IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL DINNER AND DESSERT FORKS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Jones, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL DINNER AND
DESSERT FORKS."
Sealed the 27th February 1855, and dated the 8th September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Jones at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th September
1854.
I, JON JONES, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL
DINNER AND DESSERT FORKS" to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in producing a dinner and dessert fork with the
advantages of the spoon and fork combined, by reducing the length of the prongs
to about one-fourth of the usual length now in use, and making the upper
part of the blade of the fork into a kind of spoon by indentation, so as to be
useful in taking up gravies and other soluble matter.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
JONES, of Westfield Terrace, Sheffield, in the County of York, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred. and .fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Iler
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Jones, Her special licence that I, the said John Jones,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Jones, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
METAL DINNER AND DESSERT FORKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Jones, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be 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 John Jones, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
the
My Invention consists in giving such a form to the blade part of the fork
that the same shall have the combined advantages of the fork and spoon, and
that the same shall be more readily, conveniently, and effectually applied for
purpose, than is practicable with the forks of the ordinary forms, taking
into account the extreme length of their open prongs, which are of no use in
taking up gravy or other soluble matter; but by means of my improved short
prongs, coupled with the indentation or concavity in the upper part of the blade
of the fork, gravies and other soluble matters can be taken up from the dinner
plate readily and conveniently to the mouth. The depth of the concavity and
also the height of the edging will be regulated according to the various sizes
of the forks. The centre of my improved forks I purpose making either with

page_text: a plain or ornamental surface. The spoon-like form will be produced from
dies cut for the purpose; or the same may be produced from moulds, and cast
in very fine sand or in metal moulds.
And having now described ny said Invention of improved dinner and dessert
forks, I declare that what I claim as new is, the spoon-like portion of the blade
of the forks, which in taking up gravies and other soluble matter accomplishes
the desired object more readily, conveniently, and effectually than the forks
of the ordinary form or make.
Lastly, I declare that I do not confine myself to any particular degree of
concavity, curve, length, breadth, thickness, height of the edge, or ornaments,
or to any particular metal or combination of metals; but that I consider as
coming within my Invention the giving to the dinner and dessert forks the
advantage of the spoon and fork combined, as herein-before described, so as to
effect the object aforesaid.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Jones, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of February, in the year of our Lord
Une thousand eight hundred and nity-hve.
Une thousand eight hundred and nity-hve.
JOHN JONES. (L.S.)
The Drawings hereunto annexed represent the improvements in dinner and
dessert forks.
Fig. 1 represents a linner fork; Fig. 2, a dessert fork. The part of the
blade of the forks between the handles and prongs marked a, a, are my im-
provements. b, b, in the Drawing is of a solid bottom, and of a concave or
plain surface (or with ornament or otherwise fluted), with the edging slightly
raised. The degree of concavity or indentation is seen in the Drawing; but
it should generally be such that the lower part near the upper ends of the
open prongs should commence gradually and proceed deeper to the end of
the curve marked C.