Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 10th May, 1890

page_text: g.
cleaned are laid with their handles q resting upon the felt on the part a¹ of the
board a their shoulders o in the depression n and their blades p upon the covered
part a³ of the board. The lever is then turned over from the left to the right hand so
as to lower the clamp and securely hold the knifo-handles The knife-blades are
then sprinkled with polishing powder and the brush e, figures 4 and 5, is grasped by
its handle e¹ and passed briskly over the blades until they have been properly polished.
The clamp is then opened by moving back the lever j and the knives are turned
over in order to clean their other sides. The clamp fis again lowered to secure the
knife-handles and the blades are cleaned by means of the brush e in the inanner
already described. The knives are then removed from the clamp f, their blades are
placed in the saw-cuts c as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 and the brush e is passed
over the backs of the blades in order to clean them, the knives being firmly held by
one of the hands of the operator, while this is being done, when the knives will be
completely cleaned or polished.
The apparatus illustrated in Figures 6 to 12 is similar to that hereinbefore described
with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 except that the clamp is adapted to be removed
from the board to allow of the whole of the knives being turned over at once without
the necessity of unfastening and re-fastening the clamp.
For this purpose the clamp is made in two parts f and f¹ the upper of which f
is entirely removable from the lower part f¹ and both can be removed from the
board a.
The meeting faces of the two parts are covered with felt l.
In use the lower part f¹is first placed on a bracket 61 at the front of the board a.
The knife-handles are then placed in position thereon with the blades resting upon
the covered part a² of the board and the top part fis placed in position and secured
to the lower part by means of two screw pins c', c¹ and nuts d¹, d¹ the pins being
fixed to the lower part and passing into slots d², in the upper part. The whole
clamp is then fixed to the bracket by means of the cam lever i on the central pin g
which is fixed on the said bracket and passes into slots and ¹ in the two parts of
the clamp respectively. The knives are then cleaned on one side by means of the
brush e in the manner berein before described. The lever j is then operated in order
to loosen the clamp which is then removed from the bracket b¹, turned over, replaced
on the bracket, and again secured by means of the lever.
In this manner the whole of the knives will have been turned over simultaneously
and fixed so that their opposite sides can then be cleaned by means of the brush.
The clamp is then opened by operating the lever j and unscrewing the nuts d¹, d',
the knives are removed and their backs are cleaned in the manner hereinbefore
described.
My improved apparatus presents several advantages over rotary knife cleaning
machines amongst which may be mentioned that besides allowing of the backs of
the knives being properly cleaned, the shoulders or shanks can also be cleaned which
is not possible with rotary machines, it is very simple in construction and can be
manufactured at little cost and the knives will not become worn so rapidly as in a
rotary machine or when cleaned by hand.
Although I have for convenience of description only referred to the cleaning of
knives it will be obvious that my apparatus is also applicable for cleaning forks.
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.) An apparatus for cleaning knives and forks comprising a board, such
as a, in combination with a clamping device for fixing the knives and forks in
position upon the said board, a hand-brush or the like being then employed for cleaning
them substantially as hereinbefore described.
(2.) In apparatus for cleaning knives and forks, the herein described means for
enabling the backs of the knives to be cleaned consisting in providing the back of

page_text: the cleaning board with a ledge having a series of saw cuts for receiving the
knife-blades substantially as set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(3.) The improved apparatus for cleaning knives and forks herein before described
and illustrated in figures 1, 2 and 3 and figures 6, 7 and 8 respectively of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated the 8th day of April 1890
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.