Improved Table-fork Cleaner.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improved Table-fork Cleaner.
I, PETER MEYER, of Cologne-Nippes, Germany, Inventor, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning table-forks, what-
ever may be the opening of the teeth thereof, by means of any cleaning material,
such as, soft leather, textile and the like.
This apparatus is composed of a frame of any suitable material provided with
a handle to hold the apparatus in hand and upon which are secured, by means
of screws, two spheres each having a seat, one of these spheres being arranged at
the upper part of the frame and the other at the lower part of same, above the
handle.
These spheres are provided with holes opposite each other and into which extend
the ends of a rod, threaded at its lower part to screw a hand-nut thereon. This
threaded rod passes through two caps, the one of which is arranged below the
upper sphere and the other above the hand-nut. These caps are kept apart by
means of a spiral-spring of about the same diameter as the caps. This spiral-
spring is prevented from bending or deviating under the pressure of the caps by
means of a stem arranged within the spiral-spring and bearing upon a portion
of the inner sides of the spires of the spiral-spring. This stem is parallel with
the threaded rod, and its ends extend into cavities made respectively in the upper
and lower sides of the frame. This stem passes through the caps between which
is arranged the spiral-spring and serves at the same time to guide these caps
when tightening the spiral-spring by means of the hand-nut.
The apparatus is used in the following manner:
First, the spiral-spring is adjusted by means of screwing on the hand-nut until
the opening of the spring spires correspond with the opening of the teeth of the
table-fork to be cleaned; then the cleaning material is placed upon the spring
and the table-forks are rubbed on this cleaning material, so that the spring-
spires penetrate between the teeth of said table-fork to clean the inner faces
thereof.
The spiral-spring of the apparatus may be replaced by metallic rings slipt on
the threaded rod and separated from each other by rubber-rings to allow tighten-
ing; or also the apparatus being always used for the same model of table-
fork, the said spiral-spring may be replaced by plates of rubber or other suit-
able material and provided with grooves, the opening of said grooves correspond-
ing with the opening of the teeth of the table-fork to be cleaned.
D
1641 dose of A
1908
L. DUVINAGE,
Patent Agent, 8, Rue des Princes, Brussels, Belgium.

page_text: I, PETER MEYER, of Cologne-Nippes, Germany, Inventor, 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:-
The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning table-forks what-
ever may be the opening of the teeth thereof, by means of a cleaning substance
such as soft leather, textile and the like.
It happens frequently and particularly in hotels, eating houses, boarding-
houses and the like that house-maids called for cleaning the various covers
every day in use, do not accomplish this work with great care, and very often
there remain, between the teeth of the table-forks, articles of food which are
removed with great difficulty, on account of the small opening between the teeth
of these table-forks, thus insufficiently cleaned, is very injurious to health,
said table-forks being capable of transmitting contagious maladies.
The above mentioned inconveniences are done away by means of the apparatus
forming the object of the present invention and allowing the table-forks to be
perfectly cleaned, by causing the teeth thereof to pass between the spires of a
spiral spring advisably adjusted and covered over with a cleaning substance, as
more fully described and claimed hereinafter.
And in order that my invention may be thoroughly understood, I now proceed
to describe the accompanying drawing thereof, reference being had to letters
and figures marked thereon.
Fig. 1, is a front view of the apparatus.
Fig. 2, is a side view of the same.
a is a supporting frame provided with a handle a¹, indicates spheres for secur-
ing provided with a seat, c is a metallic rod, threaded at its lower part and joining
spheres b, d is an adjusting nut for the spring, e are caps holding the spring,
f is a spiral spring and g is a guiding stem for the spring, shown in dotted lines.
The supporting frame a of the apparatus is made of any suitable material and
provided with a handle a¹, to hold the apparatus in hand.
On the frame a are secured, by means of screws, the spheres beach carrying
a seat provided with holes, into which extend the ends of the rod e threaded at
its lower part for screwing a hand nut e thereon.
The rod c is surrounded by the spiral spring f, the ends of which are applied
on the caps e, the upper one of said caps being held by the corresponding sphere
and the lower one the nut d, allowing said lower cap to be brought nearer to the
upper cap or to be removed therefrom, thus serving to give to the spires of the
spring an opening corresponding to the opening of the teeth of the table-fork
to be cleaned.
The spiral spring f is held by the spring stem g arranged parallel with the
rode within the spires of said spiral spring, the ends of said spring stem g ex-
tending into cavities made respectively in the upper and lower sides of the sup-
porting frame a. The said spring stem g passes through the caps e and prevents
the spiral spring to bend and to go out from said caps when packing and
cleaning.
This apparatus is used as follows:-
First the spiral spring f is adjusted by means of screwing the nut e until the
opening of spring-spires correspond with the opening of the teeth of the table-
fork to be cleaned then the cleaning material is placed upon the spring and the
table-forks are rubbed on this cleaning material so that the spring spires penetrate
between the teeth of said table fork to clean the inner faces thereof.

page_text: The spiral-spring of the apparatus may be replaced by metallic rings slipped
on the threaded rod and separated from each other by rubber rings to allow
packing; or also the apparatus being always used for the same model of table-
fork, the said spiral-spring may be replaced by plates of rubber or other suitable
material and provided with grooves, the opening of said grooves corresponding
with the opening of the teeth of the table-fork to be cleaned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A tool for scouring cutlery provided with an exposed spiral spring which
is arranged and adapted to allow the blade or tines of a knife or fork to be rubbed
backward and forward between its coils, substantially as set forth.
2. In an implement for scouring cutlery, the combination of a frame with a
spiral spring mounted thereon and uncovered, caps for the ends of the said spring
and means for adjusting one of the said caps to compress or relax the said spring,
the other cap remaining stationary, substantially as set forth.
3. In combination with a frame and a screw threaded rod mounted parallel
thereto in attachments of the said frame a spiral spring surrounding the said rod,
a pair of caps at the ends of the said spring and a nut turning on the threads
of the said rod to force one of the said caps against the said spring for compress-
ing the same at will, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 18th day of January 1898.
J. P. BAYLY,
18, Fulham Place, London, W., Agent for the Applicant.