US2853837A

US2853837A - Cutlery sharpener

Info

Publication number: US2853837A
Application number: US602367A
Authority: US
Inventors: William F Lamison
Original assignee: PITTSBURGH ERIE SAW CORP
Current assignee: PITTSBURGH ERIE SAW CORP; PITTSBURGH-ERIE SAW Corp
Priority date: 1956-08-06
Filing date: 1956-08-06
Publication date: 1958-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 1975-09-30

Description

Sept. 30, 1958 w. F. LAMISON CUTLERY SHARPENER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1v Filed Aug. 6, 1956 INVENTOR g William F. Lcmison X22 2 .r f

Sept. 30, 1958 w. F. LAMISON CUTLERY SHARPENER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 -Filed Aug. 6, 1956 INVENTOR William F. Lcmison 6N mm I. mm mm H XMW "27 H.

p 30, 1958 w. F. LAMISON 2,853,837

CUTLERY SHARPENER Filed Aug. 6, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 4| 7 INVENTOR -74 William F. Lumison United. Sttes CUTLERY SHARPENER Application August 6, 1956, Serial No..602,367

7 Claims. (Cl. 51-135) This invention relates to cutlery sharpeners and particularly to a cutlery sharpener of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 2,677,218. I have improved that cutlery sharpener in a number of respects whereby the mechanism is simpflfied and reduced in cost while at the same time the parts are made much more easily assemblable and disassemblable, use of the sharpener in the sharpening of cutlery is made easier, the sharpener is more reliable in operation and has longer life and provision is made for manually carrying the sharpener with great facility.

My improved cutlery sharpener may comprise an endless sharpening elemcnt, guide means for guiding the endless sharpening element, a motor having a shaft carrying a driving pulley for driving the endless sharpening element, the driving pulley being disposed inside the endless sharpening element, the motor comprising parts maintained in assembly by elongated connecting members such as bolts extending generally parallel to the motor shaft, and a supporting structure for the guide means and motor, the motor being pivotally mounted in the supporting structure by one of the elongated connecting members sothat gravity acts on the motor to cause the driving pulley ,to maintain the endless sharpening element taut. The supporting structure may include a motor basehaving spaced apart generally upstanding portions and said one of the elongated connecting members .may project from the motor and enter said spaced apart generally upstanding portions of the motor base to pivotally mount the motor in the supporting structure so that gravity acts on the motor to cause the driving pulley to maintain theendless sharpening element taut. Such mounting of the motor greatly simplifies and reduces the cost of'thesharpener, eliminating parts and reducing the manufacturingcost.

vThe driving pulley is normally vdisposed inside the endless sharpening element but the endless sharpening element may be removed. A bumper is preferably provided which may be carried by the supportinglstruc'ture in position to be engaged by a portion of the motor when the endless sharpening element has been removed to limit the pivotal movement of themotor under the action of gravity,,the bumper beingpositioned in the pathv of movement of theme-tor relatively belowthe position normally occupied by the motor when the endless sharpening element is in place and maintained taut by the driving pulley. A handle is preferably'provided for carrying the cutlery sharpener in one hand, the handle being carried by the top of the motor and having its grip portion, generally in vertical alignment with the centerof gravity of the sharpener. The handle preferably has a connecting portion connected with the top of the motor and a grip portion extending generally toward the guide means and having its extremity nearer the guide means free.

The. supporting structure preferably has a portion limiting generally upward pivotal movement of the ureter about its pivotal mounting so that when the .cutlery sharpener is being carried by its handle. the endless sharpening element is not under stress yet the normal posiatent Q tion of the motor relatively to the guide means is approximately maintained. The combination of said portion of the supporting structure with the btunper and handle insures that when the sharpening element has been removed the normal position of the motor relatively to the guide means is approximately maintained and when the cutlery sharpener is being carried by the handle the endless sharpening element is not under stress yet the normal position of they motor relatively to the guide means is approximately maintained.

I provide a removable and replaceable back-up plate in contact with the inside of the sharpening element opposite the cutlery being sharpened. The back-up plate may-be reversible end for end, it may be invertible and it is preferably both reversible'end for end and invertible, thus substantially quadrupling its life. The back-up plate may be carriedby a backing up structure inside the endless sharpening element, which backing up structure may have positioning means extending generally toward the sharpening element, and the back-up. plate may have recess means receiving the positioning means whereby the back-up plate is maintained in position. For example, the positioning means may comprise two spaced apart pins and the back-up plate may have two holes therethrough having the same spacing as the pins so that the back-up plate may fit over the .pins with either side up and with either end of the back-up platedisposed in either direction.

A casing is preferably provided about the endless sharpening element, the casing having therein an opening through which the endless sharpening element is exposed to permit cutlery to be positioned against a reach of the endless sharpening element for sharpening. I may provide a cutlery rest tofacilitate proper positioning of the cutlery being sharpened. The cutlery rest may be mounted within the casing and mayhave a portion projecting through the opening and having at its outer extremity a cutlery engaging surface extending generally in the same direction as said reach of the endless sharpening element. The cutlery rest may be carried by the casing internally or externally and adjustably positionable relatively to the casing so that the cutlery rest may be adapted for positioning difierent articles of cutlery for sharpening.

,the plane of the endless sharpening element to alter the angle of tilt of the reach of the endless sharpeningelcment against which cutlery is positioned to be sharpened, and a cutlery guide for guiding cutlery being sharpened pivoted to the guide means and having a sliding connection with the supporting structure maintaining the cutlery guide in substantially uniform orientation. The guide means may have therein a transverse upwardly open socket and the cutlery guide may have a transverse member such as a rod adapted to be seated in the bottom of the socket of the guide means whereby the cutlery guide is pivotally connected with the guide means and is also easily removable therefrom. Indeed, the guide means preferably has therein two transverse upwardly open sockets and the cutlery guide preferably has two transverse members such as rods imparting increased rigidity to the cutler'y guide, one of which transverse members is adapted to be seated in the bottom of one of the sockets of the guide means whereby the cutlery guide is pivotally connected with the guide means while the other transverse member is freel'y movable in the other socket,

the cutlery guide as a consequence being easily removable from the guide means.

The supporting structure preferably has a generally horizontal stud connected therewith and projecting therefrom with the outer end of the stud free. The stud may be connected with the supportingstructure in any appropriate manner, as, for example, by screwing it into a threaded bore of the supporting structure. The guide means for guiding the endless sharpening element may have a bore therein adapted to receive the stud whereby the guide means are pivotally supported by tl e supporting structure and means may be connected with the supporting structure to hold'the guide means against slipping off of the free end of the stud. The guide means may have two rollers about which the endless sharpening element is adapted to be disposed and shafts are preferably provided upon which the rollers are mounted. Means may be connected with the shafts at theopposite side of the supporting structure from the side at which the stud projects for turning the guide means about the axis of the stud. One of the rollers may have flanges whose inner faces are spaced apart a distance approximating the width of the endless sharpening element to insure proper tracking of the endless sharpening element on the guide means.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention in which Figure l is a perspective view of a cutlery sharpener;

Figure 2 is an end view of a cutlery sharpener as viewed from the end at which the endless sharpening element and the casing containing it are disposed, the end cover ofthe casing being removed, the endless sharpening element being indicated by a heavy chain line;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line V-V of Figure 6 but with the parts in a different operative position from that shown in Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line VIVI of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, my cutlery sharpener comprises a supporting structure designated generally by reference numeral 2 and shown as being generally planar to which supporting feet 3 of rubber or other suitable material are attached. The sup: porting structure 2 comprises a motor base designated generally by reference numeral 4 which comprises two spaced apart upstanding portions 5. An electric motor 6 is provided, the motor being of the type comprising body and end parts maintained in assembly by elongated connecting members such as bolts extending generally parallel to the motor shaft. The motor parts are maintained assembled by four bolts 7 one'of which (the lower left-hand bolt 7 of Figure 2) projects at both ends from the motor and enters the portions 5 of the motor base 4, the projecting ends of the bolt acting as trunnions for the motor. The structure at one end of the motor is shown in Figure 3 and the structure at the opposite end is the same. The bolt 7 shown in Figure 3 may be threaded at its ends and cap nuts 8 may be applied. Thus the motor is pivotally mounted in the supporting structure by one of the bolts maintaining the integrity of the motor, the mounting being eccentric to the center of gravity of the motor so that, viewing Figure 2, the motor tends to swing downwardly and toward the right relatively to the lower left-hand bolt 7 under the action of gravity. The supporting structure 2 carriesa bumper 9 which may be of rubber or other suitable material which is positioned in the path of swinging movement of the motor about the axis of the lower left-hand bolt 7 viewing Figure 2 but below the operative position of the motor as will presently be explained. When the endless sharpening element presently to be described is 1 removed the motor rests against the bumper 9 and the normal position of the motor is approximately maintained. In Figure 2 the motor 6 is shown in dotted lines in operative position slightly spaced from the bumper 9.

A handle 10 for carrying the cutlery sharpener in one hand is carried by the top of the motor and has its grip portion 11 generally in vertical alignment with the center of gravity of the sharpener. The handle 10 has a connecting portion 12 connected with the top of the motor and the grip portion 11 extends generally toward the endless sharpening element presently to be described and has its extremity nearer such element free as shown. By means of the handle 10 the cutlery sharpener may be easily carried by one hand. The motor may be electrically connected with a source of electric current by conductors 12a. The current to the motor may be turned on and off by a switch 12b.

The motor shaft is designated 13 and has fastened to its extremity a driving pulley 14. Between the motor and the pulley the shaft 13 passes through an elongated slot 15 in an upstanding casing 16 forming part of the supporting structure 2 of the sharpener. When the sharpener is lifted by the handle 10 the motor 6 pivots generally upwardly about the axis of the lower left-hand bolt 7 viewing Figure 2 until the shaft 13 engages the upper extremity of the elongated slot 15, such engagement limiting the extent of upward movement of the motor relatively to the supporting structure. The amplitude of movement of the motor between its extreme upper position with the shaft 13 in engagement with the upper extremity of the slot 15 and its extreme lower position in engagement with the bumper 9 is not substantially greater than about an inch; thus under all conditions the normal position of the motor is approximately maintained.

Threaded into the casing 16 at 17 so as to form in effect an integral portion of the casing and projecting toward the right viewing Figure 2 is a stud 18 having its outer end 19 free. Pivotally mounted on the stud 18 are guide means designated generally by reference numeral 20 for guiding the endless sharpening element 44. The guide means 20 comprise a block 21 of aluminum having a flat bottom face 22, a flat top face 23 and curved end faces 24. The block 21 has therein a transverse bore 45 receiving the stud 18 and two transverse up wardly

open sockets

25 and 26, respectively, the socket 25 being relatively shallow and the socket 26 being relatively deep and being elongated substantially along a circle are having its center at the socket 25. Projecting slightly above the upper surface 23 of the block 21 are two positioning pins 27. Projecting outwardly from each of the side faces of the block 21 are two positioning pins 28.

A plate 29 is fastened to the block 21 by screws 30, the plate 29 being disposed opposite about the lower two-thirds of the block 21 and being positioned on the block by two of the four positioning pins 28. The plate 29 has therein a bore 43 of the same diameter as and coaxial with the bore 45 in the block 21 through which the stud 18 extends. The plate 29 is something like three times as long as the block 21 and extends well past both of the curved end faces 24. The plate 29 has a bore 31 near each end substantially coaxial with the corresponding curved end face 24 of the block 21 and a shaft or spindle 32 extends through each bore 31. Each spindle 32 has an enlarged portion 33 forming a shoulder abutting the outer face of the plate 29 and a relatively reduced portion 34 projecting through the bore 31 and threaded at 35. A spacing collar 36 is disposed about the portion 34 of each spindle 32 immediately inside the plate 29. A roller 37 mounted upon an anti-friction shown in Figure 3.

bearing 38 is slipped onto the portion 34 of each spindle 32 and maintained in place against the collar 36 by a 'nut 39 screwed onto the threaded portion 35 of the spindle. The two rollers 37- are identical except that one of them (the right-hand rollerviewing Figure 4 in the form of structure shown in the drawings) has 'flanges 40 projecting radially beyond the peripheral surface of the roller to coact with the endless sharpening element 44 to insure proper tracking of the endless sharpening element. The inner faces of the flanges 40 are spaced apart a distance approximating the width of the endless sharpening element 44. The flanges might be applied to the other roller or they could be applied to both rollers but 'I find that proper tracking of the endless sharpening eleto which the plate 29 is applied is a similar-plate 41 positioned by the'two positioning .pins 28 at that side of the block and held in place by screws 42. Each of the plate 41 and the plate 29 has a semi-circular cut-out 46 at the upper edge thereof in transverse alignment with the bottom of the socket 26 in the 'block'21. The plate 41 does not have a bore corersponding to the bore 43 of the plate 29, and the plate 41 has bores 47 receiving the outer extremities of the spindles 32, the bores 47 being somewhat smaller than the bores 31 of the plate 29 since the outer extremities of the spindles are of reduced transverse dimension relatively to the portions 34 thereof as shown in Figure 4. Thus the spindles 32 are supported and positioned by the block 21 through the

plates

29 and 41.

The casing 16 has arcuate openings 48 through which the spindles 32 project.- A bar 49 has therein bores 50 receiving the portions of the spindles 32 outside the enlargements 33 as shown in Figure 4, cap nuts 51 being applied to the ends of the spindles to maintain the bar 49 in place. arcuate extension 52 having therein an arcuate slot 53 through which projects a threaded stud 54 mounted in the casing 16 and projecting outwardly therefrom as A clamping nut 55 is threaded onto the stud 54'and clamps the extension 52 against the easing 16 to maintain the bar 49 in desired adjusted positions. The extremity of the bar 49 projects outwardly beyond the edge of the casing 16 and forms an operating handle 56. When thevclamping nut 55 is loosened the operating handle 56' may be raised or lowered to alter the angularity of the 'bar 49.and consequently also of the guide means 20 which comprises collectively the block 21, the rollers 37 and the other elements above described.

There is provided a cutlery guide for guiding cutlery being sharpened, the cutlery guide being designated generally be reference numeral 57 and comprising two opposed plates 58 of the shape clearly shown in Figures 2 and 5, the plates 58 being connected together to form a rigid unit by transverse members in the form of rods 59 disposed respectively in the

sockets

25 and 26. The righthand rod 59 viewing Figure 5 is seated in the bottom of the socket 25 as shown in Figure 5 while the left-hand rod 59 is freely movable in the socket 26 when the angle of tilt of the guidemeans 20 is changed. One of the plates 58 has therein an inclined slot 60 and a pin 61 connected with the casing 16 projects into the inclined slot 60. The inclination of the slot 60 is such that when the angle of tilt of the guide means 20 is changed, which results in movement of the right-hand rod 59 viewing Figure 5 is an are about the center of the stud 18, the upper surface of the cutlery guide 57 remains substantially horizontal. Such upper surface is designated by the reference numeral 62. Cutlery to be sharpened is laid across the cutlery guide upon the surface 62 with theedge to be sharpened against the endless sharpening element 44 which as the drawings show moves substantial- The bar 49 has a generally downward 'ly within the crotch of the cutlery guide. 57 nearthe righthand end thereof viewing Figures 2 and 5 where the upward projection 63vof the cutlery guide meets the body thereof. In this respect the cutlery guide is similar to that shown in my prior patent but the structure of the cutlery guide and itsxmounting in the sharpener are sim- :plified and the cutlery guide of the present application may more easily be removed Applied to the top of the-block 21 is a.- removable and replaceable back-up plate 64. The back-up plate 64 has therethrough two bores65 respectively receiving the positioning pins 27 as shown in Figures 2 and 5. The bores 65 are positioned equally distant from the ends of the back-up plate 64' so that the back-up plate isreversible end for end and also invertible. The endless sharpening element 44 is pressed against the back-up plate 64 as it is used for sharpening cutlery so-the plate 64'is-subject to wear. The greatest wear occurs ina relatively localized zone where the cutlery presses the endless sharpening element against the back-up plate, which zone is near the crotch .of the cutlery guide 57. When the back-up plate has been initially worn at that zone it may be turned end for end and then inverted and'finally again turned end for end thus giving substantially the wear of four back-up plates which are not reversible end for end or invertible.

The casing 16 has an opening 66 through which the endless sharpening element 44 is exposed to permit cutlery to be positioned against the upper reach .of the sharpening element as shown in Figures 2 and 5. A cut- .lery rest 67 is provided to facilitate proper positioning of the cutlery being sharpened. The cutlery rest 67 is mounted within the casing 16 but has its upper portion projecting through the opening 66 in the casing and has at its upper or outer extremity a cutlery engaging surface 68 extending generally in the same direction as the upper reach of the endless sharpening element 44 as shown in Figures 2 and 5. The cutlery rest 67 is adjustably positionable relatively to the casing 16 so as to be adapted for positioning difierent articles of cutlery for sharpening. A threaded stud 69 projects outwardly from the cutlery rest 67 and through a slot 70 in the casing 16. A clamping nut 71 is threaded onto the stud 69 to clamp the cutlery rest 67 in adjusted positions against the inner face of the casing 16.

The casing 16 has connected with the left-hand upstanding portion thereof viewingFigure 3 and projecting substantially therethrough a stud 72 having a reduced threaded extremity 73. The casing is adapted to be closed at the end of the cutlery sharpener by a cover 74 which is applied thereto and which has a bore 75 into which the reduced threaded extremity 73 of the stud 72 extends, a clamping nut 76 being threaded onto the reduced threaded extremity 73 of the stud 72 to maintain the cover 74 in place as shown in chain lines in Figure 3.

The endless sharpening element 44 may as known to those skilled in the art be formed of any suitable material for sharpening cutlery, being normally constituted by a flexible backing having fine abrasive adhesively applied to the outer surface thereof.

.While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a cutlery sharpener, an endless sharpening element, guide means for guiding the endless sharpening element, a motor having a shaft carrying a driving pulley for driving the endless sharpening element, the driving pulley being disposed inside the endless sharpening element, the motor comprising body and end parts, elongated connecting members extending generally parallel to the motor shaft maintaining the body and end parts in assembly and a supporting structure for the sharpening element guide means and motor, the motor being pivotally mounted in the supporting structure by one of said elongated connecting members so that gravity acts on the motor to cause the driving pulley to maintain the endless sharpening element taut.

2. In a cutlery sharpener, an endless sharpening element, guide means for guiding the endless sharpening element, a motor having a shaft carrying a driving pulley for driving the endless sharpening element, the driving pulley being disposed inside the endless sharpening element, the motor comprising body and end' parts elongated connecting members extending generally parallel to the motor shaft maintaining the body and end parts in assembly and a supporting structurefor the sharpening element guide means and motor including a motor base having spaced apart generally upstanding portions, one of the elongated connecting members projecting from the motor and entering said spaced apart generally upstanding portions of the motor base whereby the motor is pivotally mounted in the supporting structure so that gravity acts on the motor to cause the driving pulley to maintain the endless sharpening element taut.

3. In a cutlery sharpener, an endless sharpening element, guide means for guiding the endless sharpening element, a motor having a shaft carrying a driving pulley for driving the endless sharpening element, the driving pulley being normally disposed inside the endless sharpening element, a supporting structure for the guide means and motor, the motor being pivotally mounted in the supporting structure so that gravity acts on the motor to cause the driving pulley when inside the endless sharpening element to maintain the endless sharpening element taut, and a bumper of resilient material carried by the supporting structure adapted to be engaged by a portion of the motor when the endless sharpening ele- 'ment has been removed to limit the pivotal movement of the motor under the action of gravity, the bumper being positioned in the path of movement of the motor relatively below the position normally occupied by the motor when the endless sharpening element is in place and maintained taut by the driving pulley.

4. In a cutlery sharpener, a generally planar supporting structure, mounting means carried by the supporting structure, an endless sharpening element mounted on the mounting means, a motor having a shaft carrying a driving pulley for driving the endless sharpening element, the motor being mounted on the supporting structure generally beside the mounting means for the endless sharpening element, and a handle for carrying the cutlery sharpener in one hand, the handle being carried in fixed position by the top of the motor and having its grip portion extending toward the mounting means so as t0,

be generally in vertical alignment with the center of gravity of the sharpener.

5. In a cutlery sharpener, mounting means, an endless sharpening element disposed about the mounting means against which cutlery is adapted to be positioned for sharpening, means for driving the endless sharpening element, supporting means carried by the mounting means, a removable and replaceable back-up plate in contact with the inside of the sharpening element opposite the cutlery being sharpened mounted on the supporting means, the supporting means having means holding the back-up plate against displacement during operation of the sharpener, the supporting means and back-up plate being symmetrically formed so that the back-up plate is reversible on the supporting means.

6. In a cutlery sharpener, a supporting. structure, an endless sharpening element, guide means for guiding the endless sharpening element, means for driving the endless sharpening element, the guide means being carriedby the supporting structure and shiftable to different angular positions in the plane of the endless sharpening element to alter the angle of tiltof the reach of the endless sharpening element against which cutlery is positioned to be sharpened, the guide means having therein a transverse upwardly open pivot socket, and a cutlery guide for guiding cutlery being sharpened, the cutlery guide having a transverse member adapted to be seated in the bottom of the pivot socket of the guide means whereby the cut- I lay guide is pivotally connected with the guide means and is also easily removable therefrom, the cutlery guide also having a pin and slot connection with the supporting structure. maintaining the cutlery guide in substantially uniform orientation with respect to the supporting structure.

7. In a cutlery sharpener, mounting means, an endless sharpening element disposed about the mounting means against which cutlery is adapted to be positioned 'for sharpening, means for driving the endless sharpening element, supporting means carried by the mounting means, a removable and replaceable back-up plate in contact with the inside of the sharpening element opposite the cutlery being sharpened mounted on the supporting means, the supporting means having positioning means extending generally toward the sharpening element, the back-up plate having recess means receiving the positioning means whereby the back-up plate is maintained in position, the supporting means and back-up plate being symmetrically formed so that the back-up plate is reversible on the supporting means.

. References Cited in the file of this patent I amison May 4, 1954