, and resting as the whip
always docs upon the butt in the socket the surface is exposed to con-
stant rubbing, so that a fine mounting at that part of the whip is
almost useless. To overcome this difficulty I form the mounting by
first making a blank F struck up from thick metal or cast and formed
solid at the base. The outer surface of this mounting is then turned
into the desired form, by preference, as seen in Figs. 8 and 9, with ribs
left projecting around the surface, the space between the ribs sunken.
These spaces may be ornamented or finished in the highest degree, as
the ribs will protect them from injury, and the thick or ribbed portion
gives strength to the whole, as does the thick bottom, which is formed
in the same piece with the sides, and the whole formed without brazing
or soldering.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be
understood that I claim,―
First. A whip tip provided with a socket B, so as to be attached to
the stock proper in the manner herein set forth.
Secondly. Preparing the ends of whips to be joined by the tube B
by securing thereon the ferrule d, substantially in the manner herein
set forth.
Thirdly. The arrangement of a band D forming an annular projection
around the butt of the stock, as and for the purpose specified.
Fourthly. The butt mounting of a whip constructed from solid metal
in the manner substantially as set forth.

page_text: Fifthly. A whip made waterproof by coating the surface with a
composition, substantially as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.