IMPROVEMENTS IN CASES FOR TABLE CUTLERY AND OTHER ANALOGOUS ARTICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: We THOMAS BROOKE and JOHN BROOKE, both of West Street, Sheffield, in the
County of York Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN CASES FOR TABLE CUTLERY AND OTHER ANALOGOUS
ARTICLES to be as follows:-
"
Our invention relates to improvements in cases for containing tablo cutlery
dessert knives and forks, and similar articles, the object of the invention being to
permit of the said articles being removed from the case with much greater facility
than heretofore; to avoid soiling the velvet, satin or other material of which the
lining of such cases may be composed, with the fingers; and to secure the articles
so that the cannot get displaced if the case is shaken or turned over. We attain
these objects, first, by a method of raising the handles simultaneously from their
normal position in the body of the case, so that the person taking them out can
pass the fingers underneath them and lift the articles out without touching the
lining of the case; and secondly by the ends of the handles passing into a recess
when lowered into the case.
In carrying out our invention according to one method (for example) we fix near
the front of the box or case, a bar or elevator extending across the inside of the
case, and provided with suitable hollows or recesses for the ends of the handles to
lie in.
The bar or elevator can be partially rotated upon its axis causing its front edge
to be elevated, and raising the handles as before described; when by a reverse
movement of the elevator the handles are lowered into the case, they are auto-
matically secured by a portion of the elevator passing over their ends, consequent
upon its rotary motion.
Various devices may be applied to actuate the elevator, some being worked from
the outside, and others from the inside of the case.

page_text: WO THOMAS BROOKE, and JOHN BROOKE both of West Street Sheffield in the
County of York Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN CASES FOR TABLE CUTLERY AND OTHER ANALOGOUS
ARTICLES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement that is to say:―
Our invention relates to improvements in Cases to contain Table Cutlery, Dessert
Knives and forks and other similar articles, such cases being usually lined with
light coloured satin, silk or velvet, ornamentally puckered, which delicate material
soon becomes soiled if repeatedly touched by the fingers of servants or others; now
the object of our invention is to enable the said articles to be readily removed
from, and replaced in the case, without any necessity for the hand or fingers to
come in contact with the said ornamental lining of the case, and also to secure the
said articles when they are placed in the case.
We attain our object by causing the handles of the articles to be raised simul-
taneously from their normal horizontal position in the case, to such a position that
the fingers may be passed underneath them, so as to lift them out of the case without
touching the lining. If desirable a portion of the handles may be raised by one
movement, and the remainder by a second movement.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood, we annexed to this our
Specification a sheet of drawings of same.
Fig. 1, being a sectional view of the side of a case, according to our invention.
Fig. 2, is a plan of same, (without the lid).
Fig. 3 and 4, are similar views of a case, with a modification of the elevator.
In carrying out our invention, according to the method illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,
we fix inside the case A, and extending across the front, a bar or elevator C,
provided with hollows or divisions c¹, c', for the handles F, of the knives to rest in.
The backs of these hollows are undercut at D, forming recesses, so that when the
knives or other articles are lowered into their horizontal positions in the case, the
ends of the handles pass into the said recesses, and are thus held down and
prevented from being shaken loose.
The front of each dividing strip at E, stands sufficiently high to retain the
bandles in their position when the elevator is raised.
The front edge of the elevator C is raised, by turning the elevator upon its
axis; this may be accomplished in various ways, one device being by thumbits G,
and G placed on the axis and outside the case, G being provided with a screw
thread and a locknut H, for the purpose of locking the elevator in either its raised
or lowered position.
When the elevator is being raised, the ends of the handles are withdrawn from
the undercut recess 1), and are free to be taken out, being in the elevated position
shown by the dotted lines.
Fig 3 and 4, represent the elevator without the undercut recesses, in place of
which we use a narrow hinged Cover or guard I, which is turned back, as shown
by the dotted lines when the articles are to be placed in the case, and is afterwards
turned down and secured by a button, or equivalent. To retain the elevator in its
raised or lowered position, a spring catch K, is arranged to press against either side
of an angle K' formed on the elevator, C. Instead of partitions as shown in
Fig 1. and 2 vertical pins may be substituted see L, Figs 3 and 4 and a larger
central pin M may be used to raise the elevator; B, is the ornamental lining of
satin or other material.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is,
In Cases for containing articles of Cutlery and other similar articles, the use of an
elevating bar, for the purpose of raising the ends of the handles of the said
articles of such a position, that they may be readily removed from the case
without touching and soiling tho ornamental lining, substantially as
described and illustrated.