Blade sharpener for curved and straight edge blades

Apparatus for producing a cutting surface on a blade comprising:

• a. a frame;
• b. grinding means pivotable on the frame for cutting material from a blade to produce a cutting surface thereon;
• and
• c. a work surface mounted on the frame and consisting of a single support line that supports a blade being cut by the grinding means.

A machine for sharpening a blade having a bottom surface, a cutting edge, a back edge opposite the cutting edge, and a multiplicity of imaginary lines along the blade bottom surface between the cutting edge and the back edge, the machine comprising:

• a. a frame;
• b. a single support line mounted to the frame that supports the bottom surface of the blade only along a selected one of the imaginary lines;
• and
• c. grinding means for cooperating with the support line to produce a selected cutting edge on the blade.

A method of sharpening elongated blades each having a longitudinal centerline, a bottom surface, a cutting edge, a back edge opposite the cutting edge, and multiple imaginary lines along the bottom surface between the cutting and back edges, comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a single support line;
• b. supporting a first blade bottom surface on the support line only along a selected one of the first blade imaginary lines;
• c. providing a grinding wheel that defines a grinding wheel plane that contains the support line;
• d. swinging the grinding wheel in the grinding wheel plane to a first position relative to the support line;
• e. feeding the first blade along the support line transversely of the first blade longitudinal centerline and bringing the cutting edge into contact with the grinding wheel;
• f. producing a first cutting surface at the cutting edge in line with the selected one of the first blade imaginary lines;
• and
• g. feeding the first blade longitudinally of the longitudinal centerline and thereby producing the first cutting surface along the first blade cutting edge.