CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF CROTCHET HOOKS AND HANDLES TO BE USED SINGLE OR DUPLEX, AND WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Cornelius Devenport, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, of the Firm of William Devenport, Stamper
and Piercer, and Fancy Jewellery Manufacturer, for the Invention
of." CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF
CROTCHET HOOKS AND HANDLES TO BE USED SINGLE OR DUPLEX, AND WHICH
SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
ealed the 6th August 1875, and dated the 9th February 1875.
C
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Cornelius Devenport at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th February 1875.
C
I, CORNELIUS DEVENPORT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
of the Firm of William Devenport, Stamper and Piercer, and Fancy
Jewellery Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Inven
tion for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF
CROTCHET HOOKS AND HANDLES TO BE USED SINGLE OR DUPLEX, AND WHICH SAID
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows
(that is to say) :-
T
offent to Mr Tewantion I (he nonfoxoneel take sheet metal

page_text: of a suitable thickness or guage, and with convenient tools I cut or clip
it of the desired shape, as suitable for my improved handle, and length-
way through its centre I cut out a parallel slot or opening, leaving
metal sufficient to form an enlarged terminal part at the end remotest
from the crook, whilst the other end terminates with a small parallel
length of metal for bending lengthway into a short tubular form for the
needle or crook to pass through, but which part, after being pressed or
bent into form by suitable tools, I prefer covering with a small outer
case or cap having a reduced hole for the needle or crook to pass
through. Into the parallel slot or opening before refered to I form
from sheet metal a small length of tube terminating at the end farthest
from the crook with (by preference) an ornamental projection (so as to
overlap the sides of the edges of the parallel opening) as a convenient
means of sliding the tube backwards and forwards along the parallel slot
or opening, and into this sliding tube I secure the hook by bending the
other end of the wire of which the hook is composed at right angles, and
passing the said angular terminal part through a corresponding hole in
the tubular slide by applying the hook to the slide before closing, so that
when closed the slide and the crook will be firmly united; and in this
form it will be readily seen that the hook can be advanced or projected
from the handle by the slide for use and retired when out of use (for
protection) within the terminal cap and along the parallel opening of
the handle.
Although I have described the handle of my Invention as being made
from a plate of sheet metal it may be made of two plates clipped and
engaging each other around the edge, and so raised and ornamented as
not to interfere with the sliding action of the crook, and in like manner,
by fashioning the handle as it were for a double crook with extra slot
and slide, a duplex handle and crook will be provided, simple, neat,
compact, and inexpensive.
· And these several improvements are applicable (with slight modifica-
tion) as to size and detail for other like purposes, such as tooth-picks. ·

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Cornelius Devenport in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CORNELIUS
DEVENPORT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, of the Firm
of William Devenport, Stamper, Piercer, and Fancy Jewellery Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eigth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Cornelius Devenport,
Her special license, that I, the said Cornelius Devenport, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Cornelius
Devenport, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times there.
after 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 Inven-
tion for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF
CROTCHET HOOKS AND HANDLES TO BE USED SINGLE OR DUPLEX, AND WHICH SAID
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Cornelius Devenport, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Cornclius Devenport, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:—
In giving effect to my Invention I (by preference) take sheet metal of
a suitable thickness or gauge, and with convenient tools I cut or clip it

page_text: of the desired shape, as suitable for my improved handle, and lengthway
through its centre I cut out a parallel slot or opening, leaving metal
sufficient to form an enlarged terminal part at the end remotest from the
crook, whilst the other end terminates with a slight parallel length of
metal for bending lengthway into a short tubular form for the needle or
crook to slide through, but which part, after being pressed or bent into
form by suitable tools, I prefer covering with a small outer seamless
case or cap having a reduced hole for the needle or crook to freely pass
through. Into this parallel slot or opening before referred to I form
from sheet metal a small length of tube terminating at the end farthest
from the crook with (by preference) an ornamental projection (so as to
overlap the sides of the edges of the parallel opening) as a convenient
means of sliding the tube backwards and forwards along the parallel slot
or opening, and into this sliding tube I secure the hook by bending the
other end of the wire (of which the hook is composed) at right angles
or otherwise, and passing the said angular or curved terminal part
through a corresponding hole in the tubular slide by applying the hook
to the slide before closing, so that when closed and in this form it will
be readily seen that the hook can be advanced or projected from the
handle by the slide for use, and retired when out of use (for protection)
within the terminal cap and along the parallel opening of the handle.
Although I have described the handle as being made from a plate of
sheet metal it may be made of two plates clipped and engaging each
other around the edge, and so raised as not to interfere with the sliding
action of the crook, and in like manner by fashioning the handle as it
were for a double crook with extra slot and slide, a duplex handle and
crook will be provided simple, neat, compact, and inexpensive.
And these several improvements are also applicable, with slight modi-
cations (as to size and detail) for other like purposes, such as tooth-
picks, pipe probes, and pointers.
But with a view of more fully explaining and exhibiting my improve-
ments for the several articles herein mentioned I will describe the
Drawings hereunto annexed, which I have restricted to the realization of
my Invention as applied to crotchet hooks and handles in the simplest
and cheapest form, as will be well understood from the following
description, aided by the figures and letters marked on the said
Drawings.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a handle blank cut out of thin sheet metal, gilt,
plated, or otherwise ornamented, and by a combined or additional
operation to the tools necessary for giving form to the said blank; a
slight impressed running ornamental pattern may be formed on the same
or any other suitable device.
The terminal part a is bent up by tools into a tubular form and
contracted at the extreme end, as shown at b, Fig. 2; the handle,
Figure 1, thus formed is ready to receive the needle, which is fashioned
near its blunt end with a slight bow, as at c, Fig. 3 (as an equivalent, or
instead of being bent at an angle at its extreme end), the use of which
will assist in rigidly holding the needle in a tubular sliding clip, made
also of thin sheet metal, as represented in the flat at Fig. 4; the small
hole at d is for the bow part c of the crook to fall in, whilst the general
parallel part f is formed into a tube, and by suitable tools made to
engage and clip around the blunt or thick part of the hook, as shown at
Fig. 5, which represents in an edge view the metal clip, as at Figure 4,
applied to the hook; the ornamental parts g and h are bent across the
dotted line m and n so as to assume on both sides the combined form, as
shown at Fig. 6, but before his bent over and flattened down on it
will be necessary to apply the hook and pass it through the contracted
tubular part b, and the transverso slot p, p, being equivalent to the
width of the part it permits the part being passed through and
closed down, thus engaging between the inside surfaces of g and h the
metal of the handle, as shown at Figure 2, and with the crook extended
at Fig. 7, as also in an edge view at Fig. 8; this mode of uniting the
book to the sliding tubular clip, and the said clip and hook to the handle
is so simple (yet efficient) that it may be performed by the humblest of
labour capacity; but the transverse slot p is not absolutely essential, as
by making a handle as exhibited at Fig. 9 the sliding clip in connection
with the hook as at Figures 5 and 6 may be passed through the slot r, r,
by the terminal clipping part t being sufficiently open jointed for the
hook to drop in, thus permitting the sliding clip that engages the hook
to be identical in make and appearance as already described, but in this
case I apply a seamless cap over the part t which contracts the metal
and makes a good finish, such seamless cap being shown separate at
Fig. 10.
.

page_text: When duplex crotchet hooks are required, say for fine and strong
work, the said hooks may be made separate or in one continuous piece
of steel wire suitably reduced; and at stated places they may be curved
as at c, Figure 3, and as illustrated at Fig. 11, which represents a fine
and strong hook with curves c, c, passing through corresponding pierce
holes in the sliding clip that surrounds the hook or hooks, but which
clip is here shown in the flat as before bending.
Fig. 12 represents a duplex handle with the hooks in a retired position,
whilst Fig. 13 represents the same arrangement with the fine hook
extended for use, but when the strong hook is required it may be 1
advanced and extended simultaneously with the retirement of the fine
hook. .
In order to have an equivalent circular thumb bit with the part
marked u, Figure 11, I apply the part shown separate at v", Fig. 14,
and which part is represented as applied marked with the same letter at 1
Figure 13, and is retained by the small projecting parts w, w, being
engaged and clipped by the tubular slide that engages the hook or hooks.
The terminal part x, x, Figure 12, may be further finished by the
application of a cap, as at Figure 10, or by a small (by preference)
hollow ball, as shown at y, y, Figure 13, and separate at Fig. 15, and if 2
this terminal ball be preferred it may be applied to the arrangement
before described for single hooks, as at Figures 2, 7, 8, and 9.
With this general description it will be easily understood that by a
slight modification of details the handles may be more elaborately
fabricated and made of thicker substance or more bulky by two raised 2
metal plates put together, or a flat metal plate held between raised horn
or plastic material capable of being pressed in moulds or carved from
bone, ivory, or other material; and these general remarks apply to such
articles as are adapted for the pocket, such as a pointer, tooth-pick, or
pipe probe; but what I claim and wish to protect by these my in part 3
recited Letters Patent is, the sliding clip for engaging the hook or hooks
with mode of engagement, and the longitudinal and transverse slot in
the handle as described and exhibited for permitting the extension and
withdrawal of crotchet hooks and other like appliances, as also the
contraction with or without a solid tubular terminal part of such handles 3

page_text: for the hook or hooks or other appliances to pass or slide through, as
herein generally described and exhibited.
In witness whereof, I, the said Cornelius Devenport, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
JAMES S. COCKINGS,
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
CORNELIUS DEVENPORT. (L.S.)