IMPROVEMENTS IN CARVING FORKS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARVING FORKS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."--A communication from abroad by Charles
Smith Landers, of New Britain, in the County of Hartford, and
Stata af Crunrationt Tinited States of Amonias
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas
Hughes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th December 1875.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARVING FORKS, APPLICABLE ALSO
TO OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES,' a communication to me from abroad by.
Charles Smith Landers, of New Britain, in the County of Hartford, and
State of Connecticut, United States of America, to be as follows:-
"
This Invention relates to improvements in carving forks, especially to
the construction and arrangement of the guard.

page_text: In the usual construction the guard is hinged in a slot on the back of
the shank of the fork with a feather spring beneath to retain it in either
its open or closed position. The exposure of this groove to water in
washing soon destroys the spring, or the hinge joint becomes so much
worn that the guard is loosened so as to be of no use as a guard.
The object of this Invention is to overcome this difficulty as well as to
provide the fork with a rest to support the tines in an elevated position
on the table, and it consists, first, in constructing the guard with a
spindle or shank set vertically into the shank of the fork, so as to form
an axis upon which to turn the guard combined with a spring to set the
guard in either the open or closed position; and secondly, in attaching
a rest to the spindle of the guard, which when the guard is opened will
bring the rest forward so as to form a support for the fork when set
upon the table, and the closing of the guard will return the rest.

page_text: opposite sides will hold the guard in that position. The spindle may be
at right angles through the shank, but it is preferable to make it
diagonally, as shown, because in turning the guard for use it will come
into a nearer vertical position, as shown in broken lines.
To form the rest there is attached to the spindle or the spindle
extended so as to form an arm or arms F, substantially parallel with the
handle when the guard is in its closed position, but when the guard is
turned to the rear or " guard position' "the arm F will also be turned,
and into a position forward of the centre of gravity between the handle
and tines, and so that the fork will rest upon the tip of the handle and
arms F, as indicated in broken lincs, Fig. 1.
The guard as described and as shown in Fig. 3, may be used
independent of the rest, or the rest may be used with another con-
struction of guard, so that one is not positively essential to the other.
While the notch and projection m, n, arc desirable as means for
holding the guard or rest or both in either of these two positions, they
are not essential because the friction of the spring of itself_may do that;
and further the spring is not essential as that may be dispensed with
and the friction between the surface of the shank, and the spindle be
sufficient to retain the guard and rest in the position in which they may.
be set.
While specially designed for carving forks this rest and guard are
applicable to other articles as the knife or steel, and therefore by the
expression carving fork it is intended to be understood as embracing
other articles to which the Invention is applicable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th June 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS. HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes & Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
forticth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes,
Her special licence, that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edward Thomas Hughes, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARVING FORKS," a com-
munication to me from abroad by Charles Smith Landers, of New
Britain, in the County of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:
-
This Invention relates to improvements in carving forks, especially to
the construction and arrangement of the guard.
In the usual construction the guard is hinged in a slot on the back of
the shank of the fork with a feather spring beneath to retain it in either
its open or closed position. The exposure of this groove to water in
washing soon destroys the spring, or the hinge joint becomes so much
worn that the guard is loosened so as to be of no use as a guard.
The object of this Invention is to overcome this difficulty as well as
to provide the fork with a rest to support the tines in an elevated position
on the table; and it consists, first, in constructing the guard with a spindle

page_text: or shank set vertically into the shank of the fork so as to form an axis
upon which to turn the guard, combined with a spring to set the guard
in either the open or closed position; and secondly, in attaching a rest
to the spindle of the guard, which when the guard is opened will
bring the rest forward so as to form a support for the fork when set
upon the table, and the closing of the guard will return the rest.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a side view; Fig. 2,
a longitudinal central section; Fig. 3, a side view showing the guard
without the rest; and Fig. 4, view of under side.
A is the handle; B, the shank; and C the tines of a fork of sub-
stantially the usual shape; D is the guard formed with the spindle E
turning down toward the shank and fitting into a seat made in the
shank, and so that the guard may be turned around to the right or the
left, the said spindle forming the pivot for so turning. The spindle
within the shank is reduced so as to form a shoulder a, and then extends
through to the opposite side, upon which a head d or collar is 'made to
prevent the withdrawal of the spindle from its scat, and around the
reduced portion of the spindle is a spring e, the tendency of which is to
force the head or collar d up against the under side of the shank.
At some convenient point upon the under side there is a notch n
formed radially from the spindle in the shank, and a corresponding
projection m on the collar, or these may be reversed. This notch is
made upon opposite sides of the spindle, and so that when the spindle is
in its closed position, as seen in Fig. 1, it will be held there by the
projection m in the notch n, but so that the guard may be casily turned
half around, and then the notch and projection coinciding upon the
opposite sides will hold the guard in that position. The spindle may be
at right angles through the shank, but it is preferable to make it
diagonally, as shown, because in turning the guard for use it will come
into a nearer vertical position, as shown in broken lines.
To form the rest there is attached to the spindle or the spindle is
extended so as to form an arm or arms F, substantially parallel with the
handle when the guard is in its closed position, but when the guard is
turned to the rear or "guard position" the arm F will also be turned,
and into a position forward of the centre of gravity between the handle
and tines, and so that the fork will rest upon the tip of the handle and
arms F, as indicated in broken lines Fig. 1.

page_text: spindle seated in the shank of the fork, and so as to turn freely to the
right or left, the said spindle being the axis on which the guard turns,
combined with the spring around the spindle within the shank, sub-
stantially as described.
Sixth. In a carving fork the rest F attached to or made a part of the
spindle seated in the shank of the fork, and so as to turn freely to the
right or left, the said spindle being the axis on which the guard turns,
combined with the spring around the spindle within the shank, and the
notch and projection m, n, on the shank of the fork and spindle, sub-
stantially as described.
Seventh. In a carving fork the combination of the guard D and the
rest F hung in the shank of the fork by a spindle extending through the
shank from one to the other, and upon which the two may be turned
to the position of the guard and rest, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.