IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE INSTRU- MENTS TERMED LOCK KNIVES AND LEVER KNIVES, PART OF SAID IMPROVE- MENTS BEING APPLICABLE ALSO TO SUCH SURGICAL AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS AS MAY BE CONNECTED TO HANDLES BY MOVING JOINTS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Yeates, of Trafalgar Place West, Hackney
Road, in the County of Middlesex, Cutler and Surgical Instrument
Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE INSTRU-
MENTS TERMED LOCK KNIVES AND LEVER KNIVES, PART OF SAID IMPROVE-
MENTS BEING APPLICABLE ALSO TO SUCH SURGICAL AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS
AS MAY BE CONNECTED TO HANDLES BY MOVING JOINTS."
Sealed the 7th December 1855, and dated the 13th July 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Yeates at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th July
1855.
I, ROBERT YEATES, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE INSTRUMENTS TERMED LOCK KNIVES AND
LEVER KNIVES, PART OF SAID IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE ALSO TO SUCH
SURGICAL AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS AS MAY BE CONNECTED TO HANDLES BY MOVING
JOINTS," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate primarily to the production of a compound
instrument, which is both a "lock" and "lever" knife, being divisible into
parts, (like the present "lock" knife, as it is termed,) one part being fitted
with a knife, another with a spoon, another with a fork, &c., all shutting
upon joints, which I provide likewise with a lever knife for cutting or ripping

page_text: open preserved provision cases, &c., such lever knife being a curved blade,
provided with a shoulder projecting on one side or both sides of same, such
blade being without any jaws or opening, a curved blade with jaws or opening
existing in my improved lever knife now in public use; or I adopt the curved
blade with jaws or opening, as aforesaid, but add thereto a shoulder projecting
on both sides thereof; this shoulder in either case forming an efficient
bearing or fulcrum in use. The aforesaid parts of this lock and lever knife
I secure together when required by a novel fastening for the same, which
consists either of transverse slots formed in the "scales" of the parts, into
which the usual studs fit, and may be securely held by a spring or other
catch, or by catches acting in conjunction with the ordinary longitudinal slots.
The joints for the knife, fork, &c., I purpose making by having a notch at
the end of the "tang" of the blade, into which is to fit a pin or projection
formed in a sliding piece, which will be actuated by means of spring catch or
otherwise; this will hold the blade perfectly steady when required, and will be
found very useful in such surgical and other instruments as require joints of
such character, if applied thereto.
The above improvements used together form the instrument termed a lock
and lever knife, but the improvements in the lever knife will be found useful
in a separate form.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Yeates in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
YEATES, of Trafalgar Place West, Hackney Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Cutler and Surgical Instrument Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her--reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Yeates, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Yeates, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Yeates, 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

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLI-
CABLE TO THE INSTRUMENTS TERMED LOCK KNIVES AND LEVER KNIVES, PART
OF SAID IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE ALSO TO SUCH SURGICAL AND OTHER IN-
STRUMENTS AS MAY BE CONNECTED TO HANDLES BY MOVING JOINTS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Yeates, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 inmediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Yeates, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
(I.) The nature of the said Invention, which has already been described
generally by the Provisional Specification filed on application for the said
Letters Patent, is hereby, in compliance with the aforesaid condition in the
said Letters Patent contained, particularly described and ascertained as
follows:-
These improvements consist in the production of a compound instrument,
which is both a "lock" and "lever" knife, which, like the present lock knife,
as it is termed, is made with several distinct pairs of scales," so as to form
several distinct parts, which may be separated from each other, and yet may,
by means of the locking mechanism belonging to such parts, be all secured
together, forming one compound instrument like the present lock knife; also
the instrument is provided with a knife, fork, and spoon, all opening and shut-
ting upon joints. This improved instrument, however, differs from the present
lock knife in these particulars, that it is provided with a lever knife for cutting
or ripping open preserved provision cases and other uses, such lever knife being
of novel form and construction, inasmuch as it is a curved blade provided with
a shoulder on one side of its back (or on both sides thereof), but without any
jaws or opening in the blade, (a curved blade with jaws or opening, and a
shoulder on one side of its back existing in the improved lever knife formerly
registered by me, and now in public use.) This compound instrument may
also contain another lever knife or other lever knives, differing in form, con-
struction, and action, inasmuch as it has or they have jaws or openings, as at
present, but each knife provided with a shoulder or shoulders at the back
thereof, and projecting from both sides, the shoulder or shoulders in both con-

page_text: structions forming an efficient bearing or fulcrum for use. The blades of the
described lever knives with jaws or openings are jointed or set upon their joints
the reverse way of ordinary blades, that is, with the sharp edges uppermost,
this being adopted in order that the power applied in ripping or cutting open
may not cause the knife to shut. The aforesaid parts or divisions of this lock
and lever knife I secure together by the usual locking mechanism, or by trans-
verse slots in the scales, into which the usual pins fit, and in either case I have
a spring stop or catch, or other stop catch, to prevent the pin shifting in the
slot. The joints for the several instruments I construct by having notches in
the end of the tang, into which a pin or projection, pins or projections, will be
introduced by means of a spring catch, a catch on a sliding piece, or otherwise,
so as to secure the instrument steady in position when opened, and prevent its
shutting by accident; and I may here remark that I can make the instruments
removable from their handles, by having the notch or notches at the end of
the tang thereof, into which fits the pin or projection, pins or projections,
secured by a sliding wedge piece and spring catch or catches, so as to keep
the blade perfectly steady when opened and in use, or as required; in this
case one handle will serve for several different instruments. All the above.
joints will be found very useful in such surgical and other instruments as
require joints of such character.
By the above improvements I form instruments which I term my im-
proved lock and lever knives; but the improvements in lever knives, and the
jointing thereof, and in the locking, and in the joints generally, will be found
useful when used separately or in combination with instruments other than
my improved lock and lever knives.
(II.) Having thus particularly described the nature of my said Invention,
I now proceed to particularly describe and ascertain in what manner the same
is to be performed, wherein I shall refer to the accompanying Drawings by
the words, figures, and letters following, that is to say:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an outside view of the complete instrument, which I term my
improved lock and lever knife, containing as usual a knife, fork, and spoon,
and in addition thereto an improved sardine lever knife and two other improved
lever knives, all opening and shutting upon joints. This compound instrument
has several other additional improvements applied thereto, as before mentioned
and hereafter particularly described. Fig. 2, plan of same, with the knives,
fork, spoon, and other instruments removed, shewing that this instrument is
composed of three parts or divisions, as in ordinary lock knives, locked together

page_text: by pins in slots. Fig. 3, section of one of the parts, shewing the way in which
I adapt the spring catch before mentioned to cause the blade of the knife in
any said instrument to remain secure when opened until acted upon by pressing
on the said catch; A in this Fig. denoting a spring catch (acting freely on a
centre pin in the inner scale), and inserted between the inner and outer scale,
having a label piece to press on at one end, and a pin or projection taking into
the notch B in the tang of the instrument at the other end. Fig. 4, side view,
and Fig. 5, edge view, of one of the outer parts or divisions of the compound.
instrument aforesaid, which contains one of the lever knives, with jaws or
opening and a shoulder, or shoulder or shoulders projecting on both sides of
the back of such lever knife; C denoting such shoulder or shoulders. Fig. 6,
side view, and Fig. 7, edge view, of the inner part or division of the instru-
ment, containing the usual cutting knife and one of the improved lever knives.
This lever knife being of the peculiar form before mentioned, that is, a single
curved blade (D) without jaws or opening, and having at back a projecting
shoulder D', which in this case projects on one side only for convenience of
shutting up and allowing for the knife jointed at the opposite end shutting
within the same scales. This part or division has the usual locking pins,
marked E. Fig. 8, side view, and Fig. 9, edge view, of the other outer part
or division of the compound instrument, which contains the spoon and one of
the improved lever knives, having jaws or opening, with a shoulder or shoulders
at back projecting on both sides. It also shews the ordinary longitudinal
locking slots, marked F, which exist also in the parts shewn at Figs. 4 and 5,
(although as the outer scale is there represented they cannot be seen); into
these slots the usual pins F, shewn at Fig. 7, take. This part or division of
the instrument is provided likewise with the stop or locking catch G, which,
when the pins are in position in the slots, holds them firm whenever such catch
is pushed into the position shewn by the dotted lines, and the same may be
released by being brought back by the nail mark to the position shewn by the
full lines. This catch is also exhibited at Figs. 1, 2, and 5, it being in practice
applied to the other outer division of the compound instrument as well as
Said Figs. 8 & 9 also shew the improvement which I adapt to
the joint of the lever knife or other knife, so as to secure the same steady
when open; H being a sliding piece, with a projection taking into a notch at
the end of the tang. Details of this sliding catch are shewn detached, where
Hmarks the portion thereof which projects beyond the scales, to enable the
slide to be actuated as may be required; and H2 marks that part locking into
the notch in the tang. Fig. 10, views of the lever knife before mentioned
and described, which is represented also at Figs. 4 and 5, same being inserted
this one.

page_text: in a handle for itself alone, having the shutting joint herein-before mentioned,
that is, a joint similar to the joint of an ordinary clasp knife, but so placed
that the sharp edge of the blade of the lever knife shall be uppermost when
shut the same arrangement being adopted in the two lever knives with jaws
or opening, exhibited at Figs. 1, 4, 5, 8, 9. Figs. 11 and 12, views of lever
knives (Fig. 11 being the same as that shewn at Figs. 8 and 9,) and Fig. 12,
the same as Figs. 6 & 7,) fixed in handles, and not capable of shutting and
opening, the tangs being shewn by dotted lines. Although the lever knife
shewn at Fig. 10 is shewn as an opening and shutting knife, yet those at
Figs. 11 and 12 might be made to open and shut, and that at Fig. 10 might
be fixed in the handle, like Figs. 11 and 12. Fig. 13, lever knife, shewing
how the tangs of these knives may be placed at right angles to the mouth or
opening between the jaws. Fig. 14, a complete section, with a lever knife
shewn detached therefrom, and exhibiting a joint or jointing for the knife,
fork, &c., whereby the instrument thus made may be easily removed from the
haft or handle, and yet will be locked or held steady in the handle when
the instrument is in use; and whereby also one handle may be made to
serve for several different, and thus may be made to act as a lock and lever
knife without other parts or divisions. Fig. 15, section of the same, with a
lever knife placed and secured therein. In these Figures, a denotes the back
piece of the handle; b, the scale; c, the front piece. The back and frout
pieces are rivetted by one rivet at each end, and one between in each piece.
d, the tang of the lever knife, and d' blade thereof; e, a sliding spring wedge.
It will be observed that the tang is provided with notches d², da, (though one
notch only might be adopted), and that the scales have pins or rivets b', b²,
(though one pin or rivet might be adopted) secured thereto. For jointing and
securing the instrument to its handle, the sliding spring wedge e is to be drawn
out by the nail mark at the end (as shown at Fig. 14); the tang is then to
be pushed into the handle, as shewn at Fig. 15, and when the said tang is
pushed home, the sliding spring wedge is to be pushed up, when the thick
part of its edge will be caused to abut against the end of the tang (d) and the
spring x, which is a curved prolongation of the said wedge (e) to abut against
one edge of the tang, jamming the tang between it and the spring x, x,
which is the prolongation of the piece c, and forcing the notches to close upon
the pins or rivets 61, 62; all which is illustrated by Fig. 15, aforesaid. This
jointing and joint, and the joints before described and represented by Figs. 1, 4,
8, 9, 10, are equally useful for any other instruments.
(III.) 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

page_text: I claim the Invention of the compound instruments, which I term my improved
lock and lever knives, in respect to the several improvements therein, as set
forth in the outset (I.) of this Specification; and I also claim the improvements
in the locking arrangements, the jointing, and joints, as applicable to certain
kinds of specified instruments generally, also set forth in the outset (I.) of this
Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Yeates, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Signed and sealed in my presence,
F. W. CAMPIN, Patent Agent,
Strand.
ROBERT YEATES. (L.S.)