IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING BREAD
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN MORGAN RICHARDS of 92 and 93 Great Russell Street in the County
of Middlesex, Export Druggist. do hereby declare the nature of the invention for
« IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING BREAD "and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus for cutting bread and has for its object to
enable a loaf to be cut into slices of uniform thickness and without waste, the
knife employed being adapted to cut bread while it is still hot from baking without
crushing it or making it solid or heavy.
The invention consists essentially in an apparatus composed of a cutting board.
having fixed guides for the knife and adjustable gauges for the side and end of
the loaf, by which the loaf is presented to the knife in proper position to cause
the latter to pass squarely through it, the gauge for the end of the loaf regulating
the thickness of the slice to be cut.
The edge of the knife blade is made undulating or in a series of scallops thus
giving it a peculiar cutting action unlike that of the usual straight edge, the said
scalloped blade passing readily through the bread while in a fresh or moist
condition without crushing or solidifying it.
The accompanying drawing shows in perspective a bread cutting apparatus
embodying this invention, the knife being shown in side elevation.
The apparatus consists essentially of a board a to support the loaf and form a
cutting bed therefor, the said bed being provided at its sides with vertical
uprights beach having a narrow slot c which constitutes a guide for the blade
of the knife d. The board a is also provided with a gauge e for the side of the
loaf, the said gauge being at right angles to the plane passing through the knife-
guiding slot c so that the knife passes through the loaf at right angles to it, and
the said gauge e is preferably made adjustable transversely to the bed a, as shown,
to enable it to be used with loaves of different widths, the said loaves being held
by the gauge close up to the knife guide b at the front of the board or side nearest
to the operator.
The gauge f adjustable longitudinally on the board a receives the end of the
loaf, and its distance from the plane passing through the slot.c determines the
thickness of the slice.

page_text: The cutting edge of the knife blade d is made in the form of a series of large
scollops as shown, giving it a very effective cutting action, and enabling it to cut
fresh moist bread without making it heavy. The knife may be attached to the
board a if desired, by a cord or chain and the whole apparatus may be neatly
finished so as to have an ornamental appearance when used upon a table or side
board.
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
The herein before described apparatus for cutting bread consisting of a cutting
board provided with knife guides and gauges for the side and end of the loaf and a
knife having an undulating or scolloped edge, substantially as described.
Dated this 24th do's
A. M. & W. CLARK..