Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1895
A communication from CHARLES C. IRVING, and JOSEPH MCKAY, both of
Essexville, County of Bay, State of Michigan, United States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 is a cheese knife and consists in the arrangement and combination
shown and described.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view.
B is the cheese. 1 is a
In the drawing, A is the cheese box top and bottom.
hollow tube having a longitudinal slot 11 in which a blade K is inserted and sheathed
in the tube, as shown. K' is a pivot pivoting the lower end of the blade K in the
lower end of the tube 1, the pivot being near the back edge of the blade and
through a segment of the tube."
The lower end, 1, of the tube 1 is pointed, as shown, for the purpose of engaging
the bottom of the box, as shown. The upper end of the tube 1 is forked, as 4,
to permit grasping the handle of the knife K with the hand when the knife is in
its sheath.
Connecting the upper ends of the forks 4, is the bar 5, being pivoted in the
forks 4 but held in an upright position by the thumb catch 51 engaging a hole in
one of the forks when the bar is turned in a certain position. 6 is a pointed lug on
the bar 5, midway of the two forks. This lug is intended to engage the top of the
box when the blade is placed in position for use, as shown in Fig. 2, viz.:
After the cheese has been placed within the box the sheath with the blade
sheathed therein is pressed through the center of the cheese and into the bottom
of the box, as shown. Then the bar 5 is turned so that the lug 6 will engage the
top of the box, in which position it will be held by the thumb catch 5, thus
preventing the sheath from rising out of the cheese as the knife K is turned down,
cutting through the cheese.
In order to prevent the cheese from being pushed away from the blade as it is
being cut, and also to guide the knife for a certain distance when cutting, we
arrange a brace H having the right angle flange H' at its end, which brace is secured
to a loose collar 2¹ on the tube 1, and rests upon the top of the cheese with the
flange H' engaging the cuter edge of the cheese. There are two of these
braces, one upon each side of the knife K, and they may be adjustable to any size
of cheese.
In the drawing is shown the adjustable brace, viz.: 2 is a plate secured to the
loose collar 21 and extends laterally each side of the blade for the proper distance.
To this plate 2 we secure the braces H by means of set screws 2" through
longitudinal slots S¹, S and S, S. This permits the braces to be moved out or in
according as the cheese is large or small.
E is a spring catch secured to the top of the brace and having a lug E' adapted
to engage holes D in the plate 2 arranged underneath it in the line of its movement
as the brace is moved. Raising the end of the catch E lifts the lug E' out of a
hole and permits the brace to be moved.

page_text: By this arrangement it will be seen that the blade and cheese are firmly held in
position while the cheese is being ent. After one slice has been cut the knife is
raised and the sheath 1 turned so that the blade will again engage the cheese, the
degree turned depending upon the amount required to be cut, small or great.
It is also obvious that a scale can be arranged upon the brace designating the
degree the knife should be turned to cut a certain quantity of cheese, but as
different cheeses vary in weight, this is not always reliable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A cheese knife consisting of a blade, a sheath for the blade having a
longitudinal opening in front of the blade, a pivot in the lower end of the sheath
passing through the sheath and the point of the blade, the sheath having a pointed
end adapting it to be pressed through the center of the cheese, a loose collar on
the sheath, a brace secured to the collar and extending to the edge of the cheese,
thereby holding the cheese to the knife, and means as described for holding the
blade in the cheese as it is cut, substantially as described.
2. In a cheese knife, the combination with a blade pivoted in the lower end of a
sheath, and the sheath adapted to be passed through and be turned in the center of
a cheese, and engaging the bottom of a cheese box, of adjustable braces secured to
a loose collar on the sheath, the braces extending to the edge of the cheese and
having depending flanges engaging the outer edge of the cheese, the braces forming
a guideway for the blade, and means for securing and holding the sheath in the
'cheese as the blade is operated, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a blade pivoted in the lower end of a sheath, of the
sheath adapted to be pressed through the center of the cheese and to be turned
therein, a loose 'collar on the sheath, and adjustable double braces secured to the
collar and extending to the edge of the cheese, a depending flange on the edge of
the brace engaging the outer edge of the cheese, the braces being on each side of
the blade and forming a guide for it as well as holding the cheese to the blade,
substantially as described.
Dated this 29th day of August 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.