Improved Method and Appliances for Sharpening Razors, Knives, Surgical Instruments and like Cutlery.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1893-Accepted, 29th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method and Appliances for Sharpening Razors, Knives,
Surgical Instruments and like Cutlery.
I, HARRY JOHN SMITH, Ph.D. of Newmains, Lanarkshire, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved method, and
arrangement and combination of appliances for sharpening or "setting" the edges
of razors, knives, surgical instruments and like cutlery, and which will be more
simple, expeditious and efficient than the methods heretofore employed for sharpening
such cutlery.
The improvements essentially consist in the arrangement and use of a pair of
parallel rollers with indiarubber or other suitable surfaces, and geared together to
have a combined regulated rotating and reciprocating motion; and in having the
razor or instrument held in an adjustable guide which will hold its front edge in
frictional contact between the rollers to receive their sharpening or "setting" action.
The improvements would be carried into practice under one portable arrangement
by having a lower basement frame and an open rectangular bar frame mounted
above this with eye bearings for the ends of the spindle of the lower roller, and
the basement frame is formed with a semi-circular recessed space for the lower
part of this roller to rotate or move in. The other parallel roller would be mounted
on the outer free end of an oscillating angled plate or frame which is hinged at its
other end by joints or a transverse rod to the bar frame, so that this angled frame
can be oscillated by hand on its hinges to move the upper roller away from or
place it in parallel surface contact with the lower roller, and a pressing or drawing
spring may be used to hold the angled frame aud upper roller in pressing surface
contact with lower roller. The cylindrical outer surfaces of these rollers would
consist of indiarubber, leather, papier mâche, chemical compositions, or other
suitable substances for giving a sharpening and "setting" edge to the razors or
instruments to be operated on by a fine powder put on these roller surfaces or
incorporated with them. The two rollers would have spur wheels mounted on one
of their ends and be geared together to rotate towards each other in opposite
directions by turning a hand crank on the spindle of either the lower or upper
roller. And these rollers would receive a slow regulated longitudinal traversing
or reciprocating movement to and from opposite ends by having cam surfaces on
the ends of the frame and rubbing projections on the ends of the rollers, or vice versa,
or other equivalent means may be used for giving this longitudinal movement to the
rollers, preferably in opposite directions.
The razor to be sharpened and "set" would have the front edge of its blade.
placed longitudinally between the surfaces of the two rollers and be adjustably
held in that position by placing the back edge of blade, within a longitudinal grooved
or Ushaped socket holder.
This razor holder would be mounted on hinges at the ends of a transverse rod
fixed to an adjustable sliding frame, so that the razor holder may be oscillated
vertically in towards or away from the rollers, while it can be adjusted horizontally
by mounting its sliding frame by eye sockets on the longitudinal sides of the lower
bar frame, and fix same at any desired distance towards or from the rollers by
thumb or pinching screws at its ends to suit the width of razor or instrument to
be sharpened. Instead of having a traversing frame and oscillating socket holder
the instrument to be sharpened and "set as say the blade of a knife could be
placed in a socket orifice or holder at one of the sides of the bar frame and be
held by an adjustable catch with its front edge between the rollers.
"

page_text: These rollers may be formed so that they may be portably removed and changed,
such as for giving the instrument a first grinding or sharpening by one set of
rollers before removing these and giving it a finishing or "setting" edge by another
set of rollers with a finer sharpening substance.
Dated the 16th August.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method and Appliances for Sharpening Razors, Knives,
Surgical Instruments and like Cutlery.
I, HARRY JOHN SMITH Ph.D. of Newmains, Lanarkshire, 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
in writing that is to say :-
This invention has reference to and comprises, a new or improved method, and
arrangement and combination of appliances for sharpening or setting the edges of
razors, knives, surgical instruments and like cutlery, and which will be more
simple, expeditious, and efficient than the methods heretofore employed for
sharpening such cutlery.
The improvements essentially consist in the arrangement and use of a pair of
parallel rollers with indiarubber or other suitable surfaces, and geared together to
have a combined regulated rotating and reciprocating motion; and in having the
razors or instruments held in an adjustable guide which will hold its front edge
in frictional contact between the rollers to receive the sharpening or
" setting
action.
"
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended two explanatory sheets of drawings in which the same reference letters
are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
'
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a plan view of an appliance
for sharpening razors and the like, as constructed in accordance with one arrange-
ment of my improvements.
Figure 3 is a front end view looking at right angles to that shown in Figure'l.
Figure 4 is a detached elevation of one of the sharpening rollers and Figures 5
and 6 are views looking at opposite ends of said roller.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 on Sheet 2 are views corresponding to Figures 1 to 3 on
Sheet 1 showing another arrangement of my improved sharpening appliance.
Figure 10 is a sectional plan view of one of the sharpening rollers.
Figure 11 is a sectional detached view through the razor carrying and adjustable
mechanism, while
Figure 12 is a transverse front view at right angles to Figure 11 showing the
razor gripping crosshead.
Referring first to the arrangement shown in the figures on Sheet 1 of the
drawings: :-
The improvements would be carried into practice under this arrangement by
having a lower basement frame A of wood or other material and metal side
frames A, A, screwed to the basement frame at A" with eye bearings for the
ends of the spindle 6 of the lower roller B and the basement frame A is formed
with a semi-circular recessed space at A' for the lower part of this roller B to
rotate or move in. The other parallel upper roller B₁ with its spindle 6' is
mounted in bearings in the outer free end of an oscillating angled plate or frame C
which is hinged at its other end by joint pins or a transverse rod at C¹ to the
side frames A', so that this angled frame C can be oscillated by hand on its joint
hinges C¹ to move the upper roller B' away from the lower roller B to the

page_text: ་ ་ ་
."
position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 or place it down in parallel surface;
contact with the lower roller B resting with its weight on this roller or it might
be pressed by a spring or the hand might bear over the screwed on top plate CII.
of the frame C. The cylindrical outer surfaces of these rollers B, B' would
preferably consist of indiarubber, but it might be leather, papier mache, chemical
compositions, or other suitable substances for giving a sharpening and "setting"
edge to the razors or instruments to be operated on by emery or other fine
sharpening dust or powder put on these roller surfaces B, B' or incorporated with.
them. The two roller spindles b, b', would have spur wheels B2, B³ mounted on
one of their ends and be geared together to rotate towards each other in opposite.
directions as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1 by turning a hand crank B³ on:
the spindle of either the lower or upper roller. And these rollers would receive a
slow regulated longitudinal traversing or reciprocating movement to and from
opposite ends by having cam surfaces 6 on the ends of the frames and corre-:
sponding rubbing or cam projections on the ends of the rollers B, B', or vice versa
or other equivalent means may be used for giving the longitudinal movement to
the rollers, preferably in opposite directions.
The razor R to be sharpened and " set would have the front edge of its blade
placed longitudinally between the surfaces of the two rollers B, B, and be
adjustably held in that position by placing the back thick edge R' of the blade R.
within a longitudinal grooved or Ŭ shaped socket holder or crosshead D preferably
elastic to grip the blade.
This razor holder D would be mounted on hinges at D' at the ends of a trans-
verse rod D fixed to brackets projecting up from an adjustable sliding frame D
so that the razor holder D may be oscillated vertically in towards or away from
the rollers B, B' when the upper roller B' is in the raised position, while it can
be adjusted horizontally by mounting its sliding frame D' by eye sockets D' on
the longitudinal extended sides A³ of the lower frame A' and fix same at any
desired distance towards or from the rollers B, B', by thumb or pinching
screws D at its ends to suit the width of razor or instrument to be sharpened
and bring the edge to near the tangential line of where the two rollers B, B¹
touch.
Referring to the arrangement shown in Figures 7 to 12 on Sheet 2, the basement
and side frames A, A³ are here all made in one piece having the side frames A*
embossed or kneed up from the soleplate A which is cut out at A' in the centre
to lighten it; and the upper oscillating frame C, C, is here also shown as
embossed out of one piece with the side frames C kneed down from the top
plate C
In this arrangement the oscillating crosshead D which grips the
razor R, R' is shown as placed between the frames A and C and mounted by
adjustable screw stems d d¹ to an oscillating frame D₁ jointed on the lower
frame A' to oscillate on the same joints C₁ as the upper frame C. The adjust-
able screw stems & have helical springs mounted on them to give the lateral
adjusting action to the razor R by the thumb screws d; to bring the edge to be
sharpened to the proper tangential position between the rollers instead of by the
sockets D in the former arrangement. The razor gripping crosshead D in this
arrangement is shown as having a moveable blade d in the centre tightened up by
a thumb screw d for gripping the razor tightly.
In this arrangement the cam surfaces for giving the longitudinal motion in
reverse direction to the rollers B, B', are shown as formed by grooves * angled in
opposite directions on one end of the spindles b, b', and made with a rubbing tongue
bracket working in each groove 6 screwed to the side frames C, A², and the
wheels B2, B2 are shown as mounted on the opposite end of the spindles b, b',
within the side frames A³, C and the rollers B, B', are turned in opposite
directions in this case by the crank handle. Lines would be formed at a on the
top of the journal box of the lower frame A' to be able to set the razor iu true
tangential line to the surface of the lower roller B over which a straight edge
could be placed, or swivelled if mounted on the frame. In other respects this

page_text: arrangement is substantially the same as in the first arrangement and lettered to
correspond.
These rollers B, B', may be formed so that they may be portably removed and
changed, such as for giving the instrument a first grinding or sharpening by one
set of rollers before removing these, and giving it a finishing or "setting" edge
by another set of rollers with a finer sharpening substance.
If the rollers B. B¹ were formed of artificial stones or "hones" they would be
turned in the opposite direction to that described and shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The construction or arrangement and combination of the parts and
mechanical motions of an appliance or mechanism for sharpening razors and like
cutlery, substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
Second. In an appliance for sharpening razors and like cutlery, the arrange-
ment and use of roller surfaces which have combined regulated rotating or
oscillating and longitudinal or end travelling or reciprocating motions to act on
the edge surface of the razor or instrument being sharpened, substantially as
herein described.
Third. In an appliance for sharpening razors and like cutlery, the fitting and
use of cam or equivalent acting surfaces on the frames and rollers to give a
longitudinal or end travelling or reciprocating motion to the roller sharpening
surfaces substantially as herein described.
1
Dated 12th May 1893.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.