AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DINNER PLATES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eneas Ronald Macdonell, of Edinburgh, North
Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF DINNER PLATES."
Sealed the 18th July 1871, and dated the 6th May 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eneas Ronald Macdonell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th May 1871.
I, ENEAS RONALD MACDONELL, of Edinburgh, North Britain, Gentle-
man, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DINNER PLATES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide dinner plates with one
or more receptacles for sauces and condiments, and thereby to prevent
the undue mingling of these matters with the food contained on
the plate.
In carrying out my Invention I find it important so to construct the
plates that they shall not occupy more space when packed together in a
pile than at present, and for this purpose (without deepening the rim

page_text: below the plate) I utilize the space or a portion thereof below the bottom
and circumscribed by the rim on which the plate rests.
Instead of making the main body of the plate flat as heretofore on its
face I make the central part thereof slightly concave, and externally of
this concave portion and adjacent thereto I sink a recess or recesses
giving their bottoms an inclination upwards so that the recesses become
gradually shallower and their margin lines all but disappear as they
near the periphery of the plate. The depth of these recesses will be
controlled by the amount of space available below the plate, which
space will be determined by the depth of the rim upon which the plate
rests.
By the use of plates of this construction a person having supplied
himself with sauces and condiments may flavour his food therewith
without saturating it and rendering it unpalateable, an overdose being
effectually provided against by the retention of the sauce or condiment
in the recesses provided to receive them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Encas Ronald Macdonell in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ENEAS
RONALD MACDONELL, of Edinburgh, North Britain, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Eneas Ronald Macdonell, Her special licence
that I, the said Eneas Ronald Macdonell, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Eneas Ronald Macdonell, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 for "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DINNER PLATES," upon the condition (amongst

page_text: others) that I, the said Encas Ronald Macdonell, 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 Eneas Ronald Macdonell, 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 here-
unto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
The object of this Invention is to provide dinner plates with one
or more receptacles for sauces and condiments, and thereby to prevent
the undue mingling of these matters with the food contained on the
plate.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of a plate made
according to my Invention with one such receptacle, and Fig. 2 is a
cross section of the same taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1.
By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that instead of making the
centre of the plate flat as heretofore on its face I make it slightly
concave, as shown at a, and externally of this concave portion and
adjacent thereto I form a curved ridge b beyond which I sink a recess c,
giving the bottom of the same an inclination upwards towards the
rim d, so that the recess becomes gradually shallower and the curved
ridge forming the margin line all but disappears as the shelving wall of
the plate is neared.
In carrying out my Invention I find it important so to construct the
plates that they shall not occupy more space when packed together in a
pile than at present, and for this purpose (without deepening the annular
ribe on the under surface of the plate) I utilize the space or a portion
thereof circumscribed by the rib e on which the plate rests. This will
be clearly understood by reference to Fig. 2 which shews in red lines
the position of an overlying plate and that the ridge 6 offers no obstruc-
tion to the close packing of the plates. If however the bottom of the
plate were not sunk, as shewn in this Figure at a, the plates would not
"

page_text: "
pack close and great risk of breakage would be occasioned in carrying
about a pile of such plates.
The diagram Fig. 3 will clearly illustrate the character of the pile
if the Invention were attempted to be carried out by the use of
flat bottomed plates, and it will be readily understood what would be
the nature of the risk when handling a pile so loose as the diagram
indicates.
I have stated that the plate may have more than one recess for the
reception of sauces or condiments. In all cases these recesses will be
in the same position with respect to the shelving wall of the plate as
that shown at c, and they may be of any desired size. The greatest
depth of these recesses will be controlled by the amount of space
available below the plate which space will be determined by the depth
of the ring e upon which the plate rests.
By the use of plates of this construction a person having supplied
himself with sauces and condiments may flavor his food therewith
without saturating it and rendering it unpalateable, an overdose being
effectually provided against by the retention of the sauce or condiment
in the recesses provided to receive them.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improve- 3
ment in the Manufacture of Dinner Plates," and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, manufacturing dinner
plates in the manner and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eneas Ronald Macdonell, have 2
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Fourth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-
ALLA
ENEAS RONALD MACDONELL. (L.S.)