Improved Apparatus for Cleaning Knives.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Sept., 1891-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Cleaning Knives.
I, JOHN WALTER ELDRIDGE 54 Murray Street, Hoxton, Middlesex, Mechanical
Engineer. I do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for CLEANING
KNIVES to be as follows:
:-
My invention consists in a reciprocating motion the knives being placed between
blocks of wood covered with leather, the handles of the knives are held in position
by a box containing springs. On the top of the said blocks is a perforated hopper
containing the polishing powder.
The blocks are held in position by wire helical springs, the reciprocating motion
causes the polishing powder to fall from the hopper on to the knives during the
cleaning, and I claim as my invention the said blocks and spring handle box and
the general arrangement of the machine.
Dated this 18th day of June 1891.
JOHN WALTER ELDRIDGE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Cleaning Knives.
I JOHN WALTER ELDRIDGE, of 54 Murray Street, Hoxton, Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to improved apparatus for cleaning knives and consists in
shaping and arranging angular blocks in pairs to clean on both sides, the backs,
and shoulders, of three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, or twelve knives
simultaneously. These blocks are covered with buff leather on the inner surfaces
and overlaping the front edges, also have round receptive holes placed diagonally in
the said inner surfaces fitted with polishing powder to assist cleaning the knives.
Elongated holes are made through the blocks at the four corners, through which
four round rods covered with vulcanized india rubber are placed. On the outside
of the last block of the pairs of blocks at each end of apparatus are steel wire
helical springs placed over the vulcanized india rubber on each rod with a
suitable washer to prevent the springs going through elongated holes in blocks,
the four rods are screwed and nutted at ends and hold the cleaning blocks,
vulcanized india rubber, and steel wire helical springs together-the vulcanized india
rubber is to clean the backs of the knives-the two bottom rods have short steel
wire helical springs between each pair of blocks on both sides with suitable washers.
The blocks are fitted into a pair of checks-one at each end-with receptive holes
in the inner surfaces for the ends of the nutted rods and springs to work in, the
cheeks with the cleaning blocks fitted in same are fixed together in iron drawbar
frames, at top and bottom with a space between the sides of the cheeks and outsides
of end pairs of cleaning blocks. A shaped hole from back to front of checks about
one inch diameter, and two inches of its length, then reduced to about three quarters
of an inch diameter, one inch of its length, and the remaining length to front again
enlarged to one inch diameter, through the said hole in each cheek a steel wire
helical spring the length of front to back of apparatus but placed in the hole two
inches long with a suitable washer to prevent same working through reduced
hole, the springs work on round rods of suitable diameter, the rods work through
the whole of the hole in cheeks and are fixed at one end only, riz.-the back of
ID 11

page_text: A
apparatus to wood blocks having receptive holes, the receptive holes contain the
springs when the cleaners are pushed backwards, the object of these back springs
and rods is to push the cleaners to front of apparatus whilst the knives are being
placed in position for cleaning, and as guides for rollers at bottom of cheeks.
roller is fixed to bottom of each cheek to run on tram rails fixed to bottom of case,
between tram rails is a drawer for polishing powder. On top of cleaning blocks is
a hopper and lid, with perforated bottom for the polishing powder to fall on the
knives during cleaning, the hopper is fixed at each end on top of cheeks with
brackets so as to clear tops of cleaning blocks. On the outer sides of cheeks and
inside ends of drawbar frames are skirting boards to prevent the polishing powder
getting out of case at the sides when the apparatus is worked. Fixed inside front
of case are pairs of brushes for cleaning the shoulders of the knives, and next to the
brushes is a buff leather plate with shaped slits, riz.-a vertical slit and a horizontal
slit top and bottom on each side of vertical slit. On the other side of buff leather
plate is a thin steel plate having perforated holes longer and wider than the slits in
buff leather plate, and V shaped top and bottom, this is to prevent the knives being
drawn into the apparatus during cleaning and sharpen same when withdrawn.
When the knives to be cleaned are being placed in position the shoulders are pushed
through the circular holes in front of case, through the brushes up to buff leather
plate, and the handle box is closed and fastened at catch. On the spindles of
drawbar frames are rollers working in the slotted sides of case. Handles are
nutted to ends of spindles outside case for working the apparatus "to and fro."
The apparatus has a square case with a lid on top hinged on the near side, this
lid is the entire width of case and four inches long having flat buff leather fixed
on the inside its width and length, this is to clean carving forks and other useful
purposes, also to supply polishing powder to the hopper. At bottom of case are
four iron feet with one screw hole in each foot to fix apparatus to a shelf or dresser.
On the front of case are circular holes through which the knives to be cleaned are
pushed. A handle box is arranged to allow knife handles of various lengths and
thicknesses to be placed in position at the same time, as dessert knives, table knives,
meat carvers, and game carvers, it consists of a bottom, top, back and end plates
with division plates between each knife hole, also between each knife hole is a
buffer with receptive round holes at back to receive end of a steel wire helical
spring, the back plate has a similar hole to receive the other end of spring, between
the backplate and buffer the spring is placed. One end of back plate is hinged on
to a bracket or fixing, fixed on front of case, the other end has a catch or hook for
fastening and is also fixed on to a bracket or fastening.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1. is a plan drawn to scale of an apparatus to clean on both sides, the backs,
and shoulders, of three knives simultaneously.
Fig. 2. is a front elevation on the line A. B.
Fig. 3. is a side elevation.
A circular holes in front of case. B pairs of brushes to clean shoulders of knives.
C buff leather plate with slits for the blades to be pushed through. D thin steel
plate to prevent the knives being drawn into apparatus during cleaning and to
sharpen same when withdrawn. E angular shaped cleaning blocks. F cheeks.
G steel wire helical springs. H vulcanized india rubber to clean backs of knives.
I round rods and nuts. J steel wire helical back springs, rods, and blocks to push
cleaners to front of apparatus, and as guides to rollers on tram rails. K rollers
fixed to bottom of cheeks. L tram rails for rollers to run on. M drawer for
polishing powder. N skirting boards. O draw-bar frames. P rollers on spindles
of draw-bar frames. Q handles to work cleaners "to and fro," whilst cleaning the
knives. R case of apparatus. S handle box with buffers, springs and fixings.
T hopper with lid, perforated bottom, and brackets to fix same on top of cheeks.
U lid of case with buff leather fixed on the inside, to open on the near side to clean
carving forks and other useful purposes, also to supply polishing powder to the
hopper. W iron feet to fix apparatus on a shelf or dresser,

page_text: The knives may be placed with the sharp edges either upwards or downwards.
Any ordinary polishing powder may be used in this apparatus.
Knives with blades and handles of various lengths and thicknesses can be cleaned
at the same time, the spring buffers in handle box adjusting same, also the blades
and handles will not be injured.
The various parts of the apparatus are preferably made of wood, buff leather,
bristles, vulcanized india rubber, iron, steel, and brass, but any other suitable
materials may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is