IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR PIERCING AND DRILLING TANGS AND SCALES FOR TABLE KNIVES AND FORKS, TABLE AND BUTCHERS' STEELS AND BUTCHERS' KNIVES
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Nixon and Jabez
Winterbottom at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 7th May 1870.
"
We, JOSEPH NIXON and JABEZ WINTERBOTTOM, both of Sheffield, in
the County of York, Cutlery Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR PIERCING AND
DRILLING TANGS AND SCALES FOR TABLE KNIVES AND FORKS, TABLE AND BUTCHERS'
STEELS AND BUTCHERS' KNIVES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction
and arrangement of machinery for the purpose of piercing and drilling
tangs and scales for knives and forks of various descriptions, including
butchers' knives and steels; the Invention being also applicable to
bolstered and capped cutlery of all kinds, more especially to "pierced"
or shell bolstered cutlery.
The objects sought are accomplished by punching simultaneously with
the holes for the scales an additional hole for the pin of the bolster.

page_text: So also holes of various sizes may be punched by one and the same
bed made of steel, with corresponding holes according to the number
of punches and their positions. We use a metal block drilled with a
number of holes, in the places to correspond with the reception of the
steel punches, which are to be inserted in the holes, and held securely
therein by means of set screws; these punches are turned in a lathe
so as to bring them to an accurate form, both in regard to their
cylindrical portion held in the block, and also to their punching ends;
they are then cut with a notch or recess into which the set screw passes
when turned tightly, and by these arrangements the situation of the
punches becomes constant during the work, whatever number of scales
may be treated. The bed being secured in a suitable table by means of
clamping screws or other equivalents, the punching block is set over it
in suitable bearings or guides, but between the punch block and the
bed we place a steel pull-off plate which is held in position by two
metal straps, the plate being raised up to the straps by flat springs;
oblong square perforations are cut in the pull-off plate to admit of the
steel punches through the plate and tang and into the holes in the bed
plate; suitable guages are applied to the bed in order to regulate the
position of the article to be pierced. We also use a metal template,
drilled with holes in accordance with the bed and punches, so that they
shall always correspond, thereby permitting any pairs of scales being
fitted to any knife or other article of cutlery. The template is improved
by means of roughing or filing it on the inner surface, whereby the
scale is prevented from moving from its situation when once adjusted,
thus overcoming a serious defect in a flush or smooth surface of template,
for while the drilling is in operation the scale becomes fixed, and
cannot deviate. The tang of the knife, fork, or other article being
placed between the bed and plate the punch block is brought suddenly
down, thus piercing the articles as required. The machinery is worked
by fly or other power actuated by steam or manual labor.