Improved Arrangements of Mechanism for Slicing Bread, Cake, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1894-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Arrangements of Mechanism for Slicing Bread, Cake,
and the like.
I, PETER LYNCH of 69 Pentonville Road, London, Merchant, do hereby declare
the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of a novel and simple construction of mechanism for
slicing bread, cake, and other similar substances, in a rapid and effective manner.
In performing my invention and as applied to the slicing of bread or cake, I
provide a rectangular box, open at the one or front end, and having one of its sides
also open for the introduction of the loaf of bread or cake to be sliced, and this side
may be fitted with a hinged lid or cover for closing the same. Along the top of
the said box and extending from end to end of the same, I mount in suitable
bearings a screw upon which travels a nut carrying with it a suspended plate or
other suitable form of projection. This suspended plate or projection, before the
introduction of a loaf is traversed to the rear end of the box away from the open
end and behind the loaf which is afterwards introduced. This can be effected by
substituting a set screw instead of a thread in the nut the said set screw taking
into the groove between the threads of the screw or the nut itself may be formed
in two hinged portions and clamped together by means of a set screw.
The turning of the screw traverses the plate in the forward direction pushing
with it the loaf which is guided by the sides of the box and issues through the
opening in the front end. Upon the one extremity of the said screw at right
angles to the same and immediately above the opening in the end of the box, I
mount a knife blade secured at one extremity to the end of the screw and of
sufficient length to sweep the entire opening in the box end and this knife blade I
provide at its other extremity with a suitable handle. It will thus be seen that by
grasping the handle and revolving the blade and screw the nut and suspended plate
are traversed forwards and the loaf is driven out of the open end of the box, where
it is sliced by the knife blade as it sweeps the opening. The pitch of the screw
will determine the thickness of the slices taken from the loaf as will be readily
understood.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Arrangements of Mechanism for Slicing Bread; Cake,
and the like.
1, PETER LYNCH of 69 Pentonville Road, London, Merchant, 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:-
This invention consists of a novel and simple construction of mechanism for
slicing bread, cake, and other substances in a rapid and effective manner. In
performing my invention I provide a rectangular box or casing open at one or both
ends and if desired at one side also, such side however being fitted with a hinged
lid or cover for closing the same. By preference along the top of the said box or
casing and extending from end to end of the saine, I mount in suitable bearings a
[Price 8d.]

page_text: screw upon which travels a nut or its equivalent carrying with it a suspended plate
or other suitable form of projection. This suspended plate or projection, before
the introduction of a loaf is traversed or moved to the rear end of the box away
from the front end and behind the loaf which is afterwards introduced.
The turning of the screw traverses the plate in the forward direction pushing
before it the loaf which is guided by the sides of the box and issues through the
opening in the front end.
Upon the one extremity of the said screw at right angles to the same, by
preference, immediately above the opening in the front end of the box, I mount a
knife blade secured at one extremity to the end of the screw and of sufficient length
to sweep the entire opening in the box end in its revolution and this knife blade I
provide at its other extremity with a suitable handle. It will thus be seen that by
grasping the handle and revolving the blade and screw the suspended plate is
traversed forwards and the loaf is driven out of the open end of the box, where it
is sliced by the knife. The pitch of the screw will determine the thickness of the
slice taken from the loaf as will be readily understood.
.
And in order that my said invention shall be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect I have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings illustrating
my said invention as worked out in a cheap and practical form and suited to the
requirements of the market and I will now proceed to describe the same with the
assistance of the various figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved slicing machine and Figs. 2, 3,
and 4 are detail views of parts of the same machine on an enlarged scale.
In accordance with my invention (A) represents the casing or box of my
improved machine which is made of "skeleton" form for the sake of lightness &
cheapness and, by preference, from malleable iron, and (B) represents the
traversing screw mounted above the open end (C) in brackets or bearings (D), (D)
at either end of the casing. The casing (A) is made with feet (E) for screwing it
down onto a table or counter top.
(F) is the feeding plate suspended from the screw (B) by means of the part (G).
This part (G) constitutes the traversing nut, but is not made as an ordinary nut,
having a plain hole formed through it and capable of sliding to and fro along a
screw. This same part however carries a vertical latch (H) the lower end of
which engages with the thread of the screw and as such screw is rotated causes the
part (G) and plate (F) to travel to or fro. This arrangement is employed so that
in order to transfer the plate (F) to the rear or front end of the casing rapidly it
is not necessary to turn the screw (B), but simply lift the latch (H) (which is
readily done by the thumb piece (1) ) out of engagement with the thread of the
screw, slide the plate to the desired end and drop the latch into gear again.
(J) is the knife or cutter whereby the bread is cut into slices as it advances
beyond the front end of the casing under the influence of the plate (F) pushing it
forward. Said knife is by preference of the peculiar curved form shewn in the
drawings in order that the cutting edge (K) shall have a shearing action on the
bread.
When once the knife has entered the bread the loaf ceases to travel forward,
although the plate (F) still moves and to allow for such movement I provide a
spring buffer disc (L) behind which is a spiral spring (M) which yields and
becomes compressed when the pressure sets up between the plate (F) and the
knife (J).
To vary the thickness of the slices of bread it will be apparent that it is only
necessary to substitute a screw of a different pitch and to facilitate this the bearings.
are made in a simple form, the bearing cap being only fixed by a taper pin (N).
The knife also is fixed by a split pin and washers for this purpose.
It will be obvious that the casing (A) can be made in various shapes and sizes
to suit the various shapes and sizes of loaves. It will also be obvious that the
screw (B) may be arranged at the sides or beneath the casing (A) and the inner
edge of the knife may be used as the cutting edge. If the screw is placed beneath

page_text: the casing, the top horizontal side is not altogether requisite and this may allow of
the vertical sides being made to slide to and from each other for various size:
loaves.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what
I claim is.
1st. In mechanism for slicing bread, cake and the like the use and employment
of the circular knife (J) and automatic feeding attachment substantially as set
forth and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In mechanism for slicing bread, cake and the like the use and employment
of the knife (J), screw (B), plate (F), part (G), latch (H) in combination with a
box or casing (A) or its equivalent substantially as herein before set forth and
illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1894.
JOHN G. WILSON & Co.,
Agents.