An Improved Oyster-opening Implement.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 17th May, 1890-Accepted, 19th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Oyster-opening Implement.
I GEORGE WASHINGTON THOMPSON, of Sag Harbour in the County of Suffolk,
and State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This my invention relates to an implement more especially designed for opening
oysters or other shell-fish easily and quickly and in a cleanly manner; and the
invention has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, efficient and durable tool
of this character.
The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations
of parts of the implement all as hereinafter described.
This implement is made with two levers pivoted together near one end, and a
blade or knife held to the short arm of one of the levers, preferably the lower one,
and projecting forward from the end of the short arm of said lever. One lever is
formed as a suitable handle or stock which is preferably made of metal, either solid
or perforated or hollow to lighten it, and may be securely and comfortably grasped by
the hand of the operator, and is provided with a slot into which the thinner, rear or
handle portion of the other lever is fitted loosely. This last-named lever is formed
with a loop for the insertion of the fingers, which loop facilitates the operation of the
levers after the manner of an ordinary scissors. Both levers are pivoted together by
a screw, and forward of this screw their short arms are formed as pincher-like jaws,
which are adapted to be closed upon the end of the shell of an oyster or a clam or
other shell-fish to break it off. The blade or knife is preferably fitted to the jaw
of the handle lever, by an undercut or dovetail-shaped joint, and a screw or pin
passed through the blade into the jaw prevents end wise slipping of the knife
therefrom.
At each end of the knife where it is fitted into the jaw the latter is preferably
provided with a tooth or projection, and both these projection-one at each edge of
the knife are directly opposite the teeth on the other jaw which between its teeth
is provided is provided with a larger central tooth or cutter which is adapted to close
on to the blade between the aforesaid side teeth, when the jaws are shut, at which
time the teeth close together. When the jaws are closed upon the end of the shell
of an oyster the teeth first cut or crush through the shell and facilitate the biting
off of the shell by the two jaws to make an opening through which the knife-blade
may be entered.
The operation of my device is very simple and effective, and is as follows: The
tool will be grasped by the long arm of the upper lever as a handle, so that the
lower lever may be easily worked by the same hand. The oyster-shell will then be
placed at one end between the jaws, and they will be closed upon the shell to bite
off its end, which is very easily done, and the knife blade will then be entered into
the split, or opening made between the halves of the shell cutting the eye of the
oyster from the shelf, as will readily be understood.
It will also be noticed that the detachable connection of the knife-blade allows it
to be removed at will for repair or renewal or to allow the implement to be packed
away in smaller space if desired.
Dated this 11th day of December 1889.

page_text: An Improved. Oyster-opening Implement.
GEORGE WASHINGTON THOMPSON, of Sag Harbor County of Suffolk State of
New York United States of America Gentleman, 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 an implement more especially designed for opening
oysters or other shell fish easily and quickly and in a cleanly manner; and the
invention has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, efficient, and durable tool
of this character.
The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations
of parts of the implement, all as hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the views.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved oyster-opening implement, with the
jaws open.
Figure 2. is a side view thereof with the jaws closed; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section
through the lower jaw of the tool.
The implement is made with two levers A. B. pivoted together near one end, and
a blade or knife C. held to the short arm of one of the levers preferably the one A,
and projecting forward from the end of the short arm of said lever. The lever A is
formed as a suitable handle or stock, which is preferably made of metal and may be
securely and comfortably grasped by the hand of the operator, and is provided with
a slot a into which the thinner rear or handle portion 6' of the other lever B is
fitted loosely. This last-named lever is formed with a loop for the insertion of the
fingers which loop facilitates the operation of the levers after the manner of an
ordinary scissors. Both levers are pivoted together by a screw D, and forward of
this screw their short arms are formed as pincer-like jaws a b, respectively, which
are adapted to be closed upon the end of the shell of an oyster or a clam or other
shell-fish to break it off. The blade or knife C is preferably fitted to the jaw a of the
handle-lever A by an undercut or dovetail-shaped joint, (clearly shown in Fig. 3 of
the drawings,) and a screw or pin e, passed through the blade into the jaw, prevents
endwise slipping of the knife therefrom.
At each edge of the knife where it is fitted into the jaw a, the latter is preferably
provided with a tooth or projection E, and both these projections E E one at
each edge of the knife-are directly opposite teeth e e on the jaw b, which between its
teeth e e is provided with a larger central tooth or cutter e', which is adapted to close.
onto the blade C between the side teeth E E when the jaws are shut, at which time
the teeth e close onto the teeth E. When the jaws are closed upon the end of the
shell of an oyster, the teeth E e¹ first cut or crush through the shell and facilitate the
biting off of the shell by the two jaws, to make an opening through which the knife-
blade C may be entered.
The operation of the implement is very simple and effective, and as follows: The
tool will be grasped by the long arm of the lever A as a handle, and so that the
lever B. may be easily worked by the same hand. The oyster shell will then be placed
at one end between the jaws, and they will be closed upon the shell to bite off its end,
which is very easily done and the knife-blade will then be entered into the split or
opening made between the halves of the shell, cutting the eye of the oyster from the
shell, as will readily be understood.
It will also be noticed that the detachable connection of the knife-blade C allows
it to be removed at will for repair or renewal or to allow the implement to be packed
away in smaller space if desired.

page_text: 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 is :-
1. An oyster-opening implement consisting of two pivoted levers forming a handle
and two pincer-like jaws and a knife or blade held detachably to one of the jaws,
substantially as herein set forth.
2. The combination, in an oyster-opening implement, of two pivoted levers forming
a handle and two pincer-like jaws and a knife or blade held detachably to one jaw,
which has projections or teeth next the blade, substantially as herein set forth.
3. The combination, in an oyster-opening implement, of two levers A B, pivoted
together at D. and providing a handle and two jaws a b, and a blade C, held detach-
ably to the jaw a, which has teeth E E next the blade, substantially as herein set
forth.
4. The combination, in an oyster opening implement, of two levers A B, pivoted
together at D and providing a handle and two jaws a b, and a blade C, held to the
jaw a, said jaw a having teeth E E, and the jaw b having teeth e e e¹ substantially as
herein set forth.
AL 1
Ր . 1000
GEORGE W. THOMPSON.
By his Agents,
Horn & Son.