Improvements in Knife Sharpeners.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
[Communicated from abroad by THE PEER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, of
New Jersey, United States of America.]
Improvements in Knife Sharpeners.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
The object of this improvement is to provide a simple, cheap and efficient
sharpener for table knives and analagous devices.
We will describe a knife sharpener embodying our improvement and then point
out the novel features in a claim.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a top view of a knife sharpener embodying the improvement with
a certain part removed to exhibit other parts.
Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of one part.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A designates a base piece or frame. B, C, designate blocks or pieces of material
suitable for sharpening table knives and like devices. They are arranged opposite
to each other and are severally provided with a number of projections or tongue-
like portions bc, which are inclined downwardly. The projections or tongue like
portions of each of these blocks or pieces, B, C, are arranged opposite the spaces
between those of the other one of said blocks or pieces and it is intended that the
blocks shall be so set that the lower portions of the projections or tongue like
portions of the two blocks shall overlap.
Both blocks may be similarly constructed. As shown, each is fitted to a recess a,
formed in the base piece or frame A, so as to be capable of adjustment lengthwise
thereof. Behind each block is a spring D, which will serve to press the block
towards its fellow. As here shown, a helical spring is employed in conjunction
with each block, and is extended into a smaller recess a¹ formed in the base piece or
frame A and open into the recess a thereof.
Cap pieces a are fitted to the base piece or frame A, in such positions as to
extend over the blocks B, C, and retain them within the recess a.
be
Any suitable stops for limiting the movements of the blocks B, C, may
employed. As here shown, we provide stops, by inserting screws b, c, through the
bottom of the base piece or frame A, so that their upper ends will extend into
recesses b, c, formed longitudinally in the under sides of the blocks B, C.
Obviously blocks B, C, will be free to yield away from each other, when a knife
or analogous article is inserted between their projections or tongue-like portions b, c,
and yet will be held in contact with the sides of such article, so as to operate to
sharpen the edge of the article. Owing to the yielding action of the blocks B, C,
it is manifest that a knife or like article may be pressed down between their
projections or tongue-like portions bc, to any desired extent and moved back and
forth while between them.
The base piece or frame may be made of any suitable material, as, for instance,
of wood or metal. While the blocks B, C, may be made of various materials, it is
preferable that their projections or tongue like portions b, c shall be made of emery
or analogous substance.
с
By this improvement a very simple, cheap and efficient sharpener for knives or
like articles is produced.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In a sharpener for knives and like devices, the combination of a base piece or
frame and two blocks having projections or tongue-like portions inclined down-
wardly and arranged so that the projections or tongue-like portions of each block
will be opposite the spaces between those of the other so that they may overlap the
latter and said blocks being constructed to slide along the base piece or frame
toward and from each other, substantially as specified.
Dated this 29th day of December 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.