Year: 1889

page_text: I, ADOLPH HERMAN RICHTER of No. 1001 North Oak Street, in the City of Burlington,
Des Moines County, State of Iowa, United States of America. Druggist, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to means for comminuting horse-radish, nutmegs, roots and
the like, and also for the slicing or cutting into small pieces of potatoes and other
vegetables.
The object of the invention is to produce a device for the purposes in question which
may be manufactured at small cost and efficiently perform the work intended, and
which may be organized for family use and the retail drug trade, and also be capable
of being built of such proportions as to render it available for the use of spice and root
grinding establishments.
In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which
like features are indicated by like figures of reference in the several views. Figure 1
is a view in elevation of the hopper side of a device embodying my improvements.
Figure 1 is a fragment of the grinding or cutting plate showing the manner of
forming the grinding or cutting perforations of Figs. 1 and 4. Fig. 2 is a top view
looking down on the hopper, grinding plate &c. Fig. 2ª is a cross-section through
line of Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the grinding-plate shown in Fig. 1,
illustrating the arrangement of the perforations. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modifi-
cation of the cutting-plate. Fig. 5 is a cross-section through line y y of Fig. 4, and
Figs. 6 and 7 are illustrations of certain modifications of the manner of forming the
perforations of the grinding or cutting plate.
Referring to the drawings, 9 indicates the support for the grinding or cutting disc,
the said support being of metal and having at its lower end the screw-clamp 10, by
means of which the device may be conveniently secured to a bench or table. At tho
upper end of support 9 there provided a shaft-bearing, 11, and extending therefrom
and preferably integral therewith is the hopper-supporting piece 12, the edge 13 of
which serves as a scraper, in the manner hereinafter explained. The hopper 14 is
fixed to its supporting-piece 12 in any suitable manner that will permit the providing
of a space between the same and the scraper-edge 13, within which space the grinding
or cutting plate 15 rotates.

page_text: As shown, the standard 9, hopper-supporting piece 12, and hopper 14 are formed
integral but they may be made separately and be secured to one another in proper
relative position by any suitable means. The edge 13 of hopper-supporting piece 12
is arranged a slight distance below the adjacent or inner top surface of hopper 14, as
shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, and in Fig. 2, and the hopper itself, preferably,
inclines somewhat toward the cutting-disc, so that instead of forming a right angle
therewith the angle of approximate juncture is more or less acute, as shown in
Fig. 2.
The grater or cutter 15 is made of tin, steel, or sheet-iron, and is, by preference,
of circular form, and it is supported in appropriate relation to the hopper 14 and
scraper 13 upon shaft 18, which is supported in bearing 11, as shown.
The form and arrangement of the cutting or grating perforations 23 of plate 15 are
such that they will not clog up, and the grated material will not be scattered as it is
discharged at the back of said plate, but will be delivered in a heap. The perforations 23
are all punched out on the same side, so that one side of the plate-the rear side or
that with which the scraper-edge 13 of the hopper-supporting piece co-operates--is
smooth, the cutting or grating edges of the perforations all being on the hopper side
of the plate. The perforations 23 are arranged, for example, as shown in Fig. 3, and
the cutting-edges 24 of the same are (in the act of punching out the metal) struck up
uniformly, so that as the plate is rotated in the proper direction they will all be
presented to the material to be grated or cut. The cutting-edge of each perforation
comprises about one-half of its circumference, as shown in Fig. 1", and is formed by
raising the metal at the back of the perforation. This arrangement of the perforations
and their cutting-edges facilitates the passage of the grated material through the
perforations.
In Fig. 6 the perforations 23 are formed with teeth occupying about one half of the
circumference of each perforation, and in Fig. 7 the perforations 23 are cone-shaped
with the cutting-edges 24 formed by raising the metal above the plane of the disc.
This last-mentioned construction cuts the substance acted upon into a stringy condition.
In Fig. there is shown a construction of cutting-disc specially adapted for slicing
potatoes and other vegetables and fruits. The plate is divided into three parts. The
cutting-edges 24 are slightly raised above the surface of the adjacent disc-sections and
are sharpened, so that by revolving the disc in the proper direction, as indicated by the
arrow, the potatoes or the like are sliced in pieces of uniform thickness.
It is of course to be understood that any of the forms of cutting or grating plates
illustrated as well as any other desirable forms may be employed, and the substitution
of one form of cutting or grating plate for another is readily accomplished by removing
the crank 21.
In using my device the substance to be grated or cut is placed in hopper 14 and
held in contact with the plate 15 by the hand, or by any suitable mechanism. As the
said disc is revolved the cutting-edges of the perforations 23 repeatedly come in
contact with the substance to be comminuted, thus cutting or slicing the same, as the
case may be, in the manner already explained. The comminuted or sliced material as
it passes through the perforations or slits of the plate 15 is scraped off said plate by the
edge 13 of the hopper-supporting piece, which, as explained, occupies a position just
below the top surface of the inner end of hopper 14. As the grated substance is
scraped off, it falls into a receptacle arranged beneath the apparatus, and is not thrown
out from the disc and scattered, the inclination of the hopper-supporting piece 12 and
its beveled surface contributing toward the accomplishment of this result.
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
1 claim is :-
1. In a device of the character herein described, a support provided with a laterally-
extended arm, in combination with a revolving cutting-plate, the said arm on one side
of said cutting-plate forming a scraper, and on the other side a hopper-support,
substantially as set forth.

page_text: 2. The support 9 provided with a shaft-bearing and laterally extended scraper, in
combination with a hopper supported on said laterally-extended scraper, in such
manner as to form an acute angle of approximate juncture therewith and to provide an
unobstructed space between scraper and hopper, and a cutting-plate mounted to revolve
vertically between the hopper and scraper, substantially as set forth.
3. The support 9, provided with screw clamp 10, shaft bearing 11, and combined
hopper-supporting piece and scraper 12, 13, in combination with hopper 14, cutting-
plate 15, and shaft 18, the cutting plate secured to shaft 18, and arranged to revolve
vertically between the hopper and scraper, substantially as set forth.
Dated this Blowouth day of March 1888
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.