AN IMPROVED CHOPPING OR MINCING MACHINE
Year: 1886

page_text: I JOSEPH JAMES LANE of the Phoenix Engineering Works, Cranbrook Street
Old Ford Road, London E. Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for AN IMPROVED CHOPPING OR MINCING MACHINE; and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference also being had to the accompanying sheet of
drawings:****
My Invention relates to a novel construction and arrangement of chopping or
mincing machine such for instance as employed for the production of sausage meat
and the like.
The improvements constituting my Invention apply to the well known type of
such machine as above referred to in which vertically reciprocating chopping, or
mincing knives operate in conjunction with a rotating wood chopping block. To
this type of machine as heretofore usually constructed and arranged; serious draw-
backs and disadvantages have been inherent Few, if any, substantial attempts
have been made with a view of overcoming said drawbacks and disadvantages;
and, the tendency on the part of Inventors appears to have been towards producing
chopping or mincing machines acting. on principles different to the typical
chopping machine herein first referred to; such for instance, and notably so,-
those machines in which the chopping or mincing knives have imparted to them
a rotating instead of a vertically reciprocating motion.
Now, I believe it is the opinion held by those who from their long connection
with the trades in which meat chopping machines are employed may be considered
competent authorities, that the distinctive features embodied in the typical machine
herein first referred to, give the best results in the treatment (that is, the mincing,)
of the meat. Hence, in devising the improvements embodied in the novel chopping
machine constituting my Invention (and which F purpose naming the "Phoenix"
chopping machine) I have, whilst retaining the distinctive features last above
referred to, carefully studied the constructional and mechanical defects hitherto
existing in said typical machine as herem first referred to in the second paragraph
Price 1

page_text: hereof and so by my Invention to remove the resultant drawbacks and dis-
advantages which are so well known in the "Trade" as scarcely to necessitate
enumerating here. I may however mention amongst these, The liability of
accidents arising to those employed in attending to such machines, when, as
usually made, they are fitted with overhead driving and working gear. Also, the
noise, and what is even worse, the vibration so widely and justly complained of.
These and other serious defects and drawbacks I have successfully overcome in the
machine according to my Invention. Referring to the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of said machine, and Figure 2 a horizontal
sectional plan- taken on line A B Figure 1.
The wood chopping block is surrounded at the upper part by the tin casing A,
the relative position of the chopping block being indicated (Figure 1) at A¹-B, is
the iron drum or belt surrounding the lower portion of the wood chopping block.-
D is a screwed footstep bush taking into standard bracket E and operated by a
screwed wheel g so as to allow of the level of the block A¹ being readily, and
whilst the machine is working, adjusted to that of the chopping knives. The
footstep bush D is slotted to receive feather in the interior of the bracket E.
Rotary motion is imparted to the block A¹ and its surrounding parts A, B,
aforesaid, through the vertical shaft c, the lower end whereof takes its bearing in
the footstep bush D aforesaid and having at the upper end the worm wheel d and
drum or belt aforesaid B. Motion being conveyed by means of the pulley p and
worm f, the latter gearing into the worm wheel d aforesaid; and, the drum B is
kept in position by the friction rollers j.
The vertically reciprocating motion of the chopping knives is accomplished in
the following manner. The crank shaft k working in plummer blocks as shewn,
and having crank H and crank disc H, is driven by the pulleys 1. The cross-
head I having fitted thereon the chopping knives F, is connected to the crank H¹
and crank disc H respectively, by the connecting rods h, h, and in its vertically
reciprocating motion works in guides formed in the vertical standards or brackets L
mounted as shewn, on the annular segmental casing J.-The chopping knives Fare
adjustable on the crosshead, relatively to the level of the top of the chopping block,
by means of the nuts i, i; and are secured in position by means of rivets passing
through the slotted end of the bolts of the nuts i, i.
The whole machine is, as will be seen on reference to the drawing, self-contained,
the upper portion being secured to the bed or sole plate K. The several parts
thereof are also readily interchangeable so as to allow of the renewal or replacing
of same as occasion may arise.
In order to allow of the knives F being brought into the most convenient
position to allow of their being sharpened, the vertical standards L L, are each
fitted with a loose shifting piece G, which when brought to the position indicated
by the dotted lines (Figure 1) allows of the knives being canted up; the guide
block g being then brought out of its guide 8, the crosshead I turns on its centre in
the brasses h¹ of the connecting rods h h. The shifting piece G is then thrown
over on to the guide q and secured in its position by turning the handle o which
is thereupon screwed tight to the shifting piece G, and thus the framework or
bracket I to which the knives are attached is as it were fixed between the clip
formed by the shifting piece G and the vertical standards L; thereby effectually
retaining and securing the knives in a horizontal position whilst undergoing the
process of sharpening. The position assumed now by the knives is illustrated in
the detached view Figure 3. Said operation of sharpening having been finished,
the crosshead' with the knives thereon assumes its normal working position on
reversing the last described operation or series of movements.
Though I have described the machine in accordance with my Invention in
connection with its primary application to the chopping or mincing of meat, it
will be self-evident that said machine may be applied for chopping or mincing
other substances, both edible and otherwise."

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. The arrangement generally and substantially as herein described and
shewn of machine or apparatus to be employed for chopping or mincing.
Secondly. In chopping and mincing machines in which the chopping knives
have a vertically reciprocating motion the arrangement substantially as herein
described and shown which allows of the chopping block being raised or lowered
whilst the machine is working.
Thirdly. In machines such as last above referred to the arrangement sub-
stantially as herein described and shewn which I adopt to allow of the convenient
sharpening of the chopping knives.
JAMES STEVENSON,
Agent for Applicant.