An Improved Cleaning and Polishing Apparatus for Forks, Spoons, Fruit Knives, and similar Articles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 29th Oct., 1898
An Improved Cleaning and Polishing Apparatus for Forks, Spoons,
Fruit Knives, and similar Articles.
I, ALFRED GEORGE PHILLIPS, of 2, Portman Mews South, Portman Square, W.,
Plate Polisher, 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 for an improved cleaning and polishing apparatus for forks, spoons,
fruit knives and similar articles has for its object to provide a simple and compact
arrangement whereby the cleaning and polishing of the various articles can be
readily effected, the parts of the apparatus being each adapted especially for the
several articles so that they can be thoroughly cleaned and polished; and consists
essentially in a block covered with leather or other polishing material, having its
edges so shaped as to fit the curves of forks and spoons. Another portion of the
block is formed with a flat surface for polishing fruit knives and the like while
another portion is formed with grooves by which the tines or prongs of the forks can
be polished. A loose portion of the leather also allows for the polishing of the bowls
of spoons and the outer curved surfaces of forks and other articles.
In order that this invention may be more readily understood reference is had to
the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings on which Fig. 1 is a perspective
view of an apparatus constructed according to this invention, and Fig. 2 is a cross
section of the same showing a spoon in position for polishing its back surface.
The apparatus is formed of a block of wood or other material having its three
portions A B C adapted for use with the different articles to be polished.
The portion A is covered with leather or other suitable material a and is grooved
at a¹ so that the material a hangs somewhat loosely over the said groove a¹. The
edges a² a³ are shaped so as to fit the curves of spoons or of forks.
The portion B is also covered with leather or other suitable material band is flat
on its upper surface.
The portion C is formed with the two sets of grooves c¹ c² adapted for polishing
the tines or prongs of large and small forks respectively. The whole is covered with
indiarubber or with leather or other suitable material c. The grooves c¹ c² are
preferably somewhat narrowed or closed in at c³ c* in order that the points of the
said tines or prongs may also be polished.
The leather or other coverings a b c may be secured in place by suitable adhesives
or by means of wedges d d as shown in Fig. 2 or other means of attachment may be
employed.
In use, a small amount of plate powder is placed on the apparatus and slightly
moistened. The bowls of spoons can then be polished by rubbing them on the loose
portion of the material a. The curves of the spoon can be polished by rubbing over
the specially shaped edges a² a³ and, if of the size adapted for the apparatus the
spoon can be laid over the portion A as shown in Fig. 2 and moved to and fro so
that the whole of the back of the spoon is polished at one operation.
Forks can be similarly treated and the tines or prongs can be polished in one or
other of the sets of grooves c¹ c² according to the size. One of the edges a² a³ is also
preferably shaped to fit the curve of the said tines or prongs of the fork.

page_text: The flat surface of the portion B allows for the polishing of fruit knives and other
flat articles.
In order that the edges a² a³ may be better adapted for their work, layers e¹ e² of
indiarubber or similar material are preferably fitted under the leather or other
material a.
It will of course be understood that any parts of the spoons or other articles which
cannot be polished by this apparatus must be cleaned or polished by ordinary
methods.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is:-
(1) An improved cleaning and polishing apparatus for forks, spoons, fruit knives
and similar articles comprising a block having several portions, covered with leather
or other suitable material, one of the said portions being formed with specially
shaped edges and the covering material being loose at one portion thereof, another
of the said portions having a flat polishing surface and the other portion having
grooves for polishing the tines or prongs of forks, substantially as described and for
the purposes specified.
(2) An improved cleaning and polishing apparatus for forks, spoons, fruit knives
and similar articles comprising the portions ABC covered with leather or other
suitable material a b c, the portion A having a groove a¹ so that the material a of
said groove is loose, and specially shaped edges a² a³, the portion B having a flat
surface and the portion C having the sets of grooves c¹ c² substantially as described
with reference to the drawings and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 17th day of Santambar 1800