IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING MEAT OR VEGETABLES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hunt, of Bolton, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CUTTING MEAT OR VEGETABLES."
Sealed the 24th April 1874, and dated the 30th October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hunt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th October 1873.
I, JOHN HUNT, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR CUTTING MEAT OR VEGETABLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention is designed chiefly for the purpose of cutting what
is called "pie meat," but it may also be employed for cutting
vegetables and other similar matters, and (if made on a smaller scale)
as a mincing or sausage machine.
The machine is made with a cylindrical box having an axle
passing through the centre, the upper and lower halves being hinged

page_text: together, the upper half being provided with a hopper or opening for
introducing the meat to be cut, and the lower one with an opening at
one end for the exit of the cut meat.
The shaft is provided with a series of knives, set a convenient distance
apart (according to the size of the meat to be cut) and arranged one
in advance of the other round the axle, so as to assume a screw form,
in a manner somewhat similar to the propellers of an ordinary mincing
machine. The knives are made somewhat in the form of a semicircle,
being attached to the axle at or near one end, so that the blade has a
curved form for the purpose of giving a "drawing cut."
In some cases I propose to make the knives double, that is to say,
each knife with two curved blades (one on each side of the axis), so that
twice the number of cuts are made at each revolution. The knives
cut against bars fixed in the box, such bars being of such a width as
just to fill the spaces between the knives, which in revolving pass
between them. The bars are bevilled at one side and the cutters at the
other, so that the knives cut against them like a pair of shears.
If found requisite a bevilled propeller may be attached to one end
of the shaft for forcing the cut meat out of the opening in the end of
the box.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
. 29th April 1874,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HUNT, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,..
give and grant unto me; the said John Hunt, Her special licence that
I, the said John Hunt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Hunt, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
•

page_text: expressed, should and lawfully might make use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR CUTTING MEAT OR VEGETABLES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Hunt, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Hunt, 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 (that is to say) :—
This Invention is designed chiefly for the purpose of cutting what is
called "pie meat," but it may also be applied for cutting vegetables
and other similar matters, and (if made on a smaller scale) as a
mincing or sausage machine.
The machine is made with a cylindrical box having an axle passing
through the centre the upper and lower halves being hinged together;
the upper half is provided with a hopper or opening for introducing the
meat to be cut, and the lower one with an opening at one end for the
exit of the cut meat.
The shaft is provided with a series of knives, set a convenient distance
apart (according to the size of the meat to be cut) and arranged one
in advance of the other round the axle, so as to assume a screw form
in a manner somewhat similar to the propellers of an ordinary mincing
machine. The knives are made somewhat in the form of a semicircle,
being attached to the axle at or near one end, so that the blade has a
curved form for the purpose of giving a "drawing cut."
In some cases I propose to make the knives double, that is to say,
each knife with two curved blades (one on each side of the axis) so that
twice the number of cuts are made at each revolution. The knives
cut against bars fixed in the box, such bars being of such a width as
just to fill the spaces between the knives, which in revolving pass
between them.

page_text: :
If found requisite a bevelled propeller may be attached to one end
of the shaft for forcing the cut meat out of the opening in the end of
the box.
.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of my improved apparatus
for cutting "pie meat"; Fig. 2 is an edge view and Fig. 3 a plan of the
same, with the lid removed to shew the internal construction; and
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the delivering side of the apparatus.
a is the lower part and 6 the upper part of a cylindrical box, the
two parts being hinged together at c; the axle & revolves in bearings
in the ends of the box, and it is turned round by hand or other power.
The shaft d is provided with a series of knives e, which are held at a
convenient distance apart by the washers f. The knives are arranged
as usual one in advance of the other, so as to assume a screw form, and
the holes in the knives are square to fit the square on the axle to
prevent them turning thereon. The blades of the knives are curved
to give a "drawing cut," and all the blades and washers are secured on
the axle by the nut d. As the knives revolve they pass between the
bars g, which may be square or bevelled at one side, as shewn in
Fig. 2, and the knives are bevelled at the other side. All the bars
are fixed to the plate h fixed to the box a by a screw and wing nut, and
they can easily be taken out for cleaning; or the bars may be made of
one piece, with the space cut out for the knives.
g
The meat to be cut is fed into the hopper 61, and as the knives
revolve in the direction of the arrow they carry the meat round to the
under side of the bars g, against which they cut it; the screw position
of the knives causes the partially cut meat to traverse sideways towards
the delivering end of the box, and the too rapid traverse is checked by
the partition a¹, over which the meat is pushed by the knives, and in
passing over which the meat is turned over, so that the last knives of the
series effectually cut it up before it is discharged through the orifice
left in the end of the box a. The final cutting up of the meat is
guides g¹, which are placed under the
assisted by the lower bars and
last three bars 9. The space between the under side of the bars g
and the upper part of the partition a¹ can be varied.

page_text: It is evident that by increasing or reducing the space between the
knives the meat or vegetables may be cut into larger or smaller pieces.
When the machine is used for mincing the orifice for the discharge is
reduced and the partition a² may be dispensed with; in some cases the
discharge may be facilitated by means of a bebelled propeller attached
to the delivering end of the shaft d.
All or some of the knives may be made double, that is to say, with
two curved blades, one on each side of the axis, so that two cuts are
made at each revolution.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described a
convenient apparatus for carrying the same into operation, I wish to
remark that I do not intend to limit myself to the number or shape of
the knives nor to the distance between them, but what I claim is,—
First. The bars 9, against which the knives cut, as shewn and
3 described.
Secondly. The application of the partition a¹ for the purposes
described.
And, Thirdly. The application of the additional guides or bars g¹, as
shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hunt, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-four.
JOHN HUNT 170)