Improvements in the Manufacture of Stair Rod Ends or Knobs and other kinds of Knobs.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 6th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Stair Rod Ends or Knobs and
other kinds of Knobs.
We, FRANCIS HERBERT HARRIS, and SAMUEL CHARLES HARRIS, trading
together as Francis & Co., of 51, Rifle Crescent, Aston, Birmingham, Brassfounders,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the manufacture of stair rod ends or terminal
knobs and to the ends or terminal knobs for other rods and for other purposes.
Heretofore the said stair rod ends and other rod ends or knobs have usually been
made of cast brass or other cast metal and turned and bored in a lathe to the
proper shape and tapped inside to screw on to the ends of the stair rods or
other rods.
This method of manufacture is comparatively expensive.
Now according to this invention we reduce the cost of manufacture of the said
ends or knobs by making them from sheet brass or other sheet metal as follows:-
We take a stout sheet metal circular blank of the proper size and then by
successive stamping or raising operations performed in suitable dies in a stamp or
press we raise this blank into a cup or dome shape and gradually elongate the cup
and reduce the same in diameter until it assumes the size and approximately the
pointed or other form of the required end or knob with a central hole ready for
tapping. This end or knob is then turned on the outside to the exact size and
shape required.
Before turning the end or knob we may flange the base if required during the
raising or stamping operations above referred.to.
Dated this 5th day of May 1893.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Stair Rod Ends or Knobs and
other kinds of Knobs.
We, FRANCIS HERBERT HARRIS, and SAMUEL CHARLES HARRIS, lately
trading together as Francis & Co. now trading together as Harris Brothers, of
51, Rifle Crescent, Aston, Birmingham, Brassfounders, 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:-
This invention has reference to the manufacture of stair rod ends or.terminal
knobs and to the ends or terminal knobs for other rods and for other purposes.
Heretofore the said stair rod ends and other rod ends or knobs have usually
been made of cast brass or other cast metal and turned and bored in a lathe to the
proper shape and tapped inside to screw on to the ends of the stair rods or
other rods.
This method of manufacture is comparatively expensive.

page_text: Now according to this invention we reduce the cost of manufacture of the said
ends or knobs by making them from sheet brass or other ductile sheet metal as we
will now describe by referring to the accompanying drawing on which
Fig. 1 represents a blank for forming a stair rod end or knob in accordance with
this invention;
Fig. 2 represents in sectional elevation and Fig. 3 in elevation the finished knob
screwed on to a stair rod.
Fig. 4 shews the same stair rod end or knob but made for knocking on to the
stair rod instead of screwing thereon as shewn in Figs. 2 and 3 ;
Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 represent successive stages in the manufacture of the blank
shewn by Fig. 1 into the stair rod end or knob shewn by Figs. 2, 3 and 4 ;
Fig. 10 represents in sectional elevation and Fig. 11 in elevation another form of
stair red end or knob which we make from the blank shewn by Fig. 1 screwed on
to a stair rod;
Fig. 12 shews in sectional elevation and in elevation the same kind of stair rod
end or knob shewn by Figs. 10 and 11 but made for knocking on to the stair rod;
Fig. 13 shews in sectional elevation the form in which the stair rod end or knob
is before being tapped and finished to the shape shewn by Figs. 10 and 11; and
Fig. 14 shews in sectional elevation the shape in which the stair rod end or knob
is before being turned and finished to the shape shewn by Fig. 12.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures of the drawing.
Referring firstly more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9: In carrying
out our invention we take a stout sheet metal circular blank a see Fig. 1 of the
proper size and thickness which can readily be found by comparing the blank
shewn by Fig. 1 with the finished ends or knobs shewn by Figs. 2, 3, 4, 10, 11
and 12 as Fig. 1 shews a blank of the proper diameter and thickness for making a
stair rod end or knob of the size represented by those figures. The blank shewn
by Fig. is then by means of a round ended punch or top tool in a stamp or press
forced through a die having a circular hole of the size corresponding with the
outside of the cup shape shewn by Fig. 5 thus forming the blank into the cup or
dome shape B shewn by this figure. Then by means of smaller punches or top
tools and circular dies the cup shewn by Fig. 5 is gradually elongated and reduced
in diameter and somewhat increased in thickness until it assumes the shape shewn
by Fig. 8. The cup B shewn by Fig. 8 is then by means of a punch or top tool
having the elongated form of the inside of the cup shewn by Fig. 9 forced into a
closed bottom die having the form of the outside of the cup B shewn by Fig. 9
leaving the central hole ready for tapping and slightly bulging out or flanging
the top 63 (or what is more properly the base of the knob) round the outside and
leaving the extreme end with a small projection 63 as shewn. The cup shaped knob
or end B is now tapped if required to screw on to the stair rod C and is then turned
in a lathe on the outside to the exact size and shape required such for instance as
shewn by Figs. 2 and 3 which is what is known as an acorn shaped stair rod end or
knob. If the cup shaped knob or end B is required to be fixed to the stair rod by
being knocked thereon then the central hole b¹ does not require to be tapped but
this hole is left plain as shewn by Fig. 4.
When the knobs or ends B are required to be of the rounded form shewn by
Figs. 10, 11 and 12 we proceed as above described as far as the stage shewn by
Fig. 7 and then if the end or knob is required to be tapped we force the cup shewn
by Fig. 7 into a solid die having the shape of the outside of the cup shewn by
Fig. 13 so as to make the cup of the shape shewn by this figure which is then
tapped and turned outside to the form required such for instance as chewn by
Figs. 10 and 11; or if this form of knob is required to be plain on the inside as
shewn by Fig. 12 so as to knock on to the stair rod then the punch is by preference
made of a form to slightly bellmouth the cup as shewn by Fig. 14.
It will be evident that our improved method of forming the said knobs or ends is
not limited to the knobs or ends of the precise forms shewn by Figs. 1 to 14 of our

page_text: drawings and that our invention can be similarly applied to the manufacture of
knobs or ends like that shewn by Fig. 15 or of other forms; and for various
purposes other than stair rods such for instance as knobs for shop window brackets
for hat rails and for wardrobe hooks.
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 :--
Making stair rod ends or knobs and other like ends or knobs from sheet metal
blanks in the manner substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawing.
Deted this 5th day of February 1894.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.