Improvements in or in connection with Mechanism (with or without Receiver) applicable for Cutting and Slicing Bread, Vegetables, and other things used in the Kitchen or Household.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 14th May, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or in connection with Mechanism (with or without
Receiver) applicable for Cutting and Slicing Bread, Vegetables,
and other things used in the Kitchen or Household.
I, ELI JACOBY MILLER, of No. 206, South George Street, York, in the County
of York and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, 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 improved cutting and slicing mechanism with cor
without a connected receiver.
My cutting and slicing mechanism is intended for household or kitchen use in
guiding, slicing, cutting or separating ordinary thicknesses or sizes of bread,
vegetables and other things used in the culinary line.
I may, and preferably do, mount or construct it upon a support, stand, safe or
cabinet of such a character as to be suitable for the reception and storage of food or
other things, while also serving as a support, cabinet or stand, for the cutting and
slicing mechanism.
The accompanying drawing represents an embodiment of my invention in
which,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my cutter-guide mounted upon a support or
cabinet.
Fig. 2 a view in vertical section of a part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1,
showing the relative arrangement of the gauge-plate and the connected
receptacle.
Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the uprights or side plates which form the
chute or holder to receive the bread or other materials preparatory for the
cutting.
Fig. 4 is an inverted perspective view of one of the transversely grooved
adjusting strips which form the bottom of the chute.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the two clamping rods.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the vertical guide pieces or posts or gauges
used in guiding the knife.
Fig. is a broken plan view of my gauge-plate.
Fig. 8 is a view of the edge-block or plate.
Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a platform, top, or lid. Upon this is the
cutting or slicing mechanism and its appurtenances. The guide consists in part
of a number of adjusting strips, 2, each of which is provided on its under side with
transverse grooves, 3. These grooves are symmetrically placed in all the strips
so that the latter can be interchanged and their grooves and ends will always
register with each other.
Upon the said platform or top, 1, is placed a holding strip, 5, secured to the top
in any suitable manner, as by screws. The said holding-strip is provided with

page_text: two bolt-holes in register with the grooves, 3, in the adjusting strips, 2, through
which holes and grooves may be placed the outer ends of clamp-rods or bolts, 6,
whose opposite ends are of prismatic form and are inserted beneath and movable
longitudinally in correspondingly shaped staples or socket devices, 4, attached
to and projecting above the platform or top, 1, as will be understood from the
drawings.
The said clamp-rods or bolts, 6, are also provided with shoulders or contact
pieces, 7, arranged to contact with the last adjusting strip of the series of
strips, 2, whereby when the nuts, which are provided on the outer ends of the rods
or bolts, 6, are tightened, the adjusting strips will be drawn up toward each other.
In Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have shown the said shoulders or contact devices, 7,
at some distance from the last adjusting strip, as if the nuts on the outer ends
of the rods, 6, were loosened and said rods pushed backward in order to show the
said contact devices in Fig. 1. But the operative or normal position of these
rods is with their shoulders or contact devices in close contact with said last
adjusting strip.
In the drawings I have shown the contact device, 7, of a semicircular form and
this is preferable, but still it is possible to make said contact devices of any shape
suitable to give a good bearing surface against the last adjusting strip.
The purpose of making the rear or inner ends of the clamping rods or bolts, 6,
of a prismatic form and inserting them into socket devices, such as the staples, 4,
is to hold the rods, 6, against turning at the time when the nuts are being turned,
and, at the same time, to allow a certain amount of longitudinal movement of said
rods, so that when their nuts are loosened and the rods forced backward to permit
the alteration of the location of one or both of the side-plates, or uprights, 9,
the said clamping rods may move longitudinally without being released from the
means for preventing the rotation of the rods, which consists of the prismatic
ends on the rods and the socket devices which fit the said ends.
9 represents one of two uprights, posts, or side-plates which form the chute or
receptacle to receive the bread or other material to be cut. These said side-plates
are preferably in the form of right triangles, as shown. Each of these is provided
on its lower edge with grooves, 10, (corresponding in width and distance from the
front edge, with the grooves, 3, of the adjusting strips) and also with a shoulder
or recess, 11, of a width approximately equal to the width of the cutting-edge-plate
or block, 12, which is secured to the top or platform so that when the side-plates,
uprights or posts are in position, their vertical edges will be approximately flush
with the front edge of such cutting-edge-plate. These uprights, side-plates or
posts, 9, may be adjusted or moved to and from each other in order to accommodate
the device to the size of the various articles to be cut, sliced or separated. This
is done by altering the number of adjustin strips between them.
Immediately in front of the cutting-edge plate, 12, I provide a gauge-plate, 13.
This plate rests upon stop devices, best shown in Fig. 6, each of which have their
ends turned up, one end of eaclí being longer than the corresponding other end,
to serve as a stop or guide-post, as shown at 14, which stops are preferably,
substantially V-shaped and project upward from beneath the gauge-plate on the
side nearest the cutting-edge-plate, 12, to a suitable height.
By this construction the stop devices may be adjusted along the gauge-plate, 13,
so as to conform generally to the positions of the side-plates, uprights, or
posts, 9.
The gauge-plate is recessed on the edge nearest the cutting-edge-plate, as shown
at 15, to a depth equal to the thickness of the metal or other material of which
the guide-posts or stop-devices, 14, are made, and the latter fit into said recesses.
The platform or top is provided with slots, 16, in which are placed bolts or other
fastenings, 17, passing at each end through the gauge plate, 13. By this means
such plate may be adjusted to any required distance from the cutting edge strip, 12,
and posts, 9. To further facilitate this, and to permit accurate adjustment, I

page_text: provide the platform or top, at or near one or both ends of the gauge-plate, with
scales or indexes, 18.
As an important feature I also make, near the gauge-plate, an opening in the
top or platform and provide it with a lid or trap-door, 19, for the purpose of
allowing the cut material to fall or be pushed into a receptacle constructed in the
cabinet underneath, this receptacle being, in the present instance, in the form of
a drawer, 20, to receive any substance cut or separated on the platform, such as
bread vegetables or the like. For the preservation of such substances, held or
stored therein and thereunder, I may construct a refrigerator or cooling apartinent
or apartments, 26, in close proximity thereto on a support or shelving constructed
thereunder. I may also provide a meat tenderer, 21, and may also provide a
drop-leaf 22. The top or platform may be hinged to the cabinet, as shown at 23.
also provide a cover, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.
I
may
In using this device the operator places his knife against the side-plates or
guide-posts, 14, as shown at 24, conveniently using his right hand, while with
his left he shoves the loaf of bread or other substance forward against the knife.
He then raises or withdraws the knife to the position shown at 25, cuts off a slice
and repeats the operation as often as he desires. It will be seen that by thus using
the knife itself, to limit the forward movement of the article to be cut, an un-
obstructed space between the vertical stop devices or gauge-posts may be left for
each slice to fall clear. It will also be evident that the side-plates, uprights or
posts can be set to any desired distance apart to accommodate an object or article
of any ordinary size by loosening the nuts on the screws and changing the number
of adjusting strips between such uprights, or in other words, by shifting the
side-plates from between one set of strips to positions between other strips.
I have not deemed it necessary to describe in detail the cabinet here shown, which,
as stated above, is a refrigerator of an ordinary type, and with which my cutter-guide
may or may not be used, it being understood, however, that my invention includes,
first, a cutting or slicing mechanism, of a special construction and second, the
combination of any suitable form of cutting or slicing mechanism with a receptacle
arranged to receive the cut or sliced material directly from the cutting or slicing
mechanism, said receptacle being below and held by the stand or cabinet which
supports the cutting or slicing mechanism, and capable of being withdrawn from
the cabinet.
The cutter-guides in their ordinary use on a common flat base or platform would
soon become clogged by the accumulation of cut material, such as slices of bread,
or the like, thus interrupting the operation of the cutting device. But, since
the drawer or receptacle is provided, beneath an opening in the top of the cabinet,
the cut material will fall into said receptacle and thus allow the continued
operation of the cutting device.
My receptacle performs a double function, viz. It is one of the parts of the
cabinet, for use in its ordinary function, and it is the receptacle below a cutting
mechanism to permit the automatic removal of the cut material from the knife.
In addition, the removable receptacle or drawer has advantages not possessed by
any fixed receptacle, since it may serve to retain the cut material in the cabinet
until ready for use, and to allow the cut material to be transported to any desired
place without the necessity of removal from the drawer to another receptacle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1 The combination, with a cabinet or the like, provided with a top having
an opening, and a receptacle forming part of the cabinet or the like and located
below said opening, of a cutting or slicing mechanism arranged upon
the cabinet top and in close proximity to the opening in the same,
whereby the cut material will fall from the cutting mechanism into

page_text: the said receptacle through the opening, while at the same time, said receptacle
may serve as a part of the cabinet, substantially as set forth.
2-The combination, with a cabinet or the like provided with a lid
or top having an opening, a lid arranged to close said opening, and
a receptacle arranged to be withdrawn from said cabinet or the like
and located below said opening, of a cutter-guide arranged upon the
said lid or top and in close proximity to the opening in the same, whereby the
cut articles may be conveniently removed from the cutter-guide to said receptacle
through the opening, while at the same time, the said receptacle may serve as a
removable portion of said cabinet.
3-A cutter-guide comprising side-plates or uprights, a series of interchangeable
adjusting strips, between which said side-plates or uprights may be placed, and
means for clamping said adjusting strips together, whereby the said side-plates or
uprights are held firmly.
4-The combination, with a platform or top, of a cutter-guide comprising side-
plates or uprights notched at the base, a series of interchangeable transversely
grooved adjusting strips between which said side-plates or uprights may be
placed, clamping rods passing through the notches and grooves, and arranged to
clamp the strips together to hold the side-plates or uprights, and means for
securing the said clamping rods to the platform or top.
5-The combination; with the platform or top, of a cutter-guide comprising side-
plates or uprights notched at the base, a series of interchangeable transversely
grooved adjusting strips, a holding strip secured to the said platform or top,
clamping rods passing through said holding strip and arranged to clamp the
adjusting strips together and thereby hold the side-plates or uprights, and means
arranged to hold, to the platform or top, the ends of the clamping rods opposite
the said holding strip.
6-The combination, with a platform or top, of side-plates, adjusting strips
between which said side-plates may be inserted, clamping rods arranged to clamp.
said adjusting strips and hold the side-plates or uprights, and socket devices
arranged to engage the ends of said clamping rods and hold the latter to the
platform or top, while, at the same time, permitting a longitudinal movement of
said clamping rods.
7-In a cutting and slicing mechanism the combination with an adjustable
gauge-plate, of stop devices adjustable along the said gauge-plate.
8 The combination, with a platform or top, of a cutter-guide comprising side-
plates or uprights, means for adjusting said side-plates or uprights in a lateral
direction, an adjustable gauge-plate, and stop-devices adjustable along said gauge-
plate, so as to be conformable to the position of the said side-plates or uprights.
9 The combination, with a slotted platform or top, of a cutter-guide com-
prising side-plates or uprights, means for adjusting the same laterally, a gauge-
plate, and means passing through the slots in the platform or top and arranged to
clamp the gauge-plate at any desired point.
10 The combination with a slotted platform or top, of a cutter-guide com
prising side-plates or uprights, means for adjusting the same laterally, a gauge-
plate, means passing through the slots in the platform or top and arranged to
clamp the gauge-plate at any desired point, and an index adjacent to the gauge-
plate for determining the location of the latter.
11 The combination, with a platform or top, side-plates, adjusting strips
between which said side-plates may be inserted, and clamping rods arranged to
clamp said adjusting strips and thereby hold the side-plates, said clamping
rods having prismatic ends and contact devices arranged to engage one of the
adjusting strips, of socket-devices arranged to receive the prismatic ends of the
clamping rods and to hold the same to the platform or top in a manner to permit
of a limited longitudinal movement of said rods.
12 The combination, with a platform or top, of a cutter-guide comprising a

page_text: cutting-edge-plate or block secured to the platform, side-plates or uprights, a series
of adjusting strips between which said side-plates or uprights may be placed,
said adjusting strips abutting against the cutting-edge-plate or block, and means
for clamping the adjusting strips together.
13 The combination, with a cutter-guide of an adjustable gauge-plate having
a recess, and stop-devices beneath said gauge-plate and provided with stops
extending into said recesses, said stop devices being adjustable lengthwise of the
gauge-plate.
Dated this 10th day of January 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.