IMPROVEMENTS IN TABLE CUTLERY
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Dawson, junior, of Sheffield, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TABLE
CUTLERY."
Sealed the 21st February 1873, and dated the 21st October 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Dawson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st October 1872.
I, JOHN DAWSON, junior, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TABLE CUTLERY," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates to a simple and easy method of attaching
handles to the blades of table and other knives and forks whereby such
blades may be easily removed from the handles for the purposes of
cleaning, &c. For this purpose a short length of metal tube is fitted
into the haft or handle, which tube may be of any desired section
to suit the form of the tang of the blade which is to be inserted therein.

page_text: The blade is held securely in the handle either by curving the tang
so as to act as a spring sufficiently strong to prevent the blade from
shaking in its handle or from being drawn out without a certain amount
of resistance; or the tang may be split longitudinally and the two parts
opened out so as to require pressing together when inserting the tang
into the handle, the spring of the metal being sufficient to hold the blade
securely therein without shaking or liability of accidental removal.
The advantages of this mode of connecting the blades and handles are
that the blades can be easily removed to be washed in hot water, thereby
preserving the handles when made of ivory, pearl or other similar
substances, from becoming discolored or otherwise injured.
When the blades become worn or injured new ones may be easily
substituted; when kept in stock the handles may be kept damp in order
to preserve their colour, which is impracticable where the blades are
permanently fixed to the handles, and the handles by this mode of
fastening are not defaced by pins or through tangs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Dawson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
DAWSON, junior, of Sheffield, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Dawson, junior, Her special license,
that I, the said John Dawson, junior, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Dawson, junior, my execu-
tors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to timo 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 TABLE CUTLERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said

page_text: John Dawson, junior, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Dawson, junior, 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-
My said Invention relates to a simple and easy method of attaching
handles to the blades of table and other knives and forks, whereby such
blades may be easily removed from the handles for cleaning or
otherwise.
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.
In carrying out my Invention I insert a short length of metal tube
a into the haft or handle A, Figures 1 and 2, which tube may be of
any desired section to suit the form of the tang of the blade which is to
be inserted therein; the blade B is held securely in the handle A either
by curving the tang 6 (see Figure 3) so as to act as a spring, sufficiently
strong to prevent the blade from shaking in its handle or from being
drawn out without a certain amount of resistance; or the tang b may be
split longitudinally and the two parts opened out, as shewn in Figures
4 and 5, so as to require pressing together when inserting the tang into
the handle, the spring of the metal being sufficient to hold the blade
securely therein without shaking or liability of accidental removal; or
the tang b may be split partially down one side, so as to form an elastic
tongue piece b¹ on one side, as shewn at Figure 6.
The advantages of connecting the blades and handles together accord-
ing to my Invention are that the blades can be easily removed to be

page_text: washed in hot water, thereby preserving the handles when made of
ivory, pearl, or other similar substances from becoming discolored or
otherwise injured.
When the blades become worn or injured new ones may be easily
substituted; when kept in stock the handles may be kept damp in order
to preserve their color, which is impracticable where the blades are
permanently fixed to the handles, and the handles by this mode of
fastening are not defaced by pins or through tangs.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The modes of connecting the blades of table and other knives
and forks with their handles so that they shall be readily removed 1
therefrom and replaced therein when required, substantially as and for
the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Second. The application and use of table and other knives and forks
so constructed as to be capable of being readily detached from and
secured in their handles, substantially in the manner and for the purpose 2
herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Dawson, junior, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of
Anril One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three
JOHN DAWSON, junr. (L.s.)