Improvements in Sharpeners for Skates, Scissors, and other Articles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sharpeners for Skates, Scissors, and other
Articles.
I, PRESTON WILLIS STRONG, of 262 Henry Street, in the City of Brooklyn,
County of Kings, State of New York, United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to tools or devices adapted for sharpening metal articles,
such as skates, scissors, &c., and is embodiel in a case or holder and a file surfaced
or emery plate or block, an oil stone, or other plate block or stone having an
abrading surface, said plate block or stone being adjustably held in said holder,
and said holder being provided with an opening or openings and guides, permitting
contact of the abrading surface and the article to be sharpened, and controlling
the relative positions of the sharpening tool and the article to be sharpened during
the sharpening operation, that is to say, guiding the article and sharpening tool
as they are moved or rubbed in contact with each other or one is moved or rubbed
in contact with the other. The improved sharpening device is so constructed that
no tools are necessary for its manipulation or for the adjustment of its abrading
surface so as to bring fresh surfaces into contact with the article, or for the
reversal of the abrading plate block or stone so as to bring its reverse face into
contact with the article, or for the removal of a worn or dulled abrading plate
block or stone and the substitution of a new plate block or stone therefor, as the
abrading plate block or stone is held with a yielding spring pressure in the bolder
and is so held that the use of the sharpener will not disturb or dislodge it from the
position to which it has been adjusted, but nevertheless it may be readily and
quickly adjusted, reversed, removed or replaced, by hand manipulation whenever
desired.
My invention also includes in the embodiment thereof as a skate sharpener,
a handle and a pivotal connection between said holder and handle whereby the
abrading surface is allowed to follow the curvature of the lower surface of the
skate blade or runner; and my invention also includes other features which will
now be set forth in describing embodiments of the invention in a skate sharpener
and scissors sharpener.
The abrading surfaces may be the two opposite faces of a plate, preferably a
steel plate, and these surfaces may be roughened or provided with file teeth in any
usual or suitable manner. But a small portion of one face of the abrading place is
in operative position at one time, and when this portion becomes worn or dulled a
fresh surface may be brought into operative position as hereinafter described, and
when all of one surface becomes worn or dulled the plate may be reversed and
thus a new surface brought into use. Thus the provision of a double surfaced
plate doubles the area of reserve abrading surface, but in some cases only one
surface of the plate may be roughened or provided with file teeth, or one surface
may be adapted for a coarse or rough preliminary sharpening operation and the
other surface for a smooth and fine finishing sharpening operation.
The holder is preferably of spring sheet metal, as spring brass, iron or steel, and
is bent preferably to the form of a rectangular box open at both ends; and in the
skate sharpener I propose to make the box entirely open at the bottom, and in the
scissors sharpener I propose to partly form the bottom of the box or holder by
narrow ledges along each side so as to give a sufficiently firm bearing on a flat
surface, while permitting access to the abrading plate; and the sides of the box or
I

page_text: holder have longitudinal grooves formed therein by angular bends of the sheet
metal sides of the holder; and the abrading plate is held at opposite edges within
these grooves in the sides of the holder and extends across from side to side of the
holder, and the width of the abrading plate is such that when the abrading plate is
within the holder the sides of the holder at the bottoms of the grooves in the sides
of the holder, exert a spring pressure to hold the abrading plate in place. When
the abrading plate is to be inserted or removed or moved within the holder, the
spring sides of the holder may be sprung apart by hand and without any tools,
and the abrading plate will then move freely in the grooves of the holder and may
be inserted, removed or shifted in position as desired, and when the sides of the
holder are released they will spring against and tightly hold the abrading plate
into the position to which it has been moved or will assume their normal positions
if the abrading plate has been removed. Thus all desired adjustments of the
abrading plate may be readily and quickly performed by hand without the use
of tools.
In the skate sharpener embodying my invention I propose to confine the spring
action to one side ouly of the holder and to make the other side stiff and rigid
by suitable bracing, and thereby ample spring holding action will be secured, and
in the scissors sharpener I propose to make both sides spring acting; but it is of
course evident that each of these constructions is within my invention.
The direction of the relative movement of the article to be sharpened and the
sharpening tool or device is substantially at right angles to the direction in which
the abrading plate is moved when adjusting it within the holder, and thus the
sharpening operation has no tendency to disturb the adjustment of the abrading
plate within the holder. Suitable grooves or openings are provided in the holder
to permit the article to be sharpened to come into contact with the abrading
surface and I propose in the skate sharpener to make a sufficient opening from
the bottom of the holder upward to the abrading plate and with sufficient
clearance of the lower surface of the abrading plate, by medially slitting the
sheet metal sides and bending them nearly at right angles so as to form spring
wings with sufficient distance between them to receive the skate runner, and thus
these wings will form spring guides to hold the skate runner and sharpening device
in proper relative positions, and if their spring adjustment is not sufficient they
may be readily bent to proper positions to embrace the runner.
In the scissors sharpener I propose to cut or slit the material of the holder at
the top and to cut away the material of the holder downward in the sides to a
sufficient depth to clear the upper surface of the abrading plate and to bend down-
..ward the top portions as flanges so as to form a groove having a substantially
vertical wall on one side and an inclined wall on the other side, these side walls
being formed by the edges of the sides and by the bent flanges or wings from the
top of the holder and serving as guides to the scissors blade as it is being drawn
across the surface of the file plate or abrading plate, and the inclined wall being at
such an angle as to permit the scissors blade to be held in the angular position
required for the sharpest or most acute bevel of scissors such as the sharpening
device is designed for. In the scissors sharpener the abrading plate is preferably
held at a slight inclination in the holder so that when a scissors blade is held in
vertical position and against the vertical wall of the groove, the edge will be
ground at a slight bevel. To provide a large bearing surface along the vertical
wall the flange bent downward from the top extends nearly to the surface of the
abrading plate; and in the sharpening operation the scissors blade will be pressed
against this vertical wall, and therefore such large bearing surface is desirable.
The flange extending downward at the inclined wall of the groove extends down-
ward only a sufficient distance to brace the top edge of the groove and thus the
groove is open between the inclined side edges of the holder so that a curved
scissors blade may be sharpened upon the tool.
The box or holder of the scissors sharpener is made of sufficient length to be
readily grasped by one hand of the operator, and when the sharpener is to be used

page_text: it may be placed upon a flat surface, as of a table, and firmly held against said.
surface by one hand of the operator while the other hand of the operator is
employed in grasping the scissors blade and drawing it through the groove of the
sharpener and over the upper surface of the abrading plate. It is to be noted that
the operator in thus grasping the holder tends to press its spring sides inward thus
tightening the grip of these sides upon the abrading plate. This is the preferred
operation although it is evident that the sharpening tool may be otherwise
manipulated.
The skate sharpener is provided with a handle and therefore the box is usually
of much smaller dimensions than in the scissors sharpener. The preferred
operation in the use of this sharpener is that of pushing the sharpener over the
lower surface of the skate runner with the lower surface of the abrading plate in
contact with the runner, the skate being supported bottom upwards in any suitable
mauner. As the lower surface of the skate runner is usually a curved surface, it
is desirable to have the sharpener adjust itself to this curvature and this is
provided by a pivotal connection between the holder and handle, and I propose to
provide a hood extending upward from the holder to receive the end of the handle,
and to provide a suitable pivot pin extending through the walls of this hood and
through the handle, and to shape this hood so that it will come in contact with the
handle and act as a stop thereto in two extreme positions. Thus the holder and
abrading plate carried thereby will have a limited swinging movement relatively
to the handle as the sharpener is pushed over the surface of the plate, and the
The hood
abrading plate will adjust itself to the curvature of the skate runner.
above mentioned may be extended down over the side of the holder which is the
rear side when the skate sharpener is pushed forward over the skate runner to
brace or stiffen that side as above mentioned, thus preventing any possible loosening
of the abrading plate within the holder when the holder is pushed over the skate
The sharpening operation frequently produces a slight burr on the side
edges of the lower surface of the skate runner, but this may readily be removed
by the sharpener, it being only necessary to adjust. the abrading plate so that it
protrudes at one side of the holder, and when thus adjusted the holder may be
placed so that the abrading surface is in contact with a vertical side of the skate
runner and the side of the holder is in contact with the lower surface of the runner,
and the sharpener may then be pushed along the runner with the effect of
removing the burr. This operation may be repeated with the abrading surface in
contact with the other vertical side of the runner and thus both side edges will be
finished.
runner.
.
Dated this 16th day of May 1905
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sharpeners for Skates, Scissors, and other
Articles.
I, PRESTON WILLIS STRONG of 262 Henry Street, City of Brooklyn, County
of Kings, State of New York, United States of America 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:--
This invention relates to tools or devices adapted for sharpening metal articles,
such as skates, scissors, &c., and is embodied in a case, box or holder which I shall
herein denominate as the holder, and a file surfaced or emery plate or block, an oil
stone, or other plate, block or stone having an abrading surface which I shall
herein denominate as the abrading plate, such abrading plate being adjustably
held in the holder, and the holder being provided with an opening or openings

page_text: permitting contact of the abrading plate and the article to be sharpened, and with
guides controlling the relative positions of the sharpening tool and the article to be
sharpened during the sharpening operation, that is to say, guiding the article and
sharpening tool as they are moved or rubbed in contact with each other or one is
moved or rubbed in contact with the other. The improved sharpening device is
so constructed that no tools are necessary for its manipulation or for the adjust-
ment of its abrading surface so as to bring fresh surfaces into contact with the
article, or for the reversal of the abrading plate so as to bring its reverse face
into contact with the article, or for the removal of a worn or dulled abrading plate
and the substitution of a new abrading plate therefor, as the abrading plate is
held with a yielding spring pressure in the holder and is so held that the use of
the sharpening device will not disturb or dislodge the abrading plate from the
position to which it has been adjusted, but nevertheless the abrading plate may
be readily and quickly adjusted, reversed, removed or replaced by hand whenever.
desired.
My invention also includes in the embodiment thereof as a skate sharpener, a
handle and a pivotal connection between said holder and handle whereby the
abrading surface is allowed to follow the curvature of the lower surface of the
skate blade or runner; and my invention also includes other features.which will
now be set forth in describing the accompanying drawings illustrating embodiments
of the invention in a skate sharpener and scissors sharpener.
In the drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a skate sharpener embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view but partly in section.
Figure 3 is an end view of the skate sharpener and also partly shows in section
a skate runner upon which the sharpener is held in operative position.
Figure 4 is a face view of a file surfaced abrading plate.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of a scissors sharpener embodying my invention
showing in section a scissors blade held in operative position thereupon.
Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal section of part of the scissors sharpener.
Figure 7 is an end elevation of the scissors sharpener, and Figure 8 is a plan
view of the same.
The abrading surfaces may be the two opposite faces of a plate or block or
stone, preferably a steel plate a having roughened upper and lower surfaces or
provided with file teeth, and as shown having file teeth extending obliquely across
its upper surface (see Fig. 4) whereby an oblique or draw filing action is had upon
the article. The lower surface of the abrading plate may be in all respects the
same as the upper surface thereof, or one surface or part of either surface may be
adapted for a coarse or rough preliminary sharpening operation and the other
surface or other parts of either surface may be adapted for a smooth and fine
finishing sharpening operation. But a small portion of one face of the abrading
plate is in operative position at one time and when this portion becomes worn or
dulled a fresh surface may be brought into operative position as hereinafter
described and when all of one surface becomes worn or dulled the plate may be
reversed and thus a new surface brought into use; or with a plate having coarse
and fine file teeth the plate may be readily shifted or reversed to bring one or the
other set of teeth into operative position. In some cases but one surface of the
plate may be roughened or provided with file teeth but the double surfaced plate
will usually be employed.
The holder bis preferably of spring sheet metal, as spring brass, iron or steel, and
is bent preferably to the form of a rectangular box open at both ends; and in the skate
sharpener I propose to make the box entirely open at the bottom, and in the scissors
sharpener I propose to partly form the bottom of the box or holder by narrow
ledges c, c, along each side so as to give a sufficiently firm bearing on a flat surface,
while permitting access to the abrading plate a, and thus the sides of the box not
being joined together at the bottom are free to act as springs. The sides of the
box or holder & have longitudinal grooves or guides d, d, formed therein by angular

page_text: may be.
bends of the sheet metal sides of the holder; and the abrading plate a is held at.
opposite edges within these grooves d, d, in the sides of the holder and extends
across from side to side of the holder, and the width of the abrading plate a is
such that when the abrading plate is within the holder the sides of the holder at
the bottoms of the grooves d, d, in the sides of the holder, exert a spring pressure
to hold the abrading plate in place. When the abrading plate is to be inserted'
or removed or moved within the holder, the spring sides of the holder
sprung apart by hand and without any tools and the abrading plate will then move.
freely in the grooves of the holder and may be inserted, removed, or shifted in
position as desired, and when the sides of the holder are released they will spring
against and tightly hold the abrading plate in the position to which it has been
moved, or will slightly approach each other if the abrading plate has been
removed. Thus all desired adjustments of the abrading plate may be readily and
quickly performed by hand without the use of tools.
In the skate sharpener shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, the spring action is.
largely confined to one side only of the holder and the other side is made com-
paratively stiff by suitable bracing, and thereby ample spring holding action is
secured, and in the scissors sharpener both sides are freely spring acting; and it
is of course evident that each of these constructions is within my invention.
The direction of the relative movement of the article to be sharpened and the
sharpening tool or device is substantially at right angles to the direction in which
the abrading plate a is moved when adjusting it within the holder band thus the
sharpening operation has no tendency to disturb the adjustment of the abrading plate-
within the holder. Suitable transverse grooves or openings are provided in the
holder to permit the article to be sharpened to come into contact with the abrading
surface, and in the skate sharpener a sufficient opening is made in the holder from
the bottom upward to the abrading plate and with sufficient clearance of the lower
surface of the abrading plate, by slitting the sheet metal sides and bending portions
of them nearly at right angles so as to form spring wings e, e, with sufficient.
distance between them to receive the skate runner, (shown in Figure 3, and
lettered y) and thus these wings e, e, will form spring guides to hold the skate-
ruuner and sharpening device in proper relative positions, and if their spring-
adjustment is not sufficient for any especially wide or narrow runner they may be.
readily bent to proper positions to embrace the runner.
In the scissors sharpener as shown the material of the holder is cut or slit at the
top and is cut away downward in the sides a sufficient depth to clear the upper
surface of the abrading plate and the top portions are bent downward to form.
flanges and g (see Figure 6), and thus a groove is formed having a substantially
vertical wall on one side and an inclined wall on the other side, these side walls.
being formed by the edges of the sides and by the bent flanges or wings from the
top of the holder and serving as guides to the scissors blade, (shown in Figure 5
and lettered x), as such scissors blade is being drawn across the surface of the
abrading plate, and the inclined wall being at such an angle as to permit the
.scissors blade to be held in the angular position required for the sharpest or most
acute bevel of scissors for which the sharpening device is designed. In the scissors
sharpener the abrading plate is preferably held at a slight inclination in the holder,
and to this end the grooves d, d, are slightly inclined from the horizontal as shown
so that when a scissors blade is held in vertical position and against the vertical
wall of the groove, the edge will be ground at a slight bevel. To provide a large-
bearing surface along the vertical wall the flange f bent downward from the top at
this place extends nearly to the surface of the abrading plate; and in the
sharpening operation the scissors blade will be pressed against this vertical wall,
and therefore such large bearing surface is desirable. The flange g extending
downward at the inclined wall of the groove extends downward only a sufficient
distance to brace the top edge of the groove and thus the groove is open between
the inclined edges of the sides of the holder so that a curved scissors blade may
be readily sharpened upon the tool.

page_text: The box or holder b of the scissors sharpener is made of sufficient length to be
readily grasped by one hand of the operator, and when the sharpener is to be used
it may be placed upon a flat surface, as of a table, and firmly held against said
surface by one hand of the operator while the other hand of the operator is
employed in grasping the scissors blade and drawing it through the groove of the
sharpener and over the upper surface of the abrading plate. It is to be noted that
the operator in thus grasping the holder tends to press its spring sides inward thus
tightening the grip of these sides upon the abrading plate. This is the preferred
operation although it is evident that the sharpening tool may be otherwise
manipulated.
The skate sharpener is shown as provided with a handle and therefore the
box is usually of much smaller dimensions than in the scissors sharpener. The
preferred operation in the use of this sharpener is that of pushing the sharpener
over the lower surface of the skate runner with the lower surface of the abrading
plate in contact with the runner, the skate being supported bottom upwards in any
suitable manner. As the lower surface of the skate runner is usually a curved
surface, it is desirable to have the sharpener adjust itself to this curvature and this
is provided by a pivotal connection between the holder and handle h, and
I provide a hood i extending upward from the holder to receive the end of the
handle, and a suitable pivot pin extending through the walls of the hood and
through the handle h, and this hood is shaped so that it will come in contact with
the handle and act as a stop thereto in two extreme positions. Thus the holder b
and abrading plate a carried thereby will have a limited swinging movement
relatively to the handle as the sharpener is pushed over the surface of the skate
runner, and the abrading plate will adjust itself to the curvature of the skate
runner. It will be observed that the handle swings in a plane parallel to the
direction of movement or line of contact of the abrading plate and the article to be
sharpened, and thus the swinging movement of the abrading plate as it adjusts
itself to the curvature of the skate runner does not vary its uniform contact across
the width of the bottom of the runner.
The hood i is shown as extending partly down in rear of that side of the holder
which is the rear side when the skate sharpener is pushed forward over the skate
runner, to brace or stiffen that side as above mentioned, thus preventing any
possible loosening of the abrading plate a within the holder b when the holder is
pushed over the skate runner.
The sharpening operation frequently produces a slight burr on the side edge of
the lower surface of a skate runner, but this may be readily removed by the
sharpener, it being only necessary to adjust the abrading plate a so that it
protrudes at one side of the holder and when thus adjusted the holder may be
placed so that the abrading surface is in contact with a vertical side of the skate
runner and the side of the holder is in contact with the lower surface of the runner,
and the sharpener may then be pushed along the runner with the effect of removing
the burr. This operation may be repeated with the abrading surface in contact
with the other vertical side of the runner and thus both side edges will be finished.
It is of course evident that various modifications may be made in the constructions
shown in the drawings and above particularly described, and I do not therefore
limit myself to such specific constructions, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In a sharpening device the combination with a holder having a guide for the
article to be sharpened, of an abrading plate held in said holder and capable of
adjustment therein across the line of contact of the abrading plate and article to
be sharpened so as to bring different parts of an abrading surface into operative
position, part of said holder constituting a spring the manipulation of which permits
the abrading plate to be adjusted within the holder, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 2. In a sharpening device the combination with a holder of a longitudinally
adjustable abrading plate in said holder, said holder being provided with a transverse
opening permitting contact of the abrading plate and the article to be sharpened
and relative movement of the sharpener and article transversely of the holder and
part of said holder constituting a spring whereby said plate is adjustably held in
place, substantially as set forth.
3. In a sharpening device the combination with a holder of a longitudinally
adjustable abrading plate in said holder, said holder having longitudinal grooves at
its sides in which said abrading plate is held, and one or both of the sides of the
holder constituting a spring by the manipulation of which the abrading plate may
be adjusted, substantially as set forth.
4. In a sharpening device the combination with a holder of an abrading plate
held in said holder and a handle pivotally connected to said holder, substantially
as set forth.
5. In a sharpening device the combination with a holder having a guide for the
article to be sharpened and an abrading plate held in said holder, of a handle
pivoted on the holder so as to swing in a plane substantially parallel to the line of
contact of the abrading plate and the article to be sharpened, and a stop to limit
the swinging movement of the handle, substantially as set forth.
6. In a sharpening device the combination with a holder of an abrading plate
held in said holder, said holder being provided with an opening permitting contact
of the abrading plate and the article to be sharpened, and with spring wings
forming guides about said opening and a handle joined to said holder, and part of
said holder constituting a spring by the manipulation of which the abrading plate
may be adjusted within the holder, substantially as set forth.
7. In a sharpening device the combination with a holder of a reversible abrading
plate in said halder, said holder having longitudinal guides at its sides in which
said abrading plate is held and one or both of the sides of the holder constituting
a spring by the manipulation of which the abrading plate may be adjusted or
reversed, and said holder having a transverse opening and guides about said
opening permitting contact of the article and abrading plate and relative movement
of the sharpener and article transversely of the holder, substantially as set forth.
8. In a sharpening device the combination with the holder 6 of the abrading
plate a held therein, said holder having longitudinal grooves d, d, at its sides in
which said plate is held, and one or both of the sides of said holder b constituting a
spring by the manipulation of which the abrading plate a may be adjusted, and
said holder 6 having a transverse opening permitting contact of the abrading plate
and article to be sharpened and having spring wings e, e, about said opening,
substantially as set forth.
9. In a sharpening device the combination with the holder b of the abrading
plate a held therein, said holder having longitudinal grooves d, d, formed in its
sides in which said plate is held, and one or both of the sides of said holder
constituting a spring by the manipulation of which the abrading plate a may be
adjusted, and the hoodi on said holder and bracing one side thereof, and said
holder having a transverse opening permitting contact of the abrading plate and
article to be sharpened and having spring wings e, e, about said opening, and the
handle h and pivot pin i whereby said handle is pivotally secured to said holder
substantially as set forth.
10. A sharpening device constructed, arranged and operating substantially as
set forth.
"
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.