A NEW SCISSORS AND SHEARS SHARPENER
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Richard Holding, of 82, Ball's Pond
Road, Islington, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"A NEW SCISSORS AND SHEARS SHARPENER."
Sealed the 16th October 1875, and dated the 21st April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Richard
Holding at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 21st April 1875.
I, GEORGE RICHARD HOLDING, of 82, Ball's Pond Road, Islington, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "A NEW SCISSORS AND SHEARS SHARPENER," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a scissors and shears sharpener constructed
of two or more pieces of steel or other metal, stone, or compound, and
made as follows:-One piece of steel or other metal, stone, or com-
pound is round about of an inch in diameter and about 2 inches in
length, but I hold to myself the right to make this piece which I call
the sharpener in any shape and of any dimensions it may please me.
The other piece or pieces of steel or other metal or compound is made in

page_text: any shape I may choose, which is to form a guide or guides for the
scissors or shears; the said guide or guides are placed on the aforesaid
sharpener either loose or fixed, at present I prefer to to make the said
guide or guides of steel wire and in the shape of the letter Z, or nearly
SO. I also hold to myself the right to make the guide or guides of ivory i
or wood, or of any other material.
My principle which I claim for sharpening scissors or shears on the
sharpener is as follows:-The guide or guides are so arranged on the
sharpener that when the scissors or shears are drawn across the
sharpener, as if in the act of cutting, it throws up the edges of the 1
scissors or shears.
The scissors or shears are opened, and the sharpener is placed between
the two blades of the scissors or shears with the flat or inner sides of the
latter against the guide or guides, the scissors or shears are then closed
and drawn off the sharpener at the same time as if trying to cut the 1
sharpener in two; the effect of this action is to throw up an edge on
the scissors or shears on account of the guide or guides being placed on
a level on the sharpener to correspond with the bevells of the edges
of the scissors or shears.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Richard Holding in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
RICHARD HOLDING, of 82, Ball's Pond Road, Islington, in the County
of Middlesex, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Richard Holding, Her special
licence that I, the said George Richard Holding, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Richard
Holding, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time

page_text: 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
"A NEW SCISSORS AND SHEARS SHARPENER," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Richard Holding, my executors or ad-
ministrators, 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 George Richard Holding, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
My Invention consists of a new scissors and shears sharpener, and is
constructed of two or more pieces of steel or other metal, stone, or
compound, one piece of steel hardened, or other metal, stone, or com-
pound, is about one-cighth of an inch in diameter and about two inches
in length. The other piece or pieces of steel or other metal, stone, or
compound is made in any suitable shape for the purpose of forming a
guide or guides for the scissors or shears, this guide or guides, if more
than one, are placed on the sharpener either loose or fixed. I prefer to
make the said guide or guides of steel wire and bent into the shape of
the letter Z or nearly so.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood and
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to
the annexed Drawing, which shews my new scissors and shears sharpener
full size.
a is the handle which it is obvious can be made of any material, size,
or shape as fancy may dictate; b is the sharpener; c, c, guides;
d, point to guide operator; e, rings or eyes fastening the guides on to
the sharpener.
The operation of this Invention is as follows:-The scissors or shears
are opened and the sharpener b is placed between the two blades of the
scissors or shears with the flat or inner sides of the latter against the

page_text: guide or guides c, c; the small point d which is in the centre of the
guides c, c, should point away from the operator; the scissors or shears are
then closed and drawn off the sharpener as if trying to cut the sharpener
in two, at the same time keeping the blades of the scissors or shears flat
against the guide or guides c, c; the effect of this action will be to
throw up an edge on the scissors or shears by reason of the guide or
guides c, c, being placed on a bevel on the sharpener 6 to correspond
with the bevels of the edges of the scissors or shears. The guide or
guides c, c, are fixed on the sharpener & by means of two eyes or rings e
formed on either end of the guide or guides c.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention, I
declare that what I claim and desire to be secured to me by the hercin-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction of a scissors
and shears sharpener consisting of a guide or guides made of the
materials before described, being placed on a steel (hardened) or other
metal, stone, or compound sharpener, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated on the Drawing, or any mere modification or
imitation thereof.
1.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Richard Holding, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
GEORGE RICHARD HOLDING. (L.S.)