Improvements in Plates.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
Improvements in Plates.
A communication from ALEXANDER READING (ULICK, of 120, Broadway, City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America, Physician.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
unner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is a plate intended especially for invalids and of
such a construction as to afford separate and independent receptacles of different
sizes for different articles of food, and also a larger receptacle to be used for
placing and cutting and dividing the articles from the other receptacles, the said
plate being so constructed with recesses at the underside that a series of these
plates may be nested or packed together closely in a small space and without danger
of fracturing.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan view, illustrating the improved plate for invalids, etc.
Figure 2 is a reversed plan view showing the back side of the plate.
Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 Figure 1.
The plate may be of metal either stamped up or cast, but is preferably of
earthenware or porcelain, and is either oval, oblong, square or round, as may be
required. In any case, the plate has a circumferential flange B, preferably flaring
outwardly, and a transverse rib C, preferably curved as hown, and from the rib C
to the flange extends radially other ribs E F G H which divide that portion of
the plate between the rib and the flange into a series of receptacles of different
sizes.
As thus constructed, the plate has the receptacles between the rib C and the
Hange adapted to receive different articles of food, and separate them the one from
the other, while the space between the other side of the rib (and the remaining
portion of the flange constitutes a panel or receptacle A in which meat or other
articles may be placed which have to be divided and kept separate from the articles
in the other receptacles.
By the use of a plate of this construction, the multiplicity of the separate plates
and articles which are so annoying to an invalid, is avoided, as everything can be
placed upon the single article without danger of mixing the contents together,
while the rattling of dishes and the danger of clashing one against the other,
and breaking, and the inconvenience of supporting a series of separate dishes are
all avoided.
In order that the improved plates may be compactly stowed for transportation,
each one of the ribs E F G H C is made substantially angular in cross section, but
instead of being solid each rib has an angular recess I conforming in its outline to
the outer angle of the ribs, so that one plate may be placed upon the other with
the apex of each rib in one plate extending into the recess I of the corresponding
rib in the other plate; and as it is desirable to make the receptacle A shallower
than the other receptacles the bottom of the receptacle A is placed at a higher
elevation than that portion constituting the bottom of the other receptacles, and
beneath the bottom of the receptacle A are arranged lugs the edges of which are
level with the bottoms of the other receptacles, and which when the plates are
packed together, rest upon the bottom of the receptacle A of the adjacent plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
uvention as communicated to me by ny foreign correspondent, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, I declare that without limiting myself to the precise
arrangement of the receptacles shown, what I claim is :-
1. A compartment plate provided with an external flaring flange with a transverse
rib and with a series of ribs E F G II extending between the rib C and the
flange substantially as set forth.
2. A compartment plate provided with an external flange a transverse rib (and
ribs E F G H extending between the rib and the flange and each angular in
cross section with a recess I beneath, substantially as set forth.
3. A compartment plate having a peripheral flange a cross rib Caud ribs E FGH
extending between the rib C and the flange the bottom of the receptacle A being
at a higher elevation than the bottoms of the other receptacles substantially as
described.
Dated this 20th day of March 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.