Improvement in Reachers for Lifting Articles from Shop Windows, Shelves, and for other similar purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 30th July, 1892-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Reachers for Lifting Articles from Shop Windows,
Shelves, and for other similar purposes.
'
JOSEPH WALKER, Brassfounder and TномAS VOCE, Manager, both of Augusta
Works, Regent Parade, Birmingham, Warwickshire do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Reachers usually consist of a rod of wood, or a metal tube; at one end of which
is a pair of arms and jaws one of which is fixed to the rod, and the other is so con-
structed that it can be closed by means of a wire connected with a lever at the other
end of the rod or tube. A defect in the construction of these reachers is that the
movable jaw does not work parallel to the fixed one.
The object of our invention is so to construct the reachers that the face of the
movable jaw is always parallel to the fixed one, thus giving a firmer hold upon the
articles and also avoiding injury to the same by unequal pressure.
We make first a frame having a fixed arm on its lower side in the usual method
having an extended flat jaw or support at its extremity for the purpose of holding
articles more securely.
On this said frame we now construct on its upper side a short horn or bracket
carrying two centres for the purpose herein-after-described. To the lowest of these
two centres we now connect a cranked arm, so shaped and constructed that the
short end engages with the straight rod or wire which is operated on by the hand
lever for the purpose of opening and closing; and the long end is jointed to the
remaining flat jaw or support, which said jaw carries on itself a short arm or
bracket on its uppermost side, and having a hole or centre near its top for a pin to
pass through, forming a further joint.
We now make a connecting rod which we join at one end to the top centre of
the horn or stationary bracket herein-before-described, and the other end we connect
to the top of the short arm on the movable jaw above-described.
The mouth of the reacher we keep always open when at rest by means of a
coiled spring.
The action is as follows: Upon the lever at the end of the rod or wire being
closed by the hand, the spring is compressed, and the centre rod begins to pull
inwards, which working in combination with one end of the cranked arin carrying
the jaw, pulls the same down to meet the face of the fixed jaw. But, by reason of
the connecting rod before-described having its centre set a little behind the centre
upon which the cranked lever works, its stroke lengthens and shortens with the
rise and fall of the said cranked arm, causing therefore the face of the jointed jaw
to keep always parallel with the fixed one.
By this means we are able to make a reacher working perfectly parallel in its
jaws, so that we can hold articles much more firmly and at the same time without
bruising or marking them.
We do not however bind ourselves to this method of producing a parallel action
to the jaws of reachers.
1
1001

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Reachers for Lifting Articles from Shop Windows,
Shelves, and for other similar purposes.
JOSEPH WALKER of 4 Regent Parade, in the City of Birmingham Brassfounder
and THOMAS VOCE of 1 Salford Villas, Salford Road Handsworth, in the County
of Stafford, Manager 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 :-
Reachers usually consist of a rod of wood or a metal tube, at one end of which
is a pair of arms and jaws, one of which is fixed to the rod and the other is jointed
so that it can be closed by means of a wire connected with a lever at the other end
of the rod or tube. A defect in the construction of these reachers is that the
movable jaw does not work parallel to the fixed one.
The object of our invention is so to construct the reachers that the face of the
inovable jaw is always parallel to the fixed one, thus giving a firmer hold upon the
articles, and also avoiding injury to the same by unequal pressure.
Our method of construction is as follows. We make first a frame, having a fixed
arm on its lower side in the usual method and having an extended flat jaw or
support at its extremity, for the purpose of holding articles more securely.
On this said frame we now construct on its upper side a short horn or bracket
carrying two centres for the purpose hereinafter described. To the lowest of these
two centres we now connect a cranked arm, so shaped and constructed that one end
engages with the rod or wire which is operated on by the hand lever for the purpose
of opening and closing, and the other end is jointed to the remaining flat jaw or
support carrying on itself a short arm or bracket on its uppermost side, and having
a hole or centre near its top for a pin to pass through forming a further joint. We
now make a connecting rod which we joint at one end to the top centre of the
main horn or stationary bracket hereinbefore described, and the other end we con-
nect to the top of the short arm on the movable jaw above described.
The mouth of the reacher we keep always open (when at rest) by means of a
coiled spring.
We will now describe our invention with reference to the accompanying
drawing which is a side elevation of a reacher made according to our invention.
A is the frame having at its lower side the fixed arm which carries the extended
flat jaw C and carries upon its upper side the short horn or bracket d carrying two
centres E and f. G is the cranked movable arm working on the centre E and
carrying on the centre H the movable jaw I. P is a short bracket connected with
the jaw I and carrying upon its upper part the movable centre R. Q is a con-
necting rod jointed at R to the short bracket P and at f to the horn d.
These parts viz. P Q and d together with the movable arm G forming a
parallelogram.
The short end of the cranked arm G engages with the rod or wire J' J' which
said rod or wire is jointed at K to the lever L working on the centre M. N is the
spring by which the lever L and rod J¹ J' are forced forward and the jaw I operied
by means of the cranked arm G which is jointed to the rod J J at O. The
frame A is made tubular shape at S for the purpose of attaching to the hollow
stick or rod T' T' to which the lever L is attached by means of the plate U.
The action is as follows.
Upon the lever L being closed or pressed by the hand, the spring N is com-
pressed and the centre rod J1 J* is drawn inwards which working in combination
with the short end of the cranked arm G carrying the jaw I pulls the same down to
meet the face of the fixed jaw C. But by reason of the movable arm G and the con-
necting rod Q being jointed at Ef to the fixed bracket d and at H R to the short
bracket P the centres Ef being equal distance to the centres H R and the

page_text: centres E H being equal distance to the centres ƒ R thus forming a parallelogram,
the face of the jaw I having been constructed parallel to the face of the jaw C will
remain parallel at whatever distance the two jaws of the reacher may be apart
during opening or closing.
By these means we are able to make a reacher working parallel in its jaws s0
that we can hold articles much more firmly and at the same time without bruising
or marking them.
We do not however bind ourselves to this method of producing a parallel action
in the jaws of reachers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
Firstly Window reachers having the movable jaw so constructed that the flat
surface of the said jaw is always in a position parallel to the surface of the fixed
jaw.
Secondly-The general arrangement and construction of window reachers
substantially in the manner aud for the purpose herein set forth and illustrated.
Dated this 29th day of July 1892.
JOSEPH WALKER.
THOMAS VOCE.