Improvements in Apparatus for Opening Oysters and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1897-Accepted, 5th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Opening Oysters and the like.
A communication from abroad by the Firms of E. ALBANO & Co., and MORENA &
NOVARETTO, both of the Viale San Bartolomes, Spezia, Italy, Oyster Culti-
vators.
I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered
Patent Agent, 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:-
This invention relates to an apparatus for safely and easily opening oysters
and like shell fish the object being to provide an apparatus by which an oyster or
the like may be opened without danger of injuring the hands.
The apparatus comprises a clamp or holding device for the oyster and a pivoted
knife and means for operating same and forcing it between the edges of the two
shells.
In the accompanying drawings is illustrated two forms in which the invention
may be carried out. In these drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation of the apparatus,
Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form of same, Figs. 3 and 4 shew the method
of using the apparatus.
The apparatus consists of two pivoted arms c c¹ forming clamps or holders for the
oyster or the like said arms being suitably curved or shaped to adapt themselves
to the shell and having grooves of therein to embrace the edges of same. The arms
are pivotally attached to a frame 6 which is preferably of wood such frame having
brass or other suitable metal lugs ee¹ forming a part of plates secured in same to
act as points of attachment for the arms cc a lug e² attached to the plate of lug e
serving also as a point of attachment for a knife holder a which is pivoted thereto.
The lugs e el have three or more holes g in same and the arms c c are secured to
said lugs by thumbscrews f which may be tightened up so as to secure the arms
when holding an oyster or which may be placed in any of the holes g to adapt the
clamp arms to different grades or sizes of oysters.
The knife holder a carries a steel or other suitable knife & pivotally secured to
it by a thumbscrew or otherwise in such a way that it may be removed for cleaning
sharpening greasing or other purposes. The upper part of the knife is slotted
as shown so that the screw may move therein when the handle is operated. The
metal plates to which the lugs eel and e² are attached form guides for the knife
in passing through the frame b.
This frame is provided with a suitable handle as is also the knife holder a.
In the form illustrated in Fig. 2 there are no lugs such as e e¹ but the arms cc¹
are provided with projections or lugs as shown which enter the frame b the
arms being secured by passing the thumb screws f f¹ through one of the holes gg
on the frame. The lug e¹ has a suitable metal plate attached thereto as in the
former case to strengthen the frame b and act as a guide for the knife and another
plate may be inserted in the frame on the opposite side to serve the same purpose.
The drawings illustrate the manner in which the apparatus is used. As shown

page_text: the oyster is placed between the arms cc¹ the knife holder a being held open for the
purpose, and the oyster being placed so that the point of the knife just touches
the shells after which while the clamping arms are held together the knife holder is
depressed with the other hand which also holds the handle of the frame b.
When the shells have been thus severed by the knife the opening of same may
be completed by any suitable means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
-
1. For opening oysters and the like an apparatus provided with clamping arms
adapted to be closed on the oyster or the like and a pivoted knife adapted to be
forced into the opening between the shells substantially as described.
2. The construction of apparatus for opening oysters and the like substantially
as described and illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.
3. The construction of apparatus for opening oysters and the like substantially as
described and illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1897.