• Born: 1836, Providence RI

  General notes:

Jeweler

  Events in his life were:

• He was issued design patent number 93,664 on 17 Aug 1869
  
  WILLIAM B. BENNETT, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.
  
  Letters Patent No. 93,664, dated August 17, 1869.
  
  MODE OF MOUNTINGS ORNAMENTAL CROSSES.
  
  To all whom it may concern :
  Be it known that I, William B. Bennett, of the city and county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented a certain new and useful Method of Mounting Ornamental Crosses composed of jet, glass, shell, or other similar substances, and sold and worn as articles of jewelry.
  The method generally heretofore known and practised in the mounting of crosses was to prepare cup-shaped tips to fit the ends of the crosses, and securing them thereto by means of shellac, or its equivalent.
  Great difficulty has always been Experienced in obtaining a desirable degree of security, they being, in fact, so frail and liable to loss that their use has been comparatively limited, although the article is generally much admired.
  To a limited extent, however, a solid back has been used, with a single fold at the top and bottom of the stem, and at the outer ends of the arms, by means of which the cross was held in position.
  It is obvious, however, that with this form of mounting, the breaking of the cross or the displacement of one of the folds would result in the separation of the cross from its mounting.
  My invention consists in forming the four cup-shaped tips from a single piece of sheet-metal, in the form of a cross, with the ends or tips so bent, that when the cross is inserted and the last lip turned down, it is held securely in position.
  The plate at the back adds strength to the cross, and all the tips being as one, no possible displacement can occur.
  To enable persons skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I do hereby declare the following specification , taken in connection with the drawings furnished and forming a part of the same, to be a true, clear, and exact description thereof.
  Figure 1 represents a metal blank cut in a die in an obvious manner. It should be of dimensions equal to the length, width, and thickness of the cross to be mounted, in addition to the front finish desired.
  Figure 2 represents a blank, as shown in fig. 1, with the ends partially bent and ready for receiving the cross, the distance between the elbows being precisely of the dimensions of the cross to be mounted.
  Figures 3 and 4 represent a cross fully mounted, and showing front and back.
  To save stock in cutting out the blanks, it might be deemed desirable to cut the stem of the cross with its tip-forms separate from the arms, and. subsequently securing the two together by means of solder; and inasmuch as the cup.-shaped tips would thus be all united in one back plate, it would involve the substantial principles of my improvement.
  Having thus described my invention,
  I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent—
  The improvement in the mounting of ornamental crosses, composed of jet, glass, shell, &c, which consists in the construction of the four cup-shaped tips, from or in a single piece of sheet-metal, solid at the back, or soldered, cut, bent, and applied substantially in the manner described for the purposes specified.
  
  William B. Bennett
  
  Witnesses:
  Wm. Knight
  Z. Chafee

• He was a partner in 1877 with Solon Russell Johnson in Providence RI

• He appeared on the 1880 census taken at Providence RI, listed as a jeweler.