An Improved Detachable and Adjustable Guard for the Blades of Skinning, Fleshing, and other Knives and Razors.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Detachable and Adjustable Guard for the Blades of
Skinning, Fleshing, and other Knives and Razors.
I, WILLIAM RAINBOW of South and East Belts, Christchurch, Canterbury, in
the Colony of New Zealand, Cordial Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved detachable guard for butchers' skinning
knives, and tanners' fleshing knives, as well as for razors, the object being in the case
of butchers' skinning knives and tanners' fleshing knives to prevent the cutting of
the skins in the operation of stripping them from the carcase or of fleshing the
skins for tanning, and in the case of razors to prevent the razor from cutting the
skin of the face when shaving. The guard which may be constructed of any
suitable metal or other suitable material, conforms in general shape as regards its
acting portion to the shape of the cutting edge of the knife or razor to which it is
applied and it stands out from the face of the blade at a substantially uniform
distance from the cutting edge and to an extent sufficient to limit the cutting
action by pressing the skin with which it comes in contact out of range of the
cutting edge. It may be applied to one or both sides of the blade according to
requirements and can be so constructed as to be attachable to knives or razors of
different sizes or shapes and it may be provided with means of adjustment whereby
it may be set at any required distance from the cutting edge of the blade of the
knife or razor.
Referring to the annexed sheet of drawings :-
Figures 1 and 2 are a side and back edge view respectively of a butcher's skinning
knife with the guard attached.
Figures 3 and 4 are a side and end view respectively of a knife having a semi-
circular blade also having the guard attached.
Figures 5 and 6 are a side and end view respectively of the blade of a razor
having the guard attached.
Figure 7 is a side view of a tanner's fleshing knife also having the guard
attached.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the knife blade A is provided with a longitudinal
slot a near the handle and with two or more notches bb at the end for the attach-
ment and adjustment of the guard c which may be applied to one or both sides of
the blade and is secured by a thumb screw or bolt d which passes through the said
slot a, a clip or band e passing over the back edge of the blade A whilst the beat
or folded outer end of guard c fits into one or other of the notches bb' according
to the required distance from the edge of the blade at which the guard is required
to be set, so that by loosening the thumb screw or bolt d, the guard c can be shifted
from the one to the other of the notches. b or 6' and the thumb screw or bolt
tightened in order to adjust the distance of said guard from the edge of the
cutter.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4, A¹ is the blade of the knife on one or both sides
of which a guard c¹ is secured by means of a thumb screw or bolt d' which
passes through said guard and through a radial slot in the blade so as to
admit of the guard being set at the requisite distance from the cutting edge of
the blade.

page_text: Referring to Figures 5 and 6, A2 is the blade of the razor and c2 is the guard
formed so as to clip the said blade as shewn, the guard being formed with two or
more spring clips fembracing the back of the blade. The guard is adapted to be
self-retaining in position by clipping the blade in the manner shewn and its active
portion is formed with thickened or beaded edges at a uniform distance from the
edge of the blade.
Referring to Figure 7, A³ is the blade of the knife provided with a slot a' at
each end at. right angles to the cutting edge, the guard being secured at each
end by means of a thumb screw or bolt d in order that the distance of the
guard from the cutting edge of the blade may be regulated as desired. If
two guards are attached to the blade of a knife the cutting edge being midway
between the two guards the skin can be stripped from the flesh without cutting
either.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A detachable guard such as c for the blades of butchers' skinning knives
in combination with the means of adjustably fixing the guard thereto substantially
as and for the purpose herein described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 4.
2. A detachable guard for razor blades such as 2 substantially as and for the
purpose herein described and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.
3. A detachable and adjustable guard such as c3 for the blades of tanners'
fleshing knives substantially as and for the purpose herein described and illustrated
in Figure 7.
Dated this 7th day of December 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.