AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING KNIVES AND OTHER CUTLERY
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cooke, of 49, Frederick Street, Gray's Inn,
Road, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of.
Sealed the 16th May 1856, and dated the 16th November 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cooke at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
November 1855.
I, WILLIAM COOKE, of 49, Frederick Street, Gray's Inn Road, in the,
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING KNIVES AND OTHER
CUTLERY, to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object improved apparatus for cleansing knives
and other cutlery, and in manufacturing the same so as to provide the means
of operating on one or a number of knives at the same time, and in com-
bining the advantages of rotary knife cleaners with the ordinary knife board.
The improvements are constructed with a revolving cylinder, of cast-iron.
wood, or other material, attached by brass or other centres to an axle working
in a cup or external casing of iron or other metal, into which is placed the
knife or other cutlery requiring cleansing. To the bottom part of this cup or
chamber, of nearly equal diameter with the cast-iron cylinder, is attached by

page_text: screw's or other fastening the whole apparatus in the required position; the
material for cleansing being applied around the circumference of the cylinder,
is made to press, by means of springs, equally upon the surface of the blades,
thereby cleansing all parts thereof. The improvements consist likewise in
constructing apparatus having flat or oblong surfaces buffed with leather,
effecting an important saving in the construction or manufacture, and
economising labour in the working the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Cooke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th May 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
COOKE, of 49, Frederick Street, Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Cooke, Her special licence that I, the said William Cooke,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Cooke, 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 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 "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
CLEANING KNIVES AND OTHER CUTLERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Cooke, my exccutors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to bé 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 William Cooke, 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, that is to say:

page_text: My Invention has for its object improved apparatus for cleaning knives and
other cutlery, and manufacturing the same so as to provide the means of
operating on one or a number of knives at the same time, and in combining
the advantages of rotary knife cleaners with the ordinary knife board. My
said improved apparatus is constructed with a revolving cylinder, of cast iron,
wood, or other material, attached by brass or other centres and plummer
blocks to an axle working in a cup or external casing of iron or other metal,
into which is placed the knife or other cutlery requiring cleaning. To the
bottom part of this cup or casing, of nearly equal diameter with the cast-iron
cylinder, is attached by screws or other fastening the frame or stand, whereby
the whole may be kept in the required position.
In order that it may be better understood, I proceed to fully ascertain and
describe the nature of my said. Invention by means of the annexed. Drawings,
the same figures and letters denoting similar corresponding parts..
Figures and 4 are sectional elevations, and Figures 2 and 3 front
elevations, showing plummer blocks and slides in position; Figures 5 and 6
are sectional details or plans of applying the leather or other suitable cleaning
material to the cylinder A. A is a cylinder, of metal, wood, or other suitable
material, with raised projections A 1; B, leather fastened thereon by cement,
rivets, or other contrivances, which may be placed edgeways for scouring B3 1,
and flat, as shewn at B, for polishing; C, the axle connected with the cylinder
by arms C 1, and turning in the plummer blocks D; E is an outer casing or
chamber cast with slides E 1; F, the stand; G, cover, hinged at G 1;
H, spring; and I, the handle attached to the axle C; K, support or means of
holding the knife in position whilst cleaning. Figures 5 and 6 illustrate more
fully the manner in which the leather is attached to the cylinder A. The
leather having been cut into strips, as shewn in Figure 5, or into double strips,
as in Figure 7, shewn fixed in Figure 6 by screws, the parts in dotted lines
(Figure 5) are removed, leaving an equal cylindrical surface. The operation
is as follows: The knife L, or other cutlery, being placed through one of the
openings a, a, a, in the outer casing, in the position as shewn in Figure 4,
and motion being given to the cylinder A by the handle I, the same is made
to rotate and press by means of the spring H and plummer blocks sliding in
the recesses E 1 equally upon the surface of the blades, thereby scouring and.
polishing all parts thereof. The cleansing material used with this apparatus
may be common brick dust, powdered emery stone, or other substances, which
may be applied directly to the leather by opening the cover G, by which
means no further trouble is necessary, the surplus quantity of brick or emery

page_text: collecting in the small reservoirs E2 which supply the cylinder with the
necessary quantity.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine or
restrict myself to the precise details herein described, as several variations
may be made without departing from the principle or main features of this
my said Invention; but what I claim as the Invention secured to me by the
berein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the application of a cylinder
acted on by springs working in an exterior casing or cup in the manner as
above described, and the general arrangements as above exemplified.
In witness whercof, I, the said William Cooke, have liereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.