US331177A

US331177A - Table-fork

Info

Publication number: US331177A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1885-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 1902-11-24

Description

E. E. ALBIN.

TABLE FORK.

-(No Model.)

No. 331,177. Patented Nov. 24. 1885.

PIC-L2- FIG. 3.

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INVBNTOR 6, (S QZAA w' ATTORNEY v D FFICEO ELMER E. ALBIN, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

TABLE-FORK.

SJPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,177, dated November 24:, 1885. Application filed May 26, 1885. Serial No. 166,765. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Belitflknown that I, ELMER E. ALBIN, of Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful improvements in table-forks having a cuttingblade at one side opposite the tine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in making the cuttingblade separate from the fork itself, and providing it with such attaching mechanism as enables the user to attach it to the fork and de tach it therefrom at will.

7 A combined knife and fork is a very desirable article for some purposes, and forks with one tine extended sidewise and fashioned to constitute a cutting-edge are in common use. Such forks are not, however, considered appropriate for general table purposes, and, if possessed at all, theymust be kept as special articles for the purposes designed. To avoid this inconvenience, I make a cutting-blade provided with a socket along its back or other suitable device adapted. to receive and hold one tine of an ordinary table-fork, and thus at a trifling cost adapt any table-fork to the special use for which the fork-knife was designed.

That others may fully understand my inven tion, I will particularly describe it, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my inven tion. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation or edge view. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the socket. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the blade. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the blade detached.

A is an ordinary table-fork, and B is the attachable and detachable blade.

The blade B may be provided with a variety of known devices for attaching it to the tinesuch as spring-latches, screws, clamps, &c.; but I prefer to provide a socket, d, along its back, either continuous or in the form of three or more loops, adapted to receive and securely hold to the tine e of the fork A, because the socket is easy to construct, not liable to derangement, and equally efficacious with any.

The blade B has a cutting-edge, f, along its outer margin.

The blade B, I prefer to make about two inches in length and five-eighths of an inch in width; but these dimensions are arbitrary and may be varied as desired. At the upper end Iprefer to cut away one side of the socket d,

as shown at 9, so as to permit the upper end of the blade to pass above the juncture of the tines.

The socket may be formed in various ways well known to mechanics; but I prefer to make the blade solid and to form the socket by drilling. Afterward the blade and socket will be curved slightly more or less than the curve of the tine, so that when forced upon the tine the spring of one or both will hold the blade firmly on the tine. The curvature of the blade B places the several points of contact of the socket with the tine out of right line, and therefore gives to said blade a broad base, (indi' cated by the versed sine q, supported on said tine,) and renders it impossible to move it out of plane by torsion or by revolving the tine. The most perfect attachment is by a continuous socket; but the same results may be obt-ained by having the bearings of the socket only in the proper number of places, whether these bearings be formed of the same pieces of the blade or of parts secured to it.

By having the blade B connected to the tine, as above described, it may be attached or detached in a moment of time. No latch-fastenings of any kind are required, as the spring of one from the other, caused by the difference of curvature in the blade and tine, prevents the blade from coming off the tine when in use.

The blade and fork may be separately cleaned when detached.

Believing myself to be the firstto ever use with an ordinary table-fork an attachable and detachable cutting-blade, I do not intend to limit myself to the particular form of blade or to any particular mode of attachment to the tine.

Having described my invention, I claim' 1. A tablefork, A, combined with a detachable blade, B, provided with a cutting-edge on one margin and on the other a holding device adapted to receive the tine of said fork, substantially as set forth.

2. The blade B, curved flatwise and having along one margin a cutting-edge, f, andalong the other margin one or more sockets, d, and a space, 9, whereby said blade may be attached to the tine of an ordinary table-fork, substantially as shown.

ELMER E. ,ALBIN.

Witnesses:

L. Born, F. B. FURNISS.