IMPROVEMENTS IN KNIVES FOR REAPING AND PRUNING
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Olpherts, of Ardee House, Ardee, in the
County of Louth, Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KNIVES FOR REAPING AND PRUNING."
Sealed the 9th October 1869, and dated the 24th June 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Olpherts at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th June 1869.
I, RICHARD OLPHERTS, of Ardee House, Ardee, in the County of
Louth, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KNIVES FOR REAPING AND PRUNING," to be as follows:-
In constructing a pruning or reaping knife according to my Invention
I attach to the end of a wooden handle a hooked blade somewhat of the
form of a sickle. To the end of the handle I also attach a finger or blade,
which when the knife is in use shall come against the opposite side of
the stalk or bough which is being cut to that upon which the cutting
blade is acting; this finger is set about one inch above the blade of

page_text: the knife, so that the stalks or boughs being cut are by it prevented from
bending down away from the cutting blade, and it is unnecessary to hold
them in the hand. The two ends of the finger are bent round, and are
brought together so as to form a triangle the apex of which is connected
to the end of the wooden handle. By this means if the handle of the
knife be pressed against the hough or stalk to be cut, and the knife be
drawn backwards, the bough or stalk will slide over the end of the finger
and will spring inwards and enter between the finger or blade and the
cutting edge of the knife, and it will be held there until the cut is com-
pleted. The knife may be provided with a long handle and be used as
a pruning knife to prune trees without the necessity of using a ladder to
get up into the tree. The knife is also especially useful for cutting
osiers and for reaping crops, such as the indigo plant. A cradle may be
in this case attached to the knife to gather and lay the crop as it
is cut.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Olpherts in the Great Seal Patent Orlice
on the 18th December 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, RICHARD
OLPHERTS, of Ardee House, Ardee, in the County of Louth, Ireland, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grunt auto me, the said Richard Olpherts, Her special licence that
I, the said Richard Olpherts, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Richard Olpherts, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Chanuel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNIVES
FOR REAPING AND PRUNING," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Richard Olpherts, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their bands and

page_text: seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the saitl
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, antl
cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Olpherts, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
In constructing a pruning or reaping knife according to my Invention
I attach to the end of a wooden handle a hooked blade somewhat of the
form of a sickle. To the end of the handle I also attach a finger or
blade, which when the knife is in use shall come against the opposite
side of the stalk or bough which is being cut to that upon which the
cutting blade is acting; this finger is set about one inch above the blade
of the knife, so that the stalks or boughs being cut are by it prevented
from bending down away from the cutting blade, and it is unnecessary
to hold them in the hand. The left hand of the person using the knife
is thus set quite free, which gives the man much more power to use the
knife with his other hand; in addition, also, a man is enabled to cut
osiers and other crops without stooping. The two ends of the finger are
bent round, and are brought together so as to form a triangle, the apex
of which is connected to the end of the wooden handle. By this means
if the handle of the knife be pressed against the bough or stalk to be cut
and the knife be drawn backwards the bough or stalk will slide over the
end of the finger, and will spring inwards and enter between the finger
or blade and the cutting edge of the knife, and it will be held there
until the cut is completed. The knife is useful as a pruning knife for
pruning hedges, gooseberry bushes, and other thorny plants, and is also
especially useful for cutting osiers, and for reaping crops, such as the
indigo plant. A cradle may in this case be attached to the knife to
gather and lay the crop as it is cut.
Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shew respectively
a plan view and side view of a pruning and reaping knife constructed
as above described.
a is the handle, made by preference of wood; this handle may be
made to any length to suit the particular purpose for which the knife is
to be used. b is the cutting knife, carried at the end of the handle; c is

page_text: the finger or blade, also attached to the end of the handle; the form of
this blade is clearly shewn by the Drawings; the manner in which it
acts to prevent the boughs, stalks, or canes which are being cut from
bending down away from the knife is clearly described above, so that it
is unnecessary to give here any further description of it.
The knife shewn at Figures 1 and 2 has also a cradle of wire marked
d, d, which may be attached to it whenever the knife is to be used as a
reaping knife, in order to receive and lay the crop as it is cut. When
the knife is to be used as a pruning knife this cradle is removed by
unscrewing the nut e.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,
First. Constructing a pruning or reaping kuifo with a finger or
blade c, substantially as herein described.
Second. Combining with such a pruning or reaping knife a cradle
of wires to receive and lay the crop as it is cut.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Olpherts, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
RICHARD OLPHERTS. (L.S.)