MEANS FOR THE CONNECTION OF HANDLES TO THE BLADES OF TABLE AND OTHER KNIVES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN CONNECTING HANDLES TO VARIOUS SURGICAL AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS."
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Mayer at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 30th January 1879.
JOSEPH MAYER, of the Firm of Mayer and Meltzer, of No. 71, Great Portland
"IMPROVEMENTS
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Surgical Instrument Maker.
IN MEANS FOR THE CONNECTION OF HANDLES TO THE BLADES OF TABLE AND
OTHER KNIVES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN CONNECTING
HANDLES TO VARIOUS SURGICAL AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS."
In the case of table knives it is well known that when the handles thereof are
formed of ivory or of pearl the ivory or pearl is very liable to become injured in
appearance by immersion in water or other cleansing liquid, and by such immersion
such and other handles often become loosened from their blades and otherwise
injuriously affected. Considerable difficulty is also experienced in sufficiently
cleansing the parts between the blade and the handle of the juices collected
in use.
The object of my Invention is to remedy these evils and also to obtain other
advantages.
For this purpose I form the parts so that the handle of each knife may be readily
separated from and reconnected to its blade when required for the more complete
and safe cleansing of either or both, or for change of handle to the blade, if desired,
from a handle of a commoner or less costly material to one of different class or more
costly material, or the same handles may be capable of being used with blades of a
different material or character.
For this purpose the stem of the blade is formed to be received into a suitable
socket formed for it in the handle, and to be for the time held there securely by a
spring or other catch.
According to one arrangement the end of the stem next the blade, and by pre-
ference on the upper side thereof, is slightly recessed to receive as a catch a corre-
spondingly formed part at that end of the interior of the handle, and the stem of the
blade is formed as or with a spring with a tendency to retain the parts together
whilst they are capable of being readily released by slight pressure on the back
of the blade with a pull on each in the direction of one from the other.
According to another arrangement the connection of the parts may be effected by
a stud carried by the handle, and capable of rotation in a recess formed for it in
the stem of the blade, but which stud is cut away or flattened on one side to admit
of separation of the parts when the stud is so turned.

page_text: The connection of the parts may also be effected with capability of ready release
of them by a stud applied to a ring or ferule capable of partial rotation on the
handle, so that the end of the stud being moved into or out of a notch formed for it
in the stem of the blade holds or releases the handle.
These parts may however be varied.
It will be evident that such means.of_connection of the handles-to blades is also-
applicable_in_the_connection of handles to various surgical-and-other-instruments,
so that one handle may-be adapted to several of a series of instruments to effect a
saving of room in a case containing them, or otherwise. .