Improvements in Knives.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1899-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1899
Improvements in Knives.
I, HENRY VICTOR SMITH, of No. 51, Sigourney Street, City of Hartford,
County of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, United States of America,
Machinist, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in knives and the main object of my
improvement is to produce a knife with a good steel cutting edge and with a
surface of softer metal that will not rust.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my knife.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line x-x of Fig. 1.
Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the blade.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of my knife in a modified form, and
Figure 5 is a transverse section of the blade thereof.
In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which is a hollow handled
knife, I first make a thin steel blade or blade center 6, with a shank 7 of any
desired length, and preferably temper the same and then polish or clean it so
that it may be brazed or soldered. I also make two half handles or shells and
blade sides from silver, German silver brass or alloy of some soft or non rusting
metal, the same being formed by means of suitable dies, one blade side 8 and
half handle 9 being formed, together in one piece of metal to form what I may
call a half knife.
I next place the blade center 6 between the two blade sides 8, with its
shank 7 extending in between the half handles or handle shells 9, the edges
of which shells abut against each other as indicated by broken lines 10 in Fig. 2.
I then unite the parts mechanically by soldering or brazing, soldering not
only the abutting edges but also soldering firmly the blade sides to the blade
center. I prefer that the blade center shall not extend through to the back of
the blade and, therefor form the back of the blade sides with turned edges 11,
which abut against each other as shown in Fig. 3. In this knife the blade
center is mainly relied upon to give the blade the requisite elasticity and
strength while the blade sides are in effect veneers to give a neat finish that will
not rust.
In Figs. 4 and 5, I show a knife with a blade body 12 of German silver or
analogous metal which may be in one and the same piece with the solid handle 9*.
The cutting edge of the blade is formed from a thin strip of steel 6* which
may be about five thousands of an inch in thickness and let into a fine slit at
that edge as shown in the enlarged section Fig. 5, the same being firmly united
to the blade sides as before described. In this knife the German silver or
other alloy may be rolled down to give the blade the requisite elasticity and
to stiffen it as may be desired, the steel being depended on only to furnish a
cutting edge.
In both constructions the edge portion of the blade is composed of a central

page_text: 1
and inserted strip of steel and two blade sides or veneers of a softer metal
mechanically secured thereto and in both the steel is or may be so thin as to
be easily kept sharp or perhaps require no sharpening at all.
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. A knife, the edge portion of the blade of which consists of an inserted
strip of steel and blade sides on the broad sides of said strip to which they
are mechanically secured, substantially as described.
2. A knife consisting of a blade center of steel and two blade sides and handle
shells all mechanically secured together, substantially, as described.
Dated this 27th day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and ninety-nine.
Witnesses;
..
LINFIELD D. SMITH.
CHAS. B. ELMORE.
3.
17' "I
5511
HENRY VICTOR SMITH.
3- Boult &, Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.