Year: 1886

page_text: ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of handles for knives
and forks.
Handles for knives and forks made of wood as hitherto made possess the great
disadvantage that they are much too heavy in consequence of the stem of the blade
running the entire length of the handle.
Now in order to avoid this disadvantage I manufacture my handle for knives
and forks so that the stem only enters a short distance into the wood and is firmly
held in position in the same by means of two wires of appropriate section.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying sheet of drawings represents the blade and stem in
elevation and the handle in section.
Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of the wooden handle and the attachment wires.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the blade, stem and wooden portion of the handle,
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the attachment wire which is imbedded in the wood.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the finished handle and blade.
Fig. 5 represents the stem provided with sharp grooves or notches.
If the short stem a of the blade m has been inserted in the wooden handle h the
wire d which is flattened at the ends and in the middle is so bent over the said
wooden handle that it lies snugly in the grooves or recesses in the said handle.
A thinner wire d' is then laid round the upper ends of the said wire d above the
wooden bandle h so that the same are tightly drawn together and fixed to the stem
of the blade.
The so prepared handle is now placed in the form so that the wooden handle is
firmly compressed and not only the cavity for the stem subjected to considerable
pressure but also so that the wood is forced towards the side and the wire brought
into immediate contact with the wooden part of the handle.
This compression of the parts of the handle is necessary as it prevents the
fluid metal (Brittania Metal) from penetrating into the parts s of the wood which

page_text: remain free, that is, between the form and the side parts of the handle and only
allows the metal to flow into the form so as to cover the wire d and the connection
between the wood and the blade.
In order to render the connection still firmer I prefer to make the stem a to the
blade m conical or to provide the same with notches or grooves Fig. 5 which are
subsequently pressed into the wood of the handle so that an absolutely safe firm
connection is made between the stem a or a¹ and the wood of the handle.
After the edges and the connection between handle and blade have been cast the
handle is ground and polished as customary.
Handles of knives and forks made in this manner are extremely light and
durable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
In handles for knives and forks :-
1. The application and employment of a short stem a or a¹ inserted in the
wooden handle around which a wire d is laid said wire being firmly bound or
attached to the said stem by means of a suitable form and the entire handle firmly
compressed in an appropriate form and the wire then covered with cast Brittania
metal or its equivalent substantially as described and shown,
2. The manufacture of stems to the blades of knives and forks said stems being
provided with recesses, notches or grooves into which the wood of the handle is
pressed in order to form a firm connection between the stem of the blade and the
handle substantially as described and shown.
Deted this 3rd day of August 1886.