Improvements in Apparatus for Sharpening Razors, and other analogous purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 14th Oct.. 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov.. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Sharpening Razors, and other
analogous purposes.
I, ROBERT HOWARTH, of 53 Goldthorn Terrace, Penn Road, Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
to be as follows:-
Although applicable to other purposes it is especially adapted to the sharpening
of razors, and has for its object to construct a cheap and reliable apparatus, which,
in the hands of an unskilled person of ordinary intelligence, is capable of producing
a good cutting edge with greater ease and certainty than has hitherto been accom-
plished by any known means.
Such an apparatus made according to my invention-for convenience-consists
of a strip of wood, rectangular in cross section, which, curved by any known means
to a radius at one end, terminates in a handle at the other, the surface within
this curved portion, faced with leather, or the like, being the wearing part.
Under certain conditions, this curving, or at least some of it, would be
objectionable, and unhandy, in which case as an alternative arrangement, but
with the same object in view, I attach a supplementary, easily fixed, and removable
clip, to the back of the razor, or other instrument, so as to tilt it forward in the act
of sharpening, thus, as in the original plan, producing a more obtuse cutting
angle than would be the case if otherwise sharpened on a plane surface.
Dated this 14th day of January 1896
ROBERT HOWARTH.
Improvements in Apparatus for Sharpening Razors, and other
analogous purposes.
1, ROBERT HOWARTH of 53 Goldthorn Terrace, Penn Road Wolverhampton
in the County of Stafford Engineer, 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 is designed chiefly, to enable inexperienced persons to keep their
razors in good working condition for an indefinite period without their needing to
bave periodical recourse to the skilled assistance of a barber for the purpose, as is
found to be so frequently necessary when the razor strops hitherto obtainable by
the general public are used, but my said invention is also applicable to the
sharpening of other cutting instruments similar in formation to a razor, and
requiring a keen cutting edge.
My said invention consists of a rigid wooden strop, rectangular in cross section,
rigidly curved concave longitudinally throughout part of its length to a radius
varying from 2" to 12" according to the particular cutting instrument it is required
to sharpen, and having a rigid part at each end of its rigid curve, left straight, and
faced throughout the whole of its rigid curved concave side and corresponding
rigid straight end parts, with leather, or other suitable stropping material, the
faced rigid curved concave side being the part of the strop in which the sharpening

page_text: of the cutting instrument is performed by drawing the cutting instrument backwards
and forwards therein and thereupon in, the well known manner practised on the
hitherto existing forms of strops, but with the result, when this new rigid curved
strop is used, that the cutting edge of the instrument sought to be sharpened,
inclines naturally, and evenly, to the surface of the strop without any conscious
effort on the part of the operator, the novelty of my said invention consists of this
first application to the sharpening part of a strop, of a curve longitudinally which
is rigid.
For sharpening razors I prefer to make my strops according to this invention
having their rigid concave parts of a radius of 24" an measuring when faced
and curved, including their rigid straight end parts 11" x 13"x" the rigid straight
part at one end being about 34" long to be used as a handle, and the other rigid
straight part about " long to be used as a bearing to rest upon a table or bench
when the strop is in actual use, it is obvious that I may vary these particular
dimensions without in any way departing from the principle of my said invention.
In forming my strop I make a length of suitable wood, preferably ash,
rectangular in cross section and sufficiently long to leave, after rigidly curving
part of its length, a straight part at each end of the rigid curved part, of lengths
as herein before indicated and afterwards proceed to steam the straight piece of
wood until its rigidity has been reduced to a pliant condition, I then face one only
of the two broad flat sides of the length of pliant wood, with leather or other
suitable stropping material and fasten it thereto by means of glue, or other adhesive
material suitable for the purpose, then I place it between a pair of dies upon the
upper and lower faces respectively of which the required radius of the required
curve has been cast, taking care that the faced side of the wood is so placed
between the dies as to be concave when curved.
I then apply pressure to the upper die until the wood has assumed the shape cast
upon the upper and lower faces of the dies.
I do not remove the wood immediately but leave the pair of dies and the now
properly curved piece of faced wood in them until cold, by which time the faced
wood will be found to have recovered its original degree of rigidity and to have
taken a permanent set of the shape cast upon the upper and lower faces of the
dies, and my strop is made, any suitable embellishment being added merely to
improve its appearance and saleability.
Fig. 1., is a cross section of the faced wood of my strop at any part of its
length A, is the rigid wood, B is the facing of leather or other suitable stropping
material, throughout the whole of its rigid curved concave side and corresponding
straight end parts fastened thereto by means of glue or other adhesive material
suitable for the purpose.
Fig. 2., is a side elevation of a razor strop made in accordance with my said
invention, C, is the rigid concave curve, inside which the cutting instrument is to
be stropped D, is the rigid straight part at one end to be used as a handle, E, is
the rigid straight part at the other end to be used as a bearing.
Fig. 3., is a perspective view of a razor strop made in accordance with my said
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
Rigid curved strops for sharpening razors and cutting instruments of similar
formation to a razor, the said rigid curved strops having part of their length
permanently rigidly curved concave longitudinally substantially as described, for
the purpose set forth.
Dated this 13th day of October 1896
ROBERT HOWARTH.