Most of the patents prior to 1836 were lost in the December 1836 fire. Only about 2000 of the almost 10000 documents were recovered. For this patent, the specification survives but the drawing is lost. The hand-written specification is difficult to read but the following is our best effort at transcribing it. “The Blocks to which the dogs are made fast are similar to the common head Block now in use. The Dogs are two half Bails on each Block like those generally used except the following difference. One of the half bails has three teeth two of them on the upright part of the dog one at the top and the other about the centre. These teeth must be of sufficient length and width for a screw to pass through each. Two screws are made of Iron about three fourths of an inch in diameter and about four inches long. These screws are for a set or gauge for the sawed side of the log to bear against. A nut about two inches square is put on the end of each screw next to the log, also a nut on each screw of the other side of the tooth for the purpose of binding the screw if it should ever ??? loose. The other tooth in the ??? ??? so far from the upper tooth on the upright post as to admit the screws. The other half bail is to have three similar teeth except as follows. The upper teeth on the upright part is to be a double tooth, that is to say, one half of the tooth is to be perpendicular on the edge. The other half horizontal about half an inch shorter. The two upper teeth on the bail about two inches apart. The advantage in the above described dogs over any other now in use is that the boards will all be of an equal thickness: that the saw will run entirely through the log, that is more conceived(?) to sit in the right than any other.”

(To be filled in.)

"Vintage Machinery" entry for Martin Rich