AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR CUTTING CORNS ON THE FEET OR OTHER PLACES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Wilson Sharpin of Bedford in the County of
Bedford for an Invention of AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED
FOR CUTTING CORNS ON THE FEET OR OTHER PLACES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Wilson Sharpin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st June 1883.
HENRY WILSON SHARPIN of Bedford in the County of Bedford AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR CUTTING CORNS ON THE FEET OR
PLACES.
OTHER
The object of my invention is to produce an instrument by which corns on the
feet or elsewhere can easily and effectually be cut or pared while at the same time
the danger of cutting or paring the same too deeply will be entirely obviated. This
instrument will give great confidence to the person using the same as there is no
possibility of doing any harm therewith.
To carry out this object I make a shaft of steel on the end of which is a blade
of steel preferably of a hatchet shape. The blade may be made in one piece with
the shaft or may be attached thereto and it is placed at right angles to the shaft.
A sharp razor edge is given to this blade. On one side of the hatchet shaped
blade I secure a shield of silver or other metal which fits over the blade and is
formed with three or more prongs projecting over and beyond the cutting edge of
the blade a certain distance. I also bend or flange the lateral edges of this shield
down over the sides of the blade and I secure this shield to the shaft in such a
manner that the distance the prongs project over and beyond the cutting edge of
the blade can be regulated with the utmost exactness while at the same time the
shield can be altogether removed when required. This can conveniently be
effected by a screw in the apex of the shield. The action then of this instrument
is as follows. The cutting edge of the blade being presented against the part to
be operated on pares the same and what is thereby cut or pared off passes between
the prongs of the shield and is carried off. The cutting edge is at the same time
prevented from entering too deeply into the said part by the bearing thereon of
the ends of the prongs of the shield. The shaft may either be set firmly in a
handle or may be hinged or pivotted thereto to allow of the shaft and blade and
shield being shut up after the manner of a pocket knife.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Wilson Sharpin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd November 1883.
AN IMPROVED
HENRY WILSON SHARPIN of Bedford in the county of Bedford
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR CUTTING CORNS ON THE FEET OR OTHER
PLACES
The object of my invention is to produce an instrument by which corns on
the feet or other places can easily effectually and safely be cut or pared and the
danger of cutting or paring the same too deeply be entirely obviated. This
instrument therefore will give great confidence to the person using the same as there
is no possibility of doing any harm therewith.
In order to explain my invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed I refer to the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 is a general view or plan of my instrument.
Figure 2 shews on an enlarged scale the blade and part of the shaft of my
instrument.
Figure 3 is the shield of the blade on the same scale.
Figure 4 is a cross section on an enlarged scale of the blade and the shield taken
at a. b in Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a cross section on the same scale of the blade and the shield taken
at c. d. in Figure 4.
The letters refer to the same parts in all the Figures.
A is the shaft on the end of which is the blade of steel B which blade is
preferably made of a hatchet shape as shewn. The blade B may be made in one
piece with the shaft A or may be attached thereto as may be desired. It is placed
at right angles or thereabouts to the shaft and is given a sharp cutting edge which
therefore is parallel or thereabouts with the said shaft. A shield C of silver or
other metal is made of a shape somewhat similar to the blade B and is formed
with two three or more prongs C¹. When this shield C is placed in position on
the side of the blade B these prongs C¹ project a certain distance over and beyond
The lateral edges
the cutting edge of the blade B as shewn in Figures 1 and 4.
of the shield C are bent or flanged at one or more points on each side thereof down
over the sides of the blade B as shewn at C in Figure 5. This assists in keeping
the shield securely and immovably fixed in its desired position on the blade.
The shield C is so secured either to the shaft A or the blade B that the distance
that the prongs C' project over and beyond the cutting edge of the said blade B
can be regulated with the utmost exactness while at the same time the shield C
can be altogether removed when required. In the drawing is shewn a very
convenient method of effecting this object. A hole E in which a screw thread is
cut is made in the proper position through the end of the shaft A and a
corresponding hole F but without the screw thread is made through the apex or
upper part of the shield C. A thumb or other screw D is then passed through the
hole F in the shield C and screwed into the hole E in the shaft A until the collar
of the said screw D tightly secures the shield C on the blade B in its proper
desired position as shewn in Figure 4.
The hole E is made right through the
shaft A and the screw thread therein is tapped throughout so that the shield C
The shaft A inay
can be secured on either side of the blade B as may be desired.
either be set firmly in a suitable handle G or may be hinged or pivotted thereto so
that the shaft with its blade and shield can be shut up after the manner of the
blade of a pocket knife.
The action of this instrument is as follows. The cutting edge of the blade being
presented against the part to be operated on pares the same and what is thereby

page_text: cut or pared off passes between the shield and the blade or between the prongs of
the shield and is carried off. The cutting edge is at the same time prevented from
entering too deeply into the said part by reason of the bearing thereon of the ends
of the prongs of the shield.
In conclusion I would state that though I consider that the shapes of the various
parts of my instrument and the methods of constructing and connecting together
the said various parts as shewn in the drawing are the best for carrying out my
object as herein before declared I do in no wise limit myself to the said exact
shapes or methods of construction or connection for all the said parts can be formed
of such shapes and constructed and connected together in and by such methods as
may be expedient or desirable or convenient in each particular case.
Having thus particularly described and clearly explained my invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed and used I claim as my invention which
is protected by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent
1. In an instrument for cutting or paring corns on the feet or elsewhere the
combination and use of the blade B and the shield C with its prongs C¹ substantially
as and for the purpose herein before described and set forth.
2. In an instrument for cutting or paring corns on the feet or elsewhere the
combination and use of the shaft A with its blade B the shield C with its prongs
and flanges C and the screw D the whole combined and operating substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore described and set forth.
3. The safety apparatus for cutting corns on the feet or other places substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and declared and shewn in the accompanying
drawing,
In witness whereof I the said Henry Wilson Sharpin have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twentieth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
HENRY WILSON SHARPIN
L.S.)