AN IMPROVED IMPLEMENT FOR SHARPENING KNIVES AND OTHER TABLE USES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED IMPLEMENT FOR SHARPENING KNIVES AND OTHER TABLE USES."
-A communication from abroad by Owen Wilson Taft, of
Brooklyn, County of Kings, and State of New York, United States
of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 30th June 1874.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
3 of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED IMPLEMENT FOR SHARPENING KNIVES AND OTHER
TABLE USES," to be as follows:
-

page_text: implement for which I made application for Letters Patent on the 3rd
day of March 1874, No. 780.
It is now proposed to combine the sharpener therein described as
being composed of radial blades parallel to the axis of the handle with
the file drawn, or other like smoothing sharpener of ordinary construc-
tion, to unite in one instrument the sharp angles of the radial blade
sharpener, which are more particularly applicable for rough sharpening
or beveling the edge and giving it the proper form with a steel more
particularly adapted for giving it a smooth edge, and thus provide an
instrument for butchers and carvers, whereby they can keep the knives
in good condition by the steel alone, and thus save the labor of grinding
them. To this end I arrange the sharpener composed of radial blades
next to the handle, and instead of the rod by which they are secured to
the handle screwing into the collar I screw it into the end of a draw-
filed or other comparatively smooth steel, and employ the steel for
securing the blades to the handle.
I propose to apply the skewer pull to the end of the handle in some
cases, and employ it for a hook, by which to hang up the steel, and thus
save the expense of the ring usually applied to the handle for that
purpose. In this arrangement the skewer pull is made to form the nut
for tightening up the rod which secures the radial blades by having a
screw-threaded shank to receive the rod, but it may be otherwise
arranged.
The point applied to the skewer pull as a part of the can opening
attachment, described in my said previous application, may be dispensed
with or used if required; for instance, it may be sharpened on one edge,
and thus be useful for cutting wires and the like.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special licence
that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville Clark,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time totime and at all times there-
after 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 "AN IMPROVED IMPLEMENT FOR SHARPENING KNIVES AND OTHER TABLE USES,"
a communication to me from abroad by Owen Wilson Taft, of Brooklyn,
County of Kings, and State of New York, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, 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 Alexander Melville Clark, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-

page_text: or beveling the edge and giving it the proper form, with a steel more
particularly adapted for giving it a smooth edge, and thus provide an
instrument for butchers and carvers, whereby they can keep the knives
in good condition by the steel alone, and thereby save the labour of
grinding them. To this end I arrange the sharpener, composed of radial 5
blades, next to the handle, and instead of the rod by which they are
secured to the handle screwing into the collar I screw it into the end of
a draw-filed or other comparatively smooth steel, and employ the steel
for securing the blades to the handle.
I apply the skewer pull to the end of the handle in some cases, and 1
employ it for a hook by which to hang up the steel, and thus save the
expense of the ring usually applied to the handle for that purpose.
The point applied to the skewer-pull as a part of the can opening
attachment, described in my said previous application, may be dispensed
with or used if required; for instance, it may be sharpened on one edge, 1
and thus be useful for cutting wires and the like.
In the accompanying Drawing I have represented a longitudinal
sectional clevation of the combined rough and smooth sharpening steel
with the skewer pull attached to the end of the handle. The blades A
are made a little shorter than in the previous case, and have the 2
smoothing steel J screwed up against one rod by the rod B to hold them
in place against the end of the handle collars C, being used either in the
form represented in Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawing of the Patent above
alluded to or in the modified form now shown.
In the present arrangement the skewer pull F is made to form the nut 2
for tightening up the rod B by having a screw-threaded shank K to
receive the rod, but it may be otherwise arranged.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be

page_text: 2ndly. A skewer pull F attached to the end of the handle of a steel
in such manner that it may be used for pulling skewers, and also for a
hook for hanging up the steel, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-four.
Witness,
HY SWALES,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)