Oyster Opener.
Year: 1894

page_text: Oyster Opener.
I, ALFRED EDWARD LINNELL FOLL, of 64, Mare Fair, Northampton
Tradesman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an instrument for opening oysters whereby to enable the
operation to be rapidly performed whilst avoiding all liability of personal injury to
the user by the slipping of the knife or otherwise as frequently happens in opening
oysters.
The improved instrument consists of a pair of clamping jaws hinged together
and adapted to clasp the oyster firmly between them and present the edge of the
oyster in proper position towards the blade to be inserted between the shells.
These jaws are provided with handles adapted to be held in one hand whereby to
close the jaws together whilst the blade is manipulated by the other. The opening
blade is preferably a short V-shaped one carried by a third lever handle whose
fulcrum is a universal or swivel joint by which the handle is connected preferably
to an arm formed by a prolongation of the hinge pin of the jaws, which pin is free
to turn about its own axis.
The third handle being thus universally jointed is free to be brought into any
required position with regard to the oyster held in the gripping jaws so that the
point of the blade may with ease and certainty be inserted between the shells of
the oyster at the hinge or shoulder thereof and after being so inserted may
receive a slight twist sufficient to prize open the oyster so far that it cannot
again close.
Dated this 10th dow of Anni 1004
A. E. L. FOLL,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
.53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Oyster opедет.
I, ALFRED EDWARD LINNELL FOLL, of 64, Mare Fair, Northampton
Tradesman, 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 :-
My invention relates to an instrument for opening oysters whereby to enable the
operation to be rapidly performed whilst avoiding all liability of personal injury to
the user by the slipping of the knife or otherwise as frequently happens in opening
oysters.
The improved instrument is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming

page_text: Figure 2 is a cross-section, through the jaws and knife, illustrating the operation
of those parts; and
Figure 3 is a top end view.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
The oyster opener consists of a pair of clamping jaws A, A, and a blade B, the
jaws being hinged together and adapted to clasp the oyster C firmly between them
and present the edge of the oyster in proper position to enable the blade B to be
inserted between the shells. The jaws A are formed with hinge knuckles a by
which they are hinged together upon a common hinge pin D and they are provided
with handles E adapted to be grasped in one hand in order to close the jaws
together upon the oyster whilst the blade B is manipulated by the other hand.
The opening blade B is preferably V-shaped and bevelled on both edges and is
carried by a third lever handle F whose fulcrum is a universal or swivel joint G
by which the handle F is connected to a curved arm D¹ formed by a prolongation
of the hinge pin D of the jaws, which pin is free to turn about its own axis in the
hinge knuckles a. The lever handle F being thus universally jointed about two
axes g, gl, at right angles to each other and to the axis of the hinge pin D, and
the hinge pin D being free to turn independently of the jaws A, enables the
blade B to be brought into any required position with regard to the oyster C held
in the gripping jaws A in order that the point of the blade B may with ease and
certainty be inserted between the shells of the bivalve at the hinge or shoulder
thereof. The universal jointing of the handle F also admits of the blade B, after
being so inserted, receiving a slight twisting movement whereby the blade B is
caused to deviate from the plane of the oyster sufficiently to prize open the oyster
so far that it cannot again close.
I would observe that I do not limit myself to the precise form or position of the
handles by which the jaws and blade are operated, as these are susceptible of
variation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An instrument for opening oysters, consisting in the combination of a pair of
gripping jaws hinged together and adapted to be clasped upon the oyster, as
described, and of a blade carried by a lever jointed to the hinge of the jaws and
adapted to be inserted between the bivalve shells, as specified.
2. The herein described instrument for opening oysters, consisting of a pair of
jaws loosely hinged upon a common pin and provided with handles, in combination
with a blade carried by a lever jointed to a prolongation of the jaw hinge pin, so
as to be movable as upon a universal joint, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Dated this 7th day of November 1894.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.