Year: 1886

page_text: I, GILDEROY SCOTT, of 43 Old Compton Street, Soho, Middlesex, Basket
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:―
This invention has for its object the attachment of plate, cutlery and dinner
ware in luncheon baskets, canteens, &c, in such a manner that the articles attached
shall be firmly and securely held without danger of disarrangement in transit.
This invention is also applicable to the arrangement of plate and cutlery on trays
in plate baskets, and to the exhibition of goods in show cases when it is desired to
place the goods firmly in position to be shown, particularly in wall show cases or
upright cases, and when it is desired to remove the cases or transport them to a
distance without displacing the goods. Hitherto loops and pockets have been used
to hold said goods in position but loops and pockets afford no grip on the articles
and soon become useless through wear and tear. Moreover loops and pockets are
of no service in holding large articles like dinner plates.
In this my invention I overcome the objections herein before enumerated in the
following manner. I take a piece of millboard or thin wood or other suitable
material, and cover it with American cloth or leather if required to give an
ornamental appearance, and affix said inillboard or thin wood to the inside of lid or
to the sides of luncheon basket, canteen, &c., and to said millboard or thin wood
I affix a rail of wood, ornamentally covered if required, to which rail various forms
of springs having arms are attached in such a manner that the arms of springs grip
and firmly hold the knives, forks, spoons or other articles placed underneath. I also
claim the employment of wire with screw thread taking into rail said wire having
at apex suitable arms attached.
The wires with arms form when screwed towards rail a novel and useful mode
to grip and firmly hold various goods including dinner plates and other large

page_text: articles which may be taken out or may be securely held piled together if desired
by simply adjusting the screws.
And in order that this my invention may be more readily understood I have
hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings on which letters of reference are marked.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of three spring holders or clips made from narrow strips
of spring steel or any other suitable material which said clips are each fixed to a
block or ledge at their lower end by small pins or rivets to prevent them swerving
out of their proper position. Beneath their top end I form a clip of the same shape
or form of the article to be placed therein, whether knife, fork, spoon, &c.
Fig. 1 is a sectional plan through the line a-a of Fig. 1. shewing a section of
the knife handle held by the clip. The said clip may or may not have a soft
material such as wash leather or other suitable material fixed to the inside surfaces
thereof so as to prevent injury to the article held thereby.
Fig. 1b is a sectional side elevation through the line b-b of Fig. 1.
Fig. 2 shows another mode of forming a spring clip (for holding two knives)
namely, by means of coiled wire, which is attached or held to a ledge at its outer
end by a screw or other equivalent means. The clip in this example is formed of
a narrow strip.of, wood or metal in which one end of the wire is inserted, the said
strip of wood or metal having a piece of soft cloth or leather on its under side for
the purpose as herein before stated.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 shows a spring holder formed solely from wire, the clip being formed by
bending the top end of the wire at right angles to its length and making a semi-
loop or bend therein of the same form or shape of the article to be held, (in this
case a fork or spoon) as both articles are usually of the same sectional area at the
line c―c.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan through the line c-c of Fig. 3 showing the form of
the clip.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of two spring holders similar to that shown in Fig. 3
whereby two forks, spoons, or knives may be compactly placed together. Fig. 4ª
is a plan view showing form of clips.
Fig. 5 is an end view of two knife clips which work in a vertical direction and
which are actuated by means of a volute spring the normal position of which is
shown in the drawing.
When it is requisite to remove the knife or knives it is only necessary to lift the
clips a short distance from their bed or plate by means of the small ring or loop.
By this arrangement the spring can be made very short, because when the clips
are lifted from their bed or plate, the said volute spring, the bottom ring of
which is larger than the others and is fixed to a small metal bed plate, is caused to
lie flat on the same, and the next rings above, each being smaller in succession are
'caused to lie within the bottom or largest ring on the bed plate.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 5.
Fig. 6 is an end elevation showing a simple arrangement of clip formed of a
small strip or bar of wood and having a screw working in a thread in the bottom
block. The mode of fastening or unfastening being effected by turning the said
strip or bar of wood either to the right or left.
Fig. 7. is a sectional view of another arrangement of clip, having a small rod of
metal with a base plate attached at its lower end, which said rod slides up and
down in a vertical direction, (having the same action as that shown in Fig. 5.) and
is kept in its normal position by means of a spring let into a recess or aperture as
shewn, the working of which is easily understood from the drawing.
In these Figs. a is the spring, b the clip, c the knife handle, d the fork, e the
ledges, the base plate or bed on which the article, whether knife, fork, or spoon
rests, and
the guide to prevent the spring swerving from its proper position.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
The construction and general arrangement of "Improvements in appliances for
securing plate, cutlery, and other goods in luncheon baskets, canteens, plate baskets,
show cases and like receptacles," substantially as and for the purposes herein before
described, set forth, and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
HORN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.