Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 9th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 13th July, 1888
1, THOMAS SOMERFIELD, of 16 Bradwell Street Sheffield in the County of York
Surgical Instrument Forger do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention is to improve the arrangement of the guard and its spring, in such a
manner that the spring shall not be subject to the heavy strain that springs arranged
in the usual manner are subject to, and which is the cause of their frequent failure.
A second part of my invention is to construct the guard so that it can be used as
a rest.
I make a V spring having one side longer than the other, and I make the slot in the
shank of the fork shorter than the spring but I undercut it sufficiently at the front end
to allow the doubled end of the spring to be passed under so that the long side of tho
spring will lay flat on the bottom of the hole or slot. The shorter side of the spring
is then level with the top of the slot and reaches to the centre or thereabouts.
The joint piece of the guard which is made to turn upon a centre pin in the usual
manner, has a vertical face when the guard is open, or in its highest position, against
which the end of the spring bears and thus retains it in such position. When the
guard is pressed down, to close it, the top edge of the said vertical face passes the end
of the spring, the guard being set back sufficiently to allow the closing movement to be
completed. The guard may be easily raised to the open position by pressing the finger
upon a projection on the back.
When a guard is desired to act also as a rest, I make the top end with two horns
curved backwards in such a manner that when the fork is turned round they form
a pair of legs on which the fork can rest, and be raised clear of the table cloth.
Instead of holding the spring in position by means of the undercut recess in the slot,
it may if desired be secured by a pin passed between the arms or sides of the spring and
into the sides of the slot.
TL OIL
Cantamban 1007
ROBT. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Guards for Carving Forks.
I, THOMAS SOMERFIELD, of 16 Bradwell Street, Sheffield in the County of York
Surgical Instrument Forger, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to bo performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
This invention has for its object to improve the construction and arrangement of the
guard and spring of Carving Forks, and more particularly to prevent the spring being
subjected to the heavy strain that springs are subject to when arranged in the usual
manner, and which is the cause of their frequent failure and fracture. The
second part of my invention relates to the construction of the guard to act as a
fork rest.
And in order that my invention may be clearly understood I have annexed a sheet
of explanatory drawings, in which the same letters of reference indicate the same
parts in any of the figures in which they occur.
Fig. 1, represents a fork with the guard closed.
Fig. 2, represents a Fork with the guard open.
Fig. 3, the spring.
Fig. 4, Combined guard and rest.
I construct a spring Fig. 3 of a V or U shape but having one of its sides (A) longer
than the other and I make the opening into the spring slot (B) in the fork
shank (C) shorter than the length of the spring, but sufficiently undercut at the front
end to allow the folded end (D) of the spring to be passed underneath, and the long
side of the spring to lay flat upon the bottom of the holo or slot. The shorter side (E)
of the spring, will then be level or nearly so with the opening into the slot and closing
it half-way or thereabouts.
The joint piece or butt end (F) of the guard (G) (which is made to turn upon a
centre pin in the usual manner) has a nearly vertical front face (H) when the guard is
in its open or raised position, against which the end of the short arm of the spring
bears and thus retains it in such position. When the guard is pressed down to its
lowest or closed position shown in Fig. 2 the top edge of the said vertical face passes
the end of the spring, which engages with the face (I) the guard finger being set
sufficiently back to allow of the closing movement being completed. The raising of
the guard may be easily accomplished by pressing the finger upon the projection (J)
at the back of the guard.
When it is desired to construct the guard to act as a fork rest as well as a knife
guard I make the top end with two horns or projections (K) Fig. 4, curved either
backwards or forwards so as to form legs upon which the fork can rest and by which
it will be raised clear of the table cloth.
Although I prefer to secure the spring in position by means of inserting the folded
end into an undercut part of the slot as before described, I may if desired expose the
whole of the top or shorter arm, and secure the spring in the slot by a pin passed through
the sides of the said slot and between the arms of the spring.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a Guard Fork, the construction and arrangement of a guard and spring
acting together for the purpose specified, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated.
2. The combination with a guard and spring as hereinbefore described, of two curved
arms (K) formed upon the guard and acting as a rest substantially as described and
shown in Fig. 4.
ROBT. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicant.