Iμ- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING KNIVES AND OTHER STEEL ARTICLES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Masters, of Oxford Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Confectioner, for the Invention of "Iμ-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING KNIVES AND
OTHER STEEL ARTICLES."
Sealed the 8th June 1853, and dated the 9th December 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Masters
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th December 1852.
I, THOMAS MASTERS, of Oxford Street, in the County of Middle-
sex, Confectioner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING KNIVES
AND OTHER STEEL ARTICLES" to be as follows:-
I stretch two endless bands fitted with bristles or pieces of leather,
or both, on their inner surfaces, over and between two rollers or cy-
linders, and place them in a frame through which apertures are made
for the insertion of the articles to be cleaned and polished. Motion is
communicated to one of the rollers or cylinders, whereby the end-

page_text: less bands are caused to travel. The polishing powder is supplied
through apertures made in the bands when they work horizontally,
or it is inserted in the brushes themselves when they work in a ver-
tical position. In the case of knives, &c., polished in the above
described machine, they will be equally polished throughout the en-
tire length of the blades; while, in the rotary knife cleaning machines
at present in use, the points, which are found to require more clean-
ing than the other parts of the blades, do not receive the same
amount of polish, on account of the distance travelled over by the
brushes being less the nearer the axis on which they revolve is
approached. When these endless bands are worked horizontally, I
cause them to exert the necessary pressure upon the articles placed
between them to be cleaned by means of friction rollers; and when
stretched round two cylinders, to work in a vertical position, I
impart the necessary pressure by means of a stretcher placed in the
interior of the inner cylinder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Thomas Masters in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 9th June 1853,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
THOMAS MASTERS, of Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Confectioner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Masters, Her
special licence that I, the said Thomas Masters, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Masters, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully

page_text: might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
CLEANING KNIVES AND OTHER STEEL ARTICLES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Masters, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly de.
scribe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Masters, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed (that is to say):
My Invention consists of improved machinery for cleaning knives
and other similar steel articles, in which the articles to be cleaned
are introduced between two endless elastic straps or bands, pro-
vided with pieces of leather or bristles, or both, on their opposing
surfaces, and stretched over a drum or cylinder, or over and between
two drums or cylinders, placed either horizontally or vertically in a
case or frame, rotary motion being imparted to such drum or cylin-
der, or to one of the drums or cylinders, whereby the endless bands
are inade to rotate; and I cause the bands to exert the necessary
degree of pressure on the articles placed between them to be cleaned
by means of friction rollers, or by a stretcher placed in the interior
of the cylinder. The polishing powder is supplied through aper-
tures in the bands, or between the cleaning surfaces. The knives or
other articles to be cleaned or polished are introduced through aper-
tures in the top or sides of the machine, and their points rest on
bars or stops at the side of the machine opposite to that at which
they are inserted. By these arrangements the knives are equally
cleaned and polished throughout their entire length; whereas, in
otary disc knife cleaning machines hitherto used, the points, which
require the greatest amount of cleaning, do not receive the same

page_text: amount of cleaning as the rest of the blade, because the distance
travelled over by the cleaning surfaces is less the nearer the axis on
which they revolve is approached.
.
Figure 1, is a sectional view of a knife-cleaning machine con-
structed according to the present improvements, in which the clean-
ing apparatus is placed vertically. A, A, is a case in which a cylin-
der or drum B, revolves, mounted on a spindle a, and supported on
bearings in the case. C, is an elastic endless strap or band stretched
round the roller, and having on its outer surface projecting pieces
of soft leather or bristles. D, is a second endless band stretched
tightly round the band C, and having bristles or pieces of soft
leather on its inner surface, so that the bristles or pieces of leather
in each band may come together. The emery or other cleaning
or polishing powder is supplied through a revolving sieve in the in-
terior of the cylinder. The knives to be cleaned are introduced.
between the bands through orifices in the side of the case, and rotary
motion is communicated to the cylinder by a winch handle or other
suitable means. The points of the knives rest on bars or stops on
the side of the machine opposite to that on which the knives are in-
troduced, so as to prevent their breaking. Figure 2, is a plan of this
apparatus, with part of the front cover removed; Figure 3, is a sectional
elevation; and Figure 4, a plan, (with part of top cover removed)
of another knife-cleaning machine, a modification of the preceding.
In this machine the cleaning apparatus works horizontally; the knives
are introduced through apertures c, c, in the top of the machine; in
other respects the parts of this apparatus are similar to those of the
preceding. C, and D, are the straps as before; b, b, the bristles or
pieces of soft leather. An elastic piece may be let into the outer band
so as to allow of different thicknesses of knife blades being inserted.
A modification of the apparatus may be effected by stretching the
two bands over two cylinders, which inay be placed at a distance"
from each other, and which may be brought nearer to or further
from each other by a screw or other suitable means. The rollers may
be placed either vertically or horizontally.

page_text: And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that I
claim, as of my Invention,.
The construction of machines for cleaning knives and other steel
articles with endless bands revolving in contact with each other,
between which the articles to be cleaned are placed, as herein-before
exemplified and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Masters, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty three
THO. MASTERS. (L.S.)