IMPROVEMENTS IN KNIFE- CLEANING MACHINES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Charles Davis, of 69, Leadenhall Street, in
the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNIFE-
CLEANING MACHINES."
Sealed the 31st October 1865, and dated the 1st May 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Charles Davis at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st May 1865.
I, JOHN CHARLES DAVIS, of 69, Leadenhall Street, in the City of London,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KNIFE-CLEANING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in knife-cleaning machines.
In knife-cleaning machines as now commonly constructed the knives are held
stationary whilst they are rubbed on both sides by discs rotated by means of a
handle. On the face of each of these discs strips of leather are set on edge
to form the rubbing surfaces; these strips of leather, however, after the
machine has been used for some time get permanently bent down, and the
machine is then of little use. Various means have been resorted to in order
to give support to the leather.

page_text: According to this Invention, each strip of leather is supported by fixing to
the disc immediately behind each of the leather strips a blade of horn, or it
may be of whalebone; the horn or whalebone does not come up to the top of
the leather strip, but sufficiently high to give it support. In place of blades
of horn or whalebone I sometimes use steel combs, that is to say, blades of
steel divided at short intervals so as to form in it comb-like teeth, in order
that each tooth may act independently as a spring supporting the portion of
leather immediately in front of it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Charles Davis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CHARLES DAVIS, of 69, Leadenhall Street, in the, City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign;
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Charles Davis, Her special licence that I, the said John Charles Davis, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Charles
Davis, 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
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KNIFE-CLEANING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Charles Davis, my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 John Charles Davis, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in knife-cleaning machines.
In knife-cleaning machines as now commonly constructed the knives are held
stationary whilst they are rubbed on both sides by discs rotated by means of
a handle. On the face of each of these discs strips of leather are set on edge
to form the rubbing surfaces; these strips of leather, however, after the
machine has been used for some time get permanently bent down, and the
machine is then of little use. Various means have been resorted to in order.
to give support to the leather.
According to this Invention, each strip of leather is supported by fixing to
the disc immediately behind each of the leather strips a blade of horn, or it
may be of whalebone; the horn or whalebone does not come up to the top of
the leather strip, but sufficiently high to give it support.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows part of a plan view of the rotating disc of a knife-cleaning
machine, showing one section of the rubbing surfaces, which in arrangement
is similar to those ordinarily in use; but in place of employing other modes
of elastically supporting the backs of the strips of leather a, a, of which such
rubbing surfaces are usually formed, I employ narrow blades of horn or of
whalebone which will be found to present a more constant and lasting
elasticity than the materials heretofore employed to sustain and give elastic
support to the strips of leather forming the rubbing surfaces. When using
whalebone I prefer to construct such narrow blades by placing short lengths
of thin strips of whalebone side by side with the grain upward, but in the use
of horn the strips may each be in one piece or length for each strip of leather,
or the blade for each strip may be formed of short lengths placed edge to
edge. It should be stated that it is not essential that the horn or whalebone
elastic supports should be continuous, though it is preferred that such should
be the case, but these supports may be applied at short intervals apart.
In the Drawing, b, b, represent the elastic supports composed of horn or of
whalebone, and they are applied from end to end of the strips of leather a, a.
The elastic supports of horn or whalebone, as well as the edges of the strips
of leather are fastened to the disc in the ordinary manner by narrow laths c, c,
fastened by nails or otherwise to the rotating disc.

page_text: What I claim is the employment of blades of horn or of whalebone to give
clastic support to the rubbing surfaces, as, herein described.
In witness whereof; I, the said John Charles Davis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of
our. Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
JOHN CHARLES DAVIS. (L.S.)