IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF FORKS to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM SIMMONDS SKELTON of Sheaf-Bank Works Heeley Sheffield in the
County of York Shovel Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said.
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF
FORKS to be as follows:-
"
This Invention relates to the construction and manufacture of all descriptions of
forks being specially applicable to Hay, Digging, Manure, Coke, Coal, Bark, Weed,-
and Agricultural forks, either with open ended prongs or with a bar across the ends
or tips of the prongs, and with a tang, strap, or socket formed therewith.
The fork is manufactured from a sheet of steel, or equivalent material, being.
flyed-out to the required shape of the prongs and tang, strap or socket, the prongs
are then turned or twisted one fourth part of a revolution, the two outer prongs
being by preference turned inwards; the tang strap or socket is then hollowed or
recessed or otherwise formed to fit the handle or shaft of the fork.
In flying-out some descriptions of forks the prongs of two forks will be obtained
from the same sheet with practically-no waste the prongs being interlaced, or the
prongs of one fork being formed of the material cut out to form the space between
the prongs of the opposite fork.
Dated this 21st day of May 1984.
E. EDWARDS HEWETT, C.E.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I WILLIAM SIMMONDS SKELTON of Sheaf Bank Works, Heeley, Sheffield in the
County of York, Shovel Manufacturer, do bereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF FORKS,
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to the construction and manufacture of all descriptions of
forks being specially applicable to Hay, Digging, Manure, Coke, Coal, Bark, Weed
and agricultural forks either with open ended prongs or with a bar across the ends
or tips of the prongs, and with a tang strap or socket formed therewith.
The fork is manufactured from a sheet of steel, or equivalent material being
flyed out to the required shape of the prongs and tang, strap or socket; the prongs
are then turned or twisted one fourth part of a revolution, the two outer prongs,
being by preference, turned inwards; the tang strap or socket is then hollowed or
recessed or otherwise formed to fit the handle or shaft of the fork.
In flying out some descriptions of forks the prongs of two forks will be obtained
from the same sheet with practically no waste, the prongs being interlaced or the
prongs of one fork being formed of the material cut out to form the space between
the prongs of the opposite fork.
The means at present employed in the construction and manufacture of certain
classes of forks, as are herein described, is by rolling, forging or drawing out by
hammering each prong separately which is a tedious and expensive process.
The object of my invention is to manufacture forks in a more expeditous and
less expensive manner.
The means by which I attain this object being the same for all classes of forks,
to which my invention can be applied, one example will suffice, for this purpose
I have selected a "Weed fork," the various stages in the construction and
manufacture of which by my improved method, are illustrated in the accompanying
sheet of drawings in which;
Fig. 1 represents a sheet of forged or rolled metal, out of which the blanks which
form the forks are cut, punched or flyed.
Fig. 2 represents such a blank.
Fig. 3 represents the same blank, after it has been further cut punched or flyed.
Fig. 4 is a view on the edge of the same shewing the thickness of the sheet of
metal of which it is formed.
Fig. 5 represents the last named punched or flyed blank, after the prongs have
been twisted one quarter of a turn and after the tang strap or socket has
been formed to fit the handle; in this illustration the prongs of the fork
are shewn two on either side turned towards the centre.
Fig. 6 is a view looking on the back of the same.
Fig. 7 is a side or edge view of the same.
Fig. 8 represents a fork with the wood handle or haft affixed, but in this instance
the prongs are all turned in one direction.
Fig. 9 is a view looking on the back of the same.
Fig. 10 is a side or edge view of the same.
Fig. 11 is a view looking on the pointed ends of the prongs towards the handle
of the fork.
The process by which the forks here illustrated are made is briefly as follows:-
A sheet of metal previously rolled or forged of the required length width and
thickness is flyed out with tools which cut the blank of the form shown in the

page_text: drawing in which the material which forms the tang strap or socket A is obtained
from between the two centre prongs B. C. as shewn in Fig. 3. of the next blank, in
this way the waste of material is reduced to a minimum, the blank thus cut and
represented as detached in figure 2 is then taken and has the two pieces D. E
(Fig 3) punched out from between the other prongs F. B. and C. G the blank thus
formed has four prongs and is perfectly flat, but forks may be made by this method
having a greater or a lesser number of prongs and the blanka may be punched in
the first process so as to form all the prongs at one operation.
The next process is turning the prongs one quarter round which may be done as
represented in Figs 5. 6 and 7 by turning part of the prongs to the right and the
other part to the left or they may all be turned in one direction as represented in
Fig 8. 9 and 10, The tang strap or socket is then stamped or formed into the
required shape to fit into or on to the handle or haft as the case may be, or the
tang strap or socket may be formed before the prongs are turned and in some cases
before the blanks are cut punched or flyed.
Although the drawings herein referred to only represent one class, my improved
method of construction and manufacture can be applied to almost every variety of
fork which is made.
In the manufacture of forks with a greater number of prongs and where wider
sheets are used the tang, strap or socket of one fork may be cut out of the space
between the prongs in the next fork, or in any other way in which the material
out of which the forks are stamped may be economised.
The prongs of forks made as herein described may be hardened or tempered or
not as required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is,
(1.) Improvements in the construction and manufacture of forks by turning that
part or parts of the metal of a previously cut, punched or flyed blank or blanks,
which form the prongs of the said fork or forks, one quarter of a complete turn or
revolution thereby bringing the flat sides of the prong or prongs at right angles to
the position the said prong or prongs occupied before the turning took place, part
of the prongs may be turned in a right hand direction or part in a left hand
direction or the whole of the prongs may be turned to the right or to the left or in
any other alternate, «lirection as required, substantially as herein described and set
forth.
Dated thin 70th day of January 100K
隆
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.