Historical Oddity
People have always been trying to reinvent the wheel or axe as the case may be. Never has this been truer than at the turn of the century. With ever increasing industrialization and new manufacturing techniques came the practical, the not so practical and the possibly practical.
The replacement bit axe by Joseph Johnson likely fell into the ” not so practical” category. With very few, if any, axes ever actually produced. Never the less his idea was quite unique.
The object of his new invention was to make an axe that had a removable bit. With the means for the convenient removal & replacement of such bits by the user. Apparently to the point of not even “requiring a visit to the grindstone.”
As you can see in the above drawing, the axe had “a plurality of projections, two of the projections having reversely beveled lateral faces. The projections including oppositely disposed end projections extending part way across the body…two of the projections having their faces reversely beveled. The ax also having recessed 10 openings for studs.”
Essentially being held together by interlocking dovetails and rivets.
I seriously doubt the strength of this type of joint in use. Although we’ll likely never know. The user would also need specialty tools to maintain this axe. Which is probably why it never took off. With a file, a standard axe is easy enough to maintain and lasts for a very long time.
Still, quite a clever idea.
Suggested Product: Wetterlings Sharpening Stone
Full Patent
Description
Patented Feb. 2f), 1923.
UNITED staats JOSEPH a. JOHNSON, or KNIGHT,’WYOM`ING.
Application medmeren 5,1921, serieu No. 449,’i6i. Renewed October 9, 1922. serieu No. ses 4411.
To all ‘whom may concern:
Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knight, in the county of Uinta and State of Wyoming, have invented a new and useful Ax, of which the following is a specification.
The object of my invention is to provide an ax having a. removable bit and means for the convenient removal and replacement of such bits, whereby to require a minimum of steel for the ax and the convenient replacing of a dulled bit by a sharp one without requiring a visit to the grindstone.
I attain these and other objects of my invention by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of the device ready for use;
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4, approximately, when the bit is applied to the ax body; l
Figf3 is a front elevation of the ax body l when the bit 2 is removed; and
Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the bit 2 when it is removed from the axe body.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, -I provide an ax body 1 of any desired shape as to its general contour, said body being of malleable iron. projections 3, which have beveled edges 7, as shown in Fig. 3, and with the projection 11, and a corresponding cut-out portion 10 on the other side of the interlocking portion of the ax body. I further provide the cylindrical recesses 9 in projection 3 and recessed portion 4, as shown in Fig. 3.
I further provide, as a new article of manufacture, a detachable steel bit adapted to be removably attached to the malleable iron ax body l, and for this purpose I provide the projection 6 having beveled edges 7 .said projection being of the corresponding shape to the recess 4 in the ax body, and having a cylindrical stud 8 shaped to seat in the recess 9; also I provide a similar stud 8 in the recess portion 5 to interlock with the recess 9 and projection 3 of the ax body. I also provide the projection 11 adapted to seat in recess 10` of the ax body; and a recess l0 to receive the projection 1 of the ax body; thus providing overlapping members at both the distal and proximal edges of the ax body and bit. I further provide orifices v14 extending through members 11and 13 Ax body l is provided with at both the’ distal and proximal edges the ax, said orifices 14 being countersunk at each side to receive suitable small rivets l2, i
as shown in Figs. l and. 2. In using my invention the lumberman carries a number of the steel bits 2 so that when the cutting edge of one bit gets chipped, broken, or worn out,
it can readily be detached and replaced by a fresh steel bit, thus making an ax that is far cheaper in the long run than the conventional ax, and eliminating the loss of time and trouble of frequently sending the ax to the grindstone, as heretofore.
I am aware that axes have heretofore been made having certain resemblances to this device, but without the convenient detachable bit of steel on a malleable iron or soft steel body, which is the novel feature, in connection with the improved means for attaching and detaching same, disclosed in my invention, and which distinguishes it from .various axes that are made by pouring the iron through the bit in manufacturing, and which are solid when finished.
What I claim is:
1.In an ax, the combination of a body of malleable iron or soft steel, said body having a series of aligned diagonally beveled projections and recesses and also having angularly recessed portions adjacent the distal and proximal edges of the ax, and a relatively narrow steel bit having correspond#v ing projections and recesses adapted to seat in and interlock with the recesses and projections of the ax body, and means for riveting the overlapping portions of the bit and ax body together to provide a replaceable bit. Y
2. As a new article of manufacture, a narrow detachable steel bit adapted to be removably secured to an ax body suitably shaped to receive same but of less expensive material, the ax bit having an intermediate projection having parallel diagonally beveled sides, and having opposite end projections, one of the said projections having a side beveled diagonally and in a reverse direction to that of the intermediate projection.
3. As a new article of manufacture, a narrow detachable steel bit adapted to be removably secured to an ax body of less expensive material, said bit having a plurality of projections, two of the projections having reversely beveled lateral faces. the projections including oppositely disposed end projections extending part way across the said body having a series of projections, two:
of the projections having their faces reversely beveled, the ax also having recessed 10 openings for’studs, and a steel bit of relatively narrow Width throughout said bit having a series of projections and recesses adapted to interlock. With the recesses and projections of the ax body and including oppositely beveled lateral faces on two of the projections, central studs positioned to project into recessed portions of the ax body, and means for releasibly riveting the bit to the ax body, substantially as described.
j JOSEPH A. JOHNSON.
Leave a Reply