An Improved Cutting Device or Knife for Cutting Bread, Vegetables, or other Substances to a Given Thickness.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 28th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 13th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Cutting Device or Knife for Cutting Bread,
Vegetables, or other Substances to a Given Thickness.
1, FRIEDRICH AESCHBACH of Aarau in the Republic of Switzerland, Mechanic,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the improved cutting appliance which forms the object of this invention,
and which is intended to cut substances to a given thickness and to be employed
mainly for cutting bread, vegetables or the like, the knife blade is hinged on a
pivot approximately placed at its back, and may be adjusted by means of a
peculiarly arranged set screw, in contradistinction to the bar hitherto employed
which was rigidly connected with the blade, which (bar), during the cutting,
guides the blade parallel to the old cutting surface of the bread, for instance,
over which it slides, and measures the thickness of the slice cut by its distance
from the blade, so that an alteration of such distance makes a corresponding
alteration in the thickness of the slice. The thickness of slice may be adjusted to
suit any requirements.
One form of construction of this improved cutting appliance is shown on the
accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 being an elevation with a view of the knife blade:
Figure 2, a view of the back of the knife and blade: and
Figure 3, a cross section.
The bar a, which, as stated, serves to guide the blade when cutting, is fastened in
the handle and holds the blade & between two end lugs e which stand at right
angles to its longitudinal axis, this blade being pivotted or movably attached to
each luge by means of pins e projecting from each end of said blade, near its back.
At one end of the blade, that, for instance, nearer the handle b, a projection or
lever arm is attached at right angles to the cutting surface, the free end of which
arm is bent in the form of a hook round a screw g, which passes through the bara,
in such a manner that the screw bears with its point on one arm of the hook, whilst
the other arm of the hook rests on the head of the screw. If, with this arrange-
ment, the screw be turned by means of its head so as to travel in either direction,
through the bar a which serves as a nut, it will thereby turn the blade d on the
pivots e, by means of the lever arın, rigidly connected with the blade, by which
means the distance of the cutting edge of the blade from the guide bar is increased
or diminished according to the direction in which the screw is turned.
As the distance between the arms of the hook of the lever arm f between
which the screw is held, exactly corresponds to the length of the screw, any
undesired movement of the lever arm f, when the screw is adjusted, is prevented,
and the knife is immovably fixed.
By the peculiar form of the lever arm f, the chance of the screw getting lost is
also prevented, as the lever arm prevents the screw from being entirely screwed
out of the bar a.
The principle of the invention remains unaltered if, instead of the knife d, the
guide bar a be made movable. The plan view shown in Figure 3 may also serve
for this modification, if it be merely assumed that the knife d is rigidly connected
with the handle 6, and the guide bar a hinged to the knife.
Dated this 28th day of December 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Cutting Device or Knife for Cutting Bread,
Vegetables, or other Substances to a Given Thickness.
1, FRIEDRICH AESCHBACH of Aarau in the Republic of Switzerland, Mechanic,
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 :-
In the improved cutting appliance which forms the object of this invention, and
which is intended to cut substances to a given thickness and to be employed mainly
for cutting bread, vegetables or the like, the knife blade is hinged on a pivot
approximately placed at its back, and may be adjusted by means of a peculiarly
arranged set screw, (in contradistinction to the bar principally hitherto employed,
which was rigidly connected with the blade, which bar, during the cutting, guides
the blade parallel to the old cutting surface of the bread, for instance, over which it
slides, and measures the thickness of the slice cut by its distance from the blade),
so that an alteration of distance is possible in this improved arrangement which
makes a corresponding alteration in the thickness of the slice. The thickness of
slice may thus be adjusted to suit any requirements. Knives with adjustable
cutters have, as a matter of fact, already been employed, but the method of
adjusting them is inconvenient, cumbersonie and uncertain, whilst my improved
mode of regulating the knife is simple and works with certainty.
The form of construction of this improved cutting appliance is shown on the
drawing accompanying the Provisional Specification,
Figure 1 being an elevation with a view of the knife blade:
Figure 2, a view of the back of the knife and blade: and
Figure 3, a cross section.
The bar a, which, as stated, serves to guide the blade when cutting, is fastened in
the handle and holds the blade d between two end lugs c which stand at right
angles to its longitudinal axis, this blade being pivoted or movably attached to
cach lug c by means of pins e projecting from each end of said blade, near
its back.
At one end of the blade, that, for instance, nearer the handle, a projection or
lever arm is attached at right angles to the cutting surface, the free end of which
arm is bent in the form of a hook round a screw, which passes through the bar a,
in such a manner that the screw bears with its point on one arm of the hook, whilst
the other arm of the hook rests on the head of the screw. If, with this arrange-
ment, the screw be turned by means of its head so as to travel in either direction,
through the bar a which serves as a nut, it will thereby turn the blade d on the
pivots e, by means of the lever arm, rigidly connected with the blade, by which
means the distance of the cutting edge of the blade from the guide bar is increased
or diminished according to the direction in which the screw is turned.
As the distance between the arms of the hook of the lever arm f, between which
the screw 인 is held, exactly corresponds to the length of the screw, any undesired
movement of the lever arm f, when the screw is adjusted, is prevented, and the
knife is immovably fixed.
By the peculiar form of the lever arm f, the chance of the screw getting lost is
also prevented, as the lever arm prevents the screw from being entirely screwed
out of the bar a.
The principle of the invention remains unaltered if, instead of the knife d, the
guide bar a be made movable. The plan view shown in Figure 3 may also serve for
this modification, if it be merely assumed that the knife d is rigidly connected with
the handle b, and the guide bar a hinged to the knife,

page_text: 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 :-
An adjusting device for determining the width of cut in knives, for slicing
bread, vegetables and the like, characterised by a set screw (g) passing through a
fixed piece such as a bar (a) which serves as a nut therefor, and bearing with both
ends against a lever arm () firmly connected with the knife blade (d), so that by
turning the screw backwards or forwards the movable part is adjusted against the
fixed part by an axial movement of the screw in the bar (a), substantially as
described and shown.
Dated this 27th day of August 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.