A NEW AND USEFUL OR IMPROVED COMBINED KNIFE, FORK, AND SPOON, FOR CAMP OR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Richards, of Newton, in the County
of Middlesex, in the State of Massachusetts, of the United States of
America, for the Invention of "A NEW AND USEFUL OR IMPROVED COMBINED
Man
Sealed the 19th November 1861, and dated 7th August 1861.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Henry Richards at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 7th August 1861, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BE IT
KNOWN, that I, WILLIAM HENRY RICHARDS, of Newton, in the County of
Middlesex, in the State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America,
have invented "A NEW AND USEFUL OR IMPROVED COMBINED KNIFE, FORK, AND SPOON,
FOR CAMP OR OTHER PURPOSES," and I do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, to be fully
described and represented in the following Specification and the accompanying
Drawings, of which Figure 1 is a top view of my Invention in its most
compact form; Figure 2, a bottom view thereof; Figure 3 is a view of the
blade and handle of the knife; Figure 4 is a top view of the fork and spoon ;
Figure 5 represents the spoon and fork as slightly modified in construction;
Figure 6 represents the spoon as applied to the tines of the fork.

page_text: The nature of my Invention consists, first, in an improved knife, fork, and
spoon, combined and constructed in manner as herein-after set forth.
It further consists in making the spoon and fork, and the handle of them in
one piece of metal.
It further consists in constructing the knife (both handle and blade) of one
piece of metal, and so curving the handle portion that it shall serve as a case
for the fork when packed for transportation.
It further consists in constructing the spoon and fork in two parts, as
represented in Figure 5, so as to allow the spoon portion to be withdrawn
from the handle of the fork, and connected with the tines of the latter, as
shown in Figure 6.
The object of my Invention is to supply a desideratum which has long
existed, viz., a simple construction and combination of a knife, fork, and spoon
for camp and other purposes, by which they can be packed in a small space,
and be perfectly safe to a person when carried in his pocket. It is a fact well
known, that many accidents-have-occurred-to-persons obliged_to_lead_a_camp
life from carrying knives and forks, as ordinarily constructed, in their pockets.
My Invention not only completely obviates this danger, but enables me to give
to the world an improved knife, fork, and spoon, which has all the advantages
of a common knife, fork, and spoon, without their disadvantages, and for about
one-half the cost of the latter.
In carrying out my Invention, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, I con-
struct the kuife, and the fork and spoon of steel, or any other suitable metal
or composition of metals. The metal or composition having been reduced to
a sheet of the required thickness, the knife and the spoon, and fork blanks are
cut or stamped out of such sheet by means of proper shaped knives or dies;
next the curved portions of the handle blanks are turned over and bent down,
so as not only to form or constitute handles to such knife, spoon, and fork, but
clamps or shields to the knife blade and fork when not in use, or packed for
transportation, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Next the spoon blank is placed
between suitable dies, and the required form given to the bowl thereof, and
finally the whole is burnished, or otherwise properly fitted for the market.
In the said Drawings, A denotes the blade of the knife; B, its handle, and
a, a, the curved parts thereof; C is the spoon; D, the fork; and E, the
handle of both; while b, b, are the curved portions of the said handle. From
the above it will be seen that I make the fork and spoon in one piece of
metal, and also the blade and handle of the knife of a single piece. This I
consider to be the simplest form, but it will be evident that the construction of
the spoon and fork can be slightly modified, that is, I sometimes make the

page_text: spoon and fork in two portions, and so form the handle of the spoon as to slide
into the handle of the fork, or vice versa, as shown in Figure 5. Under this
peculiar construction of the spoon and fork, as shown in Figure 5, it will be
evident that the fork and spoon portions can be drawn apart, and if desirable,
the spoon may be attached to the tines of the fork in manner as shown in
Figure 6.
A knife, fork, and spoon combined and constructed as above set forth, has
been found to be of great value and utility for the purposes for which it is
designed.
Having described my Invention, what I claim is as follows:-
I claim my improved knife, fork and spoon combined and constructed in
manner as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
I also claim forming the spoon and fork, and the handle of them in one
piece of metal (or composition of metals), as set forth, and as shown in
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
I also claim constructing the knife blade and its handle of one piece of
metal (or composition of metals), and so curving the handle that it shall
serve as a case for the fork when packed for transportation, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2.
I also claim constructing the spoon and fork in two parts, in manner as
described, and so as to allow the spoon portion to be withdrawn from the
handle of the fork, and connected with its tines in manner as shown in
Figure 6.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature and seal, this
Eighteenth day of July, A.D. 1861.
WILLIAM H. RICHARDS. (L.S.)