A COMBINED PAPER KNIFE, CLIP, AND BOOK-REST
Year: 1884

page_text: I JAMES WHEELER of 100 High Street, Ilfracombe in the county of Devon,
Pharmaceutical Chemist do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"A COMBINED PAPER KNIFE, CLIP, AND BOOK-REST
"" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in paper knives the object of the
invention being to provide a paper knife which besides the purpose for which a
paper knife is generally used viz for cutting paper can also be used as a paper clip
or holder and a book rest.
In carrying out my invention instead of connecting the handle of the knife
direct to the blade thereof I form or provide between these two portions of the
knife an intermediate portion upon which I mount with a spring hinge or joint a
plate of about the length of the said intermediate part the hinged end of the said
plate carrying a projection or a stop whereby it can be held at a right angle to the
knife; between each end of the intermediate part and the blade and handle
respectively of the knife I provide projections, those on the handle forming stops
for the hand and those on the blade serving to limit the play of the blade and
keep the plate from coming between the paper being cut.
By this construction the paper knife can be used for the usual purpose of cutting
paper or as a spring paper clip for holding loose papers or if the plate forming the
clip be opened out at a right angle to the knife it may serve the purpose of a
book rest.
The knife may be made wholly or partly of metal or other suitable material and
of any suitable pattern.
Instead of fixing the spring clip to an intermediate portion between the handle
and the blade of the knife I may apply it to the blade itself or to the handle of
the knife.
By perforating the end of the handle the knife and clip can be suspended so
as to hold manuscript when copying the same.

page_text: CUTLEIE
SPECIFICATION.
I, JAMES WHEELER, of 100 High Street, Ilfracombe, in the county of Devon,
Pharmaceutical Chemist do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"A COMBINED PAPER-KNIFE, CLIP AND BOOK REST" 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 improvements in paper knives the object of the
invention being to provide a paper knife which besides the purpose for which a
paper knife is generally used, viz, for cutting paper, can also be used as a paper
clip or holder and a book rest.
•
In carrying out my invention instead of connecting the handle of the knife
direct to the blade thereof I form or provide between these two portions of the
knife an intermediate portion upon which I mount with a spring-hinge or joint a
plate of about the length of the said intermediate part the hinged end of the said
plate carrying a tail or projection forming a stop whereby it can be held at a right
angle to the knife; between each end of the intermediate part and the blade and
handle respectively of the knife I provide projections, those on the handle forming
stops for the hand and those on the blade serving to limit the play of the blade
and keep the plate from coming between the paper being cut.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1, is a plan
and figure 2, an elevation of a combined paper knife, clip and book rest constructed
according to my invention and shewing the hinged plate in its raised position;
figure 3, is a plan and figure 4, a longitudinal section of the knife shewing the
hinged plate in its lowered position. Similar letters in all the figures represent
similar parts.
a, is the handle and b, the blade of the knife which instead of being directly
connected together are formed with an intermediate portion c, between them; d, is
the plate mounted upon and of about the length of the intermediate portion c;
the said plate is jointed at e, to a plate f, screwed to the intermediate portion by
screws g, g, and provided with a spring h, bearing upon a projecting part i, of the
plate d; j, is the tail or projection on the hinged end of the plate d, the said tail
or projection j, forming a stop whereby the plate can be maintained at a right
angle to the knife and is enabled to bear the weight of a book when used as a
book rest; k, k, are the projections between one end of the intermediate part c, and
the blade b, and 7, 1, are the projections between the other end of the said part c,
and the handle a; the projections k, serve to limit the play of the blade b, and
keep the plate d, from coming in contact with the leaves or paper being cut; the
projections, form stops for the hand when using the knife. m, is a hole or
perforation in the end of the handle of the knife by which the knife and clip can
be suspended when holding manuscript whilst copying the same or at other times.
By this construction when the plate d, is in its lowered position as shewn in
figures 3, and 4, the paper knife can be used for the usual purpose of cutting paper
or as a spring paper clip for holding loose papers for which latter purpose the
papers to be held must be placed between the plate d, and the intermediate

page_text: portion c, when the plate d, will act as a spring clip so as to firmly hold the said
papers, or if the plate d, forming the clip be opened out at a right angle to the
knife as shewn in figures 1, and 2, it may serve the purpose of a book rest, for this
purpose the handle a, should be grasped with one hand with the knife in an
inclined position and the edge of the book resting on the plate d, the book being
held in position by means of the other hand.
The knife may be made wholly or partly of metal or other suitable material and
of any suitable pattern.
Instead of fixing the spring clip to an intermediate portion c, between the
handle a, and the blade b, of the knife as herein before described and shewn
I sometimes apply it to the blade itself.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. A paper knife having a plate or clip jointed thereto so as to serve as a paper
cutter, a paper clip or a book rest or support substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The combination with a paper knife having an intermediate portion between
the blade and the handle, of a jointed spring clip or plate attached to the said
intermediate portion substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and represented in the accompanying drawing.