Fine Antique Collector

Second. In order to derive the maximum saving in the present expensive available quills, I take any quill, whatever size and make, and alter by cutting off the extreme point, and removed the barrel from the top, as in the former case, then divide the barrel from one end to the other, by means of a suitable cutting instrument, exactly into two half cylindrical parts, so saving one half of every quill, and consequently I have two quills, or parts of quills, equally competent to produce pens with, only a slight reduction in quality.
These half quills being thus prepared, I make, a pen at each end of both the half quills, thus making four pens out of one quill, of equal use to those made from whole quills in the usual way. These pens I call treble compound pens, and mount them for use on handles, either on one or both ends. These sticks are bought precisely similar to those already described, a little taper at one/both ends, and to one/both of which taper ends is slipped on a socket, made either of the barrel of a quill, silver or other metal, and on each socket is fixed a taper, and made to fix the stick so as to admit it, to project before the extremity of the socket about one eighth of an inch, so that when the stick or handle is withdrawn a little out of the socket an interstice is made between the socket and the stick of the thickness of a quill’s substance; then the pen consisting of the half quill as before, being put into ‘the socket with a proper projection of the point before it, and the stick, being forced forward, will, by its taper form, completely fasten in the pen, and render it fit for use with the projecting point; aud which point, when dulled by use, may, by withdrawing the stick, as above described be replaced by the pen at the other end, and thus by one quill instead of two, as in the first section, the same benefit and convenience is produced.

After a lot of searching for the earliest documented method of making a quill pen I came across to applied and received patent from way back in 1809. It’s a bit long winded so I’ve shortened it somewhat without I hope losing any of the substance of the narrative.
I will do it in 7 posts
Specification of the Patent granted to Joseph Lin Amah, of Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer; for a Method of making and construction of Pens for writing with.
Dated September 23, 1809.
First. I take the quill of a swan, goose, or any bird from which pens can be made; cut off the point, to prepare for slitting. I then sever the barrel of the quill from its top as near the feather part as the quill will admit making a clear and good slit. Then slit with a suitable knife, both ends of the barrel of the quill, to make at each end a complete pen, from one quill thus saving a considerable amount of money, and not wasting valuable resources.
I also want to adapt a handle to these pens, a straight round stick, which, being a little taper at the end below the hand, may be easily placed into the cylindrical part of the quill which is left whole between the two pen points, so the pen when worn and blunted by use at one end, can be quickly taken from the stick and the other end inserted. These I call the first class of compound pens; sometimes I intend to prepare the handles with a taper point, as above described but at both ends, so that by fixing a single compound pen at each end four complete pens made, these can instantly be reversed, when they become worn, these are called double compound pens.

In pocket watches, the power is obtained by a spring called the main spring, which is enclosed in a box called the barrel. Now there are two distinct ways of applying the power of this main spring to the first wheel of a watch ; one of them consists in the intervention or agency of a fusee, which is put upon the first wheel ; in the other, the first wheel is put upon the barrel itself that contains the spring, which arrangement is distinguished from that having a fusee by the term ‘ going-barrel.’ Watches having going-barrels are wound up by turning round the barrel arbors ; and watches

How early pocket watches derived their power

having fusees, by the fusee arbors. My invention consists in a new mechanical arrangement, applicable to the winding up of horological works. First, as respects what is termed a going-barrel, the following are the contrivances that I nave invented as applicable thereto : Fig. 1 represents a watch with a goingbarrel, to which my invention is applied ; in which figure a part of the dialplate is represented as broken away, for showing the novel parts, the operation of which will be understood by first describing the separate figures, 2, 3, 4, 5. 6, 7, 8, all the same letters of reference in which refer to similar parts.Fig. 2 is the barrel ratchet with its click and spring, which keeps the maintaining power up ; this ratchet is put on the barrel arbor, which is squared, and the plate is sunk in which it ¡ays—it is on the side of that part of the plate under the dial ; this barrel ratchet is sunk or turned out as fur as the teeth to receive another ratchet with its click and spring, shown at a, Fig. 3, which I call the recoiling ratchet. This recoiling ratchet is fastened on to the barrel pulley 6 ; the upper side of this barrel pulley is sunk to receive a spring, shown in Figs. 1 and 5, which is the recoiling spring ; on the edge of the barrel pulley there is a groove to receive a chain d, shown at Figs. 1 and 8, which is hooked on a nin in the said groove. Kg. 1 gives a perspective view of the stud which keeps the barrel pulley steady and close to the barrel ratchet ; the centre of tinstud is round, and the centre of the recoiling spring is hooked on to it ; the other end of the recoiling spring is hooked on the barrel pulley. Figs. 1 and 8 show the impendent, made of the same metal as the case ; it turns freely on a piece of steel ej, Fig. 8 ; this steel arbor has a small knob on one side, Л, shown at Figs. 1 and 8, to prevent the impendent from slipping off; on the other end it is split to receive the end of the chain which is pinned on ; the pendent of the case is perforated, through which the chain passes. I shall next describe the manner it is to operate, and how it is to be put on the winding up arbor. When the barrel ratchet before mentioned is put on the square arbor, the recoiling spring ¡a put on the barrel pulley, and placed over the barrel ratchet, so as to act on its click ; the chain, which is no longer than to produce one revolution of the pulley, is put through the pendent, and hooked on to the pulley : the stud is then hooked on to the recoiling spring ; by this stud the recoiling spring is set up one turn, more or less, and the stud is screwed on the plate. To wind up the watch, the impendent is drawn from the pendent as far as the chain will permit it ; the recoiling spring will bring the impendent back again to the pendent ; and this operation is repeated till the impendent remains on the pendent, and cannot be more drawn from it, which indicates that the main spring is wound up. When the works are to be wound up by a fusee arbor, the ratchet, which keeps the maintaining power, is on the fusee itself; the fusee arbor, squared, is on the same side of the plate as the goingbarrel under the dial. The recoiling ratchet, Fig. 4, is put on the fusee arbor ; its click and spring are on the barrel pulley, Fig. 6. Here it is to be observed, that when any works are to be wound up by a fusee, the fusee with the first wheel and its arbor returns back again, which is not the case with a goingbarrel. h is the relieving click, which has a double action ; first, it acts as the recoiling click, by its action in the ratchet ; secondly, it acts as a reliever of the said click ; it is planted on the under side of the barrel pulley, Fig. 6, with its spring, and must be made in the form shown in the drawing. That part wluch is near the edge of the barrel pulley has a small pin, which pin goes through an aperture of the barrel pulley into the groove where the chain lies. When the works are wound up, the impendent rests upon the pendent, and the chain lays round the pulley, which is the same as with the going-barrel. The pin of the relieving click, which goes into the groove of the barrel pulley, receives a pressure from the chain ; it brings the click part out of the ratchet, and gives free action to the ratchet on the fusee arbor to return back again without any drag or incumbrance of the click. /, Fig. 1, is the finger touch : it is made of gold, or some metal which will not rust. By referring to the drawing, it will be seen that it is a kind of cup with a milled edge, and the minute-hand is fastened to it : when the hands are to be set, a slight pressure with the end of the forefinger is required to turn the hands. In case it is desired to have a watchor clock wound up in one pull, the multiplying of the turns of the chain round the barrel pulley will have that effect.

The ships binnacle is basically a container to show, protect and enhance the performance of the ships compass. It was a

Ships binnacle to case the ships compass

rectangular wooded locker with several compartments, to contain the compasses, log-glasses, watch-glasses, and lights to show the compass at night.

This case contained three compartments with sliding shutters, the two side ones ones holding a compass in each, and the middle one having a lamp or candle, with a pane of glass on each side to throw a light on the compasses at night.

The more modern binnacle , besides supporting the compass and containing arrangements for the illumination of it by night, is fitted with various devices whereby the magnetic needle is protected against the effects of shock and vibration, as also against the permanent and induced magnetism of the vessel in which it is placed.