Frederick Ithamar Marcy
- Born: 13 May 1838, Hartland Four Corners, Windsor, VT
- Marriage (1): Mary Jane Woodward on 18 Oct 1871 in Hartland Four Corners, Windsor, VT
- Died: 4 Nov 1896, Providence RI
Cause of his death was suicide.
General notes:
Jeweler and manufacturer
Events in his life were:
- He worked in 1863-1867 as a jeweler in Attleboro MA as a traveling salesman for James H. Sturdy. Within a year he had bought an interest in the company.
- He was a partner in 1865-1867 with William Allen Sturdy in Attleboro MA continuing as STURDY & MARCY.
- He worked in 1868-1877 as a jeweler in Attleboro MA
- He was a partner in 1878-1882 with Charles H. Smith in Providence RI as FRED I. MARCY & Co.
- He was issued patent number 217,801 on 29 Jul 1879
WILLIAM W. COVELL, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK I. MARCY, OF SAME PLACE.
IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE FASTENINGS FOR JEWELRY.
Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,801, dated July 29, 1879; application filed April 21, 1879.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, William W. Covell, of the city and county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wire Fasteners for Jewelry; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.
This invention has reference to an improved method for securing wires to blanks used to be soldered to jewelry.
The object of this invention is to prepare these blanks and secure the wires without soldering any part thereof, so as to retain the hardness, springiness, polish, and color on the blank as well as the wire, and furnish the same to jewelers, ready to be secured, at the lowest possible price.
The invention consists,'first, in the method of manufacturing wire fastenings for jewelry which consists in stamping indentures and loops in the strip, inserting the wire through the loops, and securing it in place; and, second, in improved jewelers' stock, consisting of a strip of metal colored and polished on one side, tinned on the other side, and wired, as hereinafter described.
Figure 1 represents an ear-ring wire secured to a blank ready to be secured by ordinary soft solder to an ear-ring. Fig. 2 is a view of part of a strip of blanks stamped to receive the wire. These blanks may be used for earrings, shawl-pins, buttons, and various other pieces of jewelry to which wires are secured. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the line x x, showing the configuration of the blank when stamped. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the blank, showing the wire secured by pressure, whereby the loop on the blank and the edges of the blank are partially embedded in the wire. Fig. 5 represents a strip of blanks with the wires secured to the same.
Blanks to which wires are secured are manufactured and sold to jewelers and repairers of jewelry, to be secured to jewelry by solder. Such blanks were heretofore made of stock-plate or other metal, and when they were to be secured the surface to be so secured had to be covered with tin. This cannot be done, except with extra care, without exposing the surplus tin when the same is soldered to the article. This has to be removed and requires time, while the article itself is injured by the melted tin, which destroys the color and polish.
To avoid all these defects, I first tin one side of a strip or sheet of metal uniformly. I now stamp, in suitable dies, the concave indenture a, and at the same time form the loop b. The blank strip consists, therefore, of a number of concave circles or ovals on the tinned side e, and presents a number of convex circles or ovals, a, with the loop b and the indenture d, to receive the wire, on the polished side.
e represents the wire, which is passed under the loop b and lies in the indentures d d, each forming a semicircular channel, and the whole is compressed in a suitable-press, by which the loop is embedded in the wire, and the blank and wire are firmly secured together.
As nothing is soldered to the blank, and no heat is used in the construction, the sheets or strips can be colored and finished before stamping, and they will retain their color and polish ; and as the blanks are coated on one side with tin, they can be readily secured to jewelry without the labor, waste, and injury caused by securing the blanks as heretofore constructed.
As only plain sheets of metal and plain wire are used, they can be constructed at a lower cost than those heretofore made; and as no soldering is required, all skilled labor is dispensed with, and with proper tools they can be made by cheap and unskilled labour.
Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent—
1. The improvement in the art of manufacturing wire fastenings for jewelry shown and described, which consists in stamping the indentures d d and loop b, inserting the wire, and securing the same, as described.
2. Improved jewelers' stock, consisting of a strip of metal colored and polished on one side, tinned on the other side, and wired, as described.
William W. Covell
Witnesses:
Joseph A. Miller
J. A. Miller, Jr.
- He appeared on the 1880 census taken at Providence RI, listed as a manufacturing jeweler.
- He worked in 1883-1896 as a jeweler and manufacturer in Providence RI
- Obituary printed in the The Evening Times (Washington DC) on 4 Nov 1896
Well-Known Jeweler's Suicide
Frederick I. Marcy, one of the best known manufacturing jewelers in the country, was found dead in his office this morning. Four gas jets were found turned on at full force.
Frederick married Mary Jane Woodward on 18 Oct 1871 in Hartland Four Corners, Windsor, VT. (Mary Jane Woodward was born on 23 Jun 1848 in Hartland Four Corners, Windsor, VT.)
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