IMPROVEMENTS IN HAY KNIVES
Year: 1884

page_text: I PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAY KNIVES" to be as follows:-
This Invention is an improvement upon hay knives of that class in which a blade
is provided with a serrated or sickle edge, and it consists in combining with a
curved blade having a handle or handles adapted to give it a downward thrust, a
series of grooves arranged diagonally of the blade edge on one side and extending
across the whole surface of the blade, the said diagonal arrangement of the grooves
being such that when the knife is pressed downward, the grooves will be in
approximately vertical position. It further consists of a peculiar formation of the
grooves as hereinafter set forth.
The blade is of curved or sword shape and has ordinary handles by means of
which it may be pressed downward vertically through the hay to shear off a section
from the face on edge. The shape of the knife as ordinarily made is such that
when so pressed down it has a tendency to move off laterally in the direction to
which the point turns which causes the edge to slip over the hay without cutting
effectually. It is impracticable or inconvenient to apply by means of the handles
the required lateral pressure simultaneously with the downward pressure, and
in order to give the lateral pressure, or in other words to hold the edge to its work
and prevent too much lateral movement in the direction of the point, the curved
blade is formed with grooves running at an acute angle with the edge. These
grooves are made sufficiently large and deep to receive the edges of the cut hay by
which the blade is guided and held sufficiently to the work to cut effectually. The
grooves also form a sickle edge, but their main junction is to guide the movement
of the knife and hold the edge to its work.
Another form of groove may be used. This has an inclined and nearly vertical
side. The vertical side is towards the point, and the inclined side towards the

page_text: curved edge. This gives a series of chisel edges and the inclined side of the grooves
allows some lateral movement but holds with this form of edge, the blade sufficiently
to the hay. The edges in this form of grooving are a series of slant edges which
meet the hay at a slight angle and give a somewhat drawing cut.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of April 1884.
I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAY KNIVES" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
This Invention is an improvement upon hay knives of that class in which, a
blade is provided with a serrated or sickle edge; and it consists in combining
with a curved blade having a handle or handles adapted to give it a downward
thrust, a series of grooves arranged diagonally of the blade edge on one side and,
extending across the whole surface of the blade, the said diagonal arrangement of
the grooves being such, that when the knife is pressed downward the grooves will
be in approximately vertical position. It further consists in a peculiar formation
of the grooves as hereinafter set forth.
To clearly explain the nature of the Invention reference is made to the
accompanying Drawings; in which :-
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the knife.
Fig. 2, a cross section on line x-x of Fig. 1. The blade A is of curved, or
sword shape and has ordinary handles a 6 by means of which it may be pressed
downward vertically through the hay to shear off a section from the face or edge.
The shape of the knife as ordinarily made is such that when so pressed down it
has a tendency to move off laterally in the direction to which the point turns
which causes the edge to slip over the hay without cutting effectually. It is
impracticable or inconvenient to apply by means of the handle, the required lateral
pressure simultaneously with the downward pressure, and in order to give this
lateral pressure, or in other words to hold the edge to its work and prevent too
much lateral movement in the direction of the point the curved blade is grooved
as shown at c. c these grooves running at an acute angle with the edge. The
grooves are made sufficiently large and deep to receive the edges of the cut hay by
which the blade is guided and held sufficiently to the work to cut effectually. The
grooves also form a sickle edge but their main function is to guide the movement
of the knife and hold the edge to its work.
A. modified form of the groove is shown more clearly in Fig. 2. As shown they
have an inclined and a nearly vertical side. The vertical side is towards the point
or beak and the inclined side towards the curved edge.

page_text: This gives chisel edges d and the inclined side of the grooves allows some lateral
movement but holds with this form of edge, the blade sufficiently to the hay. The
edges in this forin of grooving are a series of slant edges which meet the hay at a
slight angle and give a somewhat drawing cut. I do not broadly claim a curved
hay knife nor a sickle edge on a hay knife.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A bay knife having a curved blade A, provided on one side with grooves cc
running at an acute angle to the edge and quite across the blade all substantially
as described...
2. In a curved hay knife a series of grooves inclined on the side towards the
edge and approximately vertical on the other and extending quite across the blade,
as and for the purpose set forth.