The patent covers the “elastic revolving belt saw and the manner of using the same.” In other words, he patented the basic idea of the bandsaw. The idea of the bandsaw reportedly originated in France or England (William Newberry of London received an English patent in 1808 for a bandsaw, but he never built a successful machine because of problems with making a viable blade), but this is the first known U. S. bandsaw patent. The blade is described as “thirty-four feet long, nine inches wide, and one twelfth of an inch thick.” The wheels are five feet in diameter. Widespread use of bandsaws would have to wait for the necessary metallurgical improvements to make blades that could repeatedly flex without suffering fatigue and breakage.

(To be filled in.)

USPTO pdf