AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SLICING AND PARING CUCUMBERS AND OTHER VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walker Moseley, of Nos. 17 and 18, King Street,
Covent Garden, in the County of Middlesex, Cutler, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SLICING AND PARING CUCUMBERS AND
OTHER VEGETABLES AND FRUITS."
Sealed the 5th January 1867, and dated the 9th July 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walker Moseley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th July
1866.
I, WALKER MOSELEY, of Nos. 17 and 18, King Street, Covent Garden, in the
County of Middlesex, Cutler, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SLICING AND PARING CUCUMBERS AND OTHER
VEGETABLES AND FRUITS," to be as follows:-
The said Invention consists chiefly in the employment of a cylindrical bar
of wood, ivory, or metal, which is attached to the blade of any ordinary table
knife in such a manner that the bar may be readily adjusted in relation to the
said blade in order to regulate the thickness of the slices or parings of the
vegetables or fruits. The said bar is formed for convenience and economy of
a length to adapt the same for use with an ordinary table knife, and is held
upon the blade thereof by clips of steel or other metal fixed or formed on
sockets or bearings in which the bar is supported and turns. The ends of the

page_text: bar resting in the said sockets are larger than the intermediate portion of the
bar, and are formed excentrically with the said intermediate portion. When
therefore the bar is turned in the sockets the space between the edge of the
blade and the surface of the bar is increased or diminished, and the thickness
of the slices being cut is varied accordingly. One end of the bar is pre-
ferably extended to form a handle, by which the said bar is turned in either
direction as required. The bearings and clips are formed in one piece by
stamping out the central portion of a piece of metal, bending the outer portion
into a curve to form the bearing, and bending back The central portion to
form the clip. The bearings and clips may also be formed of separate portions
of metal united by soldering or other suitable means. The clips are formed
to touch and bind on the two sides of the blade. A small pin is secured in
each end of the bar, and projects through a siot extending partially round the
socket; this pin serves as a stop to prevent the bar being turned too far
round in either direction, and also prevents its being drawn endwise from the
said socket. The latter object may be also effected by forming or fixing
collars or flanges on each end of the bar outside the bearings. To facilitate
the paring or taking off the rind or skin of vegetables and fruits they are
placed upon points or prongs fixed on the end of a spindle fitted to revolve in
a socket or hearing. The said socket is supported upon a stand or foot,
which may be secured to a table or bench. The fruits or vegetables being
placed upon the said points the spindle is caused to revolve by a handle or
any other suitable means. The edge of the knife carrying the bar is pre-
sented to the surface of the vegetables or fruits as they rotate, thereby rapidly
removing the skins or rinds.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Walker Moseley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALKER
MOSELEY, of Nos. 17 and 18, King Street, Covent Garden, in the County of
Middlesex, Cutler, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,.. the said
Walker Moseley, Her special license that I, the said Walker Moseley,

page_text: Walker Moseley, my executors, 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of "AN
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SLICING AND PARING CUCUMBERS AND OTHER VEGETABLES
AND FRUITS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Walker
Moseley, my executors or administrators. by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.
•
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Walker Moseley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings forming
a part of this Specification:-
The said Invention relates chiefly to the employment, in connection with an
ordinary table knife, of a bar of wood, ivory, or .metal, which is attached to
the blade of the said knife in such a manner as to be easily adjusted in
relation thereto in order to regulate the thickness of the slices or parings of
the vegetables or fruits.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view representing the apparatus attached to the blade of
a knife; Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line z, x,
Figure 1; Figures 3, 4, and 5 represent a portion of the said apparatus
detached; Figure 6 is a side view, and Figure 7 an end view of a modified
form of the said apparatus. Like letters indicate the same parts in each of
the Figures.
A is the adjustable bar, which for convenience and economy is formed of a
length to suit the blade of an ordinary table knife. The ends a of this bar
are supported to turn freely in the sockets or bearings B, on which the clips b
are formed or secured. The said sockets and clips are by preference formed
of steel, and constructed as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5. The ends a of the
bar A are larger in diameter than the intermediate portion a' of the said bar,
and are formed or secured excentrically thereon. When therefore the bar A

page_text: is turned in the sockets B the space between the surface of the intermediate
portion a' and the blade of the knife is increased or diminished, and the
thickness of the slices of the cucumber or other vegetable or fruit is varied
accordingly. The bar A may be constructed as represented in Figure 1, or
may have one end extended to form a handle by which to adjust the said bar.
In constructing the bearings B and clips b in the manner illustrated in
Figures 3, 4, and 5 the circular portion or socket B, which consists of a
piece of thin steel, is by preference formed by cutting or stamping from a
sheet or plate of that metal, the lugs or projections b¹ being formed at the
same time; the said piece is then bent into the required shape upon a
suitable mandrel or other implement, and the lugs b' are turned over into the
position shown in Figures 4 and 5. The said clip is formed by bending a flat
piece of thin stor!, which may he cut or stamped from a suitable sheet or
plate. The said clip is then inserted between the Ings b', and is thereby urmly
secured to the socket B.
Instead of being made in the manner above described, each of the sockets B
and clips may be formed of a single piece of steel, iron, brass, or other
metal. The central portion of the said piece is stamped or cut partially out,
and bent up to form the clip b, while the outer remaining portion is turned
into a circle to form the socket or bearing B. The said sockets and clips
may also be constructed in several separate portions, which are united by
solder or other suitable means. The clips bare in all cases so constructed as
to touch and bind on the two sides of the blade of the knife in such a manner
that the bar A is held firmly while being used, but can be easily removed from
or adjusted upon the said blade when required. The collars or flanges on
the bar A are provided to keep the said bar from being displaced by moving
endwise in its bearing B, and may be formed on one or both ends a of the
said bar. The same object may be effected by fixing in one or both of the
said ends a small pin or stnd, which shall project radially therefrom through
slots formed partially around the sockets B. This pin or stud will also serve
as a stop to prevent the bar A being turned too far in either direction.
Instead of making the bar A adjustable by means of the excentric ends a,
the said bar may be attached to the clips B by adjusting screws C, as shown
in Figures 6 and 7. The said har may be made of metal, wood, or other
suitable material, and may be either cylindrical, flat, or of any other desired
sectional form. The screws C are soldered or otherwise made fast to the
clips b, and are tapped into the bar A. When it is desired to increase or
diminish the thickness of the slices of the vegetable or fruit being cut the
apparatus is removed from the blade of the knife to allow the required adjust-

page_text: ment of the screws C, and then replaced on the said blade; or the clips b
may be formed with a greater thickness on one side of the slit than on the
other, so that by reversing them on the blade of the knife the space between
the said blade and the bar A is varied. The same object may be effected by
forming the said clips with several slits or divisions. To facilitate the paring
or taking off the rind or skin of vegetables and fruits they are placed upon
points or prongs fixed on the end of a spindle fitted to revolve in a socket or
bearing. The said socket is supported upon a stand or foot, which may be
secured to a table or bench. The fruits or vegetables being placed upon the
said points the spindle is caused to revolve by a handle or any other suitable
means. The edge of the knife carrying the bar A is presented to the surface
of the vegetables or fruits as they rotate, thereby rapidly removing the skins
or rinds.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shown how the same
may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practise, I claim,-
First, the bar A provided with the excentric ends a, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
Second, the sockets B and clips b. constructed and employed in com-
bination with the said bar for the purpose and substantially in the manner
set forth.
In witness whereof. I, the said Walker Moseley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
WM. ROBT. LAKE.
WALKER MOSELEY. (L.S.)