Improvements in or relating to Mincing Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Mincing Machines.
I THOMAS WILLIAMS the Younger of 45 Myddelton Square in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, 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 :-
There is at the present time a mincing machine in the market, wherein the
substance to be cut or minced is forced, in an uncut condition, through a perforated
plate situate at the delivery end of the casing and cut or minced as fast as it
protrudes through the perforations in such plate, by means of a knife revolving in
cutting contact with its outer face. A clearer or stirrer, having a serrated non-
cutting face revolving in contact with the inner face of the perforated plate, is
employed therein, for the purpose of wiping off the meat from such plate, and
preventing it from clogging.
Now it has been found that in machines of this class, after working a short time,
strings of meat collect around the clearer or stirrer employed, and form a mass,
which impedes the action of the machine and allows the plate to clog.
Now my invention consists essentially in an improved construction and arrange-
ment of clearer or stirrer, in combination with a knife situate within the casing, by
the employment of which the above mentioned defects are removed.
My invention also relates to improved means, consisting of a spring, disposed as
hereinafter described, for securing automatically the continuous and proper adjust-
ment of the various parts of mincing machines which effect the cutting operation, in
relation to one another, when such parts are mounted upon a spindle or axis and are
free to slide thereon.
According to my invention, I form that face of the clearer or stirrer which is
farthest removed from the perforated plate, with a cutting edge, which, as the clearer
or stirrer rotates, serves, in conjunction with a stationary knife within the casing, to
sever the meat.
This arrangement effectually prevents any strings of meat from collecting and
massing around the clearer, the cutting edges of which, in conjunction with the said
stationary knife, sever the strings as fast as they collect; the meat also is partially
minced before reaching the perforated plate, which quickens the delivery of the
meat through the perforated plate, and reduces the power required to drive the
machine.
I will now proceed to describe my invention more particularly, having reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters indicate similar parts in all the
figures.
Fig. 1. is an elevation of a mincing machine, constructed and arranged according to
my invention, the casing being shewn in section.
Fig. 2 is an end view, with the supplementary propelling screw removed.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 1-2 fig. 1.
a is the casing, provided with the usual internal spiral grooves, and the hopper b.
is the propelling or forcing screw, and d the perforated plate. e is the improved
clearer or stirrer mounted upon the spindle or axis f of the forcing screw c, and
rotating therewith. I have illustrated the clearer e as of "star" form, having four
arms, which I find preferable. That face of the clearer which rotates in contact with
the perforated plate is serrated, grooved, roughened, or irregular, (see fig. 3,) and
has no cutting action whatever upon the meat in conjunction with said plate, simply
serving the purpose of wiping off the meat from the face of the plate, and thus
preventing the holes therein from clogging. The other face of the clearer e however,
or that farthest removed from the perforated plate, is brought to a cutting edge e¹ and

page_text: rotates in cutting contact with the stationary knife g, through an aperture in which
knife the spindle f passes and revolves freely. This stationary knife g is prevented
from rotating by prolonging two of its blades, and causing them to enter the recesses h,
formed in the casing a, (see fig. 3), which recesses also receive the lugs d¹ formed on
the perforated plate d, (see fig. 2). i is a knife, also mounted upon and turning
with the spindle f, which rotates in cutting contact with the outer face of the
perforated plate d, and serves to finally mince the meat, (already cut between the
clearer e and knife g) as fast as it protrudes through the perforations therein, and
prevent any strings, or bits of gristle, or sinew, from escaping uncut, k is a supple-
mentary propelling screw, of the kind described in the specification to my patent
No. 712588, which, when used in conjunction with a suitable filling nozzle, serves to
force the minced meat into skins. l'is a spring washer mounted upon the axis f, by
means of which the various cutting parts of the machine are automatically maintained
in constant cutting contact, and proper adjustment, in relation to one another, as
clearly shewn in fig. 1. It will be obvious that this arrangement of spring 1, threaded
upon the axis of the forcing screw or propeller, may be advantageously employed in
all mincing machines wherein the various parts for performing the cutting operation
are mounted so as to slide freely upon an axis, and I do not confine myself to the
exact situation of the spring illustrated in my drawing, since it may be placed around
the axis at any suitable part, provided it has the effect of bringing the cutting parts
into close contact, it might for example be situate between the end of the supplemen-
tary propeller and the nuts securing the same-Also I do not confine or restrict
myself to the particular form of "star" clearer with four arms, as illustrated, since
a clearer with one, two, or more arms might be employed, though I prefer the
arrangement shewn that surface also of the clearer which rotates in contact with the
perforated plate, may be roughened, or rendered irregular, so as to have no cutting
action in conjunction with said plate, in any suitable manner; and I wish it to be
distinctly understood that I do not claim broadly the employment of a clearer or
stirrer, having a roughened or irregular non-cutting surface, rotating in contact with
a perforated plate, for the purpose of wiping off the meat therefrom, since such has
before been known and used, though never provided with a cutting edge as herein
described.
Although I have described and illustrated a mincing machine in which the per-
forated plate is stationary, and the clearer or stirrer rotates, it is obvious that a rotating
perforated plate, and a stationary clearer or stirrer, might be employed, in which case
the knife g, in cutting contact with the sharpened face of the said clearer, would
of course be made to rotate also-I prefer however the arrangement described and
illustrated.
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. The use in combination with a casing, a forcing screw, a perforated plate, and a
knife situate within the casing, of a clearer or stirrer, having one face roughened or
irregular, so as to be non-cutting, and its opposite face brought to a cutting edge,
arranged and caused to operate substantially as and for the purpose specified.
673
2. The employment or use in mincing machines, of' a clearer or stirrer, having one
face roughened or irregular, so as to be non-cutting, and its opposite face brought to
a cutting edge, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. In a mincing machine, the combination with an axis upon which the various
cutting parts are mounted, so as to slide freely, of a spring surrounding such axis,
arranged and caused to operate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. The use in combination with the casing a, forcing screw c, knife g, perforated
plate d, and knife i, of the clearer or stirrer e, roughened or irregular on one face,
and provided with a cutting edge el on the other face, substantially as specified and
illustrated.
5. The employment or use in mincing machines, of the clearer or stirrer e,

page_text: roughened or irregular on one face, and provided with a cutting edge e¹ on the other,
substantially as specified and illustrated.
6. The combination with a casing a a forcing screw c (provided with an axis f,) and
the various parts for effecting the cutting operation and threaded upon such axis, of a
spring 1, substantially as and for the purpose specified and illustrated.
1
2
1000
334
TECHO Bay of Nepton
THOMAS WILLIAMS, JR.
By E. P. Alexander & Son, Fels. Inst. P.A.,
19, Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents.
THOMAS WILLIAMS, JR.
By E. P. Alexander & Son, Fels. Inst. P.A.,
19, Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents.