IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR MINCING MEAT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph MacMorran, of No. 33, Leicester Square,
London, in the County of Middlesex; Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR MINCING MEAT AND
OTHER SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 31st January 1862, and dated the 6th August 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph MacMorran
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th August 1861.
I, JOSEPH MACMORRAN, of No. 33, Leicester Square, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR MINCING
MEAT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of mincing machines wherein the meat
or other substance is cut by being forced by,revolving pins or propellers against
stationary knives, between which the pins or propellers revolve.
The body of the machine (instead of being cast in two pieces as ordinarily
done) is cast in one piece, open at both ends, so that the cylindrical part can
be bored out and tinned inside. Another advantage of casting the body in one
piece is, that as there is no joint the juices of the meat are not lost. The end
plates are inoveable, and are attached by means of bolts and thumbscrews, the
same bolts also holding the knives. Upon unscrewing these nuts, the knives

page_text: and propellers can be drawn out end wise. The knives are sharpened at both
edges, being thickest in the middle, so that they clear much better, and the
meat not being wedged between them does not become heated as in the
ordinary machines. When one cutting edge has become dull the knives can
be reversed, and consequently they wear twice as long as the ordinary knives.
The pins or propellers are somewhat in the form of a three-bladed screw
propeller, and their action is to chop the meat or other substance against the
knives, but in some cases I substitute for these triple propellers excentric
plates or cams, the action of which is a drawing cut instead of a chop.
The propeller spindle has a bearing at each end, having a conical bearing at
the driving end in the end plate, and at the other end the last propeller is made
wider than the others, being conical on the outside, and bears inside a conical
socket in the end plate, which socket forms the delivery aperture, so that by
this means I combine a direct central delivery, with a double bearing for the
propeller spindle.
By making the bearings conical, they can be at any time tightened up, as
they become worn.
The delivery aperture is furnished with a screwed ring or socket, inside which
is fitted a series of moveable rings of various diameters, either of which can be
used at pleasure according to the coarseness or fineness of the cut required.
If a ring with a large aperture be used the delivery will be quick and the cut
coarse, and vice versa.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph MacMorran in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th February 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
MACMORRAN, of No. 33, Leicester Square, London, in the County of Middle-
sex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joseph MacMorran, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph MacMorran,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Joseph MacMorran, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: thereafter during the term therein 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR MINCING MEAT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph MacMorran,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Joseph MacMorran, 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 in writing, and on reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say -
This Invention relates to that class of mincing machines wherein the meat
or other substance is cut by being forced by revolving pins or propellers against
stationary knives, between which the propellers revolve.
The body of the machine (instead of being cast in two pieces as ordinarily
done) is cast in one piece open at both ends, so that the cylindrical part can
be bored out, and tinned or enamelled inside. Another advantage of casting
the body in one piece is, that as there is no joint the juices of the meat are
not lost. The end plates are moveable, and are attached by means of bolts
and thumbscrews, the same bolts also holding the knives. Upon unscrewing
these nuts the knives and propellers can be drawn out endwise. The knives
are sharpened at both edges, being thickest in the middle, so that they clear
much better, and the meat not being wedged between them does not become
heated as in the ordinary machines. When one cutting edge has become dull
the knives can be reversed, and consequently they wear twice as long as the
ordinary knives.
The pins or propellers may be made in the ordinary form with two or three
blades or eccentric plates, but I prefer to use the single blades, the action of
which is to chop the meat or other substance against the knives.
The spindle has a bearing at each end having a conical bearing at the
driving end in the end plate, and at the other end (when triple propellers are
used) the last propeller is made wider than the rest, being conical on the
outside, and bears inside a conical socket, which socket forms the delivery
aperture, so that by this means I combine a direct central delivery with a

page_text: double bearing for the propeller spindle. Where less than three propellers are
used, I fix a plate on the spindle, having one or more apertures therein, the
edge being formed conical and bearing either against the cylinder or the end
plate or both.
By making the bearings conical, they can be at any time tightened up as
they become worn.
The delivery aperture is furnished with a screwed ring or socket, inside
which is fitted a series of moveable rings with tubes of various diameters,
either of which may be used at pleasure according to the coarseness or fineness
of the "cut" required. If a ring with a large aperture be used, the delivery
will be quick and the "cut" coarse, and vice versa.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for Improvements
in the Construction of Machines for Mincing Meat and other Substances,"
I will now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the same
is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect. And in order
that the same may be distinctly understood, I have annexed hereunto a Sheet
-of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures and
letters of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation
thereof, that is to say:-
In the annexed Drawing, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a
mincing machine constructed according to my Invention, and Figure 2 is a
transverse section of the same.
a, a, represents the body of the machine cast all in one piece; b, b, are the
propellers, the form of the single blades being clearly shown at Figure 2; c, c,
is the propeller spindle, which is furnished at one end with a conical bearing d,
working in the end plate c, e; the other end of the propeller spindle is fitted
with a bearing plate,, (see also detached view, Figure 7,) the edge of which
is turned partly conical, and bears between the end of the cylinder a, a, and
the delivery end plate g, g, (see Figure 5). The plate is furnished with one
or more delivery apertures (one only being shown in the Drawing), and also
with three propellers h, h, h. i, i, i, i, are the knives, which are shown in
plan view at Figure 3, end view, Figure 4, and front view, Figure 6. These
knives are sharpened at both edges so as to be reversible, and are fixed in the
machine by means of the bolts k, k, which also serve to fasten on the end
plates e, e, and 9: 9; 4, 4, is a ring screwed inside the plate g.g, and inside the
former is screwed another ring m, m, furnished with a tube. I also use other
rings similar to the one m, but with a smaller tube. When both the rings 1, 1,
and m, m, are removed, the machine will cut suet or will cut meat suitable
for meat pies, and according as the aperture is reduced by substituting one or

page_text: other of the rings the meat is cut finer, the smallest size producing a paste
suitable for making potted meat; m, n, is a cramp for fastening the machine
on to a table or shelf.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in, the Construction of Machines for Mincing Meat and other
Substances," together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that
I claim as my Invention, the general novel construction and arrangement of
the machine as above described and shown in the Drawings, and more
especially I claim,—
Firstly, casting the body of such machines in one piece for the purposes
described.
Secondly, sharpening the knives of such machines on both edges for the
purposes above set forth, and the method of affixing them by bolts as afore-
said.
And, thirdly, the method shown and described of combining a conical bearing
at each end of the propeller spindle with a central delivery aperture.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph MacMorran, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOSEPH MACMORRAN. (L.S.)
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT,
Sol. and Patent Agent,
1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn.