An Improved Pocket Wire Cutter.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Apr., 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Pocket Wire Cutter.
JOHN ROBERT WATTS Lambert Street Sheffield Cutlery Manufacturer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a compact and convenient forin of instrument for shearing
wire such as that securing the corks of mineral water champagne or other bottles
or for the use of bell-hangers electricians &c.
In carrying my invention into effect I sometimes attach it as an.addition to.some.
other article or articles of use usually carried in the pocket, as a knife blade,
corkscrew, tweezers, cigar cutter cartridge extractor &c.
In a spring knife or other article having scales (i.e. the sides forming the body)
of stout inetal, I make one or both of the scales of hard steel and at one end of each
I form a crescent shaped hook, the hollow edge of the said hook being ground to a.
bevilled cutting edge, and thus forming one shear blade, acting against this and to.
complete the shearing action, I insert a lever shear blade of hard steel in.the recess
or. space. between the scales, this shear blade is similarly shaped & ground at the
end to the hook on the hard steel scale, continuing from the head is a lever arm.of.
a.sufficient. length to obtain the necessary leverage for shearing, and of a convenient.
shape to fit the hand, also to lie snugly and compactly in the body of the knife
when not in use, this lever shear blade is held in its place by a pin pivot passing
through.it and the scales, upon.which it turns in the act of shearing.
When out.of use the: lever blade lies between the scales, and the two hooked
heads of shear blades overlap each other forming a.completely rounded end to the
knife, thus the whole is smooth and round and presents nos sharp corners likely to
tear. or unduly wear the pocket.
When required for use the lever blade is pulled out by the thumb nail in a
similar. manner to an ordinary cutting blade to about 30 degrees, this opens the
hooked shear blades at the end of the knife sufficiently to enable the operator to.
seize the wire (or other substance) and by a squeeze of the hand the wire. is drawn
in towards the direction of the pivot of the shears and cut asunder.
A suitable spring may be inserted to keep the lever blade open when in use, and.
a catch or spring to secure it in its proper position when closed.
In other spring knives or articles having the scales made of horn, pearl, ivory &c.
the division scale is made of hard steel, strengthened and shaped to take the place
of the outer scale in the previous description.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1892.
JNO. ROBT. WATTS:.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Pocket Wire Cutter.
I JOHN ROBERT WATTS of Lambert Street Sheffield in the County of York
Manufacturer 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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying
sheet of drawings:
-
My invention relates to the construction application and use of a compact and
convenient form of instrument for shearing, that is-cutting or nipping, wire,
5 such as that securing the corks of mineral water, champagne,. or other bottles. or
for the use of bell-hangers, electricians, or others requiring a handy wire cutter.

page_text: .
In carrying my invention into practical effect I attach my wire cutter as an
addition to, or I make it form part of. some other article or articles of use usually
carried in the pocket, such as a knife, a corkscrew, a pair of tweezers, a cigar-
cutter, a cartridge extractor, or other convenient pocket article, all or some of
which are or may be combined in one instrument.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and the mode I prefer
to adopt in carrying it into effect, I have shown on the accompanying sheet of
explanatory drawings-as an example-my improved wire cutter as combined with,
and arranged for use in, a pocket knife having one or more blades and a corkscrew;
the said sheet of drawings being marked with figures and letters of reference
corresponding with those in the following description, like reference letters
indicating the same parts in all the figures.
Figure 1, is a back view of a combination pocket knife with my invention applied
thereto, the wire cutter being shown as open.
Figure 2, is a back view of the same with the wire cutter shown shut; and,-
Figure 3, is a front view of the knife with the wire cutter open.
In a spring knife, or other analogous pocket article having scales (that is:-the
sides forming the main body of the instrument) made of stout metal, I make one,
or both, of the scales a, of hard steel and at one end of one of the scales I form a
crescent-shaped hook (or half shear), the hollow crescent-shaped edge of the said
hook being ground to a bevilled cutting edge e, thus forming one shear or cutter
blade. In order that it may act against this cutter blade to complete the shearing
or cutting action I insert a lever shear or cutter blade d, of hard steel in the recess
or space between the scales of the knife. This lever shear or cutter blade is
similarly shaped and ground with a bevilled cutting edge corresponding to the
crescent-shaped hook or half shear b, on the scale a. Continuing from its head it is
made as a lever arm e, of a sufficient length to obtain the necessary leverage for
shearing or cutting, and of a convenient shape to fit the hand when being used; and
so made and arranged as to lie snugly and compactly in the body or interior of the
knife when not in use. This lever shear blade is held in position by a pin or pivot i,
which is passed through it and through the scales, and it is upon this pin or pivot
as a fulcrum that the lever arm e, turns and acts when shearing or cutting wire.
When not in use the lever blade arm e, lies between the scales a, and the hooked
head c, overlaps the corresponding hooked head of the scale a, thus forming--when
closed a completely rounded top end to the knife or other analogous pocket
article, the whole presenting a smooth and round exterior with no sharp corner, or
corners, likely to tear or unduly wear the pocket.
In order to give an automatic action to keep open and use the lever blade. e, when
shearing or cutting, a spring h, is provided which is fixed within the body of the
knife, this spring at its free end acts on the lever blade e, near the pin or pivot
fulcrum i, and when closed a loose sliding catch or stud pin f, which works up and
down in the slot g, made in the scale a, by catching in the slot j, in the lever blade e,
secures it in its proper position.
To make use of my improved wire cutter the loose catch or sliding stud pin f,
is moved up in the slot, the action of which and of the spring h, releases the lever
blade e, thus opening out the hook crescent-shaped shear or cutter blades at the top
end of the knife sufficiently to enable the operator to seize the wire and by a
squeeze of the hand draw the wire in towards the direction of the pivot pin or
fulcrum, and cut the wire asunder.
According to a modification of my invention, if it is not deemed necessary or
desirable to make the wire cutter part of a knife with the above described automatic
spring action in connection with the lever blade arm e, it can be pulled out by the
thumb nail to the necessary extent to open the crescent-shaped shear blades for
cutting the wire,-in a similar manner to the cutting blade of an ordinary pocket
knife.
In other knives or analogous pocket articles having the scales or outside
coverings made of horn, mother-of-pearl, ivory, or other substances, the division

page_text: scale will be made of hard steel and strengthened and shaped and arranged so as to
take the place of the outside metal or hard steel scale previously described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be, or can be, performed, I declare
that what I claim is :-
The new and peculiar construction, application, and arrangement of a compact
and handy wire cutter or nipper, and its use-either in combination or not-with a
pocket knife, a corkscrew, a pair of tweezers, a cigar-cutter, a cartridge extractor,
or other pocket article, or some or all of the said articles combined in the same
instrument, for cutting or nipping the wire securing corks in bottles, or for use by
bell-hangers, electricians or others, for cutting wire; substantially as hereinbefore
described and as illustrated in the example shown on the accompanying sheet of
drawings.
Dated this 21st day of April 1892.
BRISTOW HUNT, R.P.A.,
Aldine Chambers, Sheffield, Agent for the Applicant.
BRISTOW HUNT, R.P.A.,
Aldine Chambers, Sheffield, Agent for the Applicant.