IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ERASING KNIVES, PAPER KNIVES AND OTHER DESK KNIVES."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Henry Wood of Sheffield in the County of York
for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ERASING
KNIVES, PAPER KNIVES AND OTHER DESK KNIVES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Henry Wood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd May 1882..
CHARLES HENRY. WOOD of Sheffield in the County of York "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF. ERASING KNIVES, PAPER KNIVES AND OTHER DESK
KNIVES."
My Invention relates to the manufacture of erasing knives and other similar
knives known under the general term of Desk knives and more particularly to
the handles of the said knives, the objects being to reduce the cost of manufacture,
and to improve and give novelty to the appearance of the said implements. In
the application of my invention to an erasing knife, the handles of which have
hitherto been always of wood, bone, ivory, or other similar substance which have
to be cut out of the rough material of which they are made and have to be bored
to admit the tang of the blade.
I make the blade with a short tang and cast thereon a metallic handle of any
suitable métal, and by preference, of a skeleton form, that is having an open space.
through the centre for the purpose of saving metal and also to reduce the weight
of the article, and which may be finished in various known ways. When it is
desirable to combine a pen blade with the Eraser I form a recess in the end of the
handle to receive the butt of the blade which is pinned through in the opposite
way to ordinary blades, and so that it opens and closes on the flat sides instead of
edgewise a suitable spring secured to a cross support which is formed at the time.
of casting the handle on the blade, holds the blade either open or shut.
•
The handles so formed may be finished in any suitable way, such as silver or
nickel plated or in the case of a paper knife, if the blade is made of steel or
similar metal and silver plated, the handle may be made of brass or other metal,
or electro bronzed as a contrast to the blade, thus giving a handsome appearance
to the finished article. According to another method I roll or otherwise shape the
steel or material of which I intend to form the Eraser, to a shape in cross section,
suitable for the purpose required and afterwards punch, fly, or cut out of such shaped
steel a complete eraser-(being a combined blade and handle) and which may be
afterwards stamped, embossed, or otherwise ornamented and finished.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Henry Wood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th November 1882.
CHARLES HENRY WOOD of Sheffield in the County of York,
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ERASING KNIVES, PAPER KNIVES, AND OTHER DESK
KNIVES"
My Invention relates to the manufacture of Erasing knives and other similar
knives known under the general term of Desk knives, the object being to reduce
the cost of manufacture of such articles by dispensing with a large amount of
labour, and at the same time to give a novel appearance to the said articles
In applying my invention to the manufacture of an ordinary erasing knife-for
example the handles of which have hitherto been of wood, ivory or similar
substances which have to be subjected to many processes before they are finished;
I make the blade with a short tang of a dovetailed shape and cast thereon a
metallic handle which may be either solid or open. They may also be made to be
used as paper cutters and may be cast plain or ornamental as desired.
To produce a cheap combined desk knife and paper cutter, I cast the blade as
well as the handle at one operation and from the same metal, which I finish as
required, or in another arrangement I roll steel or other metal of which the article
is to be made approximately to the varying thicknesses of the complete article:
and afterwards cut out from such shaped metal, a complete eraser (being a
combination of handle and blade) to be afterwards ground, polished or otherwise
finished:
For better qualities I prefer to make the blades of steel, and the handles of brass
or other suitable metal which may be chased or engraved, and electroplated,
producing a hansome and novel appearance.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings Fig. 1. represents a finished Eraser,
having a steel blade A and a metallic handle B shaped to act as a paper cutter.
Fig. 2 shows the steel blade separately, with the dovetailed shank and ready for
the handle to be cast on to it.
Fig. 3, shows an Eraser with an open handle, thereby saving metal and making
a lighter article.
Fig. 4, shows an Eraser with an ornamental handle, cast to any desired pattern.
Fig. 5, represents an Eraser made by casting the complete article in one piece of
metal.
Fig. 6, represents an Eraser as made from a solid piece of steel or other suitable
metal which has been previously rolled to the varying thicknesses required for such
an article.
Fig. 7, represents an Eraser combined with a paper cutter, the blade A being of
steel, the body B being of brass or other metal cast on to the blade, and the
paper cutter being of Ivory, bone, horn or other similar material attached by
rivets to the body.
Having now described the nature of my invention, and the manner in which it
may be carried into practice, in the manufacture of the articles hereinbefore named,
I wish it to be understood that what I consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is :-
First, The manufacture of Erasing knives and other similar combined desk and
Erasing knives by casting the handles of any suitable metal upon the blades or
tangs of the blades substantially as described and illustrated.

page_text: Second, The manufacture of Erasing knives out of one solid piece of material,
either by casting the blade and handle combined at one operation, or by flying out
the combined blade and handle from a continuous piece of steel, or other metal
shaped to the varying thicknesses of the completed article, substantially as described
and illustrated
In Witness whereof, I the said Charles Henry Wood have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this eighteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord,
One Thousand, Eight hundred and Eighty two
CHARLES HENRY WOOD (LS.)