Improvements in Lemon Squeezers and Juice Extractors.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 27th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 27th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lemon Squeezers and Juice Extractors.
I, EGERTON TUTHILL of Kelly's Library, Vigo Street, London, W. Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improvement in lemon squeezers or juice extractors of
that kind which consists of a grater of semi-ovoid form having its surface studded
with angular spikes or ridges for the purpose of disintegrating the pulp of the fruit,
said grater being surrounded at the base by an annular slotted gutter for catching
the juice and allowing it to run into a tumbler or other receptacle on which the squeezer
is placed.
Such lemon squeezers are usually made of glass and the base flange or gutter being
weakened by the slots is very liable to be broken by undue or unequally-applied
pressure in the act of squeezing the fruit. Again, if the squeezer be placed on a
flat surface such as a plate it usually rests thereon by a downwardly projecting
external circumferential flange around the base and the applied pressure is sustained
in great part by the connections between the central semi-ovoid grater and the
surrounding flange which being relatively weak are very liable to breakage.
It is the object of my improvement to avoid this liability to breakage, by
providing the base of the squeezer with an elastic cushion by which it may be
fairly seated with an even bearing on the rim of the tumbler destined to receive
the juice so as to be equally supported thereby under the pressure necessary for
squeezing the fruit. With this object, the base of the squeezer, instead of being
of circular form, as usual, is extended around the annular gutter above mentioned,
in the form of a square plate with rounded corners and over the upper and under
sides of this extended base I spring india-rubber bands which lie parallel with
the four edges of the base plate immediately outside of the annular gutter, and
form on the underside of the base four equi-distant elastic cushions or extended
supporting surfaces adapted to bear on the edge of the tumbler on which the
squeezer is placed.
To prevent the juice creeping outwards along the underside of the base, the latter
has a downwardly projecting lip around the slots in the gutter.
To avoid the second cause of breakage, the semi-ovoid grater is continued down-
wards so as to project below the under surface of the base which is devoid of flange
so that the central part or grater on which the pressure is applied alone takes a
bearing on the supporting surface when the squeezer is placed on a plate or other
flat recipient.
Dated this lot loy of Catabor 1800.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lemon Squeezers and Juice Extractors.
I, EGERTON TUTHILL of Kelly's Library, Vigo Street, London, W. 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:-
My invention relates to an improvement in lemon squeezers or juice extractors of
the kind illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this Specification.

page_text: wherein Figure 1 is a central vertical section and Figure 2 an underside plan view
of the lemon juice extractor which in Figure 1 is shewn as resting on a drinking
glass and is shewn in both views as provided with the improvements of my
invention.
Such a lemon squeezer or juice extractor usually consists of a grater a of semi-
ovoid form corresponding to the internal forn of a half-lemon and having its surface
studded with angular spikes or ridges for the purpose of disintegrating the pulp of
the fruit, said grater being surrounded at the base by an annular gutter b for catching
the juice and having through slots c for allowing the juice to run into a drinking
tumbler or other receptacle on which the squeezer is placed.
Such a lemon squeezer is usually made of glass and the base flange d being
weakened by the gutter and slots is very liable to be broken by undue or unequally-
applied pressure in the act of squeezing the fruit on to the grater a. Again, if the
squeezer be placed on a flat surface, such as a plate, it usually rests thereon by a
downwardly-projecting external circumferential flange around the base and the
applied pressure is sustained in great part by the narrow connections e between the
central semi-ovoid grater a and the surrounding flange d, which being relatively weak
are very liable to breakage.
It is the object of my improvement to avoid this liability to breakage by providing
the base e of the squeezer with an elastic cushion by which it may be fairly seated
with an even bearing on the rim of the tumbler destined to receive the juice. With
this object, the base d' of the squeezer, instead of being of circular form, as usual, is
extended in the form of a square plate with rounded corners, as shewn in Figure 2,
and over the upper and under sides of this extended base I spring four india-
rubber bands which cross each other and lie parallel with the four edges of the base
plate d immediately outside of the annular gutter b, and form on the underside of the
base four equidistant elastic cushions or extended surfaces adapted to evenly distribute
on the edge of the tumbler the pressure which it is necessary to exert in squeezing
the fruit.
To prevent the juice creeping outwards along the underside of the base, the latter
has a downwardly-projecting lip g immediately around the slots c.
To avoid the second cause of breakage, the sides of the grater a are continued
downwards so as to project at a¹ below the lip g and therefore below the under
surface of the base which is devoid of the usual marginal flange, so that the grater a
on which the pressure is applied alone takes a bearing on the supporting surface when
the squeezer
placed on a plate or other flat recipient.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is 3-
1. In a lemon squeezer or juice extractor of the kind described, the combination,
with the base flange, of elastic cushions at the underside, for the purpose specified.
2. In a lemon squeezer or juice extractor of the kind described, the combination,
with the square base flange, of india-rubber bands sprung over the same cross-wise,
as described, to form elastic bearing surfaces at the underside thereof, as
specified.
3. A lemon squeezer or juice extractor of the kind described, whereof the central
grater a extends wholly below the underside of the surrounding flange so as alone to
support the
pressure when plated on a flat surface, as described."
Dated this 27th day of November 1890.