AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TABLE KNIVES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TABLE KNIVES."
-A communication.
Sealed the 13th February 1857, and dated the 17th December 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tho
17th December 1856.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TABLE
KNIVES," to be as follows:-
In manufacturing table knives it has been the practice heretofore to make
the shank of what is known as malleable cast iron, with a flat piece extending
beyond the balance nut, which is then secured to the steel blade by the usual
flat weld; but this mode of manufacturing is defective, for the reason that the
lap of malleable iron extends on to the blade, and is there visible, particularly
after the knife has been in use, and for the further reason that this mode
of effecting the union requires the blade to be made of greater thickness where
the weld is made than is required for the purposes of the blade.
To avoid these and other difficulties, this Invention in the manufacture of

page_text: table knives consists in uniting the steel blade with the cast shank, whether of
cast iron or what is known as malleable iron, by cutting a groove in the
forward part of the balance nut of the shank of the required size to receive
the rear end of the steel blade, which is ground, filed, or otherwise reduced to
the required thickness for insertion in the groove of the balance nut, whilo the
latter is heated to the temperature of about a cherry red with borax applied to
the surfaces which are to be united after such surfaces have been well cleansed,
and then heating the nut with the steel blade inserted to about a cherry red
heat, and then effecting the weld of the surfaces by the application of per-
cussive pressure on the outer surfaces of the nut.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th June 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time 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 "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TABLE KNIVES," being a communication
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
:-
In manufacturing table knives it has been the practice heretofore to make
the shank of what is known as malleable cast iron, with a flat piece extending
beyond the balance nut, which is then secured to the steel blade by the usual
flat weld; but this mode of manufacturing is defective, for the reason that the
lap of malleable iron extends on to the blade, and is there visible, particularly
after the knife has been in use, and for the further reason that this mode
of effecting the union requires the blade to be made of greater thickness where
the weld is made than is required for the purposes of the blade.
To avoid these and other difficulties is the object of the present Invention of
an improvement in the manufacture of tablo knives, which consists in uniting
the steel blade with the cast shank, whether of cast iron or what is known as
malleable iron. The union of the parts is effected by cutting a groove in the
forward part of the balance nut of the shank of the required size to receive the
rear end of the steel blade, which is ground, filed, or otherwise reduced to
the required thickness for insertion in the groove of the balance nut. The
latter is heated to the temperature of about a cherry red, and borax is applied
to the surfaces which are to be united, the surfaces having been previously well
cleansed; the nut with the steel blade inserted is then heated to about a
cherry red beat, and the welding of the surfaces is effected by tho application
of percussive pressure on the outer surfaces of the nut.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents the knife complete, but
without the handle; Fig. 2, the plate of steel for the blade, prepared for
but before it is attached to the shank; Fig. 3, a separate view of the shank,
prepared for being attached to the blade; and Fig. 4, a representation of the
blade and shank put together before welding. The same letters indicate like
parts in all the Figures.
a represents the shank, made of cast or malleable iron, or it may be simply
of cast iron, although malleable iron is preferable. It is cast with a balance nut
6 of any desired pattern, and the form of the shank is to be of any size suited
to the handle. In the forward end of the nut a groove c is cut in the plane of
the blade, and to the depth of about one-half the length of the nut, more
or less, and with the sides thereof parallel in all directions, as seen in the per-
spective view, Fig. 3. The blade d is made of steel, cut out of sheets or strips
of the required thickness, and the rear part e thereof is ground, filed, or planed
to the required thickness to fit the groove in the balance nut freely when the
nut is heated.

page_text: The parts being prepared as above, and the inner surfaces of the groove c,
and of the parts of the blade to fit therein, being bright and clean, the nut
should be heated to about a cherry red temperature, and after applying borax
to the surfaces the part e of the blade is inserted in the groove c, and then heat
is again applied until the nut and the part of the blade inserted therein are
brought up to about a cherry red heat; the parts are then hammered or swaged,
by which a weld is effected. After this the knife is to be finished in the usual
way. In this way manufacturers will be enabled to make the blades of sheet
steel rolled to the required thickness, with the shank of malleable or cast iron,
and a strong and permanent union of the two parts is effected without extending
the malleable or cast iron beyond the balance nut, thus avoiding all the defects
presented by the mode of manufacture heretofore practised.
What I claim as new in the present Invention, and desire to secure by
Letters Patent, is the manufacture of table knives with the blade of steel and
the shank and balance uut cast of malleable or ordinary cast iron in the
manner above shewn and described, or any mere modification thereof, in which
the blade of steel is inserted and secured in the nut or shank.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chaucery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)