Improved Knife Cleaner.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., .1894
Complete 'Specification Left, 27th June, 1895-Accepted, 24th Aug., 1895'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Knife Cleaner.
LORENA ALVORD FIDGE 45 Darnley Road Gravesend, Kent, wife of
R. W. Fidge, Esq., no profession, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
An improved method of cleaning and polishing steel knives. It consists of two
flat pieces of leather or cork fastened to thin pieces of board, then fixed to a strip
of American cloth-which forms a cover when not in use.
It is like two pieces of ordinary knife board binged together, one piece folding
over the other, thus cleaning both sides of the knife at once. The powder being
enclosed while the knife is being cleaned, there is no dust, and as both sides of the
knife are cleaned at once it requires but half the usual time.
Dated this 28th day of September 1894.
Improved Knie Cleaner.
LORENA ALVORD FIDGE wife of R. W. Fidge 45 Darnley Road Gravesend
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 polishers of the class usually employed in households
for scouring and cleaning table knives and the like.
Speaking generally the object of my invention is to provide a cheap and
satisfactory device for scouring and polishing metallic articles which shall be
adapted to be held in frictional contact with both sides of the article to be operated
upon and at the same time fit over any uneven surfaces, so that by reciprocating
the article a few times within the cleaner any discoloration caused by incipient
oxidization or otherwise may be readily scoured, off from both sides at one and the
same operation.
The construction of my cleaner is such that knives may be thoroughly polished
on both sides with almost the same facility that they can be wiped on both sides
with a cloth, while at the same time the pressure may be made greater or less and
at different places as circumstances may require.
My knife cleaner consists of two heavy pieces of felt cloth or leather, or similar
material adapted to hold fine emery powder upon the surfaces and in the interstices
thereof. These pieces being mounted on boards adapted to fold upon one another
to bring the inner frictional surfaces of the two pieces together.
In case the felt or other material is quite heavy and has been sized by glue or
like material, or otherwise rendered somewhat rigid and elastic, the boards may he
dispenced with, and the two frictional pieces being covered with good strong
flexible enamelled cloth, sometimes called American cloth, preferably cut in a
single piece, may be opened and closed like the covers of a book, this being
permitted by the flexible enamelled cloth between the rear edges of the pieces.

page_text: I have found itidesirable in some instances to mount one piece only of the felt upon
a board, the other piece being left somewhat-yielding, by this construction there is
provided one rigid side adapted to rest upon a table, while the other side being
somewhat flexible is adapted to be held down by pressure of the left hand with
greater or less force as occasion may require to produce the amount of friction
upon the knife or other article to be scoured, and conform to the surface thereof,
and cause the friction thereon to be greater or less at different points as the same
is reciprocated back and forth actuated by the right hand of the user.
The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings
in which
Figure 1, is an isometric view of my knife cleaner closed or folded.
Figure 2, is an isometric view thereof open, with a knife lying in position to be
scoured.
Figure 3, is a vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof showing a knife
between the frictional surfaces as undergoing the scouring, operation.
1
Like, parts are indicated by similar letters of. reference throughout the different
figures, the lower frictional piece A, is shown mounted upon a board B, while the
upper frictional piece C, in this instance is not mounted upon any rigid board or
piece, but is made somewhat rigid-and elastic.
The cover of enamelled cloth D, is preferably in a single, picoe as shown, the
emery powder is put upon the surface of the frictional pieces. A, and C. In
operation the cleaner is placed upon the table with the rigid side down as shown
in Figure 3. The knife to be cleaned' is held in one hand, and reciprocated back
and forth, while the other hand is pressed upon the frictional piece C, to cause the
amount of friction. desired.
As thus constructed there are provided two flat pieces of frictional material one
of which is mounted upon a thin board and .covered by enamelled cloth. The two
pieces are so to speak hinged together, and adapted to fold one over the other.
The emery powder is enclosed while the knife is being cleaned, so that there is no
dust, and as both sides of the knife are, cleaned at once, the work is done in about
one half the time that has heretofore been required when the ordinary knifeboard
has been employed.
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,-
1st. In a knife cleaner the combination with a rigidly mounted frictional piece,
of a corresponding frictional piece which is elastic, the two pieces' covered with
enamelled cloth, being adapted to be folded one upon another the surface of said
frictional pieces being adapted to hold emery powder, whereby said surfaces
may be brought in frictional contact with the article to be scoured, and the
desired pressure' exerted at different points 'substantially as and 'for the purpose
specified.
2nd. The combination in a knife cleaner of folding frictional pieces adapted to
hold emery powder upon the surfaces and in the interstices thereof, said pieces
when folded being adapted to be pressed upon opposite sides of the article to be
cleaned, while the article is being reciprocated; substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
OZALIT $100
'LORENA ALVORD FIDGE.