US47214A - photo-lith o - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES WM. MOREHOUSE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

AX-HELVE.

Speclcation forming part of Letters Patent No. 47,2 LI, dated April l1, 1865.

helve; Fig. 2, a cross section of the extreme.

end which enters the eye of the ax; Fig. 3,

a longitudinal section otl Fig. l 5 and Fig. 4 a4 like section, showing the helve wedged within the ax.

The object ot' my invention is to so construct an axhelve that it may, without injury, be readily ann securely fastened by the ordinary soft-wood wed ges in the eye77 of an ax, und yet be removable therefrom when the ax is worn out, but in such unimpaired condition that it may be in like manner as bel'ore used over and over againl until' the helve itself becomes worn out. To eti'ect this I construct that portion of an ordinary helve, A, which is made to enter the eye of an ax, ofa concave form, as indicated in Fig. l, and designated in Fig. 2 at b b. Along this concavity b, which is made upon both sides of the helve, I cut out portions of the helve so as to form transverse sockets, as at c. These sockets may be more or less in number, according to the length of that portion ot' the helve which is intendedl to enter the eye of the implement to which the helve is to be fastened. These sockets are formed on both sides of the hel ve, along the coneavity b. Thus formed the helve is inserted inthe eye of the ax D, as indicated in Fig. 4, whereupon wedges e e are driven within the eye upon both sides of the helve, as represented. These wedges should be of seasoned soft Wood, either pine or white-wood, the latter preferred. They should be shaped somewhat in the likeness ot' the aperture which they are intended to till, and somewhat longer, so that when driven in the wood of which they are made will be considerably compressed between the sides of the helve and the eye of the ax. After the wedges e have been driven, as described, the portions of the wedges which are left opposite to the sockets c will, by the tendency of the wood to resume its normal uncompressed condition, expand into the said sockets, .but not sufficient, however, from this cause to ll them; but when thereafter the ax is used and exposed to the weather, the seasoned wooden wedges will, by gathering dampness, further expand or swell the wedge so as to completely ll said sockets and thus prevent the helve from being withdrawn from the eye by any ordinary act ot' use. As the diameter of the rear por-tion of the eye of an ax is made somtwhat less than that of its forward portion, or else has its eye made in concave form, a very secure fastening is effected by my invention, after the helve `is once properly inserted, and this without injury to the axhelve, by splitting its end for the insertion of the wedges, as is usually the case, and which splitting ofttimes ruins the helve for use in more than one ax. Besides this, the end ot'- the helve is sometimes, by reason of being eross'grained, so injured in splitting that it cannot even once be securely' fastened to an ax.

By my improved helve these ditculties are obviated without any considerable expense over the construction ot' the `ordinary helve, and when it is desirable to remove one from an ax, the helve can be driven out ofthe eye without injury to the hard wood, usually hickory, of which the helve is made, and so be used over again in a new ax, as before.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot' the United States, is-

1. A helve or handle, A, constructed with sockets c therein, substantially as and for the purpose described. l

2. A helve or handle, A, constructed with a concavity, b, therein, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. So forming ax-helves and other handles that when fastened in the eyes of implements by wedges of wood the wedges will be allowed to expand and swell into recesses or sockets formedin the handles, substantially y as and for the purpose described.

WM. MOREHOUSE. Witnesses:

R. H. DANEORTH, WM. O. FRANCIS.

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