IMPROVEMENTS. IN PERFORATING SLATES OR SIMILAR MATERIALS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George and John Kirkley, of Salford, near Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Slaters and Slate Dealers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS. IN PERFORATING SLATES OR SIMILAR MATERIALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George and John Kirkley.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on
the 3rd March 1858..
We, GEORGE and JOHN KIRKLEY, of Salford, near Manchester, in the County.
of Lancaster, Slaters and Slate Dealers, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PERFORATING SLATES OR SIMILAR".
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
Instead of the present tedious and expensive method of punching by manual
labour one hole at a time in a slate or other material, we employ a press or
other mechanical combination acting on one, two, or more punches, so that'
any number of perforations may be made at one operation, either in one slate"
or in any required number placed conveniently for the purpose, the said
arrangement to be worked by hand or power, as may be desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George and John Kirkley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
and JOHN KIRKLEY, of Salford, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Slaters and Slate Dealers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said George and John Kirkley, Her special licence, that we, the said
George and John Kirkley, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said George and John Kirkley, our 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 PERFORATING SLATES OR SIMILAR MATERIALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George and John
Kirkley, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under
the hand and seal of one of us, 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 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 George Kirkley, for and on behalf of
myself and the said John Kirkley, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that
is to say):-
:-
We employ a lever press for punching one, two, or more holes in a slate or
slab of other material, instead of the present tedious and expensive method of
punching the holes by hand. Or a screw press may be employed for punching
two or more holes. The presses are employed either singly or collectively, so
that either one slate or slab may be acted upon by one press, or any suitable
number of slates or slabs may be placed so as to be punched by any suitable
number of presses, so that any number of perforations may be made in a
given time.
The machines are worked by foot, hand, or power, according

page_text: to the circumstances required, and the punches are constructed of any desired
shape.
.
These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, with the figures and letters of reference thereon.
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a lever press adapted for punching
two holes in a slate or slab; and Fig. 2, an end elevation of the same, with
one of the ends of the frame removed. The slate or slab to be punched is
represented at a, placed on suitable dies fixed to the bed of the lever press c,
which is placed on any suitable table or framework d, to which table gauges e
are attached, according to the sizes of the slates or slabs, or according to
the desired position of the holes.
In the arrangement shewn in the Drawings it will be seen that we connect
with the punching or pressing part of the press an arm or bar f, carrying the
two or more punches g, which are moved to and fro according to the distance
of the holes apart, corresponding in position with the aforesaid dies b, which
are also moveable, so that when the press is put in operation holes are made
in the slate a. Motion is given to the press by means of the foot acting on the
treddle or lever h working on the fulcrum i, and giving motion by the rod j to
the lever k, which is connected by the rod to the working lever m of the
press c, which is thereby put in motion, and the holes punched. When the foot
is taken off the treddle the weight n causes the return of all the parts to their
original positions.
Although one press only is shewn in the Drawings, we desire it to be
understood that any suitable number may be arranged to work in concert
and put in motion either by manual labour or power, in which case the
table and framing is adapted accordingly, and the power applied by any
of the well-known methods. We are aware that a screw press has been
employed before in punching one hole in a slate, but hitherto there has
not been any improved system of punching two or more holes in slates or
slabs at the same time, or any arrangement for punching on an enlarged
scale by working any of the aforesaid machines by the aid of steam or other
extra power.
Having thus fully described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be distinctly
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein set
forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the principle
thereof; but what we claim as our Invention, and which to the best of our
knowledge and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm,-
Firstly, the employment of a lever press for punching one or more holes, or

page_text: a screw press for punching two or more holes in a slate or slab of other
material.
And, secondly, the arrangement of several presses worked by steam or other
power, for the purpose of punching any number of holes in any number of
slates or slabs at the same time.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Kirkley, for and on behalf of
myself and the said John Kirkley, have hereunto set my hand and'
seal, this First day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand'
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named George Kirkley, in
the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
GEORGE KIRKLEY. (L.S.)