Improvements in Meat-chopping Machines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1887
Complete Left, 6th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 9th Mar., 1888
Improvements in Meat-chopping Machines.
I, GEORGE MACAULAY-CRUIKSHANK, of 62 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by Messieurs Philip
Wachtel and Company, of Frankfort on the Main in the Empire of Germany,
Mechanical Engineers, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to meat chopping machines operated either by hand or by
power and the machine as constructed in accordance with the Invention has as advan-
tages that the knives can be lifted and held in raised position when the chopping has
been effected and also that the block on which the chopping is done is worn equally
throughout its surface. The apparatus constituting the Invention consists of a cradle
carrying a series of knife blades laid parallel to each other the cradle having two
arms by which it is connected to a cross shaft whereto are also attached extremities of
two rods whose opposite ends are connected to crank discs secured on the main or
driving shaft of the machine.
To the pin connecting one of the rods to its disc one end of another crank is also
secured the said crank having at its other end a pin which passes through a slot in
the upper end of a lever which is centred on a shaft carried in the lower part of the
framing of the machine, two bent guides for the knife cradle being also carried on
the said shaft. At a point intermediate between the ends of the vertical lever one end
of a connecting rod is secured, its other end being attached to a crank carrying a
pawl which is geared with a ratchet wheel arranged around the base of the chopping
or mincing block and by the action of which the block is turned round. The pawl
operating crank is centred on a carriage or frame which is capable of movement
ransversely and from the centre of the underside of the chopping block a stud passes
hrough the carriage or frame to a disc which is eccentric to the axis of the block.
Price Add

page_text: As a consequence of this arrangement the block besides it rotative has also an
oscillating movement communicated to it.
When it is desired to lift the knife carrying cradle from the block the crank discs
by which it is operated are rendered stationary by passing pins through them into
the framing or standard of the machine and the cradle when raised is maintained in
position by passing pins under its bent guides into the crank discs.
Dated this Third day of May 1887

page_text: Improvements in Meat Chopping Machines.
I, GEORGE MACAULAY-CRUIKSHANK of 62 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as com-
municated to me to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention relates to meat chopping machines operated either by hand or by
power and in the improved machine the chopping block has during its rotation a con-
stant oscillating or eccentric movement by which every part of the block is caused to
come under the chopping knives with the advantage that the surface of the block is
worn equally throughout.
On the accompanying drawings-figure 1 is a side elevation, figure 2 a partial end
elevation, and figure 3 a plan of the improved machine the chopping block and
knives being removed in the latter figures.
The apparatus constituting the invention consists of a cradle A, carrying a series
of knives W, laid parallel to each other the cradle having two arms A between
which there extends a cross shaft whereto is attached one end of a rod B, the opposite
end of which is connected to a crank disc C, secured on the main or driving shaft D
of the machine.
The knives W rest upon and act over the upper surface of the chopping block K
which is rigidly secured to a disc or circular plate u laid loosely on another
disc a which has a series of sprocket teeth around its periphery. The disc w as
seen at figure 3 has a slotted hole x at its centre in which is situated an eccentric c
secured on the upper end of the vertical shaft b, the said shaft being caused
to rotate by the bevel gearing d d' one wheel of which is secured on the lower end of
the shaft b, and the other on one end of a horizontal shaft d' which carries a spur
wheel g gearing with a pinion fon another horizontal shaft f¹ rotated by the worm
wheel h, geared with the worm screw k secured on the shaft ¹ which is rotated from
the main shaft by a band passed round the pulleys m n. As the shaft b is rotated the
eccentric c upon it imparts a continuous eccentric movement to the block K, which in
conjunction with its rotative movement causes all parts of the blocks surface to be
brought under the knives W and thereby to be worn equally throughout. Besides
the slot, the disc u has two other slots c¹ formed in it these being at right
angles to the slot x. Into these slots c¹ there project pins ³, fixed in the upper
surface of the sprocket wheel or disc a and by the said pins the disc u, and with it
the block K, are caused to rotate synchroneously with the wheel or disc a the slots c¹
being of such length as to provide for the eccentric or oscillating motion of the
block during such rotation.
As the surface becomes worn the block K is raised on the screws of which three,
four or a greater number may be provided.
The worm wheel h has a recessed collar or sleeve at one side of its boss the said
sleeve having its neck or countersunk part embraced by the forked end of a hanger i

page_text: connected to a bar o which is supported and is free to slide on horizontal ribs made
on the standards p. In the shaft fa feather h¹ is fixed the feather gearing the
wheel h, with the shaft and when it is desired either to stop or restart the machine
(when power is used) the wheel his thrown out of or into gear with the worm k by
sliding it on the said feather for which purpose the hanger i is provided with a
handle i¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me,
I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a meat chopping machine the combination of mechanism whereby a rotative
and eccentric or oscillating movement is at the same time imparted to the block K,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth, with reference to the annexed
drawings.
2. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improved
meat chopping machine, hereinbefore described and shewn on the accompanying
drawings.