AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT FOR SHARPENING CUTLERY
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT
FOR SHARPENING CUTLERY."-A communication from abroad by James
Meyer, junior, of the City of New York,, in the United States of
'America
PROVISIONAL-SPECIFICATION left by the, said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th May 1867.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IN-
PROVED INSTRUMENT FOR SHARPENING CUTLERY," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new and improved instrument for sharpening
cutlery of all kinds, and has for its object portability, efficiency, and economy
in construction. The Invention is an improvement on that class of sharpeners
in which two hard steel cutting plates are connected by a pivot, and between
which the blade to be sharpened is drawn.
In the accompanying, Sheet of Drawings Figure 1 is a side view of this
Invention; Figure 2, an edge view of the same partly in section. Similar
etters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

page_text: A represents the handle of the instrument, which may be constructed of
wood or other suitable material, and of quadrilateral form. To one end of
the handle at opposite sides thereof there are permanently secured two metallic
plates B, B, between which there is fitted a loose or sliding metallic plate C,
which is adjusted by a thumbscrew D, as will be fully understood by referring
to Figure 2. E, E¹, represent two hard steel plates which constitute a pair
of cutters, the cutting edges a, a, of which are rounded longitudinally and
beveled transversely. To one of these plates E there is secured by a screw b
a metal plate c having an oblong slot d in it, through which and the other
plate E a rivet e passes. By this means the two plates E, E¹, are connected
so as to admit of their cutting edges being adjusted in contact at different
points, which is necessary in order to obtain a new cutting surface when one
part is damaged or rendered inefficient by wear. A rigid or fixed pivot or
joint would not answer the purpose in consequence of the cutting edges of the
plates being rounded longitudinally and being in the same plane. These
cutters when required for use are clamped in the end of the handle A between
one of the metallic plates B and the sliding plate C, and are held firmly by
the screw D, and the knife or blade sharpened by 'being drawn between the
plates. When not required for use the plates are inserted in recesses made in
one side of the handle A. The original sharpeners for cutlery of this class
I have hard steel plates with straight cutting edges, and are connected by a
pivot which passes through the plates at the centre of, their width. By this
arrangement the plates lap over each other and are not in the same plane, and
the cutting angle varies materially at each adjustment of the plates, the cutting
angle being less or more acute as the plates are adjusted towards each other.
-This is not the case with the plates E, E¹, as the cutting edges being rounded
longitudinally the cutting angle will be: nearly the same at all points of
adjustment. At one side of the handle A a strop G is attached for putting a
. proper edge on the sharpened blade. The cutters may be held in their recesses
in the handle by an elastic band H.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Iler reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said, Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, administrators; and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise; and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Ar
IMPROVED INSTRUMENT FOR SHARPENING CUTLERY," a communication to me from
abroad by James Meyer, junior, of the City of New York, in the United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner.
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW. YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare the nature of the said.Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):―
This Invention relates to a new and improved device for sharpening cutlery
of all kinds, and has for its object portability, efficiency, and economy in con-
struction. "
The Invention is an improvement on that class of sharpeners in which two
hard steel cutting plates are. connected by a pivot, and between which the
blade to be sharpened is drawn.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of this
Invention; Figure 2 an edge view of the same partly in section. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A represents the handle of the device, which may be constructed of wood
or other suitable material, and of quadrilateral form. To one end of the
handle at opposite sides thereof there are permanently secured two metallic
plates B, B, between which there, fitted a loose or sliding metallic plate C,

page_text: :
'which is adjusted by a thumb screw D, as will be fully understood by referring
to Figure 2. E, E², represent two hard steel plates which' constitute a pair
of cutters, the cutting edges a, a, of which are rounded longitudinally and
beviled transversely. To one of these plates E there is secured by a screw b
a metal plate c having an oblong slot d in it, through which and the other
plate E¹ a rivet e passes. By this means the two plates E, E¹, are connected,
so as to admit of their cutting edges being adjusted in contact- at- different
points, which is necessary in order to obtain a new cutting surface when one
part is damaged or rendered inefficient by wear. A rigid .or fixed pivot or
joint would not answer the purpose in consequence of the cutting edges of
the plates being rounded longitudinally, and being in the same plane. These
cutters when required for use are clamped in the end of the handle A between
one of the metallic plates B and the sliding plate C, and are held firmly by
the screw D, and 'the knife or blade is sharpened' by being drawn between the
plates. When not required for use the plates are inserted in recesses made
in one side of the handle A. The original sharpeners for cutlery of this
class have hard steel plates with straight cutting edges, and are connected by
a pivot which passes through the plates at the centre of their width. By this
arrangement the plates lap over each other, and are not in the same plane;
and the cutting angle varies materially at each adjustment of the plates, the
cutting angle being less or more acute as the 'plates are adjusted towards
each other. This is not the case with the plates E, E, as the. cutting edges
being rounded longitudinally the cutting angle will be nearly the same at all
points of adjustment. At one side of. the handle A a strap G is attached for
putting a proper edge on the sharpened blade. The cutters may be held in
their recesses in the handle by an elastic band H.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,→→
First, the cutting plates E, E, provided with longitudinally rounded edges,
and connected together by a sliding joint, substantially in the manner as and
for the purposes set forth.
:
Secondly, the combination of the handle A with the cutters E, E, the
clamp at one end of the handle: and the recess in the same; to receive the
cutters, with or without the strap G, substantially.as and for the purpose
specified...
Thirdly, I further claim the employment or use of cutting plates of any
desirable or practicable form when, said plates and their cutting edges are

page_text: placed in one and the same plane, for the purpose substantially as set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.