Improvements in Plates.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left. 6th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 10th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Plates.
I, ROBERT JOHN MOFFAT, of Cherry Hinton Hall, near Cambridge,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to plates for use chiefly at meal times, and especially to
dinner plates upon which would be placed meat, gravy and vegetables. The object
of the invention is to separate for example the gravy from the potatoes or other
vegetables which would suck it up and in so doing spoil themselves and prevent the
meat from receiving its proper share of the gravy. The invention may be employed
upon plates for various kinds of foods, but as will be seen from the above is par-
ticularly applicable to meat plates.
In carrying the invention into effect I may construct the plate of any suitable
material, metal, earthenware or the like, and I form it into two or more com-
partments, preferably two. The plate may be provided with a rim of more or less
ordinary construction, and although the shape may vary according to circumstances
I find it convenient to form the plate with one forward compartment which
may be of the usual circular form, or if preferred hollowed so as to enable the
plate to be brought nearer to the user while for the back compartment I prefer
to obtain sufficient length to accommodate long vegetables such as stewed celery
asparagus or the like. These two compartments may be separated by any
suitable division which may be an extension of the rim or otherwise. The com-
partment or 'compartments behind the division is preferably formed as a single
compartment, but for elegance of design may be more or less divided into two
compartments, it will however be quite understood that the shape of any portion
or the whole of this plate may be varied to suit circumstances.
If preferred one or more wells for receiving the gravy or draining the contents
of the plate may be provided in any preferred part of the plate as well as wells
in the rim for salt, mustard and the like.
It will be seen that a plate such as this will considerably economise space upon
tables as well as in the cases of hotels, eating houses and the like, saving a very
material expenditure in the supplementary dishes and plates now employed, as the
plate can be supplied with the vegetables without the necessity for placing them in
separate dishes.
•
Dated this 11th day of December 1891
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.¸
Improvements in Plates.
1, ROBERT JOHN MOFFAT of Cherry Hinton Hall, near Cambridge, Gentleman,
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 plates for use chiefly at meal times, and especially to
dinner plates upon which would be placed meat, gravy and vegetables. The object
of the invention is to separate for example the gravy from the potatoes or other
vegetables which would suck it up and in so doing spoil themselves and prevent the
meat from receiving its proper share of the gravy. The invention may be employed
for dessert plates and for plates for various kinds of foods, but as will be seen from
the above is particularly applicable to meat plates.

page_text: in the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 represents in plan a plate constructed according to this invention and
Figure 2 a section upon line y y of Figure 1.
In carrying the invention into effect I may construct the plate of any suitable
material, metal, earthenware china or the like, and I form it into two or more com-
partments, preferably two A and B. The plate may be provided with a rim C of
more or less ordinary construction, and although the shape may vary according to
the design of the plate I find it convenient to form the plate with one forward
compartment B which may be of the usual circular form, while for the back
compartment A. I prefer to obtain sufficient length to accommodate long vegetables
such as stewed celery asparagus or the like. These two compartments may be
separated by any suitable division D which may be an extension of the rim C or as
shown in Figure 1 moulded into it so as to leave room for the condiment wells or
depressions E to contain mustard salt and the like. The compartment behind the
division may for elegance of design be more or less divided into two compartments
though usually a single compartment is sufficient.
The arrangement shown in Figure 1 appears to economize the space best and
supplies the largest available area for the two compartments, which in consequence
of the narrow rim C, equals that of an ordinary plate of similar diameter and rim
of usual breadth.
It will be seen that a plate such as this will considerably economize space upon
tables as well as in the cases of hotels, eating houses and the like, saving a very
material expenditure in the supplementary dishes and plates now employed, as the
plate can be supplied with the vegetables without the necessity for placing them in
separate dishes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A plate having compartments A and B rim C division D and condiment wells
or depressions E constructed and arranged substantially as described aud illus-
trated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a plate the combination with a division D of wells or depressions E formed
at the junction of the division D and the rim C substantially as described and
illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of August 1892.
་
ROBERT JOHN MOFFAT.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.