IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND POLISHING KNIVES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Courteen, of Clapham Road, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CLEANING AND POLISHING KNIVES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Courteen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th March 1881.
HENRY COURTEEN, of Clapham Road, in the County of Surrey, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND POLISHING KNIVES."
This Invention relates to a simple, economical, and efficient arrangement for
cleaning and polishing table knives and such like articles, whereby all the objections
more or less attendant upon the use of two cylinders or rollers as cleaning surfaces
as heretofore arranged are obviated, whilst facility is also afforded for effectually
cleaning the hollow of the shoulder. According to my Invention I employ two
rollers provided or clothed with any suitable rubbing or cleaning surface, and
mounted in fixed or adjustable bearings. The surfaces of the rollers in my improved
apparatus unlike the rollers heretofore employed are not required to be in actual
contact with each other. These rollers may revolve in the same or in opposite
directions, and be driven at a higher speed than heretofore by gearing or otherwise.
One of the pair of rollers is by preference of considerably smaller diameter than the
other, it being in fact small enough to enter and clean the hollow of the shoulder or
bolster of the blade, whilst the other or main cleaning and polishing roller may be
of any desired diameter. The small roller is conveniently disposed with regard to
the axis of the larger or main roller as to constitute a fulcrum, whereby the pressure
of the blade (introduced point-foremost between the two rollers, and moved to-and-
fro longitudinally by hand or otherwise against either or both their surfaces) can
be regulated to any desired amount by simply raising or depressing the handle of
the knife.
Any suitable cleaning or polishing powder may be supplied to the rollers in a
self acting or other manner either from above or below.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Courteen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
September 1881.
HENRY COURTEEN, of Clapham Road, in the County of Surrey, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND POLISHING KNIVES."
My said Invention relates to a simple, economical, and efficient arrangement of
apparatus for cleaning and polishing table knives and such like articles, whereby
the objections attendant upon the use of two cylinders or rollers as cleaning
surfaces as heretofore arranged are obviated, whilst facility is afforded for effectually
cleaning the hollow of the shoulder. According to my Invention I employ two
cleaning or polishing rollers provided or clothed with any suitable or well known
rubbing or cleaning medium, such as leather, india rubber, or the like, the axes of
such rollers being mounted in fixed or adjustable bearings in suitable standards or
supports. The surfaces of the rollers in my improved apparatus unlike the rollers
heretofore employed are not in contact with each other. They revolve, by
preference, in the same direction, and are driven at a higher speed than heretofore
by any well known arrangement of gearing or otherwise. One of the pair of
rollers should be small enough to enter and clean the hollow of the shoulder or
bolster of the blade, whilst the other or larger roller constituting the main cleaning
and polishing roller may be of any convenient diameter. The small roller is so
placed as to constitute a fulcrum or bearing surface, whereby the pressure of the
blade, introduced point foremost between the two rollers and moved to and fro
longitudinally by hand or otherwise against the surfaces of the rollers, can be
regulated to any desired amount by simply raising or depressing, as the case may
be, the handle of the knife by the hand of the operator. Any suitable cleaning or
polishing powder may be supplied to the rollers in a self acting or other manner
from a fixed trough situate above the larger roller, the powder descending during
the operation of cleaning into a moveable trough or receptacle below to be again
returned to the feed or supply trough as required. A separate fixed trough is
provided behind the small roller for the reception of cleaning powder if found
desirable.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings is a full sized front elevation of my improved knife
cleaning machine; Figure 2 is a corresponding end elevation of the same showing
the mode of driving the machine; and Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section
taken along the line 1-2 in Figure 1.
a, a, are two vertical standards bolted or otherwise secured to any convenient
bed or base b. These standards are provided with ordinary bearings for the
reception of the axles or journals c, d, of the respective rollers e and f. These rollers
are covered with leather, india rubber, or other good cleaning and polishing medium,
and are driven or rotated (by preference both in the same direction) by any well
known arrangement of gearing, as, for example, by an internal toothed wheel g
actuated by a winch handle h or otherwise, and mounted loose on the stationary
stud i. The said internal toothed wheel gears simultaneously into two spur
pinions k and l fixed respectively on the axles c and d. The larger or main cleaning
and polishing roller e may be of any desired diameter, but the smaller roller f
should be of a diameter to admit of its entering well into the curved face of the
shoulder or bolster of the knife blade (see Figure 3). In lieu of the two rollers

page_text: being in contact with each other a clear space is left between the periphery of the
smaller roller, and that of the larger roller for the reception of the knife blade,
which is introduced and moved to and fro by hand longitudinally between the
rollers, the pressure of the blade against the main roller e being increased or
diminished as required by simply raising or depressing more or less, as the case
may be, the handle of the knife, using at the same time the small roller as a
bearing point or fulcrum. m is a stationary trough secured by screws or otherwise
to the standards, and situate slightly above the centre of the roller e for containing
any suitable cleaning or polishing powder which it supplys to the surface of such
roller, the powder as it descends being caught in a removeable trough n supported
by lugs on the standards or otherwise, which can be withdrawn for the purpose of
returning the powder to the trough m as required. A smaller stationary trough o
is also provided behind the roller f for receiving a supply of cleaning powder which
may be taken up from the lower trough n on the point of the knife, and
introduced into the small trough o from time to time as required. Although I
have shown the small roller f as situate above the centre of the roller e it may
obviously be placed if desired below such centre, or at any other point round the
main roller e which will admit of the convenient introduction and manoeuvring of
the knife blade as above described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention to be secured to me by the hereinbefore in
part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The application and use to and in knife cleaning machines of two cleaning
rollers of different diameters revolving in the same or opposite directions without
being in contact with each other, the smaller roller being so arranged as to enter
and clean the hollow or curved part of the bolster or shoulder of the blade, and
also to form a fulcrum or bearing whereby the blade can be applied by hand onto
the surface of the larger roller with any desired amount of pressure by raising or
depressing the handle, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Secondly. The combination in a knife cleaning machine of two rollers revolving
clear of each other, and troughs or receptacles for the cleaning powder when
arranged and caused to operate, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Courteen, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
HENRY COURTEEN. (L.S.)