An Improved Apparatus for Washing Knives.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 2nd June, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Washing Knives.
I WILLIAM ROBERT KNOTT, of 39 Stafford Street High Street Peckham,
London, Gentleman, 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 an improved apparatus for washing knives whereby the
grease is quickly and efficiently removed from the surface of the knives, thus
preparing them for a final cleaning and polishing in an ordinary knife cleaning
machine or otherwise.
My improved apparatus consists of a box constructed preferably of tin or other
suitable metal. This box is provided with a lid formed with a number of narrow
slits or openings into which the blade of the knives to be washed are inserted, the
said blades hanging down vertically inside the box, in which position they are
supported by their shoulders bearing upon the upper surface of the lid. To one
end of the box is connected a vertical pipe the upper end of which is bent at right-
angles and enters the top part of the box, this bent part leading into a branch pipe
or connection extending across the width of the box, and being perforated with
small holes. The lower end of the vertical pipe is also bent or formed into a
branch entering the lower part of the box. This branch is formed of smaller
diameter than the rest of the pipe and terminates in a contracted opening. At the
centre of the vertical pipe is formed a small branch for connecting the said pipe
with a boiler or hot water pipe. The knives are kept in a rigid or vertical position
by passing through a wire screen acting as a guide fixed midway between the top
and bottom of the box, and the end of the box opposite that to which the vertical
pipe is attached, is provided with an overflow passage, which passage is also con-
tinued underneath the bottom of the box, whereby the superfluous water escapes
from the interior of the box. The said box may be fixed above an ordinary sink
so that the overflow can run into the same, or it may be placed in any other suitable
position and be made portable by connecting the vertical pipe with the boiler or
hot water pipe by means of a flexible tube, the overflow being also provided with a
flexible tube to carry off the water to any point required. The hot water being
turned on, it is forced through the perforations of the top and bottom branches of
the vertical pipe and impinges against the knife blades, and the water collected in
the box is also considerably agitated thereby, thus causing the grease &c. to be
removed from the surface of the blades. The handles of the knives being outside
the box they are not brought into contact with the water therein and consequently
are not injured thereby.
And in order that my invention may be more clearly understood I will describe
the same with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of my improved apparatus taken on the line x, . of
Fig. 2. which is a top plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section and
Fig. 4 a horizontal section on the line y, y of Fig. 1.
a is the metal box provided with a sliding movable cover 6 formed with slits or
openings for receiving the blades of the knives, one of which is shown in dotted
lines in Fig. 1. c is the vertical pipe attached to one end of the box a communi-
cating with a perforated branch pipe d in the upper part of the box, and with a
contracted orifice e in the lower part of the box. The pipe c communicates by
means of a screw connecting with a pipe leading to a boiler or hot water pipe.
is the wire screen or guide for holding the blades in a rigid or vertical position.
is an overflow passage formed at one end of and underneath the bottom of
the box.

page_text: improveu zipparatus for vaɛning anives,
The operation is as follows:-The knives being placed in position in the slits b',
the hot water is turned on and entering the pipe cis forced through the perforations
in the pipe d and through the orifice e, impinging against the blades of the knives
and agitating the water collected in the box a thus removing the grease &c. from
the said blades. As the water rises to the height of the wire guide g it overflows
into the passage & and escapes through the opening 4'.
Having now fully 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
clnim is.-
1. The improved apparatus for washing knives consisting of a box a having a
cover provided with slots b', a hot-water pressure pipe r, perforated pipe d,
orifice, guide and overflow passage A substantially as described and shown in
the accompanying sheet of drawings.
2. The improved knife-washing apparatus substantially as described and for the
Purpose set forth.
pose act TOTEN,
Dated this 20th day of March 1803
F. G. CASSELL,
Of Cassell & Co.,
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, Agent for the Applicant.
F. G. CASSELL,
Of Cassell & Co.,
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, Agent for the Applicant.