Abstract:
A blade sharpening assembly generally consisting of a support member having a first opening and at least a second opening spaced from the first opening, a blade holding assembly including a first member having a projecting section receivable in the first opening and cooperable with a portion of the support member for detachably securing the blade holding assembly in supported relation on the support member, a second member pivotally connected to the first member and means for pivoting one of the blade members relative to the other blade member about a fulcrum point to cause opposed end portions of the blade members to converge and engage a blade disposed therebetween in clamping relation, and a sharpening member including a sharpening stone engageable with a blade clamped between the blade holding sections, a longitudinally projecting guide rod receivable within the second opening in the support member and a gripping section which may be gripped to move the sharpening member with a reciprocating motion when the sharpening stone engages the blade and the guide rod is received within the second opening of the support member.

Description:
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/292,857 filed on Aug. 19, 1994, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an assembly for sharpening blades and more particularly to such an assembly of the type including a blade holding device and a sharpening member cooperable with the blade holding device for guiding a sharpening stone of the sharpening member across an edge of a blade held by the holding device. 
     In the prior art, there has been developed a type of blade sharpening assembly which basically includes a blade holding device and a sharpening member cooperable with the holding device to sharpen an edge of a blade held by the holding device. The holding device typically has consisted of a pair of blade holding members or jaws pivotally connected together at a fulcrum point, means for angularly displacing one set of ends of the blade holding members about the fulcrum point to correspondingly angularly displace an opposite set of ends of such holding members for clamping a blade therebetween, and a guide post usually connected to or formed integrally with one of the blade holding members, provided with a plurality of spaced openings. The sharpening member typically has consisted of a gripping portion having a sharpening stone disposed on an underside thereof and engageable with an edge of a blade held by the blade holding members, when in use, and a longitudinally disposed rod portion adapted to be received in a selected opening of the guide post for guiding the sharpening member as the sharpening stone portion thereof is moved in a reciprocating motion across the blade edge. Examples of such type of blade sharpening device are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,320,892 and 4,486,982 to Howard F. Longbrake, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,512,112, 4,714,239 and 4,777,770 to Arthur L. LeVine and U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,801 to John R. Anthon et al. 
     In each of such type of blade holding device, it has been found that the design thereof has been unduly complicated resulting in high manufacturing costs, awkward and difficult assembly and disassembly of the components of the device and unsatisfactory use of the device. It thus has further been found to be desirable to provide an improved blade sharpening device of the type described, obviating the various design flaws attendant to prior art blade sharpening devices. 
     Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved assembly for sharpening blades. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a blade sharpening assembly of the type utilizing a blade holding device provided with a guide post and a sharpening device provided with a gripping portion, a sharpening stone disposed on an underside of the gripping portion thereof and engageable with an edge of a blade held by the blade holding assembly, and a longitudinally disposed rod portion receivable within a selected opening of the guide post for guiding the sharpening member as the sharpening stone thereof is moved across the edge portion of the blade with a reciprocating motion. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved blade sharpening assembly which may be used in either hand held or bench mounted positions. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved blade sharpening assembly which is comparatively simple in design, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to quickly assemble and disassemble and effective in use. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blade sharpening assembly embodying the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the assembly shown in FIG. 1, illustrating several components thereof in exploded relation; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the assembly shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, illustrating the assembly mounted in a fixed position on a support surface; and 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a portion of the assembly shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, provided with a clamping device for supporting the assembly on a ledge or overhanging support member of a table or workbench. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawings, there is illustrated a blade holding assembly  10  which generally includes a support member  11 , a blade holding assembly  12  and a sharpening member  13 . The support member includes a hand held base section  14  and a longitudinally disposed guide section  15 . Base section  14  has essentially a cylindrical configuration with a diameter suitable for gripping with an average size hand, and a set of depressions  16  along one side thereof for accommodating the fingers of a hand gripping the member. The base section further is provided with an axially disposed, threaded opening  17  in an end surface  18  to permit the support member and correspondingly the entire assembly to be optionately hand held, or be disposed in a fixed position by mounting the support member on a fixed base member  19  as shown in FIG. 5 or a clamp as shown in FIG.  6 . The base member shown in FIG. 5 is provided with a plurality of screw holes  21  to permit the member to be rigidly secured to a support surface, and an axially disposed threaded stub portion  22  on which the support member may be threaded and thus fixedly supported. C-clamp  20  is of a conventional type adapted to be secured to a ledge or overhang portion of a table or workbench, and is provided with a threaded stub portion  23  onto which the support member may be threaded to secure the support member and correspondingly the entire assembly onto the C-clamp which may be secured to a selected overhanging member. 
     Base section  14  may be formed of any material although it is preferred to be made of a molded resin such as an acetal resin sold by E.I. Dupont Demours &amp; Co. under the trademark DELPRIN. 
     Guide section  15  generally consists of an elongated, metallic plate member having an end portion  15   a  embedded in the base section so that the guide section projects longitudinally relative to the base section. The guide section further provides an attachment opening  24  disposed adjacent an end surface  25  of the base section, and a plurality of spaced guide slots  26  spaced from opening  24 . As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, opening  24  includes a circular portion  24   a  and a slotted portion  24   b  disposed radially relative to portion  24   a  and having a width smaller than the diameter of portion  24   a , resembling a conventional key hole. Guide slots  26  are elongated transversely relative to the length of section  15  and are spaced different distances from opening  24 . Preferably, guide section  15  is formed of a sturdy metallic strip having an irregular end portion  15   a  for securely embedding end portion  15   a  in base section  14  as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     Blade holding assembly  12  includes a first blade holding member or jaw  27 , a second blade holding member or jaw  28  and an actuating member  29 . As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, blade holding member  27  includes a lower surface  30  having an angularly disposed portion  31  at a forward end thereof, an upper surface  32  having a cut-out portion providing an end surface  33  and an upper surface  34  disposed parallel with surface  30 , a pair of side surfaces and a rear end surface  35 . Such member further is provided with a first threaded opening  36  in upper surface  34 , and a second threaded opening  38  in a recessed portion  37  in upper surface  34 . The member further is provided with a section  39  projecting outwardly from end surface  35  which is adapted to be received through opening  24  in the support member and cooperate with plate section  15  to detachably secure the blade holding assembly to the support member. 
     As best shown in FIG. 4, projecting section  39  is cylindrically configured and includes a pair of vertically disposed, parallel slots  40  and  41  to provide a head portion  42  and a neck portion  43 . Head portion  42  has a diameter slightly less than the diameter of opening portion  24   a  and neck portion  43  has a width slightly less than the width of radially disposed slot  24   b  so that head portion  42  may be easily asserted in an axial direction through opening portion  24   a  to align neck portion  43  with radial slot  24   b , and the holding assembly may then be displaced downwardly toward base section  14  to insert neck portion  43  in radially disposed slot  24   b . Under such conditions, the blade holding assembly will be detachably connected to the support member and the blade holding assembly will be prevented from becoming detached by reason of the inner sides of head portion  42  engaging outer surfaces of guide portion  15  disposed along the sides of radially disposed slot  24   b . The blade holding assembly will not normally be released from the support member unless the assembly is displaced radially relative to opening portion  24   a  to position projecting section  39  axially in opening portion  24   a , and the assembly is displaced axially relative to opening portion  24   a  to clear projecting portion  39  from guide section  15 . 
     Blade holding member  28  is configured to be received within the cut-out portion of holding member  27  and cooperate therewith to receive and clamp a blade to be sharpened between forwardly disposed ends thereof. The member consists of a lower surface  44  adapted to be disposed in opposed relation to upper surface  34  of member  27 , an upper surface  45  disposed parallel to surface  44  and having an angularly disposed forward portion  46 , a pair of side surfaces spaced apart the same distance as the side walls of member  27  and a rear wall  47  adapted to be disposed in opposed relation to surface  33  of member  27  when the blade holding members are in the assembled condition. Blade holding member  28  further is provided with a screw opening  48  adapted to receive a flathead screw  49  therethrough and threaded into opening  36  of member  27  to provide a pivotal connection between members  27  and  28  at a fulcrum point, and a recessed portion  50  in bottom surface  44  provided with an opening  51  adapted to be axially aligned with threaded opening  38  when the blade holding members are in the assembled condition as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     Actuating member  37  includes a wheel section  52  positioned in recessed portions  37  and  52  and having a diameter slightly greater than the width of the blade holding members, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, and an axially disposed pin  53  having a lower threaded end threaded into threaded opening  38  and an opposite end portion received in aligned opening  51  in blade holding member  28  when the blade holding assembly is in the assembled condition. It will be appreciated that by rotating wheel section  52 , pin  53  will be caused to be displaced axially and correspondingly cause one set of ends to angularly displace relative to the fulcrum point of the assembly and an opposite set of ends of the members to displace to clamp and unclamp a blade positioned therebetween. The blade holding members and the actuating member therefor may be formed of any suitable, sturdy material although it is preferred that they be formed of a metal of suitable strength. 
     Sharpening member  13  consists of a hand gripping section  54  having a sharpening stone  55  on an underside thereof and engageable with an edge of a blade held between a forwardly disposed set of ends of the blade holding members, and a longitudinally disposed guide rod  56  which is adapted to be received in a guide opening  26  when the assembly is in use as shown in FIG.  1 . The sharpening stone has a generally rectangular configuration, is adhesively or otherwise secured to the underside of gripping section  54  and may consist of any suitable abrasive material for sharpening a blade edge. Guide rod  56  consists of a rigid material, preferably a metal, having an inner end thereof received within a longitudinally disposed opening in gripping section  54  and detachably secured therein by means of a thumb screw  57 . 
     In the use of the blade holding assembly shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 without the use of a mounting device, the blade holding assembly is grasped in the palm of one hand and wheel  52  may be rotated with the thumb and forefinger to space the set of outer ends of the holding members apart. The blade to be sharpened may then be inserted with the other hand between the spaced apart ends of the holding members and positioned in place while the wheel may be rotated in the opposite direction to clamp the blade between the outer ends of the blade holding members. By holding the support member in one hand and the blade holding assembly with the blade clamped therein in the other hand, the blade holding assembly may be attached to the support member by inserting projecting section  39  into opening portion  24   a  of the guide section of the support member, and sliding it downwardly so that neck portion  43  of section  39  is received in radially disposed slot  24   b . With the blade holding assembly thus secured to the support member, the assembly may be released with the one hand and the sharpening member may be grasped and placed in position by inserting guide rod  56  in a guide opening  26  and resting the sharpening stone on the blade edge to be sharpened. Then, while continuing to hold the support member by the base section with one hand, the main body of the sharpening member may be moved with a reciprocating motion forwardly and rearwardly and from side to side to sharpen the blade edge. To adjust the position of the blade relative to the blade holding assembly, it is required only to conveniently grasp and rotate wheel section  52  to displace the set of forward ends of the holding members to release the blade, reposition the blade and then move the holding members together by rotating the wheel in the opposite direction to reclamp the blade in the adjusted position. 
     In circumstances where it is desired to use the assembly by mounting it on a support structure, the support member may be rigidly mounted on such a support structure by the use of a base member  19  or a clamp assembly  20 . In either instance, the assembly may be used by threading the lower end of the support member onto a threaded stud  22  of the base member or  23  of the C-clamp assembly, attaching the blade holding assembly to the support member as previously described, manipulating the blade holding assembly to position and clamp the blade to be sharpened between the members thereof similarly in the manner as previously described, and then positioning and moving the sharpening member in the manner described to sharpen the blade edge. 
     The blade sharpening assembly as described provides a number of advantages over various prior art blade sharpening devices. Whenever one side of a blade secured in the clamp assembly has been sharpened and it is desired to sharpen the opposite side of the blade, all that is required to be done to reposition the blade is to slide the clamp assembly upwardly to position projecting section  39  in opening portion  24   a , rotate the clamp assembly 180° to position neck portion  43  of the projecting section in vertical alignment with slot  24   b  and lower the clamp assembly so that neck portion  43  again is received within slot  24   b . Such maneuver may be done simply and quickly to accurately position the blade for sharpening the reverse side thereof. Another advantage of the present invention is that when the clamping assembly is in the operative condition as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the engagement of neck portion  43  with the side edges of slot  24   b  prevents the clamp assembly from rotating about the axis of projecting section  39 . Furthermore, as best illustrated in FIG. 3, when the clamping assembly is mounted on the support member with neck portion  43  of projecting section  39  received within slot  24   b , a portion of lower surface  30  of blade member  27  will be seated on upper surface  25  of the support member to enhance the rigidity and stability of the assembled components when the assembly is in use and a downward force is applied to the clamping assembly as the sharpening member is pressed downwardly onto the blade being sharpened. 
     The simple design and configuration of each of the several components of the blade sharpening assembly as described permits the positioning of such components in a compact container for storage and other purposes. The components can be arranged and sold in a kit compactly positioned in a case for readily handling and storing such components. 
     From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention which come within the province of those persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the aforementioned invention pertains. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely by the appended claims.