IM- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING KNIVES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Elliott Chambers, of Lozells, near Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Ironmonger's Assistant, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING KNIVES."
ed the 1st September 1876, and dated the 4th March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Elliott Chambers at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th March 1876.
JOHN ELLIOTT CHAMBERS, of Lozells, near Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Ironmonger's Assistant. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES OR APPARATUS
FOR CLEANING KNIVES."
«
My said Invention consists of the construction and arrangement, herein-after
described, of the parts of machines or apparatus for cleaning knives, whereby the
said machines possess the advantages herein-after pointed out over machines of the
ordinary kind.
I make the body of the machine of a cylindrical box or case supported on legs,
the said case being closed at its ends, excepting as herein-after described, and divided
longitudinally into two semi-cylinders. The lower half constitutes the true body,
and the upper half, which is hinged or jointed to the lower half or body, constitutes
the lid or cover of the machine. Within the said cylindrical case or box a rotating
drum or barrel works, the cylindrical surface of which is made into a cleaning and
polishing surface; the axis of this drum turns in adjustable bearings on the ends of
the body, and is worked by a winch or handle outside the body. In the concave
surface of the lower half or body of the machine a series of shallow beds or cavities
is made, of a size and form proper to receive the blades of the knives to be cleaned,
the knives being introduced into these beds or cavities through openings in the
ends of the body. The handles of the knives are supported in trough-shaped rests
or supports outside the body; by means of these rests or supports the blades of the
knives are maintained firmly in the beds or cavities in the inside of the body. The
rests described may be made of a fixed plate and a jointed plate held down by a
spring, the handles being gripped between the said plates.
The openings in the ends of the body or case through which the blades of tho
knives are introduced into the machine may be lined with india-rubber or other
material, to prevent the escape of the polishing material from the machine; or
77

page_text: pieces of india-rubber or brushes may be fixed inside the body or case for a like
purpose.
The cleaning and polishing surface of the rotating drum may be composed of
parallel strips of buff leather, supported on either side by strips of india-rubber, or
brushes may alternate with or be otherwise combined with the strips of buff
Icather. A trough may be placed under cach end of the machine to receive the
emery or polishing material escaping from the machine. Access to the interior of
the machine and to the rotating polishing drum is obtained by turning the jointed
lid or cover from off the body. A buff or other polishing material may be fixed on
the top of the machine to polish the shoulders of the knives. The beds or cavities
in the lower half or body of the machine having been filled with the blades of the
knives the polishing drum is rotated, and the sides of the blades presented to the
said drum are rapidly cleaned; the knives having been withdrawn, and reintroduced
into the machine with the uncleaned sides towards the drum or polisher, the said
drum or polisher is again rotated and the cleaning of the blades completed.
In reintroducing the knives into the machine they are inserted at the end
opposite to that at which they were first introduced, the motion of the polishing
drum in both cases being from the edge to the back of the blade.
The cover or lid part of the machine may be constructed to receive the blades of
the knives instead of or in addition to the lower half or body.
By my Invention the following advantages, among others, are obtained :—
The handles of the knives are not liable to be broken, and the wearing away of
the cutting edges of the blades by the cleaning process is prevented.
The machine cannot be injured by the dropping of a knife or blade into it, and
the buffs or polishing drum cannot be cut by the introduction and removal of the s
knives.
The machine is very compact, durable, and simple in construction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said John Elliott Chambers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd September
1876.
JOHN ELLIOTT CHAMBERS, of Lozells, near Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Ironmonger's Assistant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES OR APPARATUS
FOR CLEANING KNIVES."
My said Invention consists of the construction and arrangement herein-after
described of the parts of machines or apparatus for cleaning knives, whereby the
said machines posses the advantages herein-after pointed out over machines of the
ordinary kind.
I make the body of the machine of a cylindrical box or case supported on legs,
the said case being closed at its ends, excepting as herein-after described, and divided
longitudinally into two semi-cylinders. The lower half constitutes the true body,
and the upper half, which is hinged or otherwise connected to the lower half or
body, constitutes the lid or cover of the machine. Within the said cylindrical case
or box a rotating drum or barrel works, the cylindrical surface of which is made
into a cleaning and polishing surface; the axis of this drum turns in adjustable
bearings in the ends of the body, and is worked by a winch or handle outside the
body. In the concave surface of the lower half or body of the machine a series of
beds or cavities is made, of a size and form proper to receive the blades of the
knives to be cleaned, the knives being introduced into these beds or cavities through
openings in the ends of the body. The handles of the knives may be supported in
trough-shaped rests or supports outside the body. By means of these rests or
supports the blades of the knives are maintained firmly in the beds or cavities in
the inside of the body.

page_text: The openings in the ends of the body or case through which the blades of the
knives are introduced into the machine may be lined with india-rubber or other
material to prevent the escape of the polishing material from the machine; or
pieces of india-rubber or brushes may be fixed inside the body or case for a liko
purpose.
The cleaning and polishing surface of the rotating drum may be composed of
parallel strips of buff leather, supported by strips of india-rubber; or brushes may
alternate with or be otherwise combined with the strips of buff leather. A trough
may be placed under each end of the machine to receive the emery or polishing
material escaping from the machine. Access to the interior of the machine and to
the rotating polishing drum is obtained by lifting or turning the jointed lid or cover
from off the body. A buff or other polishing material may be fixed on the top of
the machine to polish the shoulders of the knives. The beds or cavities in the
lower half or body of the machine having been filled with the blades of the knives
the polishing drum is rotated, and the sides of the blades presented to the said
drum are rapidly cleaned; the knives having been withdrawn, and reintroduced
into the machine with the uncleaned sides towards the drum or polisher, the said
drum or polisher is again rotated and the cleaning of the blades completed.
In reintroducing the knives into the machine they are inserted at the end
opposite that at which they were first introduced, the motion of the polishing drum
in both cases being from the edge to the back of the blade.
The cover or lid part of the machine may be constructed to receive the blades of
the knives instead of or in addition to the lower half or body.
I will now describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in
which my Invention may be carried into effect.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section a machine or apparatus for
cleaning knives constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a cross section
of the same; and Figure 3. is an end elevation of the samo.
Figure 4 is a plan of the lower half or body of the machine.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawing.
a and b represent the nearly cylindrical box or case of the machine supported on
the stand or foot c or on legs, the lower half a constituting the body and the upper
half b the lid or cover of the machine. The semi-cylindrical lid or cover b is connected
to the body a by the jointed eyes 62, 62, which are passed over staples or projections
a², a, on the body a. When the lid or cover b is thus connected to the body a it
can be wholly detached when it is required to gain access to the interior of the
machine for removing the polishing drum or for other purpose; or one side of the
lid or cover b may be hinged to the body a. By means of a hopper d on the top of
the cover b emery or other cleaning or polishing material may be supplied to the
machine. The ends of the cylindrical case a, b, are closed, with the exception
herein-after described. e is the rotating cleaning or polishing drum or barrel of the
machine working within the cylindrical case or box a, b, the axis e² of the said
drum or barrel turning in bearings or brasses e³ carried by the end plates at of the
body a, the said bearings or brasses being adjusted by the top and bottom screws a³.
The drum or barrel e is rotated by the winch f on one end of the axis e². The
cylindrical surface of the drum or barrel e is made into a cleaning or polishing
surface; the said cleaning or polishing surface consists of a series of parallel
longitudinal strips g, g, of buff leather supported by shorter strips of india-
rubber h, h, the compound strips g, h, being bound firmly between longitudinal
wedge-shaped pieces of wood i, i, which are nailed or otherwise fastened to the
surface of the wooden drum or barrel e. The cleaning or polishing strips g, g, may
occupy the whole cylindrical surface of the drum e; or a portion of the said
cylindrical surface may carry brushes k, as represented in the Drawing. I prefer to
group the brushes.k at each end of the drum and at the middle thereof, as seen in
Figure 1, but I do not limit myself thereto. A portion of the concave surface of
the lower half or body a of the machine is provided with a series of beds or

page_text: *
cavities 1, l, to receive the blades of the knives to be cleaned, the said knives being
introduced into the said beds or cavities through the openings at m in the end
plates a, a, of the body. A series of three beds is made at each end of the
body a of the machine; the use of the two series of beds is herein-after explained.
The beds are formed by making on the cylindrical inner surface of the body a at
the required distances apart longitudinal ribs p, best seen in the plan, Figure 1,
one side of each rib having a square shoulder or abutment against which the backs
of the blades of the knives bear in cleaning them, as represented in the Drawing,
where the knives are marked q, q, q. The handles of the knives may be supported
in rests outside the ends a¹ if thought desirable.
In using the machine the blades of the knives are introduced into the beds 1, 1, 1,
at one end of the machine, the backs of the said blades bearing against the
ribs p, p, p, of the said beds; the polisbing drum e is then rotated in the direction
of the arrow, Figure 2, the said polishing drum moving over the blades of the
knives from their edges to their backs. By the rotation of the drum e the ends of
the strips of buff leather g, g, of the cleaning and polishing surface operate upon
the sides of the blades presented to them, and in conjunction with the brushes k, k,
rapidly clean and polish the said blades. After the blades have been polished on
one side the knives are withdrawn from the machine and introduced in an inverted
position into the beds 1, 1, 1, at the opposite end of the machine, so that the uncleaned
sides of the blades are presented to the polishing drum, and the said drum is again
rotated in the direction of the arrow, and the cleaning and polishing of the blades
completed. By arranging the receiving beds 1, 1, for the blades of the knives at
each end of the machine, as described and represented, and inverting the blades
before they are introduced a second time into the machine, there is no necessity for
reversing the direction of the motion of the polishing drum, the motion of the said
polishing drum in both operations being from the edges to the backs of the
blades.
The cover of the machine may be constructed similarly to the lower part or
body a; that is to say, the cover b may be constructed for receiving a series of
blades, but I prefer to arrange the parts of the machine in the manner illustrated
in the Drawing. For the purpose of dimishing the wear of the cleaning and
polishing buffs g, g, of the rotating drum e the inner surface of the lower half or
body a of the machine is not made truly cylindrical throughout, the part in which
the beds 1, 1, are made being truly cylindrical, but the parts above the said beds are
made of a larger radius, so that the cleaning or polishing strips g, g, do not come
into contact with the inner surface of the body a, excepting when operating upon
the blades of the knives, as will be understood by an examination of Figure 2. As
the ends of the polishing buffs g, g, wear away they are brought nearer to the inner
surface of the body a by adjusting the bearings or brasses e³ of the axis of the
polishing drum e; or the polishing drum and case or body may be made slightly
conical, for the purpose of accurately adjusting the polishing drum in the said
body; in this case an adjusting screw at the wide end of the machine acting against
the wide end of the drum is used for slightly adjusting the said drum longitudinally
in the body as the buffs g, g, wear away.
Although I have only represented a machine constructed for cleaning three knives
at a time, yet by increasing the diameter of the body and drum, and the number of
the beds , l, the machine may be made to clean five or other number of knives at
a time.
By my Invention the following advantages among others are obtained:-
The handles of the knives are not liable to be broken, and the wearing away of
the cutting edges of the blades by the cleaning process is prevented.
The machine cannot be injured by the dropping of a knife or blade into it, and
the buffs or polishing drum cannot be cut by the introduction and removal of the
knives.
The machine is very compact, durable, and simple in construction.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the

page_text: same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the
precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied without
departing from the nature of my Invention. But I claim as my Invention, the
improvements in machines or apparatus for cleaning knives herein-before described,
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing; that is to say, combining a nearly
cylindrical case or body divided into two parts or halves with a rotating barrel or
drum, the cylindrical surface of which is made into a cleaning and polishing surface,
the said case or body being provided with beds or parts for receiving and supporting
the blades of the knives to be cleaned, the parts of the said rotating barrel or drum
and case or body being constructed, adjusted, and used, substantially as described
and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Elliott Chambers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN ELLIOTT CHAMBERS. (LS.)