IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING OYSTERS AND FOR CRUSHING THE CLAWS OF LOBSTERS AND OTHER SHELL FISH
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Donald Napier, of 22, George Street,
Hanover Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING OYSTERS AND FOR CRUSHING THE
CLAWS OF LOBSTERS AND OTHER SHELL FISH."
Sealed the 16th December 1864, and dated the 24th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Donald Napier at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th June 1864.
I, WILLIAM DONALD NAPIER, of 22, George Street, Hanover Square, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING OYSTERS, AND FOR CRUSHING -THE
CLAWS OF LOBSTERS AND OTHER SHELL FISH," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for opening
oysters, and for crushing the claws of lobsters and other shell fish. For
these purposes an apparatus is constructed in the following manner :-At one
end of a lever that turns on a pivot or centre at a point intermediate

page_text: of its length there is formed or affixed one of two blades used for opening an
oyster, and at the other end of the lever there is a handle; the end or arm of
the lever that is formed into a handle is considerably longer than the end to
which the blade is affixed; the other blade is fixed to the bearing of the axis
or fulcrum of the lever, which is carried by a base plate or other suitable
surface or frame; previous to these blades being used to open an oyster the
front edges of the shell are cut away so as to produce an opening between the
shells to receive the blades. This cutting of the shells is performed by means
of two cutters, one of which is fixed to the arm of the lever that is formed into
a handle, and the other is fixed to the base plate or frame on which the lever
is mounted, and they act as a pair of shears. It is preferred that the lever
should be constantly pressed on by a spring tending to separate the cutters.
In using this apparatus the front edges of the shells of an oyster are to be
placed between and cut off by the cutters; the oyster is then to be held in a
position for the edges or outer ends of the opening blades to enter between
the two shells of the oyster; the blades are then to be caused to separate by
depressing the handle of the lever.
In order to render the above-described apparatus suitable for crushing the
claws of lobsters and other shell fish, the lower surface of the arm of the
lever that is formed into a handle is roughened intermediate of the cutting
blade and the axis or fulcrum of the lever, and opposite this roughened
surface is a corresponding roughened surface carried by the base plate or
frame, between these two surfaces the claws of lobsters and other shell fish
can be nipped or crushed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Donald Napier, in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
DONALD NAPIER, of 22, George Street, Hanover Square, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto

page_text: me, the said William Donald Napier, Her special licence that I, the said
William Donald Napier, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such.
others as I, the said William Donald Napier, 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 APPARATUS FOR OPENING OYSTERS, AND FOR
CRUSHING THE CLAWS OF LOBSTERS: AND OTHER SHELL FISH," upon the condition.
(amongst others) that I, the said William Donald Napier, 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 per-
formed, 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 William Donald Napier, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same.
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for opening
oysters, and for crushing the claws of lobsters and other shell fish. For these
purposes an apparatus is constructed in the following manner:-At one end
of a lever that turns on a pivot or centre at a point intermediate of its
length, there is formed or affixed one of two blades used for opening an
oyster, and at the other end of the lever there is a handle; the end or arm of
the lever that is formed into a handle is considerably longer than the end to
which the blade is affixed; the other blade is fixed to the bearing of the axis.
or fulcrum of the lever, which is carried by a base plate or other suitable
surface or frame; previous to these blades being used to open an oyster the
front edges of the shell are cut away so as to produce an opening between the
shells to receive the blades. This cutting of the shells is performed by means
of two cutters, one of which is fixed to the arm of the lever that is formed into
a handle, and the other is fixed to the base plate or frame on which the lever
is mounted, and they act as a pair of shears. It is preferred that the lever.
should be constantly pressed on by a spring tending to separate the cutters.
In using this apparatus the front edges of the shells of an oyster are to be
placed between and cut off by the cutters, the oyster is then to be held in a

page_text: position for the edges or outer ends of the opening blades to enter between
the two shells of the oyster; the blades are then to be caused to separate by
depressing the handle of the lever.
In order to render the above-described apparatus suitable for crushing
the claws of lobsters and other shell fish, the lower surface of the arm of the
lever that is formed into a handle is roughened intermediate of the cutting
blade and the axis or fulcrum of the lever, and opposite this roughened
surface is a corresponding roughened surface carried by the base plate or
frame, between these two surfaces the claws of lobsters and other shell fish
can be nipped or crushed.
.
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 a side view, and Figure 2 a plan of an apparatus con-
structed and combined according to my Invention.
a, a, is the base plate or frame of the apparatus; b is a fixed cutter; d is a
lever handle having its axis or fulcrum at e. The lever handle carries a cutter
f, which when away from the fixed cutter is at an angle thereto, so as to act
like a pair of shears when cutting through the edges of the shells of an oyster.
is a fixed blade, and h is another similar blade fixed to the lever handle;
these blades have thin outer edges, so that when closed they will readily pass
into the opening between the shells when their edges have been cut away. i is
a vulcanized india-rubber spring, tending at all times to keep the two blades g
and together. In using this apparatus the front edges of the two shells of
an oyster are placed on the fixed cutter b, so as to project somewhat beyond
such cutter, the flat shell being downwards; the lever handle is then quickly
depressed so as to cut away the outer edges of the shells; the oyster is then
removed from the fixed cutter and placed on to the two blades 9 and h, when
they are in the position shown in the Drawing, by which the two blades will
enter between the two shells, when on depressing the lever handle the shells
will be separated or opened by the separating of the blades. Or a knife may
be introduced through the opening, and the oyster removed from one shell by
cutting; or the shells may be partly separated by the blades before using a
knife. If apparatus such as above described is intended, in addition to opening
oysters, also to crush the claws of lobsters and other shell fish, then the rough-
ened surface is formed on the under surface of the lever near its axis, and a
corresponding roughened block or surface is formed on the bed plate, between
1

page_text: 5
which the claw to be crushed is held, and the lever handle is to be brought
down quickly.
What I claim is the combined arrangement of apparatus herein described
for opening oysters.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Donald Napier, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
WILLIAM D. NAPIER. (L.s.)