• Born: 26 Mar 1829, Quaker Street, Schenectady, NY
• Marriage (1): Jane Hitchins Dixon
• Died: 30 Mar 1896, Norwich VT

  General notes:

Inventor

  Events in his life were:

• He was issued patent number 19,017 on 5 Jan 1858
  
  O. CLEVELAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. BOLSTER FOR PLATED TABLE-KNIVES.
  
  Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,017, dated January 5, 1858.
  
  To all whom it may concern:
  Be it known that I, Orestes Cleveland, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Bolster i for Plated Table-Knives; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which—
  Figure 1, is a side elevation of a plated table knife with my bolster applied to it. Fig. 2, is also a side view of the same, the handle and bolster being in section. Fig. 3, is a longitudinal section of the same through the line x, x, in Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a plan of the bolster separated from the knife. Fig. 5, is a section of the same through the line y, y, in Fig. 4.
  Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
  My invention relates especially to balance handle plated table knives and is intended to overcome a very serious objection to their general use, to wit: the wearing off of the plating of the bolster and the consequent liability of the same rusting in a very short time after the knife has been in use even before the plating of the handle and blade is hardly tarnished; resulting from the blade and handle balancing each other on the bolster and the friction and wear consequently coming upon the bolster.
  This invention consists of a new article of manufacture, viz, a table-knife made substantially as hereinafter described.
  To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it minutely.
  The blade A, of the knife is generally made of steel, and the handle B, of some light sheet metal. A shank C, is formed on the blade in order to give strength and firmness to the knife at the junction of the blade and handle and to receive the bolster D, which is made separate from the blade out of some solid metal which is not liable to change its appearance or corrode. The form of the bolster D, is represented in Fig. 4, it being flat and having a hole in its center, and the manner of applying it is represented in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it being passed over the shank C, fitted snugly against the shoulder a, of the blade, and then confined by the handle which is passed over the shank and its end made to bear up closely against the bolster as represented. When all the parts are arranged as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, they are soldered together and the knife appears after being plated as though the bolster had been forged on the blade.
  Instead of forming a shank on the blade, the bolster might be made without the hole b, in its center, and soldered only to the butt of the blade, and the end of the handle.
  By making the bolster separate from the blade another important advantage, besides that of being enabled to make the bolster of a different metal from the blade, is secured, viz, that of manufacturing the knife cheaper, it being much easier to forge or cast the bolster separate from the knife than to forge it on the same.
  This simple improvement meets the wants of the manufacturer admirably as it enables him to furnish a better article without additional expense, and also puts aside the objection raised against the use of plated table knives; it avoids rust and therefore no scouring is necessary and all danger consequently of tarnishing the plating of the blade and handle about the bolster in endeavoring to remove rust is avoided.
  Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, as a new article of manufacture—
  A table-knife, made substantially as herein described.
  
  Orestes Cleveland
  
  Witnesses:
  Jos. Geo. Mason
  Wm. Tusch

Orestus married Jane Hitchins Dixon. (Jane Hitchins Dixon was born on 9 Mar 1836 in Taunton MA.)