IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNIVES AND FORKS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Sanderson, of the Firm of William Sanderson
and Sons, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Table Knife Manu-
facturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
KNIVES AND FORKS."
Sealed the 5th February 1867, and dated the 18th August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Sanderson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
August 1866.
I, HENRY SANDERSON, of the Firm of William Sanderson and Sons, of
Sheffield, in the County of York, Table Knife Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
PACTURE OF KNIVES AND FORKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the method of securing or fixing the bolster and
tang to the blade of a knife or fork. Hitherto knives and forks have been
ordinarily made of steel and iron, the steel blade being welded on to the iron
tang at the shoulder or bolster, or they have been made all of steel. In either
case the bolster has been subsequently raised by hammering in a mould or

page_text: print whilst hot, or they have been made altogether of cast iron or malleable
iron or run steel, but when made of these materials the blade, bolster, and
tang have been made of the same material, and formed in one piece by
casting.
According to this Invention the blade is made of steel, having at one end
a short tang or projection notched or otherwise, and the bolster and tang
of either cast iron, malleable iron, run steel, or any other suitable metal, a
hole being formed in the bolster at the time of casting of a suitable size and
form to receive the short tang or projection on the end of the blade; when
the blade is thus inserted it is fixed in the bolster by compressing the latter
by a press, stamp, tilt hammer, or otherwise, or by cementing, pinning,
soldering, or welding, thereby making a firm and solid joint which cannot be
loosened by any ordinary means. If the knives and forks are to be made with
what are called "scale tangs" (that is, with tangs the same width as the
handle) I propose in some instances to make the end of the tangs of the
same thickness as the handle, including the scales, the end of the tang and
the bolster being grooved or dovetailed so that the scales may be put in side-
ways and fixed with only one pin or rivet, or (if preferred) the handle may
be put on in the usual manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Sanderson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
SANDERSON, of the Firm of William Sanderson and Sons, of Sheffield, in the
County of York, Table Knife Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Sanderson, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Sander-
son, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry Sanderson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might, make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF KNIVES AND FORKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Henry Sanderson, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Sanderson, do hereby declare the
nature of my said 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, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is
to say:-
This Invention relates to the method of securing or fixing the bolster and
tang to the blade of a knife or fork. Hitherto knives and forks have been
ordinarily made of steel and iron, the steel blade being welded on to the
iron tang at the shoulder or bolster, or they have been made all of steel. In
either case the bolster has been subsequently raised by hammering in a mould
or print whilst hot, or they have been made altogether of cast iron or malle-
able iron or run steel, but when made of these materials the blade, bolster, and
tang have been made of the same material, and formed in one piece by casting.
According to this Invention the blade is made of steel (having at one end.
a short tang or projection notched or otherwise), and the bolster and tang
of either cast iron, malleable iron, run steel, or any other suitable metal; a hole
being formed in the bolster at the time of casting (or afterwards by drilling,
boring, or otherwise) of a suitable size and form to receive the short tang or
projection on the end of the blade; when the blade is thus inserted it is fixed
in the bolster by compressing the latter by a press, stamp, tilt hammer, or
otherwise, or by cementing, pinning, soldering, or welding, thereby making a
firm and solid joint, which cannot be loosened by any ordinary means. If the
knives and forks are to be made with what are called "scale tangs" (that is,
with tangs of the same width as the handle) I propose in some instances to
make the end of the tangs of the same thickness as the handle, including the
scales, the end of the tang and the bolster being grooved or dovetailed so that
the scales may be put in sideways and fixed with only one rivet or pin, or (if
preferred) the handle may be put on in the usual manner.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements.
in the Manufacture of Knives and Forks," I will now proceed to describe:

page_text: more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be distinctly
understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof,
and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following explanation thereof; that is to say:-
Figure 1 in the annexed Drawing shews a side view and an edge view of
the blade when made according to my Invention, and Figure 2 represents
similar views of the tang and bolster, together with a plan view of the latter.
The blade a, a, (see Figure 1) is made of steel, having at one end a short
tang or projection b, b; the bolster c, c, and tang d, d, (see Figure 2) are cast
or made in one piece, either of cast iron, malleable iron, run steel, or other
suitable metal. In the bolster c, c, is formed at the time of casting (or sub-
sequently) a hole e, e, seen clearly in the plan view, and in dotted lines.in the
side and edge views, Figure 2; the short tang b, b, of the blade a, a, is inserted
into this hole e, e, and fixed by compressing the bolster by a press, stamp, tilt
hammer, or otherwise, or by cementing, pinning, soldering, or welding.
Figures 3 and 4 represent edge and side views of a finished knife and fork
made according to my Invention. I may here observe that although I have
only represented in the Drawings the bolsters as made with what are called
"scale tangs," that is with tangs the full width of the handle, yet my Inven-
tion is equally applicable to such as are made with round or narrow tangs to
be inserted in the handle, in which case the form of the tang will be as repre-
sented by the dotted lines f, f, in Figure 2.
Figure 5 shows a method which I sometimes propose to adopt, and which
dispenses with the necessity for more than one rivet. It will be seen that the
lower part g, g, of the tang is made of the same thickness as the handle
including the scales, and that this thick part of the tang as well as the bolster
is bevilled or dovetailed as seen at h, h, so that upon the scales (which have
been previously bevilled) being slipped in sideways, they can be fixed by one
single rivet in the centre, as the ends will be held securely by the dovetails.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in the Manufacture of Knives and Forks," together with the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention
the manufacture of knives and forks, substantially as herein-before described
and illustrated by the annexed Drawings, and especially I claim. the method
herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 on the Drawings of forming
the tang and bolster, and uniting the blade thereto, as well as, the method of

page_text: dovetailing the scales into the tang and bolster, as described with reference to
Figure 5 on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Sanderson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
HENRY SANDERSON. (L.s.)