AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNIVES AND FORKS, AND NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNIVES AND FORKS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Stokes, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturing Jeweller and Silversmith, for an Invention of
"AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNIVES
AND FORKS, AND NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY TO BE USED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF KNIVES AND FORKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Stokes at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st April 1881.
WILLIAM HENRY STOKES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturing Jeweller and Silversmith. "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF KNIVES AND FORKS, AND NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY
TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNIVES AND FORKS."
My Invention has reference to knives and forks, the handles of which are made
of ivory, bone, or wood, and are attached by fixing the end of the handle in a hollow
bolster formed on the knife or fork, and without the use of the tang ordinarily
made to enter the handle. And my said Invention consists of the improvement or
improvements herein after described in attaching the said handles to knives and
forks, and in machinery for forming the hollow bolsters, and for fixing the said
handles in the hollow bolsters.
In attaching handles to knives and forks having hollow bolsters, I reduce that
part of the handle which is to be fixed in the hollow bolster very nearly but not
quite to a size which will permit it to enter the hollow bolster. In fixing the
handle in the bolster I present the reduced end of the handle to the hollow bolster,
and by means of pressure applied either by means of the machine hereinafter
described or otherwise applied, I force the reduced end of the handle into the hollow
bolster, the edge of the hollow bolster cutting and reducing the size of the end of
the handle as it enters the bolster, thus making the end of the handle fit tightly
and exactly in the bolster. The handle may be further secured in the bolster
by means of a cross pin. My new or improved machinery to be used in the
manufacture of knives and forks consists of machinery for forming the hollow

page_text: bolsters of knives and forks, and also of machinery for forcing the handles
into the hollow bolsters of knives and forks.
My machinery for forming the hollow bolsters of knives and forks consists of a
pair of dies opening and closing horizontally, and having an internal figure when
closed the counterpart of the exterior of the hollow bolster to be made, and of a 5
vertical die or tool capable of rising and falling, and in its descending motion
entering and nearly filling the closed pair of dies described., The said vertical die
or tool has the figure of the interior of the hollow bolster to be made.
In using this machinery the lump of iron or steel at the shoulder of the knife or
fork from which the hollow bolster is to be made is heated and placed between the 1
open horizontal dies. These dies are then closed and the vertical die or tool
descends. The descent of the said die or tool forces the heated metal into every
part of the closed horizontal dies, thus making it take the exact figure of the said
dies, and at the same time forms the hollow in the bolster.
My machinery for forcing the handles into the hollow bolsters of knives and 1
forks consists essentially of a fixed holder in which the knife or fork and its hollow
bolster are firmly held, and a sliding bolder in which the handle is fixed. The said
sliding holder carrying the handle is in a line with the fixed holder in which the
knife or fork and hollow bolster is held.
In using this machine the knife or fork is secured in the fixed holder and the. 2
handle in the sliding holder, the end of the handle presented to the hollow bolster
having a diameter somewhat greater than that of the hollow in the bolster into
which it is to be forced. The sliding holder being made to approach under great
pressure the fixed holder, the end of the handle is forced into the hollow bolster,
the edge of the hollow bolster cutting down or reducing the size of the end of the 2
handle as it enters the said hollow bolster, and causing the said end of the handle
to fit tightly in the hollow bolster.
The motion of the sliding holder carrying the handle may either be effected by
means of hydraulic power or by a screw or lever. *

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Henry Stokes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th September 1881.
WILLIAM HENRY STOKES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturing Jeweller and Silversmith. "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF KNIVES AND FORKS, AND NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY
TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNIVES AND FORKS."
My Invention has reference to knives and forks the handles of which are made
of ivory, bone, or wood, and are attached by fixing the end of the handle in a
hollow bolster formed on the knife or fork, and without the use of the tang
ordinarily made to enter the handle. And my said Invention consists of the
improvement or improvements, herein after described, in attaching the said handles
to knives and forks, and in machinery for forming the hollow bolsters and for
fixing the said handles in the hollow bolsters.
In attaching handles to knives and forks having hollow bolsters, I reduce that
part of the handle, which is to be fixed in the hollow bolster very nearly but not
quite to a size which will permit it to enter the hollow bolster. In fixing the
handle in the bolster I present the reduced end of the handle to the hollow bolster,
and by means of pressure applied either by means of the machine, herein after
described or otherwise applied, I force the reduced end of the handle into the
hollow bolster, the edge of the hollow bolster cutting and reducing the size of the
end of the handle as it enters the bolster, thus making the end of the handle fit
tightly and exactly in the bolster. The handle may be further secured in the
bolster by means of a cross pin,
My new or improved machinery to be used in the manufacture of knives and
forks consists of machinery for forming the hollow bolsters of knives and forks,
and also of machinery for forcing the handles into the hollow bolsters of knives
and forks.
My machinery for forming the hollow bolsters of knives and forks consists of a
pair of dies opening and closing horizontally, and having an internal figure when
closed the counter part of the exterior of the hollow bolster to be made, and of
a vertical die or tool capable of rising and falling, and in its descending motion
entering and nearly filling the closed pair of dies described. The said vertical
die or tool has the figure of the interior of the hollow bolster to be made.
In using the machinery the lump of iron or steel at the shoulders of the knife
or fork from which the hollow bolster is to be made is heated and placed between
the open horizontal dies. These dies are then closed and the vertical die or tool
descends. The descent of the said die or tool forces the heated metal into every
part of the closed horizontal dies, thus making it take the exact figure of the said
dies and at the same time forms the hollow in the bolster.
My machinery for forcing the handles into the hollow bolsters of knives and
forks consists essentially of a fixed holder in which the knife or fork and its
hollow bolster are firmly held, and a sliding holder in which the handle is fixed.
The said sliding holder carrying the handle is in a line with the fixed holder in
which the knife or fork and hollow bolster is held.
In using this machine the knife or fork is secured in the fixed holder and the
handle in the sliding holder, the end of the handle presented to the hollow bolster
having a diameter somewhat greater than that of the hollow in the bolster into
which it is to be forced. The sliding holder being made to approach under great
pressure the fixed holder, the end of the handle is forced into the hollow bolster,

page_text: the edge of the hollow bolster cutting down or reducing the size of the end of the
handle as it enters the said hollow bolster, and causing the said end of the handle
to fit tightly in the hollow bolster.
The motion of the sliding holder carrying the handle may either be effected by
means of hydraulic power or by a screw or lever.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
the manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation, partly in section, the blade a of a table knife,
having a hollow bolster b into which the hollow bolster, the reduced or prepared
end 2 of the ivory, bone, wooden, or non-metallic handle c; Figure 2 is to be fixed
according to my Invention; Figure 3 represents the handle fixed in the hollow
bolster 6 of the knife blade a. I make the reduced part c² of the non-metallic
handle b very nearly of a size and shape which will permit it to enter the hollow
bolster by forcing it therein. In forcing the handle into the hollow bolster I
prefer to use for that purpose the machinery represented in plan in Figure 4.
The said machinery consists of a holder d fixed on the bed, in which holder a
series of blades a with their bolsters is fixed, the said blades being dropped into
recesses in the holder so that their bolster ends b project from the face of the
holder d in the manner represented; e is a sliding holder in which the series of
knife handles c, c², is held, recesses in the holder receiving the said handles. The
reduced ends c² of the handles project from ths face of the sliding holder e, and
each handle is in a line with the hollow bolster b of the knife blade into which it
is to be forced. I prefer to actuate the sliding holder e in which the handles are
held by hydraulic power, the said holder being secured to the ram f of the
hydraulic press, but the holder may be worked by the bolt of a screw or other
press.
The knives having been secured in the fixed holder d and the handles in the
sliding holder e, as represented, the latter holder is made to approach under great
pressure the fixed holder d. The reduced ends c², c², of the handles are thereby
forced into the hollow bolsters b, b, of the knives a, a, the edges of the hollow
bolsters cutting down or reducing the size of the ends c² of the handles as they
enter the hollow bolsters, thus making the ends of the handles fit tightly and
exactly in the bolsters, as illustrated in Figure 3.
The machine, Figure 4, besides being used for fixing handles in their bolsters in
the manner herein before described, may also be used for fixing handles in their
bolsters when the ends of the handles are of such a size that on entering and being
forced into the bolsters the said ends are compressed and made to fit tightly
without any of the material of the handles being cut away.
Figure 5 represents in elevation partly in section a machine constructed
according to my Invention for forming the hollow bolsters of knives and forks.
On the bed of the machine is a pair of dies g, h, opening from and closing upon
one another by turning on the joints or centres i, the said dies when at liberty
to move being pressed from one another by the coiled (or other) spring / between
or under them. The said dies are closed upon one another in the manner herein
after explained, and have an internal figure when closed, the counterpart of the
exterior of the hollow bolster to be made; m is a vertical peg or tool having a
rising and falling motion. The said peg or tool has the figure of the interior of
the hollow bolster to be made. The peg or tool m is carried by the slide p, p,
which is fixed to the bolt q, the latter being worked by the screw and hand
wheels after the manner of an ordinary press. On the descent of the slide p, p,
its sides embrace the dies g, h, and close them upon one another and hold them
firmly in their closed position during the formation of the hollow bolster b.
The lump of iron or steel u at the shoulder end of the knife (or fork) from which
the hollow bolster is to be made is heated and placed by means of a pair of tongs
between the open dies g, h, as illustrated in the Drawing. In introducing the
heated lump into the dies the blade part carrying it is passed by a lateral motion

page_text: through the vertical opening v in the frame of the machine, the heated lump passing
through the recess at x above the dies. Having thus brought the heated lump
over the dies it is allowed to descend into the dies. The circular opening w
permits the tongs holding the blade to be opened and removed after the heated
lump has been placed in the dies. By the descent of the bolt g of the machine
the slide p is carried down and made to close the dies g, h, upon the heated lumpu,
and afterwards the peg or tool m acting upon the said heated lump forces it into
every part of the closed dies g, h, and at the same time forms the hollow in the
bolster. On raising the bolt q the peg or tool m is withdrawn from the hollow
bolster, and the slide p releasing the dies they open by the action of the spring k,
when the bolstered knife may be removed from them and the operations described
are repeated.
:
Instead of working the slide p and pressing peg or tool m by a screw as
described and represented in Figure 5, they may be worked by hydraulic power, as
illustrated in Figure 6, where the ram to which the slide is connected is marked y.
The said ram may either be actuated by a pump at y² worked by the lever y³, or
the hydraulic cylinder may be placed in communication with a hydraulic
accumulator, as is well understood.
'
I do not limit myself to the arrangement represented for opening and closing
the pair of dies g, h, as they may be opened and closed in various other ways.
For example, the said dies may have a sliding to and fro motion given to them by
means of right and left handed screws working in screw boxes in the said dies.
The said screws may be conveniently worked by gearing them by toothed wheels
to a shaft parallel to them, the said shaft being worked by a hand wheel on
its end.
1.
Instead of stationing the holding dies in the machine for receiving the heated
lump the said dies may be made separable from the machine, and the heated lump
be placed in them and then conveyed to the machine. This modification is repre-
sented in Figure 7, and the separable dies, together with the tongs holding them,
are represented in Figure 8. In this case a recess t is made in the bed of the
machine of a size proper to hold the closed dies n, n, Figure 8. The two dies n, n,
are connected to the arms of the tongs represented, or other holding instrument.
The heated lump having been passed into the dies n, n, they are closed upon it by
means of the holding tongs, and the closed dies, with the heated lump between
them, are then introduced into the recess t in the machine, Figure 7, the blade of
the knife entering the slot w in the bed. By the descent of the bolt q the heated
lump is forced into every part of the closed dies, and the hollow in the bolster
formed as above described.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention,―
First. The improvement or improvements in the manufacture of knives and
forks herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompa-
nying Drawings, that is to say, attaching non-metallic handles to knives and forks
having hollow bolsters by forcing the reduced ends of the said handles into the
hollow bolsters, whereby the reduced ends of the handles are cut away to the
required size and made to fit tightly in the hollow bolsters, substantially as
described and illustrated.
Secondly. The combination or arrangement of the parts of machinery herein
before described and illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying Drawings to be
used for forcing the handles into the hollow bolsters.
Thirdly. The combination or arrangement of the parts of machinery herein
before described and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying Drawings,
to be used for forming the hollow bolsters of the knives and forks; also the
modification described and represented in Figures 7 and 8, in which the pair of

page_text: dies in which the bolster is shaped is made separable from the machine for the
purpose, and substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Stokes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.