Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Spoons and Forks..
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 20th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Spoons and Forks..
I, HUBERT C. HART, of Unionville, Hartford County, Connecticut, U.S.A.,
Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This my invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the manu-
facture of spoons and forks, and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,
and exact description of the same. This invention relates to certain improvements
in the manufacture of spoons and forks, and the object of the invention is to effect
a saving of the stock from which these articles are cut, and the invention consists
essentially of cutting the blank and rolling it in the manner hereinafter more fully
described.
The ordinary method of manufacturing spoons and forks is to cut from a sheet
of material a blank a little longer than one half the length that the finished article
is to be, and then rolling this blank longitudinally. At this stage the desired length
and thickness of the article to be cut from the blank is obtained, but by calculation
it is found that by this process fully sixty per cent. of the stock is necessarily
wasted, which must of necessity increase the cost of the finished article a propor-
tionate amount, as the waste can only be sold as scrap, and has but very little
commercial value, thus the necessity and desire for a blank and process of rolling
the same which will materially decrease the present waste of stock, and
consequently lower the cost of manufacturing goods of this description..
am enabled to
Referring now to my improved blank and the process whereby
accomplish. this saving I take a sheet of metal from which my blanks are to be cut,
said blanks being interlocked. Instead of cutting each blank one-half the length
that the full sized article is to be, and then rolling it to obtain the desired length
and thickness, as in the old process just described, I cut my blanks in the first
instance about two-thirds the length required for the finished article, and making
the shank near the bowl of the spoon the width it is required to be when finished.
The sheet of material from which the blanks are to be cut is of the proper thick-
ness required for the thickest part of the article when finished, and the bowl of
each blank cut therefrom by my method consists of three sides of a rectangle, so
that they will lie side by side and reduce the waste of material when cutting them
therefrom.
It will be understood that the blank as cut from the stock has the bowl and
handle part much narrower than what the bowl and handle of the finished article is.
I roll the bowl portion cross-wise to obtain the desired width and thickness in
contra-distinction to rolling the entire blank lengthwise, as in the old process, and
the width and thickness of the handle is obtained by flattening the blank at the
desired point. This method produces a blank so near the shape of the finished
article that there is but little waste of stock in cutting the bowl and handle to the
desired shape. It will be understood that when the form of the spoon is cut from
the rolled blank that there is but little waste of stock around the shank and handle
as compared to the waste by the old method, and I am enabled in practice to produce
spoons by my improved method and reduce the waste so that it will not amount
to more that twenty-five per cent. of stock as compared to a loss of sixty per cent.
by the old process.
In the manufacture of a fork the blank is the same shape as that shown for a
spoon, and differs only in the fact that I roll the large end of the blank lengthwise
to obtain the proper length for the tongs of the fork, instead of rolling it cross-
wise. It will be understood that the contour of my blank is to have the ends of
the bandles to intersect the converging lines at the inner edge of the wide part of

page_text: the blank, the handle end, then gradually and very slightly narrowing, to make
room for the end of the handle of the blank, which extends from the opposite edge.
of the sheet.
.COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the. Manufacture of Spoons and Forks.
I, HUBERT CHAUNCY HART, residing at Unionville, in the County of
Hartford and State of Connecticut, one of the United States of America, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be, particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of spoons and
forks, and the object of this invention is to effect a saving of the stock from which
these: articles are cut, and the invention consists essentially of cutting the blank
and rolling it in the manner hereinafter more fully described.
In the drawings
Figure 1 is a view showing the shape of the blanks as they are cut from a sheet
of metal by my method, each blank, as shown in the drawings, being two-thirds the
length that the finished article is required to be.
$
Figure 2 is a view of one of my blanks after the bowl and handle have been
rolled laterally to obtain the desired width for the same.
17
Figure 3 is a view of my blank after being, rolled longitudinally to obtain the
desired length, showing in dotted lines the contour of the spoon.
Figure 4 is a view of the spoon cnt from my blank showing in dotted lines the
amount of waste stock.
:
Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, are corresponding views of the fork showing the same
process of manufacture.
4
"
Like letters of reference refer to like" parts. throughout the Specification and
drawings.
The ordinary method of manufacturing spoons and forks is to cut from a sheet
of material a blank a little longer than one-half the length that the finished article
is required to be, and then rolling this blank longitudinally. At this stage the
desired length and thickness of the article to be cut from the blank is obtained.
but by calculation it is found that by this process fully sixty per cent. of the stock
is necessarily wasted, which must of necessity increase the cost of the finished
article a proportionate amount as the waste can only be sold as scrap, and has but
very little commercial value thus the necessity and desire for a blank and process
of rolling the same which will materially decrease, the present waste of stock, and
consequently lower the cost of manufacturing goods' of this description.
Referring now to my improved blank and the process whereby I am enabled to
accomplish this saving A, represents, a sheet of inetal from which my blanks are
to be cut, said blanks being inter-locked as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.
Instead of cutting each blank one-half the length that the finished article is required
to be and then rolling it to obtain the desired length and thickness, as in the old
process just described, I cut my blanks in the first instance about two-thirds the
length required for the finished article, making the shank B; near the bowl of the
spoon the width it is required to be when finished.
thick-
The sheet of material from which the blanks are to be cut is of the
proper
ness required for the thickest part of the finished article, and it might here be
stated that the bowl of each blank cut therefrom by my method consists of three
sides of a rectangle, so that said.blanks will lie side by side and reduce the waste
of material when cutting therefrom...

page_text: By reference to the drawings it will be noticed that the bowl and handle of the-
blank are much narrower than the bowl and handle of the finished article. Taking
one of the blanks, shown in Figure 1, I roll the bowl portion crosswise to obtain
the desired width and thickness in contra-distinction to rolling the entire blank
lengthwise as in the old process. The width and thickness of the handle is obtained
by Hattening the blank at the desired point. This method produces a blank so -
near the shape of the 'finished article that there is but little waste of stock in
cutting the bowl and handle to the desired shape as shown in Figure 4 of the
drawings.
Again by reference to the drawings and more especially to Figures 3 and 7, it.
will be noticed that when the form of the spoon or fork is cut from the rolled.
blank there is but very little waste of stock around the shank B and handle G, as.
compared to the waste by the old method and I am enabled in practice to produce
spoons and forks by my improved method and reduce the waste so that the loss will
not amount to more than twenty-five per cent. by the old process.
In the manufacture of a fork the blank is the same shape as that shown for
a spoon, and differs only in the fact that I roll the large end D of the blank length-
wise to obtain the proper length for the prongs of the fork, instead of rolling it
crosswise.
It will be noticed that the contour of my blank is to have the ends of the handles
to intersect the converging lines at the inner edge of the wide part D of the blank
as shown at K. The haudle end then gradually and very slightly narrowing, as..
shown, to make room for the end of the handle of the blank, which extends from .
the opposite edge of the sheet.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven- .
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :-
1. The herein before described process for manufacturing blanks for spoons.
2. The hereinbefore described process for manufacturing blanks for forks.
3. A blank for spoons and forks of about two thirds the length it is to be when
finished consisting of a wide portion D, having a handle portion B and which inter--
locks, as shewn, substantially as set forth.
4. A blank for spoons and forks of about two thirds the length it is to be when.
finished consisting of a wide portion having straight edges, a handle portion, the -
shank of the handle being of about a finished width, and the handles interlocking,
as shewn, substantially as described.
5. A spoon blank having a handle portion and a bowl portion of about two thirds.
of the finished length, the bowl and handle portions being narrower than the
finished width, and the bowl portion having straight edges, substantially as.
described.
6. A method of making spoons consisting in cutting a blank of a thickness
corresponding to the thickest part of the finished article and of about two thirds.
of the finished length, and then widening the handle and bowl respectively, to the
desired width, and lengthening the blank, substantially as described.
7. A. method of producing spoons and forks consisting in cutting a blank of about
two thirds of the finished length having a shank of about the finished width, and
then widening the handle and the bowl portion to the desired width for spoons or
widening the handle and lengthening the prong portion for forks and then lengthening
the blank, substantially as set forth.
8. A process for producing spoons, consisting' in cutting a blank of about two
thirds of the finished length the handle and bowl portions being narrower than
when finished, then rolling the bowl portion crosswise to get the desired width
and flattening the handle portion to get the desired width, substantially as.
described.
9. A process for producing forks consisting in cutting a blank of about two thirds.
of the finished length the handle and prong portion being narrower than when

page_text: finished then rolling the large end of the blank lengthwise to obtain the proper
length for the prongs and flattening the handle portion to obtain the desired width
and thickness, substantially as described.
10. A method for producing spoons consisting in cutting from the material a
series of interlocking blanks, rolling each of said blanks crosswise to obtain the
desired width, and lengthwise to obtain the desired length, and cutting from said
blank after the rolling process is completed the contour of the finished article,
substantially as described.
11. A method for producing spoons consisting in cutting from the material a
series of interlocking blanks, each blank being about two-thirds the length required
for the finished article, rolling each of said blanks crosswise to obtain the desired
width and lengthwise to obtain the desired length and cutting from said blank
after the rolling process is completed the contour of the finished article, substantially
as described.
Dated this 20th day of October 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.