Improvements in Devices for Cutting or Forming Biscuits and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1892-Accepted, 2nd July, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Cutting or Forming Biscuits and
the like.
I, HENRY TURNER SIDWAY, Manufacturer and Real Estate Dealer, of 59 Dear-
born Street, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The object of my invention is to provide a simple revolving cutter for cutting
cake, biscuit, &c. and which is preferably so constructed that two biscuits are
formed at each revolution of the cutter. While shall describe my invention as
applied to biscuits, and term the same in the Specification and claims a "biscuit
cutter," I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not limit myself to its use
in cutting biscuits solely, since I contemplate employing it to cut biscuit, cake, and
dough in any form, as well as any other material which it is capable of cutting,
and shall only use the word "biscuit" for the sake of simplicity and to avoid
unnecessary repetition, there being no one word which will satisfactorily cover all
of the uses to which my cutter can be applied. My invention consists in the
features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of cutter embodying my improvements;
Fig. 2 an end elevation of the cutter and a portion of the handle;
Fig. 3 a section on line 3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; and
Fig. 4 a detail showing one method of attaching the handle.
A
When made in the form shown in the drawings, the cutter is constructed out of
two pieces of tin, or other suitable material, lettered A and B in the drawings.
These pieces are substantially elliptical in shape, and are bent in a suitable are
as shown, the convex sides being adjacent to each other and the pieces being
preferably, though not necessarily, secured together in any desired manner.
portion of each elliptical piece is partially cut away, as shown, the tongues a a
and bb, formed by such cutting, being bent back as shown in the drawings, the
tongues on the one piece being connected to the corresponding tongues on the
other piece by means of plates C, of tin or other suitable material. These plates
form a connection between the revolving part of the cutter and the handle D.
This handle is provided with two arms or prongs of wire or other suitable
material, D', which are inserted into the handle as shown, and are then bent
preferably into the form represented in Fig. 1, one arm being connected with the
plate C at one end of the cutter, and the other arm with the corresponding plate
at the other end. In the preferred manner of constructing the cutter, the two
plates A and B are first made and fastened together, with the tongues a and b cut
and bent outward. The plates C are then secured to the arms of the handle, and
soldered or otherwise secured to the tongues a and b as shown. To afford an easily
constructed bearing, I preferably provide journal caps d', the construction of
which is shown more particularly in Fig. 4, which are adapted to be inserted into
holes in the plates C, and to receive and form bearings for the ends of the arms D¹.
These journal caps may, however, be omitted if desired, and the ends of the arms
simply turned down and inserted into the holes in the plates C.
The advantages of cutting away a portion of the two pieces A and B comprising
the cutter, to form the tongues a, b, in the manner and at the place indicated, are
twofold. First, a convenient means of rotatably mounting the cutter is provided;
and, second, any compression of the edges of the biscuit is avoided by leaving
openings at these points in the cutter. I do not, however, consider this method

page_text: of construction essential, since, if desired, the two pieces A and B can be made
solid, and the plates C soldered directly to these pieces or inserted into slots formed
therein without the use of tongues.
In operation the cutting plates A and B are pressed against the dough, pastry
or other material to be cut, and the cutter is moved by its, handle over the same.
This causes the cutter to revolve, and as it does so, the plates A and B cut a
circular cake or biscuit, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. By this means,
any number of biscuits can be cut at a single operation or stroke of the cutter,
the only limit being the extent of the dough or other material out of which the
biscuits, &c. are to be cut. The cutter is light, rapid, and efficient, doing away
with the repeated applications of the non-revoluble cutters heretofore in use.
In the drawings I have shown my improved cutter as adapted to make circular
cake or biscuit; but I have only done this to illustrate one form of cutter, since.
it is obvious that by changing the shape of the plates, biscuits of oval and other
forms may be made as desired; and I do not confine myself to the two plates, or
to cutting two biscuits at each revolution, as I may increase the number of plates
and cuts with each revolution, or may make the cutter out of one piece of iron,
steel, or other suitable metal suitably shaped; and I contemplate the necessary
changes of form to adapt the cutter to these purposes.
While I have described more or less precise forms, I do not intend to limit
myself thereto, but contemplate changes in form and proportion, and the substi-
tution of equivalent members as may be necessary or desirable-for example, a
separate handle D is not necessary, since the arms D', if made of wire, can be
wound around each other, or otherwise adapted to form a handle. It is not essential
that the two parts of the cutter be fastened together independently of the bearing
plates C, nor, as above stated, is it essential to cut away a portion of the parts of
the cutter, since the bearing plates C can be secured directly to such parts, or the
handle can be secured to the cutter in some other manner. The cutter may be
operated by one hand or both hands, or by power, as desired; and similar changes
may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, which consists
in providing a revoluble cutter to form biscuit, cake, &c., into different shapes as
desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what mauner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A biscuit cutter comprising two curved elliptical plates rotatably supported,
substantially, as described.
2. A cutter comprising two curved elliptical plates fastened together on their
convex sides, and rotatably supported in a suitable frame, substantially as
described.
3. The combination of a handle provided with arms, a cutter consisting of two
curved plates secured together, a portion of such plates being partially cut away
and bent inwards, and journal plates rigidly secured to such portions and rotatably.
secured to the arms of the handle, substantially as described.
4. The combination of the revolving cutter, bearing plates secured thereto
provided with holes, journal caps inserted through such holes and affording a
bearing for the handle, and a handle secured thereto, substantially as described.
Dated this 31st day of May 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.