IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF FASTENING OR SECURING THE HANDLES OF TABLE KNIVES AND FORKS, DAGGERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Burnand, of No. 31, Netherthorpe Street,
Sheffield, in the County of York, Table Knife Manufacturer, for the:
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF FASTENING OR SECURING
THE HANDLES OF TABLE KNIVES AND FORKS, DAGGERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
ARTICLES."
Sealed the 18th March 1862, and dated the 20th September 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Burnand at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
September 1861.
I, JAMES BURNAND, of No. 31, Netherthorpe Street, Sheffield, in the
County of York, Table Knife Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF FASTENING OR
SECURING THE HANDLES OF TABLE KNIVES AND FORKS, DAGGERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates chiefly to a method of fastening or connecting the
hafts or handles of knives, forks, daggers, or other similar articles on to the
tang of the blade or prongs in such a manner as to prevent the possibility of
their becoming loose when placed in boiling water or otherwise, as frequently
happens with such articles when the handle and tang are connected by means

page_text: of resin and whitening, as usually practised. A cavity is first cut partially up
the bore of tho handle from the heel or end. of the haft, so as to leave a
shoulder in the inside of the bore. The tang of the knife, fork, dagger, or
other article proviously tiuned or covered with solder, is then introduced at
the other end, extending partially into this cavity, and lead (or a mixture of
lead, regulus, and tin or other metal, or alloy of metal) in a molten state is
poured in, filling the whole of the cavity, and at the same time combining
with the tin or solder on the tang, solders or unites the whole into one solid
mass, so that the blade or prongs can never become. loose in the handle under
any circumstances, and the whole will remain firm till worn out: Tho molten
metal is introducod through a hole drilled into the head or the edge or side of
the haft, which hole may be in the form of a shield or any other ornamental
shape, the metal being polished off level with the handle when the cavity is
filled. The metal also serves to balanco the knife or other article in a much
more efficient manner than the introduction of lead in a cold stato as ordinarily
practised. The ladle which I employ for pouring the molten metal into the
cavity of the haft is formed with a handle, bowl, and spout, as usual, but instead
of the whole surface of the bowl being open as usual the half of the bowl next
to the spout is covered in with a metal plate, which prevents the metal from
running too fast into the handle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Burnaud in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th March 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM, THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BURNAND, of No. 31, Netherthorpo Street, Sheffield, in the County of York,
Table Knife Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 'Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord'
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Hor
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the.
said James Burnand, Her special licence that I; .the said James Burnand;.
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Burnand, my executors, administrators, and. assigns, should at any time agree.
with, and no others, from time to time andl at all timos thereafter during tho
term therein expressed, should, and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS
OF FASTENING OR SECURING THE HANDLES OF TABLE KNIVES AND FORKS, DAGGERS,
(AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said James Burnaud, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE,, that I, the said James Burnand, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
Istatement in writing, and 'on reference to the accompanying Drawings, that
is to say:-
This Invention relates chiefly to a method of fastening or connecting the
Chafts or handles of knives, forks, daggers, or other similar articles on to the
.tang of the blade, or prongs in such a manner as to prevent the possibility of
their becoming loose when placed in boiling water, or otherwise, as frequently
happens with 'such articles when the handle and tang are connected by means
of resin and whitening, as usually practised. A cavity is first cut partially up
the bore of the handle from the heel or either end of the haft, so as to leave a
shoulder in the inside of the bore. The tang of the knife, fork, dagger, or
other article previously tinned or covered with solder is then introduced at the
other end,.extending partially into this cavity, and lead (or a mixture of lead,
regulus, and tin or other metal or alloy of metals) in a molten state is poured
in, filling the whole of the cavity, and at the same time combining with the
tin or solder on, the tang, solder or unites the whole into one solid mass, so
that the blade or prongs can never become loose in the handle under any
circumstances, and the whole will remain firm till worn out. The molten metal
is introduced through a hole drilled into the head or the edge, or side of the
haft, which hole may be in the form of a shield, or of any other ornamental
shape, the metal. being polished off level with the handle when the cavity is
filled. The metal also serves to balance the knife or other article in a much
more efficient manner than the introduction of lead in a cold state, as ordinarily
practised. The ladle which I employ for pouring the molten metal into the
cavity of the haft is formed with a handle, bowl, and spout as usual, but
instead of the whole surface of the bowl being open as usual, the half of
the bowl next to the spout is covered in with a metal plate, which prevents the
nietal from running too fast into the handle.

page_text: Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements
in the Means of Fastening or Securing the Handles of Table Knives and
Forks, Daggers, and other similar Articles," I will now proceed to describe
more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed.or
carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be distinctly
understood, I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof,
and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say:-
In the annexed Drawing, Figure 1 represents a table knife with the haft or
handle shown in section, illustrating the ordinary method of attaching the
*same.
a, a, is the blade of the knife with its tang b, b; and c, c, is the haft or
handle. The lead d, d, to balance the weight of the blade, is first placed cold
in the lower end of the bore, and the remainder of the bore of the haft
being filled up with a mixture of whitening and resin in a fused state, the
tang is inserted. As the tang (and consequently the blade) is merely held
in its place by the adhesion of the resin thereto, and to the inside of the bore,
it will be evident that if at any time too much heat be applied to the handle
or blade, by placing the knife in boiling water or otherwise, the resin will be
fused and the blade become loose. The blades also, after long use, frequently
become loose without the application of heat by the disintegration of the
resin.
Figure 2 shows a similar view of a table knife with the handle and blade
immoveably connected together by the application of Invention.
my
a, a, is the blade; b, b, the tang; and c, c, the haft or handle. The latter
is bored entirely through, and from the heel or end of the same a cavity is cut
into the bore, or the bore is enlarged for some distance so as to leave a
shoulder, as at d, so as to prevent the possibility of the tang and the lead or
alloy being drawn out, the form of the cavity and bore being clearly seen in
the end view, Figure 8. The tang being first tinned or covered with solder is
then introduced into the haft, and lead (or a mixture of lead, regulus, and tin,
or other metal or alloy,) in a molten state is then poured in through the
opening in the heel of the haft (or through any other opening made for that
purpose), filling up the whole cavity, and at the same time combining with
the tin or solder on the tang, solders or unites the whole into one solid
mass, as above described.
Figure 4 shows a similar view of a table knife, illustrating the method of
attaching a metal tipped haft to the blade, according to my Invention, which
is so obvious as to need no further description, excepting that the inside of the

page_text: metal tip a, a, is also tinned or covered with solder previously to pouring in
the molten metal.
It will be evident that the method of fastening the handles of forks, daggers,
or other articles will be precisely similar, namely, enlarging the bore of the
haft towards the heel, tinning or soldering the tang, and pouring in molten
metal or alloy.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in the Means of Fastening or Securing the Handles of
Table Knives and Forks, Daggers, or other similar Articles," together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I claim as my
Invention, the method previously described and illustrated in the Drawings,
that is to say,-
Firstly, enlarging the bore of the haft towards the heel or elsewhere.
And, secondly, tinning or soldering the tang, and pouring in molten metal
or alloy, in the manner and for the purposes above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Burnand, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JAMES BURNAND. (L.B.)