IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HANDLES FOR TABLE AND OTHER KNIVES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO HANDLES OF UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS,
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Staight, of Charles Street, Hatton Garden, in
the County of Middlesex, Ivory Merchant, for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HANDLES FOR TABLE AND OTHER KNIVES, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO HANDLES OF UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Staight at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th May 1880.
STEPHEN STAIGHT, of Charles Street, Hatton Garden, in the County of
Middlesex, Ivory Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HANDLES
FOR TABLE AND OTHER KNIVES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
HANDLES OF UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, SUNSHADES, WHIPS, AND OTHER ARTICLES."
The Invention is particularly applicable when using ivory in the manufacture of
the handles of knives, umbrellas, and parasols or sunshades, but is also applicable in
the manufacture of handles for other articles, and the object of the Invention is
economy of material.
1
For the handles of knives, in particular, it has long been customary to employ
ivory and other material in thin sheets or veneer, but in all such cases the thin
sheets or veneers are held in position by rivets, and the appearance of such rivets
is unsightly.
In carrying out my improvements whilst I retain the advantage of using thin
sheets of the material, I avoid the necessity for the unsightly appearance of the
rivets, and obtain an agreeable and ornamental appearance.
For this purpose I provide a thin metallic lining, formed preferably by the union
at the edges of two segments or other suitable surfaces, diminishing in the extent
of the arc or extent of section when desired from one end to the other. The
adjoining edges of these segments or surfaces are also formed with over-hanging
parts constituting grooves or channels. The ivory cut into the desired sheet and

page_text: sectional form is applied as a covering to these segments or surfaces, with the edges
thereof resting in the channels or grooves to hold them in position.
The visible edges of this lining may be electro-plated or otherwise ornamented if
desired.
And the space within these segmental pieces may be provided with any suitable
core or other holder for the tangs or other parts of the blades of the knives, or
other parts of other articles of which they form a part.
The end of the handle next the blade in the case of knives would be enclosed or
finished by the ferulo, and the outer end may be capped by the application of a
suitable cap of ivory or other suitable material; in other cases a suitable finish
will be provided.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Stephen Staight in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
November ISSO.
STEPHEN STAIGHT, of Charles Street, Hatton Garden, in the County of
Middlesex, Ivory Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HANDLES
FOR TABLE AND OTHER KNIVES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
HANDLES OF UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, SUNSHADES, WHIPS, AND OTHER ARTICLES."
The Invention is particularly applicable when using ivory in the manufacture of
the handles of knives, umbrellas, and parasols or sun shades, but is also applicable
in the manufacture of handles for other articles, and the object of the Invention is
economy of material.
For the handles of knives, in particular, it has long been customary to employ
ivory and other material in thin sheets or veneer, but in all such cases the thin
sheets or veneers are held in position by rivets or cement, and the appearance of
such rivets is unsightly, and the use of cement is attended with unstability.
In carrying out my improvements whilst I retain the advantage of using thin
sheets of the material, I avoid the necessity for the unsightly appearance of the
rivets, and obtain an agreeable and ornamental appearance with increased stability.
For this purpose I provide a thin metallic lining, formed preferably by the union
at the edges of two segments or other suitable surfaces, diminishing in the extent of
the arc or extent of section when desired from one end to the other. The adjoining
edges of these segments or surfaces are also formed with over-hanging parts
constituting grooves or channels. The ivory cut into the desired sheet and sectional
form is applied as a covering to these segments or surfaces, with the edges thereof
resting in the channels or grooves to hold them in position.
The visible edges of this lining may be electro-plated or otherwise ornamented if
desired.
And the space within these segmental pieces may be provided with any suitable
core or other holder for the tangs or other parts of the blades of the knives or other
parts of other articles of which they form a part.
The end of the handle next the blade in the case of knives would be enclosed or
finished by the ferule, and the outer end may be capped by the application of a
suitable cap of ivory or other suitable material; in other cases a suitable finish
will be provided.
But that the Invention may be the better understood, I will proceed more fully
to describe the same by the aid of the accompanying Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows an external side view of the handle of a table knife, and
Figure 2 is an edge view thereof; Figure 3 represents a section of the same drawn
to a larger scale. In each of these views the same letters apply to corresponding
parts. a, a, represents the metallic lining, which, as will be seen, is shown to be
formed of two segmental pieces united together by soldering or otherwise at their
edges a', where they are also formed into overhanging parts constituting grooves
or channels to receive and retain the edges b¹ of thin pieces of ivory b. These
visible edges a¹ of the lining a may be electro plated or otherwise ornamented if
desired; c is the ferule, and d represents a cap or finish to the outer end of the
handle.
Figure 4 represents the handle of a whip, or it may be of an umbrella, parasol, or

page_text: only in the form of the respective parts from that of Figure 3, but the same letters
are employed to indicate them.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying the
same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise arrangements of the parts as shown and described, as the same may be
varied without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention, but what I
do claim is the manufacture of handles for table and other knives, and of handles
for umbrellas, parasols, sunshades, whips, and other articles, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Staight, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
ALFRED G. BROOKES,
59, Chancery Lane,
London.
STEPHEN STAIGHT. (L.S.)