IMPROVEMENTS IN KNIVES OR TOOLS FOR FLAYING OR SKINNING ANIMALS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN KNIVES OR TOOLS FOR FLAYING OR SKINNING
ANIMALS." A communication from abroad by Paul Brion, of Paris, France.
66
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd January 1882.
"
HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the Firm of Haseltine Lake and Co., Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings London. IMPROVEMENTS IN KNIVES OR TOOLS FOR
[A communication from abroad by Paul
FLAYING OR SKINNING ANIMALS."
Brion, of Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to improvements in knives or tools for flaying or skinning
animals.
The employment of specially constructed knives or apparatus for this purpose
has for its object to prevent the cutting, chafing, or tearing of the skins which takes
place when ordinary knives are used and reduces the commercial value of the
leather. These special knives or apparatus are generally made with a guard or
piece applied to the blade for the purpose of limiting the projection of the cutting
edge and for raising the skin as the work proceeds but the various special knives
or implements heretofore employed are objectionable for the reason that they are
complicated and costly and do not fulfil the requirements of the workman as they
are too much unlike the ordinary knives in use.
According to my Invention however I provide a knife or tool which is in many
respects similar to the ordinary knives; the blade is always fixed and forms a part
of the handle so that the workman finds no difficulty in its use; the guard applied
to the blade is movable and regulates the width or projection of the cutting edge
and at the same time protects the leather.
My improved knives or tools may be made in various forins examples of which
are hereinafter described.
In one form the blade and the guard are secured to two distinct handles or more

page_text: properly speaking to two distinct portions of one handle. These two pieces are
pivotted excentrically at one end of the handle by means of a screw or otherwise.
One of the two parts of the handle has near the blade a guiding projection designed
to enter a curved opening in the other part of the handle, and a nut bearing upon
the opening provides for adjusting the guard to any desired position with respect to
the cutting edge. This arrangement permits the guard to be sufficiently removed
from the edge to enable the operation of grinding to be readily effected when
necessary.
According to a modification my knife or tool is in all respects like one of the
ordinary knives with the following exceptions that is to say, the blade has two
straight or curved grooves having a suitable inclination and the guard carries two
rivetted studs which fit into the grooves; one stud is simply provided with a head
which slightly overlaps the edges of the groove and the other is scrow threaded to
receive a tightening nut. Both the studs may if desired be screw-threaded and
have tightening nuts and the studs may be screwed to the guard instead of being
rivetted. In these two cases the guard may be completely removed which facilitates
the cleaning and sharpening.
According to another modification the blade is attached to the handle by any
ordinary means and is slightly rounded. The handle made in the usual manner
has at one end a projecting piece or enlargement which is hollow so that the tail
end of the guard may fit theroin, the latter being of a round or half oval section;
it bears upon the blade and conforins to the curve of the edge of the latter. The
tail end of the guard has a projection or enlargement corresponding with that of
the bandle in which it rests and to which it is jointed in such a manner that the
-guard-in-its-movement uncovers the edge of the blade-to-the-same extent along its
entire length. A screw with a milled head arranged in any suitable manner serves
to regulate the position of the guard upon the blade and allows it to be removed
sufficiently from the edge for sharpening the latter when necessary. The guard
may be removed for cleaning purposes; it may be placed on either side of the blade
according to whether the workman uses his right or his left hand, and if desired,
two guards may be used, one on each side, this latter feature being applicable to all
the knives or tools made according to this Invention.
The said improved knives or flaying tools may be made of any suitable size and
in forms different to those above set forth without departing from the principle of
the said Invention, although those described are the forms I prefer to employ.
They may be made of any suitable material.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd July 1882.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNIVES OR TOOLS FOR
FLAYING OR SKINNING ANIMALS." A communication from abroad by Paul Brion
of Paris, France.
This invention relates to improvements in knives or tools for flaying or skinning
animals.
The employment of specially constructed knives or tools for this purpose has for
its object to prevent the cutting, chafing or tearing of the skins which takes place
when ordinary knives are used and reduces the commercial value of the leather.
These special knives are generally made with a guard or piece applied to the blade
for the purpose of limiting the projection of the cutting edge and for raising the
skin as the work proceeds but the various special knives or implements heretoforo
employed are objectionable for the reason that they are complicated and costly and
do not fulfil the requirements of the workman as they are too much unlike the
ordinary knives in use.
According to the said invention, however, I provide a knife or tool which is in
many respects similar to the ordinary knives; the blade is always fixed and forms
a part of the handle so that the workman finds no difficulty in its use; the guard
applied to the blade is moveable and regulates the width or projection of the cutting
edge and at the same time protects the leather.
These improved knives or tools may be made in various forms examples of which
are hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
In one form represented in Figures 1, 14, 1B, the blade a and the guard e are
secured to two distinct portions b', 62 of the handle. These two pieces are pivoted
excentrically at one end of the handle either at the part c or at the opposite side
by means of a screw h or otherwise. One of the two parts b² of the handle has
near the handle a guiding projection i designed to enter a curved opening ; in the
other part 6' of the handle, and a nut & bearing upon the opening provides for
adjusting the guard to any desired position with respect to the cutting edge. This
arrangement permits the guard to be sufficiently removed from the edge to enable
the operation of grinding to be readily effected when necessary.
In the modification represented in Figures 2, 24, 2B the knife or tool is in all
respects like one of the ordinary knives with the following exceptions that is to
Bay the blade a has two straight or curved slots having a suitable inclination and
the guard carries two studs l, m which fit into the grooves; the rivetted stud lis
simply provided with a head which slightly overlaps the edges of the groove and
the other m is screw-threaded to receive a tightening nut n. Both the studs may,
if desired, be screw-threaded and have tightening nuts and the studs may be either
screwed to the guard or rivetted. In these two cases the guard may be completely
removed, which facilitates the cleaning and sharpening.
In the modification represented in Figures 3 and 4 the blade a is attached to the
handle by any ordinary means and is slightly rounded. The handle b made in the
usual manner bas at one end a projecting piece or enlargement c which is hollow
so that the tail end d of the guard e may fit therein, the latter being of a round or
half oval section; it bears upon the blade and conforms to the curve of the edge of
the latter. The tail end d of the guard has a projection or enlargement corre-
sponding with that of the handle in which it rests, and to which it is jointed in

page_text: such a manner that the guard in its movement uncovers the edge of the blade to
nearly the same extent along its entire length. A screw with a milled head g
arranged in any suitable manner serves to regulate the position of the guard upon
the plate, and allows it to be removed sufficiently from the edge for sharpening the
latter when necessary. The guard may be removed for cleaning purposes; it may
be placed on either side of the blade according to whether the workman uses his
right or his left hand, and if desired two guards may be used, one on each side,
this latter feature being applicable to all the knives or tools made according to this
Invention.
The said improved knives or flaying tools may be made of any suitable size and
material and in forms different to those above set forth without departing from the
principle of the said Invention although those described are the forms I prefer to
employ.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim, in a knife or tool for flaying or skinning animals.
First. The combination with the blade fixed firmly to the handle, of one or two
moveable guards, substantially, as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The guard and the blade fixed to two distinct parts of the handle
pivoted at one of their extremities, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The guard or guards fitted upon an ordinary knife and held in place by
means of screws or studs moveable in inclined or curved slots to permit the
regulation of the guard with respect to the edge of the blade, substantially as set
forth and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The blade-fixed-to the handle and provided on one or both sides with a
moveable guard or guards rounded, and curved to conform-to-the shape of the
blade, and pivoted, as above described, at the extremity of the handle to enable the
edge of the blade to be uncovered to nearly the same extent throughout its length,
substantially as set forth and represented in the accompanying Drawing, and for
the purpose specified.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Harris Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty first day of July in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.