IMPROVEMENTS IN TABLE CUTLERY, THE SAID IMPROVEMENTS HAVING REFERENCE TO THE BETTER SECURING OF THE HANDLES THEREOF, AND IN THE GUARDS OF CARVING FORKS, AND IN THE METHOD OF ATTACHING THE SAME.
Year: 1880

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Thomas McGrah, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
Sewing Machine Manufacturer, and Charles Henry Wood, of the same Place,
Auctioneer, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN TABLE CUTLERY, THE
SAID IMPROVEMENTS HAVING REFERENCE TO THE BETTER SECURING OF THE
HANDLES THEREOF, AND IN THE GUARDS OF CARVING FORKS, AND IN
THE METHOD OF ATTACHING THE SAME.".
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas McGrah and
Charles Henry Wood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
3rd June 1880.
THOMAS MCGRAH, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Sewing Machine
Manufacturer, and CHARLES HENRY WOOD, of the same Place, Auctioneer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TABLE CUTLERY, THE SAID IMPROVEMENTS HAVING REFERENCE
TO THE BETTER SECURING OF THE HANDLES THEREOF, AND IN THE GUARDS OF
CARVING FORKS, AND IN THE METHOD OF ATTACHING THE SAME."
Our Invention consists of making the whole or part of the tangs or stems of
table blades and forks of a flat or oval form, and of making the holes in the handles
intended to receive the tangs or stems of the said articles of a corresponding shape,
so as to prevent the said tangs when inserted from turning round in the handles.
We further secure the said blade or fork tangs from being withdrawn from
the handle by having the ends of the tangs tapped with a screw thread, and
inserting from the head or opposite end of the handle a round piece of wire bored
and tapped at one end so as to fit and screw on the end of the tang, so as to screw
the same firmly together. The second part of our Invention relates to the
application of corkscrews and other useful articles to carving forks to act as guards
in place of ordinary or other guards at present in use, and of securing the same
by being tapped and screwed into the shanks of carving forks or by rivetting the
same to the shanks in a similar manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and of an
"
Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said Thomas McGrah and Charles
Henry Wood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th December 1880.
THOMAS MCGRAH, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Sewing Machine
Manufacturer, and CHARLES HENRY WOOD, of the same Place, Auctioneer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN TABLE CUTLERY, THE SAID IMPROVEMENTS HAVING REFERENCE
TO THE BETTER SECURING OF THE HANDLES THEREOF, AND IN THE GUARDS OF
CARVING FORKS, AND IN THE METHOD OF ATTACHING THE SAME."
The first part of our Invention consists of making the tangs or stems of table
blades and forks of a flat or oval form, and of making the holes in the handles of
the said articles intended to receive the said tangs or stems of a similar or
corresponding shape. The said tangs or stems may be made of such a length as to
extend through the whole length of the handle, and rivetted at the end thereof, or
the end of the tang may be tapped with a screw thread, and a nut applied thereto
so as to secure the same firmly in its position in the handle; the tang however
may be made of such a length as to extend into the handle less or more than half
its length. Where this method is adopted we bore or make the hole only of
sufficient length and shape to admit the tang or stem; we then, from the head or
opposite end of the handle, bore a round hole so as to meet that already made to
receive the tang; we then insert the tang, the end of which we previously
tap with a screw thread thereon, from the head or opposite end of the handle
into the round hole, as previously described; we insert a piece of round
wire, which may be of iron, brass, or other metal, which has previously been
prepared by having a round hole tapped therein with a screw thread, and of proper
size so as to screw upon the end of the tang. By screwing the wire upon the end
of the tang it firmly binds the two together, and so prevents the tang from being
withdrawn from the handle, whilst the flat form of the tang prevents its being
turned round in the handle; the object of this arrangement is to obviate the
necessity of using lead as ordinarily used for the purpose of balancing the handles
of table cutlery, which is generally acknowledged to be objectionable on account
of its becoming loose and rattling in the handle on the slightest contraction of the
latter. By our improvements this objectionable feature is entirely obviated, for
.whilst the wire, as herein described, securely fastens the blade or fork firmly to the
handle, it also answers all the requirements needful for balancing the handles, and
cannot become loose and rattle as in the usual or old method. By making the
holes in the handles in the shape as herein described we obtain another very
important and valuable result, we are enabled to leave a much greater substance of
material on the flat side of the handle covering the tang, thereby providing a great
preventative of the liability of the handle cracking, which so often occurs where
the old method is adopted. In order that this arrangement may be more clearly
understood we will refer to the Drawings herewith. Figure 1 shows a knife with a
part of the handle cut away so as to show the form of tang adopted; whilst Fig. 2
represents the cut away portion of handle showing the form of hole employed;
Fig. 3 represents a nut intended to be screwed on the end of tang, as shewn at A,
Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a representation of a knife with flat tang extending throughout
the whole length of handle, and rivetted at the end thereof, as shown at B; Fig. 5
shows a section of handle with the flat tang and wire inserted, but disconnected,
A being the flat tang; B, the round wire, as described.
The second part of our Invention relates to improvements in the guards of
carving forks, and in the method of attaching the same, and consists of the
application to carving forks of some useful article, such as a corkscrew, a champagne
nipper or opener, or other similar article, or several combined, and arranged in such
a way as to not only answer the purpose of guards but to be also useful for other
purposes, also attaching the same to carving forks in such a manner as to be more
cleanly, durable, and less liable to derangement than those applied by the ordinary
or usual method. In carrying out this part of our Invention we make corkscrews

page_text: by any of the usual or well known methods of a suitable size and shape to answer
the purpose of a guard; upon the shank end we prepare and tap a screw thread
with or without a shoulder; we then bore a hole in the shank of the carving fork
and tap a screw thread therein of a corresponding size to that of the shank end of
the guard; by screwing the shank end of the guard into the hole prepared in the
shank of the carving fork, the two are bound firmly together. Where the guard is
intended to close or fall upon the fork we employ a stud, which we screw into the
fork in the same way as above described, the upper part of the stud having a
groove cut in it so as to form two lips, into and between which the guard end is
inserted and secured in its position by a pin or screw passing through the side of
the said lips and guard end, thus holding or securing the whole together. The lips
of the before mentioned stud are made in such a form as to be continually inclining
inwards and towards each other so as to necessitate the end of the guard to be
sprung or forced in between them; thus it will be seen that the lips herein described
exercise a continuous friction on each side of the guard so as to hold the same in
any position it may be placed, thereby securing greater durability and less liability
to derangement than the old or any other method at present in use. Now having
described the nature of this part of our Invention, and the mode of carrying the
same into effect, we will endeavour by reference to the Drawings herewith to make
these improvements more clearly understood. Fig. 6 is a representation of the
screw stud, as herein described, shewing the lips A, A, inclining towards each
other, B being the tail piece or screw intended to be screwed into the shank of the
fork; Fig. 7 shows the stud with a corkscrew guard sprung or forced into position
between the two lips A, A, as previously described; Fig. 8 shows the corkscrew,
guard, and stud as applied to the shank of a carving fork, and closed upon the
fork; Fig. 9 the same, but shewing the guard entirely open, ready for use; Fig. 10
shows application of stud bearing an ordinary guard; Fig. 11 represents a carving
fork with corkscrew guard screwed or rivetted direct into the shank of the fork.
And now having herein described the nature and object of these our improve-
ments, and the manner in which the same may be carried into practical effect, we
wish it to be understood that what we claim as our Invention, and which we wish
to be secured to us by the before recited Letters Patent is,―
Firstly. The securing of table blades and forks in their handles by means of a
flat tang extending through the entire length of the handle, so as to be rivetted or
secured by a screw nut at the end thereof, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, and
fully described herein.
Secondly. The combination of a flat tang and round wire, as shown in Fig. 5,
for the double purpose of securing the blade or fork in the handle and balancing
the same, as fully set forth and described herein.
Thirdly. The application of a corkscrew or other similar article to a carving fork
to answer the combined purpose of a guard and that of a corkscrew, also the method
of screwing or rivetting the guards of carving forks direct into the shanks of
carving forks.
And, Lastly. A stud, as shewn in Figures 8, 9, and 10, the stud, as herein
described and shown in Figures 6 and 7, and its application to carving forks,
as herein described and shown in Figures 8, 9, and 10.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas McGrah and Charles Henry Wood,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Third day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.