Improvements in Knives, Saws, and Articles of Cutlery of similar Character.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1893
[Communicated from abroad by Russ JACKSON CHRISTY, of Fremont,
Ohio, U.S.A.]
Improvements in Knives, Saws, and Articles of Cutlery of similar
Character.
I, JOHN EDWARD EVANS-JACKSON of 45 Holborn Viaduct, London, 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 knives, saws, and articles of cutlery of similar
character.
The object of the invention is to produce a knife primarily intended for household
use, in which a very thin or flexible blade may be kept strained and rigid. Also to
produce a cutting tool with a thin blade, in which the straining bow may act as a
gage in cutting. Also to produce a blade with a straining bow and handle made
integral, so as to give a maximum of strength and minimum of cost.
improve tools of the character described in various particulars.
Also to
Figure 1 is a side or face elevation of a knife or tool made according to this
invention.
Figure 2 is a plan or back view.
Figure 3 is a view of the opposite side of Fig. 1.
Figure 4 is an end elevation, and Figure 5 is a section of the blade.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of a blade with modified handle.
Figure 7 is a face elevation of a blade with still another modification of
handle, and
Figure 8 is an edge view of the tool Fig. 7.
Figure 9 is a detail section of the wire or bar passed through the hole in the
blade.
A. indicates the blade. This blade is narrow and very thin, preferably of
tempered steel, and has a serrated edge. The bevel is entirely on one side of the
blade, and the teeth and interdental spaces are both sharpened, preferably as in
Patent 16817 of 1891.
The handle B. is made from a single piece of drawn metal or wire, which may
have a transverse slot B₁ at the end which embraces the blade, or it may be
otherwise secured to the blade, for instance, as in Patent 16817, of 1891. The
handle is formed by a loop or return bend of the wire, and after returning nearly
to the end of the blade, the wire bends to one side, and then extends, as at B³
nearly to the other end of the blade in a direction about parallel with the plane
in which the body of the blade lies, but not necessarily parallel with the back or
edge of the blade.
This bar B serves as a gage or guide in cutting with the knife, especially if it
be used as a bread, cake, or meat knife. The gage bar B' need not rest against
the slice of bread or meat in cutting, but is a ready guide to the edge in cutting
straight slices. So if the tool be used as a saw, the bar B2 answers as a guide.
The slice enters between the blade and the gage bar B, and the gage bar
prevents the slice from falling over until it is entirely severed from the loaf
or mass.

page_text: As shown in Figure 6, the gage bar B' may be bowed upward, so as to act as a
spring throughout its entire length.
The end of the gage or straining bar B' is turned toward the blade, and passes
through a hole in the blade. The bar is notched near the end. The end of the
bar is such that the end B has to be sprung in a little towards the handle to pass
it through the hole in the blade. The spring of the bar not only holds the blade
firmly to the bar, but puts the blade under strong tension to hold it straight
or taut.
The flat or plane_face of the blade is preferably away from the gage bar, so
that the blade may be kept sharp by grinding on this plane face without hindrance
from the gage bar.
In Figures 7 and 8, the end of the handle bar is passed through a hole in the
blade, and the ends of the bar have a plurality of notches, so that the blade may
be placed at different distances from the gage bar B2, and both ends be held by
straining the blade into the notches in the bar. See sectional detail, Figure 9.
The skilled mechanic will understand that a very strong handle aud gage may
be made from a single piece of wire, and that the elasticity of tempered wire,
when bent into about the form described, or other forms of the same general
character will keep the blade under strain. In this way an exceedingly thin blade
may be used, so that a clean cut may be made with little resistance, and yet all
necessary rigidity can he had, in the same manner as is had in the bow saw or sash
saw, not from the blade but from the supporting bar, which as has been described
also acts as a gage bar.
The grinding of the knife can be effected on a flat faced grindstone, if the bevel
be all on one side, and the plane side be turned away from the gage bar.
I do not limit my invention to the precise constructions shown in the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The blade with serrated edge having a handle and a straining bar extending
alongside the blade in a plane practically parallel with the flat face of the blade,
substantially as described.
2. The blade connected to the integral metal bar which forms the handle and
extends in a direction about parallel with one face of the blade and is attached to
said blade at the end opposite the handle, substantially as described.
3. The blade having a serrated edge bevelled entirely on one face, and a
straining bar extending in a plane about parallel with the bevelled face, substan-
tially as described.
4. The blade having a serrated edge, and a straining bar secured to one
end of the blade and passing through a hole near the other end of the blade,
substantially as described.
5. The combination, with the blade, of the handle and straining bar consisting of
a single wire attached at one end to the blade, and extending thence with a loop to
form the handle, and thence as a straining bar to the other end of the blade to
which it is connected, substantially as described.
6. The combination with the blade of the metallic bar forming the handle and
extending through a hole in the blade near the end remote from the handle,
substantially as described.
7. The combination with the blade, of the metallic straining and gage bar
attached to one end of the blade and extending through a hole in the blade near
the other end the bar being notched in line with the hole in the blade.
8. The gage knife having its handle formed of a metallic bar attached to one
end of a serrated blade, said bar extending alongside the blade and passing through
a hole near the other end thereof, said blade being adjustable toward the straining
and gage bar, substantially as described.

page_text: 9. The gage knife having its handle and gage formed of a single piece of wire,
substantially as described the wire forming a loop handle and connected to both
ends of the blade, substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of October 1893.
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
45, Holborn Viaduct, London, Agents for the Applicant.