IMPROVEMENTS IN ARTICLES OF CUTLERY, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SHARPENING AND CLEANING THE SAME
Year: 1856

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Harvey Hilliard at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th January
1856.
İ, HARVEY HILLIARD, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Cutler, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ARTICLES OF CUTLERY, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SHARPENING AND CLEANING THE
SAME," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to an improvement in the arrangement and con-
struction of "frame-backed razors," and to a novel form and arrangement of
sharpening and cleaning strops or straps.
In the improved "frame-backed razors," the thin cutting blade is held firm
and stiff in its back or holding frame piece,, by one or more transverse screws or
pins. Under this system of construction an extremely light and perfectly
tempered cutting blade is produced, hardened through the agency of a
mercurial bath, admitting of being easily shifted by the user himself, who can
at any time readily insert a new blade. When the razor is closed, the blade
is held securely within the handle by a simple spring catch. The butt end
piece of metal in the handle is cut out on its inner edge with a species of
lateral dovetail recess, and the retaining blade spring has its inner angular
fastening end formed with a dovetail head to correspond; prior to the scales of
the handle being put together, the dovetail of the spring is inserted laterally
into the recess in the butt, and the two scales being then put up and fastened,
the spring cannot fall out or be removed; the free end of the spring works

page_text: through between the scales, and has at its outer end a slight projecting rib to
fit into a notch in the end of the razor blade,, holding the latter fast until the
razor is to be opened for use.
The improvement in the form and construction of straps or strops, consists in
introducing between plies of leather or other suitable substance, a thin strip or
strips of wood or metal (spring steel by preference) in a bowed form, and of
convenient length and breadth; by this contrivance a strop with a convexity
from end to end is obtained, in a very simple, light, and inexpensive manner.
By bowing the strip or strips in two opposite directions, a razor strap of an
elliptic form is produced, having two convex surfaces; while by making the
bow in one direction only, a strop of a semi-elliptic form is the result, having
one surface convex and the other flat and elastic, or flat and inelastic if
inflexible material is inserted. The convexity answers an important end in
preserving the proper concavity of the sides or thinness of edge of the razor
blade, while it at the same time quickens the sharpening action. The elastic
flat surface (analogous to a bow string) is advantageous for the very effective
cleaning and smoothing capacity which it possesses. The open space between
the sides of the strop, caused by the bowed form, affords a convenient receptacle
for keeping the razor or other shaving appurtenance. By a modification of
the bow-string principle, and an enlargement of the strap, a superior and
economic knife-cleaning strap is produced. The strap is held in position at
each end, and kept stretched in a suspended manner by means of supports
projecting perpendicularly from an horizontal board of wood or iron, and with
or without the aid of extending springs or screws; an elasticity is thus
obtained, which adds greatly to the furbishing properties of the strap. By the
further adoption of a double strap, or two plies of leather, with the addition
of springs to act vertically, the two surfaces are kept elastically compressed
together, and the knife being inserted between the plies of leather, the friction
caused by putting it in motion cleans both sides of the knife at one and the
same operation. The surfaces of the straps are prepared with emery, in the
same manner as cutler's polishing wheels are prepared.