IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SCISSORS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Johnson Watts and James Memmott, both of
Sheffield, in the West Riding of the County of York, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SCISSORS."
Scaled the 8th October 1878, and dated the 8th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Johnson Watts and
James Memmott at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th
April 1878.
ROBERT JOHNSON WATTS and JAMES MEMMOTT, both of Sheffield, in the West
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
Riding of the County of York.
SCISSORS."
This Invention relates to the production of scissor blanks. Hitherto these blanks
have been produced by forging by hand, or in part by hand forging and in part
by machine forging or stamping, or have been in part (produced by flying out or
punching in a suitable machine.
This Invention consists in the production of scissor blanks wholly by flying out
or punching, that is to say, we can fly out a scissor blank which is in outline the
exact form of one side of a pair of scissors; and we can further fly out the hole in
the bow, and we can further punch the hole for the screw so that the blank so
produced is ready for the operations of filing, grinding, and finishing.
The flying out of the outline of the scissor blank can be done at one or more
operations.
The scissor blanks can be flyed out from sheet steel or other suitable materials of
uniform thickness, or from any suitable section of steel which will admit of one
part of the scissor blank or side being thicker in one part than it is in another.
By the words scissor blanks we mean one half, or one part or side of a pair
of scissors, so far manufactured or formed as to be ready for filing, grinding, and
finishing.
The scissor blanks flyed out from sectional sheets or strips, that is to say, from
sheets or strips of steel or other suitable material formed or produced by the

page_text: operation of rolling or forging, which are otherwise than straight or flat on each
side, can be so produced as that the blank will be thicker in the bow, or thicker
in the bow and shank, or thicker in the bow and part of the shank than
it is in the blade or the "bow," "shank," and blade," can each vary in thick-
ness, it being understood that the variations in thickness are due to the sectional
form or configuration of the sheet or strip from which the blank" is cut out or
flyed out, and not due to hand or machine forging from straight or flat sheets, strips,
or bars.
Scissor blanks flyed out or cut out of sectional sheets or strips, as above described,
can be forthwith filed and ground, or the said scissor blanks can be further stamped
or pressed to give them a more complete form before being filed or ground.
In flying out or cutting out the blank from the sectional sheet or strip the said
sheet or strip can be so presented to or placed in the fly or punching press, as
that part or the whole of the form of the said scissor blank is due to the manner
in which the said sheet or strip of sectional steel is presented to or placed in the
said fly or punching press; for instance, the longitudinal centre line of the sec-
tional sheet or strip can be placed in the fly at right angles to the longitudinal
centre line of the punch cutting-out tool; or the said sheet or strip may be
presented to or placed in the said "fly" at an angle greater or less than a right
angle to the said longitudinal centre line of the said tool.
In carrying into effect this Invention a top and bottom tool or a punch and
die of the exact form of the outline of the scissor blank can be fitted or fixed in an
ordinary fly press or punching press, and the plain or sectional sheet or strip
placed therein between the said tools, and motion being given to the top tool (as
ordinarily done in machines of this description), the said top tool is brought down
with sufficient force to penetrate the sheet or strip, and force a portion thereof of the
exact outline of the said top and bottom tools through the said bottom tool, thus
producing a scissor blank with a solid bow. The blank thus far produced is pre-
sented to or placed in a fly or punching press, in which is fitted or fixed a "top
and bottom tool and punch and die of the form of the orifice in the bow of the
scissor blank, and motion being given to the top tool the orifice in the bow is flyed
out or cut out.
33
The scissor blank is next presented to or placed in a fly or punching press,"
in which is fitted or fixed a top and bottom tool of the form of the rivet hole or
screw hole, and this hole is punched out; but, if preferred, this hole can be drilled
out instead of punched by the above-described process and means; scissor blanks
can be produced from plain or flat sheets or strips, which can be forthwith filed and
ground, or scissor blanks can be produced from sectional (instead of plain or flat)
sheets or strips, which can either be forth with filed and ground, or which can be
further subjected to the operations of stamping or forging before being filed and
ground.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Johnson Watts and James Memmott in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th October 1878.
ROBERT JOHNSON WATTS and JAMES MEMMOTT, both of Sheffield, in the West
Riding of tho County of York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
SCISSORS."
These improvements relate to the process of manufacture of scissors, that is
to say, the production in the rough state of "scissor blanks," such as are now
ordinarily produced by hand forging, the said improved process rendering unneces-
sary the expensive operation of hand forging.
These improvements consist in flying out scissor blanks from a sheet or strip
which has one or more projections or indentations on one or both sides thereof, tho
said projections being so arranged as to produce the shoulder or other projection on
the scissor blank, and the "flying out" of the scissor blank being so performed as
that the shoulder will be of the proper angle, by which means scissor blanks are
produced which will fit together in pairs, as would those forged by hand in the
ordinary manner.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings (Figure 1 shows a plan; and Figure 2,
a cross section of a sheet or strip so formed that two rows of scissor blanks can be
cut therefrom; Figure I also shews the position in which the blanks are cut out
from the sheet or strip, so that the shoulder will be of the required angle.
Figure 3 shows a plan; and Figure 4, a cross section of a sheet or strip so formed
that one row only of scissor blanks can be cut therefrom; Figure 3 also shews the
position in which the blanks are cut out from the sheet or strip, so that the shoulder
will be of the required angle.
Figure 5 and Figure 6 show a pair of scissor blanks as cut out from the sheet or
strip shown in Figure 1.
Figure 7 and Figure 8 show a pair of scissor blanks after the holes in the bows
or eyes have been flyed out, and the holes for the screw or rivet have been punched
or drilled theroin.
Figure 9 and Figure 10 show a pair of scissor blanks placed together in the
position they will occupy when the further simple operations of filing, hardening,
grinding, fitting, and glazing have been performed.
In carrying this Invention into effect the steel (or other suitable metal, metallic
alloy, or combination of metals) can be cheaply produced of the form or shape
shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 (or other similar and suitable shape corresponding
to the pattern of scissor blank required) by the ordinary operation of rolling in a
"rolling mill," and the scissor blanks can be cut out therefrom by an ordinary "fly
press" (or other similar and suitable machine).
The scissor blanks can be cut out from the aforesaid sheets or strips in double rows,
as shewn in Figure 1, A, B, shewing the spaces from which the blanks, Figure 5
and Figure 7, have been cut out, and C, D, shewing the spaces from which the
blanks, Figure 6 and Figure 8, have been cut out; and in practice it will be found
convenient to fly out from one side of the sheet or strip a row of blanks of one
form as A, B, E, F, and afterwards to fly out from the other side of the sheet or
strip a row of blanks for the reverse side of a pair of scissors as C, D, G, H.
The flying out tools, known as the "bed" and "punch," can be so formed and
fitted into the "fly" as that either the flat side of the sheet or strip, or the irregu-
larly shaped side thereof can be uppermost when the scissor blanks are being cut
therefrom; but it is preferred to arrange the said tools so that the irregularly
formed side of the sheet or strip is on the "bed," as each projection on the sheet
or strip would fit into a corresponding recess in the said "bed," and the sheet or
strip would be thereby guided in its proper course when moved along the said
"bed."

page_text: In order to produce a scissor blank with the shoulder at an angle, the said scissor
blank is cut out from the sheet or strip at an angle, greater or less than a right
angle, to the longitudinal centre line of the sheet or strip, as shewn in Figures 1
and 3. By this means the blanks, as shown in Figures 5 and 7, and Figures 6 and
8 will forthwith fit together, as shewn in Figures 9 and 10.
Scissor blanks could be cut out from the sheets or strips at right angles to the
longitudinal centre line thereof, but the shoulders would have to be subsequently
formed at the required angle, either by "stamping," filing, or other means, before
the blanks would fit together in pairs.
After the blanks, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6, have been cut out from the sheet
or strip, the holes in the bows will be "flyed out" by a "punch," and "bed" of
a form corresponding to the hole required in the said bows, as shown in Figures 7
and 8.
The improved process above described produces a scissor blank corresponding
in a great measure to one produced by hand forging; but if it is desired to produce a
scissor blank equal to or superior to hand-forged scissor blanks it is only necessary
to subject the scissor blank produced by the aforesaid improved process to the
ordinary operation of "stamping" in a "stamp," or "drop," in which case a pair of
top and bottom dies would be made, having the exact form which it is desired to
give to the scissor blank; and these dies being placed in the "stamp," the blank, 1
after being sufficiently heated, would be placed therein, and the top die being
actuated; in the ordinary manner would descend on the blank with such force as
to cause it to assume the exact form of the dies.
The above-described operation of "stamping," being well known and in general
use at this time for forming various articles, is not claimed as being part of this
Invention.
We are aware that it has already been proposed to fly out scissor blanks from
sheets or strips of uniform thickness, and then to form shoulders on the said blanks
by the ordinary process of stamping; but it will be evident to those persons who
are employed in the ordinary process of stamping that the shoulders or other pro-
jections cannot be formed properly from blanks cut out from sheets or strips of
uniform thickness.
Having now clearly described and particularly ascertained in what manner our
said Invention is to be or may be performed and carried into effect, we wish it to
be understood that what we claim as novel and original, and secured to us by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, "Improvements in the Manufacture
of Scissors, whereby scissor blanks are cut from sheets or strips which have
suitable projections on one or both sides thereof, substantially as herein-before
specified, described, and illustrated in Figures 1 to 10 of the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Johnson Watts, on behalf of myself and
the said James Memmott, have hereunto set my hand and scal, this First
day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and