IMPROVEMENTS IN CUTLERY
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Staniforth, of Sheffield, in the County
of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CUTLERY."
Scaled the 9th October 1874, and dated the 13th April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Staniforth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th April 1874.
66
I, WILLIAM STANIFORTH, of Sheffield, in the County of York, do
IMPROVEMENTS IN
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
CUTLERY," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of pocket knives and other
similar articles having a complete or partial revolving motion for the
purpose of closing up and securing the blades when not in use.
In carrying out this Invention a barrel or case is constructed of any
suitable desired material, with an opening down the entire length or any
given portion of its length; the body of the knife (the description being
for an ordinary penknife) with the blades is made to fit and revolve
inside the case, so that by a partial or entire revolution the blades may
i

page_text: be brought opposite to the opening in the barrel or case, and they are
then in a position to be opened for use, after using, the blades being
closed, a partial revolution causes the blades to disappear inside the case,
and a plain portion of the body fills up the opening. To lock the body
in either of before-named positions, i.c., open or shut, that end of the
body of the knife farthest from the joint of the blades is continued in
the shape of a strong pin or spindle projecting through and past the
end of the case; an ornamental slide works lengthwise on the pin, but is
so constructed that it cannot revolve except it carries the body with it.
This slide has a longitudinal movement but is prevented coming off the
end of the spindle by a nut that screws on the spindle and forms an
ornamental finish to the knife; a spiral spring inside the slide presses
the slide against the end of the case and body of knife; at this junction
there is a short pin projecting from the end of the case for fitting into
two corresponding holes formed in the end of the slide, which are
brought alternately as desired opposite the said short pin by a partial
revolution of the slide and body, and on releasing the slide the pressure
of the spiral spring causes the pin to enter either of the said holes, and
the body of the knife is thereby securely locked in an open or shut
position relatively to the opening in the barrel or case as before described.
This locking movement may be applied or not as desired without
interfering with the Invention as before described.
The advantages of knives constructed in the manner described arc,-
First. That the blades are better protected from dirt and rust.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Staniforth in the Great Seal Patent Office 30
on the 13th October 1874.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 37th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Staniforth, Her special license
that I, the said William Staniforth, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Staniforth, my executors,
administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CUTLERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Staniforth, my exccutors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and scal, 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 Staniforth, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to the construction of pocket knives and other
similar articles having a partial revolving motion for the purposo
of closing up, securing, and keeping clean the blades when not in use,
and consists in a barrel or case which is formed with a slot or opening
down any desired portion of its length, and in which the body of a
penknife (or other similar article) with its blades is fitted and caused to
revolve, so that by a partial revolution the blades may be brought
opposite to the said slot or opening or in a position for opening out, and
by a similar movement the blades may be caused to disappear inside the
barrel or case, a plain portion of the body filling up the slot or opening.
The body and blades may be locked in either position by a pin or spindle
projecting from the body through the back end of the barrel or case, on
which pin or spindle an ornamental hilt or slide. works longitudinally in

page_text: こ
and out of gear with a stud or piu projecting from the back of the
barrel or case by the action of a spiral spring contained in and between
the said slide and a nut screwed on to the end of the pin or spindlo
projecting from the body.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings; the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal view of my improved pocket knife (or other
similar article) shut up when not required for use; Figuro 2 is a
longitudinal view of the same with the body in position for opening the
blades; Figure 3 is a longitudinal side view of the same with the blades
opened out for use; Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the same on
line 1-2, in Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a sectional plan of the same on
line 3-4, in Figure 1.
A represents à barrel or case made of silver or any other desired
material, and formed with a slot or opening x extending downwards
from its upper or open end to any desired portion of its length. Insido
the barrel or case A is fitted and caused to revolve the body B, which
carries the blades a, b, of the knife (the description being for an ordinary
penknife), so that by a partial revolution the blades a, b, aro brought
opposite to the slot or opening x in the barrel or case A, and are then in
a position to be opened out for use (see Figures 2 and 3). After being
used the blades a, b, are again closed and by a similar movement of the
body B are caused to disappear inside the barrel or case A, a plain
portion of the body B closing the slot or opening in the latter (as
seen in Figure 1).
In order to lock the body B with the blades a, b, in either an open or
shut position, as above described, that end of the body farthest from the.
joint of the blades a, b, is continued in the form of a strong pin or spindle c,
which passes through, and projects from the back end of the barrel or
case A as shewn. Longitudinally on this pin or spindle works an
ornamented hilt or slide C made of ivory or any other desired material,
and which is so constructed that it cannot revolve without carrying the
body B, and blades a, b, with it. This may be effected by making a

page_text: square hole or passage through the hilt or slide C where it slides on the
pin or spindle c, or by any other suitable contrivance. The hilt or
slide. C is prevented from coming off the pin or spindle c by a nut d
screwed on the end of the latter, which nut forms an ornamental finish
to the knife. A spiral spring e is placed round the pin or spindle c
inside the hilt or slide C between the latter and the nut d, which spring
presses the hilt or slide C normally against the face of the back end of
the barrel or case A; on this face is a short projecting stud y (Figure 4),
and on the meeting face of the hilt or slide Care two holes z, z,
(Figure 4), corresponding with the projecting stud y in such a manner
that on pulling back the hilt or slide C. and partially.turning it, the
body B and blades a, b, are brought into either an open or shut position
(relatively with the slot or opening ), and then releasing the hilt or
slide C the spring d will cause the latter to fly back against the back
end of the barrel or case A, and in so doing the projecting stud y will
enter either of the holes or ¹, in the hilt or slide C, and thereby lock
the knife in either an open or shut position as required.
Figure 6 is a sectional viow shewing another mode of looking the
body B and its blades a, b; and Figure 7 is a sectional clevation of
Figure 6. This modification in the locking movement consists of a
small bolt c¹ which is substituted for the pin or spindle c projecting from
the body B as before described, and is formed at its upper end with a
projecting tooth or catch y¹ which fits into a corresponding slot or nick
in the back end of the said body as shewn. This bolt c¹ is enclosed in a
socket which is formed with t _ shaped slots f, f, at opposite parts.
of its circumference, and is soldered or otherwise secured at its upper
end to, and forms a continuation of the back end of the barrel or caso A.
Between the bottom of this socket and the lower end of the bolt c¹ is a
spiral spring 9. C¹ is an ornamental cap enclosing and capable of
sliding longitudinally over the socket e, and fixed transversely across
this ornamental cap is a pin which passes through the slots f,f, in the
socket and through a hole in the bolt c'. By pulling back the
ornamental cap C¹ the pin h is brought down from the upward returning
notches at either end of the slots f, f, into the straight portions of the
latter, and by partially turning the said cap the bolt c. is turned in
either direction to the limit of the said straight portions of the slots f, f,
the body B and blades a, b, being thereby (and by means of the tooth or
catch on the bolt c¹) brought into an open or shut position relatively

page_text: with the slot or opening in the barrel or case A as required. On
releasing the ornamental cap C¹ the spring 9 causes it to fly back against
the back end of the barrel or case A, and the pin h entering either of
the upward returning notches of the slots ff, thereby locks the body B
and blades a, b, in either an open or shut position as in the case herein- 5
before described. These locking movements may be applied or not as
desired without interfering with the Invention as before described.

page_text: and other similar articles, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Staniforth, have to this
my Specification, set my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of
October, One thousand eight hundred and and seventy-four.
WILLIAM STANIFORTH. (LS.)