Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning and Polishing Knives and other articles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1892-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by H. D. FARQUHAR, Esq., Packington Street, Kew,
Melbourne, Australia.]
Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning and Polishing Knives and
other articles.
PERCY ROBERT CRAFT Artist of Stanmore Lodge Newlands Park Sydenham
S.E. in the County of Kent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object
Improvements in apparatus for polishing metals knives glass etc.
of this invention is to provide a means whereby the polishing powder or polishing
material used shall be thrown on to the surface of the object being polished
at each motion of the rubber or brush. To effect this we lay the article to be
polished horizontally across the centre of a band of leather or other suitable
material which is laid flat on to a suitable base plate. This band is attached at or
near its centre to the base plate, and its two extremities are brought upwards & over
towards the centre & attached to the rubber or brush above, in effect making an
endless band having the rubber fixed centrally above & the object to be polished
centrally below.
The polishing material is then spread on to the lower half of the band & on to the
object to be polished. The band being made of such length as to allow the rubber
sufficient movement horizontally over the face of the object to be polished.
By moving the rubber horizontally across the face of the object being polished
one half of the band will travel forward in front of the rubber, & the other half
will follow behind the rubber, curling over & lifting with it the polishing powder
which was on the lower surface & will thus distribute the powder on to & across
the object being polished.
When the rubber has been moved forward in one direction as far as it can go,
that is until that portion of the band which follows is drawn taut, by means of its
fixture at or near the centre of the base plate, the rubber is then moved backwards
carrying with it the polishing powder which has been thrown across the centre &
thereby carrying it again over the object being polished.
By this means every movement of the rubber brings the polishing powder into
direct contact with the object being polished.
The whole apparatus can be enclosed in a suitable box or covering thereby pre-
venting the loss of the polishing powder and preventing dust from escaping.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1891.
PERCY ROBERT CRAFT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning and Polishing Knives and
other articles.
I, PERCY ROBERT CRAFT, Artist, of Stanmore Lodge, Newlands Park,
Sydenham, S.E., in the County of Kent, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide a means whereby the polishing powder
or polishing material used may be thrown on to the surface of the object being
polished at each motion of the rubber or-brush. To effect this I lay the article to
be polished horizontally across the centre of a band of leather or other suitable

page_text: material which is laid flat on to a suitable base-plate, this band being attached at
or near its centre to the base-plate and its two extremities brought upwards and
over towards the centre and attached to the rubber or brush above, in effect making
an endless band having the rubber fixed centrally above and the object to be
polished centrally below.
The polishing material is spread on the lower half of the band and on to the
object to be polished, the band being of such length as to allow the rubber
sufficient movement horizontally over the face of the object to be polished.
By moving the rubber horizontally across the face of the object being polished
one half of the band will travel forward in front of the rubber and the other half
will follow behind the rubber curling over and lifting with it the polishing powder
which was on the lower surface and will thus distribute the powder on to the object
being polished.
When the rubber has been moved forward in one direction as far as it can go,
that is until that portion of the band which follows is drawn taut, by means of its
fixture at or near the centre of the base plate, the rubber is then moved backwards
carrying with it the polishing powder which has been carried across the centre and
thereby carrying it again over the object being polished.
By this means every movement of the rubber brings the polishing powder into
direct contact with the object being polished. By slightly lifting the pad off the
object the band may be made to throw the powder beyond as well as on to the
object so as to distribute the powder where required.
The whole apparatus can be enclosed in a suitable box or covering thereby pre-
venting the loss of the polishing powder and preventing dust from escaping.
In the accompanying drawings I have as an example represented an apparatus
for polishing knives but which with slight modification as hereinafter explained may
be adapted for polishing other articles of metal, glass or other material. In these
drawings
Fig. 1 is a perspective view partly broken away.
Fig. 2 a side elevation with part of the box or container in section and with
the pad or rubber in its lowered or working position, and
Fig. 3 is side elevation with the box or container partly in section and with
the pad or rubber in a raised position.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A is the box or container constructed of a bottom or base plate a two end walls a¹
and two side walls a one or each of which latter, when the apparatus is constructed
for polishing knives, is provided with an opening a' such as is shown in Fig. 3 or a
gap a such as is shown in Fig. 1 or as represented one wall a² may have an
opening a³ and the other wall a³ a gap a', both of these openings or gaps are not
generally necessary for polishing ordinary knives but are provided for the accom-
modation of long-bladed knives such as carvers.
B is the leather or equivalent band attached at or near its centre by any suitable
means as by nails or tacks B¹ Fig. 1 to the base plate a. The two extremities of
this band are brought upwards and over towards the centre and preferably secured
between the pad or rubber C and its board or back C' which is provided with a
suitable handle C². The width of the back C₁ is approximately equal to the
distance between the two walls a³ and its length is such as to suitably restrict the
horizontal movement of the pad (in the directions of the arrows in Fig. 2) within
the box A. A convenient length of travel is one which will allow the pad C to
just clear the object to be cleaned, its rounded edges C³ enabling it to readily
again mount above the object to be cleaned. Adjustable slides or other suitable
means may be provided upon the back C¹ to enable its stroke to be altered when
required.
When the before described apparatus is to be used for polishing knives a knife
passed through the gap a' or opening as and is inserted between the band B and
the rubber C which may if desired be raised for this purpose. The rubber C may
then be raised as shown in Fig. 3 so that the polishing powder or material may be

page_text: distributed over the blade of the knife. The rubber C is then lowered and while
being slightly pressed down on to the knife is moved from end to end of the box,
the result being that the polishing material is repeatedly thrown on to and across
the knife. When polishing a carving knife or other such long bladed knife the
blade is passed through both the opening a and gap at and is moved backward and
forward in the direction of its ength while the rubber C is operated in the direction
transverse to such motion.
The before described apparatus is capable of being modified without departing.
from the spirit of the invention; for example the rubber instead of being in the
form of a pad as shown in the accompanying drawings may be in the form of a
brush and again when the apparatus is not required for polishing knives the
openings or gaps a a' may be dispensed with or the apparatus may be provided
with means for closing them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is,―
1. In polishing apparatus such as described the combination with a box or
container such as A of a band such as B and rubber such as C substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In polishing apparatus the employment of a band such as B which carries and
distributes the polishing material substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. In polishing apparatus the combination with a band such as B of a pad such
a C substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete polishing
apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of February 1892.
PERCY R. CRAFT.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.