Darex Corporation

Travis Campbell

Joseph T Zachariasen

Daniel T Dovel

Steven Lee Baker

Conner S MacFarlane

Apparatus configured to sharpen a blade of a cutting tool. In some embodiments, a sharpener is provided having a housing and a sharpening stage with at least one sharpening element. Each sharpening element is characterized as a plate and has a curvilinearly extending, concave sharpening surface configured to impart a corresponding convex sharpening geometry to a selected side of the blade during a sharpening operation in which a user retracts the blade along a longitudinal drawing axis through the sharpening stage. A pair of intersecting sharpening elements may be provided to form a substantially v-shaped groove for a ripper-type sharpening stage. The sharpening element(s) may be fixed or tiltable with respect to the housing. The sharpening element(s) may further be moveable in a lateral direction to narrow or widen the v-shaped groove and change the convex geometry and edge angle imparted to the blade.

Tool sharpener with concave sharpening surface

Method and apparatus for sharpening a cutting edge of a cutting tool, such as a kitchen knife. In some embodiments, an abrasive assembly has a frame, a handle, and a cartridge that supports a plurality of abrasive members each having an associated abrasive surface. A rod affixes the abrasive assembly to a base assembly to facilitate movement of the abrasive assembly along the cutting edge of the tool responsive to engagement, by a user, of the user handle. Each abrasive member is configured to be moved, by the user, with respect to the handle to present each abrasive surface in turn. In some cases, the cartridge is rotatable about a cartridge axis that may be parallel or non-parallel to a central axis of the rod.

Sharpener with swing arm abrasive assembly

Method and apparatus for sharpening a cutting edge of a cutting tool, such as a kitchen knife. A fixture secures opposing sides of a blade of the cutting tool and includes a main body and hinged first and second clamping jaws each having a clamping end adapted to compressingly engage a respective side of the blade. A guide coupled to the main body has converging support surfaces to contactingly engage a back edge (spine) of the blade opposite the cutting edge to center the blade along a central plane of the fixture. A retraction mechanism establishes a clamping force upon each of the respective sides of the blade via the clamping jaws. Further embodiments include a base assembly adapted to receive the fixture, and a swing arm style abrasive assembly to carry out a sharpening operation upon the cutting edge.

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Medford, OR, United States of America

Travis Campbell