CERTAIN IMPROVED METHODS OF MANUFACTURING OR ARRANGING THE SPRING BOLTS AND ATTENDANT PARTS OF SLEEVE LINKS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES. WHERE THE MEANS OF A PORTABLE CONNECTION ARE REQUIRED." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Reading, Samuel Alfred Reading, George
Edward Reading, and Frederick Francis Reading, all of Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Jewellers, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVED METHODS OF MANUFACTURING OR ARRANGING THE SPRING BOLTS
AND ATTENDANT PARTS OF SLEEVE LINKS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES. WHERE
THE MEANS OF A PORTABLE CONNECTION ARE REQUIRED."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Reading, Samuel
Alfred Reading, George Edward Reading, and Frederick Francis
Reading at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 16th October 1865.
We, JOHN READING, SAMUEL ALFRED READING, GEORGE EDWARD READING,
and FREDERICK FRANCIS READING, all of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Jewellers, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVED METHODS OF MANUFACTURING OR ARRANGING THE SPRING
BOLTS AND ATTENDANT PARTS OF SLEEVE LINKS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES WHERE
THE MEANS OF A PORTABLE CONNECTION ARE REQUIRED," to be as follows (that is
to say:-
Our Invention relates to that portion of a Patent granted to the above-
mentioned. John Reading, No. 528, 1856, described and represented at
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of his said Specification, and consists,
Firstly, in the process of raising upon and out of the spring bolt a detent
or catch by means of press tools instead of soldering a piece of metal to the

page_text: spring bolt for the purpose of forming the said detent or catch. The detent
or catch is so arranged to engage with the hook or bar that the point of the
hook or bar may not protrude through the spring bolt beyond the thickness
of the metal of the case.
Secondly, instead of soldering a detent or catch to the spring bolt and
soldering a shield to the thumb-bit of the spring bolt by which it is actuated,
we purpose forming these parts of the spring bolt by means of press tools
in the following manner, (that is to say,) the end of the spring bolt being
turned back is compressed close, so as to form a convenient thumb-bit as well
as a shield, which shield projects back from the thumb-bit and hides the slot
made in the end of the case in which the spring bolt works. The detent or
catch in this mode of forming the spring bolt is not raised upon and out of
the spring bolt, but is separately cut out and riveted into and through both
the spring bolt and shield, and the detent or catch being riveted into the
spring bolt and shield both the spring bolt and shield are strengthened, and
make, when thus formed, a substantial combination.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Reading, Samuel Alfred Reading, George Edward
Reading, and Frederick Francis Reading in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
READING, SAMUEL ALFRED READING, GEORGE EDWARD READING, and
FREDERICK FRANCIS READING, all of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Jewellers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Reading, Samuel Alfred Reading, George Edward Reading, and
Frederick Francis Reading, Her special license that we, the said John
Reading, Samuel Alfred Reading, George Edward Reading, and Frederick
Francis Reading, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said John Reading, Samuel Alfred Reading, George Edward
Reading, and Frederick Francis Reading, our executors, administrators, or
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

page_text: 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVED METHODS OF MANUFACTURING OR ARRANGING
THE SPRING BOLTS AND ATTENDANT PARTS OF SLEEVE LINKS AND OTHER LIKE
ARTICLES WHERE THE MEANS OF A PORTABLE CONNECTION IS REQUIRED," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Reading, Samuel Alfred
Reading, George Edward Reading, and Frederick Francis Reading, by
an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, 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 we, the said John Reading, Samuel Alfred
Reading, George Edward Reading, and Frederick Francis: Reading, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):-
Our Invention bas reference to that portion of a Patent granted to the above-
mentioned John Reading, No. 528 of 1856, described and represented at
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of his said Specification, and consists,-
Firstly, in the process of raising upon and out of the spring bolt of a sleeve
or other link a detent or catch by means of press tools and dies instead of
soldering a piece of metal to the spring bolt to form the said detent or catch;
this detent or catch is so arranged as to engage with the snap or hook of the
bar or link that the point of the book, bar, or link may not protrude through
the spring bolt before referred to beyond the thickness of the metal of the case
in which the said bolt works.
Secondly, instead of soldering a detent or catch to the spring bolt of a scarf
ring or other similar article and soldering a shield to the thumb-bit of the
spring bolt by which it is actuated, we purpose to form these two parts of the
spring bolt by means of press tools and dies in the following manner, (that is
to say,) the end of the spring bolt being turned back a portion of the metal is
compressed double and close, so as to form a convenient thumb-bit as well as
a shield, and the remaining portion lies back upon the case from the thumb-
bit and covers the slot made in the top end of the case in which the spring
bolt works. The detent or catch in this mode of forming the spring bolt is
not raised or pressed out of the spring bolt, but is separately cut out and then
rivetted into and through both the spring bolt and that portion of the same
which has been bent back to cover the slot in the case. This method of

page_text: Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive illustrate the method by which we accomplish the
first part of our Invention, and Figures 8 to 19 inclusive represent in their
several views the mode by which the second portion of our Invention may be
carried into effect.
Referring to the first part, Figure 1 shows a meta! blank of the requisite
form to produce, when finished, a pair of spring bolts or slides for a solitaire
or other portable link or connector. Figure 2 embraces in front and edge
views the same blank after having undergone the process of being pierced, as
seen at (a), and having the two indents or catches (6) cut, raised, and shaped
by means of suitable tools. actuated by a common fly press, appliances well
understood by artizans accustomed to such kind of work. By these means
I avoid the objectionable and expensive necessity for a piece of metal to be
soldered to the spring bolt to form the said catch.
At Figure 3 is shown the result of another operation between press tools
and dies, actuated as before or by other equivalent means, upon the same
blank or partially formed connected slides, the rounded ends having become
turned over, as seen at (c), and the pressure of the tool upon that part of the
slide marked (c¹) in connection with the die having produced the sinking which
appears with and part of the ends (c). The connected slides thus operated
upon are now complete, and merely require to be severed midway of their
length, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figures 3, to form two bolts or
slides, one of which (so divided) is represented at Figure 4 ready for insertion
in the case..
.
Figures 5 and 6 show edge and under side views of a sleeve link fitted with
our improved spring bolt shewing the detent (b) engaged. In Figure 5 will
be seen the detent or catch engaged in the notch or snap of the hinged bar
(k); and farther it will be obvious that the bent lip (c) or end of the blank
or slide becomes the thumb-piece or part for actuating the spring bolt, whilst
the impress in the metal of the spring bolt, as shown at (c), affords a space
for the reception of the extreme free end of the snap hook or bar before it

page_text: passes through the incision in the metal of the slide beneath the raised detent
(6), the said end of the hook projecting as much through the bolt as to be
level with the sunken portion (c¹), as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5, but
does not of necessity protrude beyond the general thickness of the case. This
arrangement is an important part of our improvements, for by it we are
enabled to make a solitaire or link flat, or nearly so, on the face, whether it
be chased, engraved, or otherwise ornamented, and thereby very much reducing
its general bulk and weight, which may be preferable in some cases.
Figure 7 shows a modification of this portion of our Invention by first
piercing out the hole to receive the free end of the snap hook of the hinge bar
(partly shown in dotted lines in the top or edge view), and afterwards raising
up by means of press or other suitable tools the detent or catch part to the
contour or form here shown, or other suitable shape, as may be preferred.
With regard to the second part of our improvements, we cut out a blank
of the form shown in Figure 8, and then pierce out the two slots, the two
larger square holes and the two smaller ones, all of which are seen at Figure 9,
and marked respectively l, m, and n, after which operation the blank (which
in this case, as in the former instance, for economy is arranged for forming
two slides or bolts,) is placed on suitable dies, and the small projections, which
we prefer to make of a circular form, as shown at (d), Figure 10, are raised
out of the metal, the object of which will be herein-after described.
The next process consists in turning back the ends of the blank or partially
formed pair of slides exactly at right angles to the plane of the same, and
forming, by a portion of the metal being doubled and compressed by the
meeting of suitable tools, the thumb-bits, these operations producing the result
as exhibited at Fig. 11, in which the ends are turned back, and (e) shews the
thumb-bits with the shields, marked (f), for covering the slots in the respective
cases in which they work.
After this the blank thus operated ón is again submitted to press or other
equivalent tools, and the thumb-bit, together with the ends or shield parts
(f), are further turned, as shewn in Fig. 12, (that is to say,) the thumb-
pieces assume a position at right angles with the main portion of the plane of
the metal, whilst the ends or shield parts (f) become parallel to the same.
The blank may now be severed into two equal partions, as indicated by the
dotted lines at (p,p).
Fig. 13 exhibits the form of a blank catch with means we prefer for uniting
it to the slide, which said blank catch is separately cut out of a piece of metal,
and, as seen at Fig. 14, passes through the large hole in the bolt or slide
marked (m), whilst the smaller portion of the sbank of the blank catch passes.

page_text: through the smaller hole in the shield, to which it is securely rivetted and
planished down.
The next process is to cut the portion that forms the detent or catch from
the blank catch, which completes the bolt and presents the appearance of
Fig. 15, the catch or removed portion forming the detent being shewn
at (g).
For the sake of clearness, Figs. 16 and 17 are given to illustrate the
case we prefer to use for the reception of this kind of spring bolt, Fig. 17
shewing the slot, which, when the bolt is fixed in the case, is rendered invisible
by the turned back end or shield, as described at Fig. 12, and indicated in
dotted lines at (h).
Figures 18 and 19 exhibit a scarf ring, to the manufacture of which this
portion of our Invention is peculiarly adapted, although it is evident that it is
particularly well suited for solitaires or other portable links or connectors.
Fig. 18 is a side elevation shewing the fastening closed, the catch being
engaged in the front or ornamental portion of the link. In Fig. (19) the catch.
is freed or released, and the case with our improved spring bolt is seen in
elevation. In this view will be observed the utility and object of the small
projection (d) before referred to, for it serves the purpose of keeping the bolt
in the case by reason of its contact against the end of the slot (in the case) in
which it works, thereby defining and retaining it in its extreme range of
action by means of the elastic force of the helical spring (i). This method
of fastening in the bolt applies also to the first portion of our Invention, as it
enables us to produce a better and a neater finish at the fore end of the action
or slides, notwithstanding this projection or stop may be, as before stated, of
any other desired shape.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be carried into effect, we wish it to be understood that
we do not purpose confining ourselves to the precise details herein described
and in part illustrated, or to the exact outlines of such illustrations, for it is
manifest that others forms may be used without departing from the prin-
ciple and object of our Invention to obtain a like result; but that which we
claim is,
a
Firstly, raising upon or out of the metal forming spring bolt or slide of a
sleeve or other link or portable connector a detent or catch, as exhibited
in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, instead of soldering or otherwise uniting an
independant piece of metal to such spring bolt or slide for that purpose.
Secondly, the mode of forming and connecting a detent or catch to the
spring bolt or slide of a solitaire, scarf ring, or other portable link or connector,

page_text: as described and exhibited at Figs. 8 to 19 inclusive, or its equivalent in
shape and means of attachment.
Lastly, the forming a thumb-piece, shield, and stop in manner described
and shewn at Figures 8 to 19 inclusive, namely, from the blank to their
finished form, in connection with the detent comprehended in the second
claim without restricting ourselves to the precise form of the shield, thumb-
bit, or stop, as the same may be varied without affecting the principle of our
Invention.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Reading, Samuel Alfred Reading,
George Edward Reading, and Frederick Francis Reading, have here-
unto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
WILLIAM T. FOULKES,
Clerk to James S. Cockings,
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.