AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING KNIVES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Terrett, of Hercules, Buildings, Lambeth, in
the County of Surrey, Machinist, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
T
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left. by the said Richard Terrett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd November 1854.
I, RICHARD TERRETT, of Hercules Buildings, Lambeth, in the County of
Surrey, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING KNIVES " to be as
follows:-
The improved machine or apparatus consists principally of two parts, viz.,
an outer fixed-case and an inner sliding frame. The outer case is in the
form of a trough, and is to be firmly screwed down to a bench or other con-
venient place; the inner sliding frame is made in two parts, formed of wood,
and faced with buff leather, with a piece of stout felted fabric placed between
the wood and the leather. The two parts of the sliding frame are placed face
to face, and pressed together by means of screws, furnished with india-rubber
or other elastic washers, so as to regulate the pressure and allow them to give
way when necessary. In the sides of the outer case-holes-are-formed, suffi--
ciently large to admit the blade of the knife-to be passed through, the said
holes or openings being in such a position as that the blades shall at the same

page_text: time pass between the buff leather surfaces of the sliding-frame. The upper
part of the sliding frame is furnished with a box, to contain flour of emery or
other suitable polishing material, the said box being provided with a small
hole extending through the upper buff, so as to supply the said emery to the
surfaces of the buffs. The knives, being placed through the machine passing
between the buffs, are cleaned by sliding the inner frame, containing the buffs,
backwards and forwards in a longitudinal direction by means of a handle, with
which it is provided for that purpose..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Terrett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd May 1855.
TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
TERRETT, of Hercules Buildings, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Machinist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Terrett, "Her special licence that I, the said Richard Terrett, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as. I, the said Richard
Terrett, my executors, administrators, 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 Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPA-
_RATUS_FOR_CLEANING KNIVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Richard Terrett, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal 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 Terrett, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):-
My improved machine or apparatus for cleaning knives (which may be

page_text: constructed either on the reciprocating or rotatory principle) consists prin-
cipally of two parts, viz., an outer fixed case and an inner sliding or revolving
frame. The inner frame is made in two parts, formed of wood, and faced with.
buff or any other suitable kind of leather, a suitable elastic bed being placed
between the wood and the leather surface, so as to impart great elasticity
thereto. These elastic beds, which form one of the principal features of my
Invention) may be composed of stout felt, hair, india-rubber, indian weed,
wadding, flocks, cotton, wool, confined air, or any other suitable elastic sub-
stance or medium. The two parts of the sliding or revolving frame are placed
face to face, and pressed together by means of screws, furnished with india-
rubber or other elastic washers, so as to regulate the pressure, and allow them
to give way when necessary. In the sides of the outer or fixed case holes are
formed, sufficiently large to admit the blade of the knife to be passed through,
the said holes or openings being in such a position that the blade of the knife
shall at the same time pass between the buff leather surfaces of the inner
sliding or revolving frame. The upper part of the sliding or revolving framo
is furnished with a box, to contain flour of emery or other suitable polishing
material, the bottom of the said box being provided with a small opening
extending through the upper buff, so as to supply the said eniery or other
material to the surfaces of the buffs:
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more in detail the practical construction of the apparatus; and in
order more fully to illustrate the same, I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings, representing various views, and shewing the construction: of the
apparatus in its two forms, (viz.; the reciprocating and the rotatory,) and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference, corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof, similar letters of reference being
placed upon corresponding parts of the mechanism in the several Figures,
in sò far as such parts appear or can be seen at each of the said Figures
respectively.
.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents at side elevation of my improved apparatus as adapted
for cleaning two knives at a time, and constructed upon the reciprocating
principle; Figure 2 is a plan or horizontal view of the same, as seen from
above; and Figure 3 is a transverse section thereof, taken vertically through
about the line A, B, in Figures, 1 and 2, the views being drawn about half the
real size of the machine. A, A, is the outer or fixed case, which is intended
==== The inner sliding froma is shown

page_text: each end by screws E, E, having india-rubber or other elastic washers to give
the requisite pressure, and at the same time to give way when necessary. F, F,
are the buff leather or polishing surfaces; and G, G, are the elastic beds, which
may be of any suitable material, as above mentioned. The edges of the
"buffs" are bevilled at the part marked,,(see Figure 1;) so as to facilitate
the introduction of the knife blades between their surfaces. One side of the
outer fixed case is provided with two or more openings J, J, lined with buff
leather, and of the proper. size and form to admit the blade and shoulder of a
knife, and on the other side and opposite thereto are apertures to admit the
point of the blade....H, H, is a "haft-holder" or rest, for, steadying the hafts
of the knives; I, I, is the box, for emery or polishing powder. This box is
furnished with an opening, extending through the upper buff (see Figure 3),
and provided with a peg i, i, to regulate the supply of emery or polishing
powder to the buffs. K, K, is a strap, for cleaning the backs of the blades or
other parts which the machine may not effectually polish; L; L, is a buff for
cleaning forks, having an elastic bed, and being furnished also with leaves
M, M, of buff leather, for polishing between the prongs thereof; N is a stop,
which, when slidden up to the stop O, indicates that the bevilled part *, *, of
the "buffs" is opposite to the openings J, J, and consequently that the
machine is in the proper position for feeding in the knives to be cleaned or
polished; P, P, is a handle, by means of which the "buffs" are slidden back-
wards and forwards. In using this machine, the 'slide is moved. up to the
stop 0; the knives are then inserted into the holes J, J; and the "buffs."
slidden backwards and forwards until the polishing is effected. The knives
may be steadied during the cleaning of the points by grasping the hafts
thereof, and the rest H, H, in the left hand. Figure 4 shews a plan view, and
Figure 5 an elevation, of my improved apparatus, as adapted to cleaning six
knives at a time, and constructed upon the rotatory principle. Figure 6 is a
plan view, with the upper. "buff" removed, and Figure 7 is a section taken
vertically through the centre of the apparatus. These Figures are drawn
about one-third size. A, A, is the outer case, which in this instance is capable
of revolving in one direction for the convenience of feeding in the knives, but
is prevented from turning when the machine is in action by means of the
inclined stop and spring catch a, a, (see Figure 5, one-half of which is
attached to the frame B, B, by means of which the machine is to be screwed
firmly to a bench. --C,-C,-is-the-upper-buff,-and-D, D, the lower-one. These-
buffs are connected to the central revolving spindle by means of keys b, b, and
are pressed together by means of the nut E, E. F, F, are the buff leather or
'polishing surfaces (which are slightly rounded at the edges); and G, G, are

page_text: the elastic beds; c, c, are rolls of buff leather, plaited hair, or other suitable
elastic substance, placed round the buffs, for the purpose of polishing the
shoulder and collar of the haft; J, J, are the openings, lined with buff leather,
for introducing the knives; and H, H, are the haft rests; d, d, is a circular
collar, against which the points of the knives rest; I, I, is the box for emery
or polishing powder; having two or more openings extending therefrom through
the upper buff, and opened or closed, as required, by means of the slide e, e ;
P, P, is the handle, by means of which the central shaft and buffs are caused
to revolve. In using the machine, the whole machine is turned round (in the
reverse direction to the arrows in Figure 6), and the knives fed in, the inclined
surface of the stop causing the spring catch to recede. When the knives are
all thus fed in, the handle P, P, is turned in the direction of the arrows; the
outer frame is held by the stop, thus holding the knives firmly, whilst the
"buffs" revolve and polish both surfaces thereof simultaneously. I would
here observe, that in machines upon this construction, intended to clean or
polish more than six knives at a time, the length of the handle need not be
increased, as that would be inconvenient, but the motion may be communicated
therefrom to the central spindle by means of a pair of spur wheels.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention of an
improved apparatus for cleaning knives, together with the best means I am
acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in
conclusion, that I claim as my Invention the general construction and arrange-
ment of machine as above described and shewn in the Drawings, and more
especially the use and application of the elastic beds, as herein-before described,
for the purpose of imparting great elasticity to the "buffs," when employed in
the manner and for the purposes above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Terrett, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
ALEX. PRINCE, Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square.
RICHARD TERRETT. (L.S.)