• Born: 6 Nov 1852, Attleboro MA

  General notes:

Jeweler

  Events in his life were:

• He worked circa 1872-1885 as a jeweler in Attleboro MA in his father's shop.

• He was issued patent number 197,191 on 13 Nov 1877
  
  GEORGE B. WHITNEY, OF NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS.
  
  IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR MAKING CHAINS.
  
  Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,191; dated November 13, 1877; application filed July 2, 1877.
  
  To all whom it may concern:
  Be it known that I, George Barber Whitney, of North Attleborough, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Chain-Making Machines; and I hereby declare that the following is a fall, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.
  Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved chain-making machine.
  -- snip --
  Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent—
  1. In a chain-making machine, the combination, with intermittent feed and clamping mechanism, of two reciprocating jaws, a reciprocating former located between said jaws, and a cutter, substantially as described.
  2. In a chain-making machine, the combination, with intermittent feed and clamping mechanism, of two reciprocating jaws, a reciprocating former located between said jaws, a cutter arranged to cut desired length of blank, and a yielding fork, substantially as described.
  3. In a chain-making machine, the combination, with a reciprocating former and a yielding fork adapted to hold the blank against the former, of two reciprocating jaws, one of which has a rotary movement, substantially as described.
  4. In a chain-making machine, the combination, with an intermittent feed mechanism and cutter, a reciprocating former, and means for holding the blank in contact therewith, of two reciprocating jaws, working on opposite sides of the former, one of said jaws arranged and adapted to force the blank partly around the former, and when the blank is closed by the opposite jaw to withdraw the link, partly rotate the same, and carry it forward, to allow the following blank to pass through the finished link, substantially as described.
  5. The combination, with the driving-shaft and cam secured thereto, of the reciprocating shaft, provided with the jaw f1, and means, substantially as described, for imparting partial rotation to the reciprocating shaft, substantially as described.
  6. In a chain-making machine, the combination, with the cutter e2, former g, and jaw h2, of the reciprocating and rotating jaw f1 and means, substantially as shown and described, whereby a continuous chain is made from a coil of wire, substantially as described.
  7. In a chain-making machine, the combination, with a reciprocating former, of two reciprocating jaws, and means, substantially as described, whereby one of said jaws forces the blank partially around the former, and after the opposite jaw has closed the link said jaw removes the link from the former, partly rotates the link, and returns the same to allow the next blank to be inserted in said link, substantially as described.
  GEO. B. WHITNEY
  
  Witnesses:
  Joseph A. Miller
  Joseph A. Miller, Jr.

• He appeared on the 1880 census taken at Attleboro MA, listed as a manufacturing jeweler.