A NEW AND IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING OR MINCING MEAT, VEGETABLES, &C
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Albert W. Hale at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd March
1859.
I, ALBERT W. HALE, of New Britain, State of Connecticut, United States
of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
NEW AND IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING OR MINCING MEAT, VEGETABLES, &C,"
to be as follows:-
The general nature of my said Invention consists in the arrangement and
use of one or more grooved cylinders or rollers revolving in a grooved or
ribbed case, and acting against a stationary knife, such grooved cylinders
having also tapering or diminishing grooves, so as to prevent the passing of
the article until cut finely enough, and also keep the article continually against
the cutting surfaces or knives. Generally two cylinders or rollers will be made
use of, revolving toward each other, and against a knife placed between the
two. A single cylinder may, however, be employed, having a knife on one
or both sides as desired.
Such cylinders have in or upon them a number of spiral grooves running
lengthwise, the curve of which may be greater or less, as desired, or as found
most convenient. Such grooves are also not uniform in size but vary in depth,
their depth at one end of the cylinder, or the end at which the material is fed
into the machine, being about equal to the distance from the shaft to the
periphery of the cylinder, and gradually diminishing toward the other end of
the cylinder until the bottom of the groove nearly reaches the periphery of the
cylinder, such distance being more or less, as it is desired to have the article.

page_text: cut finer or coarser, as nothing can pass from out of the machine until it is cut
finely enough to pass through the smallest ends of the grooves. The highest
parts of such grooves make at the periphery of the cylinder flanges or shear
edges, which act with a drawing or shearing cut against the knives referred to.
The upper and lower cases enclosing the cylinders have upon their inner
surfaces ribs or projections, which form, when the two cases are closed or shut
together, a continuous spiral rib or screw inclining forwards or towards the
end of the machine at which the cut article is discharged, and generally having
such an inclination, which, however, may be varied, that in passing once around
they shall have advanced a distance about equal to the diameter of the feeding
orifice, in order that anything fed into the machine would naturally in a single
revolution pass beyond the feeding orifice.
The cylinders are of such a size as very nearly to fill the space between the
cases, so as to prevent the passing of anything of much size or bulk. between
the cylinders and their cases. From such construction of the grooved cylinders
revolving in ribbed cases, pieces of meat, &c., of any largish size are prevented
from passing into the shallower parts of the grooves, and are continually
pressed backward and carried by the revolution of the cylinders toward the
knives, by which it is continually cut until as fine as the machine is designed
to work.
When two cylinders are used they are so placed that their flanges or edges
will lap a little, so that the motion given one by a crank will be communicated
to the other without gearing, and thus cause both cylinders to revolve towards
the knife placed as described between them. The edge of the knife is placed
at such a height that it will stand at that point or line where the grooved
cylinders leave each other, thus causing the flanges of the cylinders to con-
stantly act with a shearing cut against the knife. Or, instead of making the
cylinders grooved, they may have flanges radiating from the axle or placed
tangentially upon it, the spaces between them being filled so as to secure the
taper of the groove substantially as described; instead also of giving the
direction of the flanges a spiral one the flanges may be made parallel to the
axis of the cylinder, and the cylinders be so adjusted and the knife inclined, so
as to preserve and secure the advantages and benefits of the shearing cut.
The diminishing of the grooves or spaces between the flanges of the
cylinders may be effected also by decreasing the diameter of the cylinders
at one end, thus giving them the form of a frustrum of a cone, and in such
case giving the cases a proper form; and the number of grooves may be, if
desired, greater at one end of the cylinders than at the other. When a single
cylinder is employed, the knife or knives on one or both sides of the cylinder

page_text: are placed in recesses, which are a part of the enclosing cases with proper
spaces over and above such knife, so as to allow the article as cut to pass over
the knife, and then be again carried under the cylinder, and again and again
brought in contact with the knife. By attaching a stuffer to the machine,
casing of any kind can be filled as the meat is minced.
My Invention consists generally in the construction of a cutting or mincing
machine operating by means of a revolving cylinder or cylinders, extending
from end to end, & having tapering or diminishing grooves acting against a
stationary knife or knives placed parallel with the axis of the cylinder, and
revolving in fluted or ribbed cases, as described, the whole combined when
desired with a funnel or stuffer.