Improvements in Cutlery.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1896
TROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cutlery.
1, RICHARD HEBER RADFORD, of 15, St. James' Row, Sheffield, in the
County of York, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a simple, effective and inexpensive
implement for overcoming the difficulty which is frequently experienced in opening
a rolled packet or parcel which has been made up tightly with a gummed wrapper,
especially when the contents of such a rolled packet or parcel consist of a book,
pamphlet or other unyielding substance.
I effect this object by employing a knife blade or specially formed cutter in
conjunction with a blunt, probe shaped guard, such guard being either attached to
the back of the blade or cutter or formed separately therefrom. In either case the
guard is made to project beyond the point of the blade or cutter and also to project
along each side of the same so that a section taken through the blade or cutter and
the guard is like a T.
An instrument thus formed is used in the following manner. The cutting edge
of the blade is turned upwards and the blunted point of the guard which projects
beyond the point of the blade is then inserted under one or more folds at one end
of the wrapper which encircles the rolled parcel, the instrument is then pushed
forward in a straight line towards the opposite end of the same when the wrapper
will be cut through from end to end and the blunt probe shaped guard in front and
at the back of the blade prevents the sharp point of the knife from cutting the
contents of the parcel.
A specially formed cutter with the guard attached to it as herein described may
be fixed rigidly in a handle and so kept ready for immediate use, or the cutter and
guard may be made to close up into the handle like an ordinary pocket kuife
blade and may be fitted to a pocket knife containing other blades.
When an ordinary pen knife blade is used in conjunction with a movable guard,
the guard and the blade are made to open separately like separate blades in a pocket
knife, for example, the knife blade may be first opened and used as an ordinary
pen knife, the guard may then be opened in the same direction over the blade, the
guard being provided with a slot down its centre so as to pass over the open blade.
When the guard and the blade of the knife are open together, the back of the
blade lies in the slot formed in the guard, in this way the knife blade may be
opened as already described from the same side of the haft as the guard or the
knife may be opened on one side and the guard opened from the other side of the
haft. When the guard is opened from the opposite side of the haft to the blade,
it may be formed either with or without the slot first mentioned. The guard is so
formed that when it is open by itself without the knife blade, it can be used either
as an envelope opener, paper knife or probe.
It will thus be seen that an implement constructed as herein last described would
be a combination of a pocket knife, paper knife, an envelope opener and a roll
opener or probe and in either case would be an implement of great utility both in
business offices and private use.
I do not confine myself to the particular method of construction or combination

page_text: herein described, the essential feature of my invention being the formation of an
implement partaking of the nature of a pocket knife or specially formed cutter,
provided with either a fixed or movable guard for the purpose of opening a rolled
packet or the like parcel.
Dated this 15th day of February.
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Applicant.
Improvements in Cutlery.
I, RICHARD HEBER RADFORD, of 15, St. James' Row, Sheffield, in the
County of York, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to provide a simple, effective and inexpensive
implement for overcoming the difficulty which is frequently experienced in opening
a rolled packet or parcel which has been made up tightly with a gummed wrapper,
especially when the contents of such a rolled packet or parcel consist of a book,
pamphlet or other unyielding substance.
I effect this object by employing a knife blade or specially formed cutter in
conjunction with a blunt, probe shaped guard, such guard being either attached to
the back of the blade or cutter or formed separately therefrom. In either case the
guard is made to project beyond the point of the blade or cutter and also to project
along each side of the same so that a section taken through the blade or cutter and
the guard is like a T.
The nature of my invention will be better understood on reference to the
accompanying two sheets of drawings in which;
Fig. 1. Sheet 1, is a side view of a specially formed cutter with a fixed guard
attached and fastened rigidly in or to a handle or haft.
Fig. 2, is a plan of the same looking on to the cutting edge.
Figs. 3, 4 & 5, are views of a similar formed cutter and guard made to close up
into the handle or haft like the blade of an ordinary pocket knife.
Figs. 6, 7, 8 & 9, are views of a similar formed cutter and guard fitted to a
pocket knife containing other blades.
Fig. 10. is a section of the implement taken through the blade or cutter and the
guard, on the line A. B. Figs. 4 & 5.
Figs. 11 to 20. Sheet 2. are a series of views illustrating an implement or
combination of implements comprising a pen knife, a paper knife or cutter, an
envelope opener or probe, and a roll opener. The roll opener being formed by using
the pen knife blade in conjunction with the paper cutter as shewn in Figs. 16 & 17.
in which the paper cutter forms the guard to the blade.
Figs. 14 & 15. shew the implement when used as a pen knife.
Figs. 18 & 19. when used as a paper cutter envelope opener or probe.
Figs. 11, 12 & 13. the implements as closed.
Fig. 20. shews the paper cutter being opened over the previously opened knife
blade so as to form a guard as already described.
Fig. 21. is a section through the paper cutter or guard on the line C. D.
Figs. 18 & 19.
Fig. 22. is a section through both the paper cutter or guard and the blade when
used as a roll opener, on the line A. B. Figs. 16 & 17.
The same letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views on both
sheets of drawings.

page_text: An instrument thus formed is used in the following manner. It is held with the
cutting edge of the blade, a, turned upwards and the blunted point of the guard, &,
which projects beyond the point of the blade is then inserted under one or more
folds at one end of the wrapper which encircles the rolled parcel, the instrument is
then pushed forward in a straight line towards the opposite end of the same when
the wrapper will be cut through from end to end and the blunt probe shaped guard
in front and at the back of the blade prevents the sharp point of the knife from
cutting the contents of the parcel.
A specially formed cutter with the guard attached to it as herein described may
be fixed rigidly in or to a handle, d, as in Figs. 1 & 2, and so kept ready for
immediate use, or the cutter and guard may be made to close up into the handle, d,
like an ordinary pocket knife blade, as in Fig. 3, 4 & 5. and may be fitted to a
pocket knife containing other blades, e, e, as in Figs. 6. 7. 8 & 9.
In some cases the cutter, a, may be extended further along the guard or it may
be placed altogether nearer the point of the guard and made either so as to leave
the guard clear both in front and behind the cutter as shewn by the dotted lines
in Figs. 4 & 5.
c,
When an ordinary pen knife blade is used in conjunction with a movable guard,
the guard and the blade are made to open separately like separate blades in a
pocket knife, as in Figs. 11 to 20. (Sheet 2), for example, the knife blade, a, may
be first opened and used as an ordinary pon kaife, Figs. 14 & 15, the guard, b, may
then be opened in the same direction over the blade, the guard being provided
with a slot, c, down its centre so as to pass over the open blade, as in Fig. 20.
When the guard and the blade of the knife are open together, Figs. 16 & 17, the
back of the blade lies in the slot, e, formed in the guard. In this way the knife
blade may be opened as already described from the same side of the haft as
the guard, or the knife may be opened on one side and the guard opened from the
other side of the haft. When the guard is opened from the opposite side of the
haft to the blade it may be formed either with or without the slot first mentioned.
The guard is so formed that when it is open by itself without the knife blade,
Figs. 18 & 19. it can be used either as an envelope opener, paper knife or probe.
It will thus be seen that an implement constructed as herein last described would
be a combination of a pocket knife, a paper knife, an envelope opener or probe, and
a roll opener, and in either case would be an implement of great utility both in
business offices and private use.
I do not confine myself to the particular method of construction or combination
herein described, the essential feature of my invention being the formation of an
implement partaking of the nature of a pocket knife or specially formed cutter,
provided with either a fixed or movable guard for the purpose of opening a rolled
packet or the like parcel.
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:
1. The arrangement and combination of parts and appliances in a specially
formed implement, for opening a rolled packet, comprising a cutter, a, with a fixed
guard, b, attached thereto and fixed in or to a handle, d, in the manner and for the
purposes substantially as herein described and illustrated in Figs. 1 & 2, on Sheet 1,
of the accompanying drawings.
2. The arrangement and combination of parts and appliances in a specially
formed implement, for opening a rolled packet, comprising a cutter, a, with a
fixed guard, b, attached thereto, so made and constructed as to close up into a
handle, d, in the manner and for the purposes substantially as herein described and
illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, & 5, on Sheet 1, of the accompanying drawings.
3. The arrangement and combination of parts and appliances in a specially
formed implement, so made and constructed that it may be titted and used as part
of a pocket knife containing other blades, in the manner and for the purposes

page_text: substantially as herein described and illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, 8 & 9, on Sheet 1, of
the accompanying drawings.
4. The arrangement and combination of parts and appliances consisting of a
knife blade, a, with a movable guard, 6, and a handle or haft, d, the blade and
the guard being made to open and close either together or separately, so that they
may be used either together or separately, in the manner and for the purposes
substantially as herein described and illustrated in Figs. 11 to 20. on Sheet 2, of
the accompanying drawings.
5. The arrangement and combination of parts and appliances comprising a
knife blade, a, a movable guard, b, a handle or haft, d, the blade and the guard
being made to open and close either together or separately, so that when the blade
is open alone it may be used as a pen or pocket knife, and when the guard is open
alone, it may be used as a paper knife or cutter, or as an envelope opener or
as a probe and when the knife blade is open with the said guard, the two parts
together may be used as a roll opener in the manner and for the purposes
substantially as herein described and illustrated in Figs. 11 to 20, on Sheet 2,
of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of November 1896.
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Applicant.