IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING AND MINCING MEAT AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR SAUSAGES, AND OTHER LIKE PURPOSES, AND FOR FILLING THE PRE- PARED SKINS WITH THE MEAT AND OTHER MATERIALS WHEN SO CUT
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Letts, of Northampton, in the County
of Northampton, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING AND MINCING MEAT AND OTHER MATERIALS
FOR SAUSAGES, AND OTHER LIKE PURPOSES, AND FOR FILLING THE PRE-
PARED SKINS WITH THE MEAT AND OTHER MATERIALS WHEN SO CUT."
Sealed the 8th July 1853, and dated the 4th February 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Letts at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th February 1853.
I, GEORGE LETTS, of Northampton, in the County of Northampton,"
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING AND MINCING MEAT AND OTHER
MATERIALS FOR SAUSAGES, AND OTHER LIKE PURPOSES, AND FOR FILLING THE
PREPARED SKINS WITH THE MEAT AND OTHER MATERIALS WHEN SO CUT," to
be as follows:-
I first take a box, and mount therein a shaft or spindle, whose axis
revolves in bearings provided in the sides thereof. On this spindle, and
at right angles thereto, I fix one or more series of knives or cutters
spirally; and on the inside of the box I screw or otherwise fix a
comb or slotted plate through the slots in which the knives pass, on
rotary motion being communicated to the shaft. There may be one
or more slotted plates fixed in the box. The meat and other matters.

page_text: are fed into one end of the inachine, and carried by means of the
spiral cutters to the other end, being finely divided and cut in their
passage. At the end opposite that in which the meat is fed is a spout
or funnel, through which the meat is forced into skins or other
receptacles provided for it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said George Letts in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GEORGE LETTS, of Northampton, in the County of Northampton,
Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Letts, Her special
licence that I, the said George Letts, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Letts, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING AND
MINCING MEAT AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR SAUSAGES, AND OTHER LIKE PUR-
POSES, AND FOR FILLING THE PREPARED SKINS WITH THE MEAT AND OTHER
MATERIALS WHEN SO CUT," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said George Letts, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Letts, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
annexed, that is to say:
My said improvements are represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of
the Drawings annexed, which are respectively a side elevation, a
longitudinal section, and a plan of a sausage machine constructed
according to my Invention. In Figure 3, the cover of the machine
is thrown back, in order to shew the interior working parts. A, A¹,
is a cylindrical box or casing formed in two parts, the upper of
which, A, is hinged to the lower one at a, a. B, is a shaft or barrel
mounted in the box, and revolving in bearings b, b, in the ends
thereof. On this shaft or barrel, and at right angles thereto, are
fixed the knives or cutters C, C, which are arranged spirally in one
or more lines around it. D is a comb or slotted plate, screwed or
otherwise fixed or secured at one side of the box, and parallel to
the spindle or barrel B. The number of slots in the comb or plate
D should be equal to the number of knives or cutters, so that the
knives may pass through them on rotary motion being com-
municated to the shaft B, by means of the handle E on the fly
wheel F which is mounted on the axis of that shaft. There may
be more than one slotted plate fixed in the box if thought desirable.
G is a hopper fitted to the cover A', and H a-spout, through which
the cut and minced meat is delivered from the machine.
screw catches, by means of which the cover A is fastened down
when closed.
c, c, are
In operating with this machine, the meat and other materials are
fed in through the hopper G, and, falling on the slotted plate D, are
carried by means of the spiral cutters, which are put in rotation by
the handle E, along that plate to the other end of the machine (being
finely divided and cut on their passage), where they are forced
through the spout H into skins or other suitable receptacles pro-
vided for the purpose. The plate D may be loosely fitted in the
box, to allow it to be removed for cleaning when necessary.

page_text: And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―
The construction of sausage machines, with the knives or cutters
arranged in a spiral line or lines around the periphery of a rotating
shaft or barrel, and working through slots in a plate or plates
parallel to the shaft or barrel, whereby the meat and other materials
are cut and minced, and then forced into the prepared skins or other
receptacles, as represented in the, Drawings annexed, and herein.
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Letts, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
GEORGE LETTS. (L.S.)
GEORGE LETTS. (L.S.)