An Improved Device for Holding Knives during the Operation of Cleaning.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1894-Accepted, 15th Sept., 1894
An Improved Device for Holding Knives during the Operation
of Cleaning.
I, EDWARD JOSEPH HALLAM of 4, Carlton Road, Harpenden in the County
of Herts, Ironmonger, 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 relates to an improved device for holding knives during the
operation of cleaning and has for object particularly to facilitate the process of
cleaning knives upon an ordinary knife board by enabling several knives to be
cleaned at the same time.
The device in accordance with this invention may be made capable of holding
two, three, or more, knives at a time, all of which may be passed, or rubbed, upon
the board simultaneously thus saving much time and labor to the operator. The
device is simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture, and easy of
manipulation.
It affords a firm grip upon the several knives placed therein and enables a
large number to be cleaned with much greater rapidity than hitherto; it will
consequently be found of very great advantage in use in hotels and other large
establishments.
In accordance with this invention my improved device consists essentially of two
bat shaped pieces of wood or other suitable material connected together at their
handle ends by a metal spring or hinge thus forming a clamp. The square ends of
the device are suitably shaped or recessed for the reception of a given_number of
knife handles and to one of the jaws of the clamp as a fastening device I may have
an upright screwed pin which passes through the other jaw which latter is adjustable
upon the knife bandles by means of a fly nut working upon the screwed pin
aforesaid. Or a screw crossbar and catches or wedge may be employed for the
purpose if preferred.
And in order that this my invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will now proceed to describe same with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which respectively in Figs. 1 and 2 the holder is represented in
perspective as opened and closed.
-
Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively plan and side elevational view of a holding device
in which a cross bar and catches are used as the fastening device.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
a and b are the two bat shaped jaws of the clamp or holding device constructed
in accordance with this invention. In one of these jaws, say b, I form recesses of
grooves b¹ in number corresponding to that of knives it is intended to be held and
cleaned at one time. In the drawings I have shewn the holding device to be
capable of containing three knives, but a greater or less number of grooves or
recesses may be formed or desired.
Padding of india rubber or other suitable material c may be inserted and
employed for the purpose of affording a firm grip to the knife handles and preventing
slip. At the handle ends of the jaws a 6 I have the connecting spring d. To act
against this spring d and to cause the jaws a b to grip firmly and securely the knife
handles placed therein I have fixed to the jaw b the screwed pine which passes
through the a and working on the pin e I have the fly or other suitable nut f By
adjusting this nut upon the pin e, the desired amount of tension or pressure may
he obtained.

page_text: In operation the fly nut f is unscrewed so as to allow of the two jaws a. b..
opening sufficiently to permit of the insertion of the knife handles, as seen particularly
in Fig. 1. of the drawings. When the knives are so inserted, the nut f is then
screwed down as shewn in Fig. 2. until sufficient pressure is exerted to firmly grip
and hold the knives in position for cleaning.
As shewn in Figs. 3 and 4 in lien of the screwed pin e and fly nut f I may have
when it
the cross bar g pivotted centrally at g' to the jaw a the ends of this bar
is desired to close the device pass into the catches h provided at the sides of the
jaw b and so hold all firmly. To allow of the clamp being opened the bar g is
turned upon its pivot, as shewn in dotted lines Fig. 3 when its ends are free of the
catches and the cleaned knives may be removed and others placed within the
device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
The improved device for holding knives during the operation of cleaning,
consisting essentially of the jaws a and b suitably shaped for the purpose, connected
by spring or hinge d and provided with an upright screwed pine and fly nut fas
shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, or other fastening device such as for
example the pivotted cross bar 9 and catches h as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4, all
arranged & operating substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 25th day of July 1894.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.