The Slotted Lemon Squeezer: Squeeze, Then Slice Through the Slots

"d represents one or more slots, formed in both the cup B and curved plate C, so as to coincide when the handles are closed. By passing a knife through the slot or slots the compressed lemon is readily divided into several parts. The slot or slots d also permit the escape of the juice from the cup." "e represents one or more projecting teats or spurs, formed on the inner surface of the cup B, for the purpose of entering the rind of the lemon as the handles are closed, thereby preventing the lemon from slipping in the shallow cup while being compressed, or afterward during the operation of slicing."

**Handles.** Cut two 25 cm lengths of 20 × 5 mm mild steel flat bar and drill both 1 cm from one end for an M6 pivot bolt. **Cup and plate.** Cut two discs of tinplate about 8 cm across. Dish one into a shallow cup and the other into a matching curved plate by hammering them over a hollow in a hardwood block. Rivet the cup to one handle and the plate to the other, 5 cm behind the pivot, so the plate's convex side fits into the cup's hollow with a narrow space between. **Slots and spurs.** Bolt the handles together and close them. Mark three lines along the handles' length across both cup and plate, open them, and cut each line 3 mm wide with snips and a file, running out past the rims on the side toward the pivot, as Miller's drawing shows, so the slots coincide and a knife can be put in beyond the lemon's edge. Solder two short pointed nails upright inside the cup as the spurs e. **Test.** Squeeze a half lemon over a glass and weigh the juice. With the handles still closed, pass a knife through the slots to slice the pressed lemon.

**Charles H. Miller** of Buffalo, Erie County, New York, filed US 171,154 on 15 November 1875; it is dated 14 December 1875. His handles A A′ were pivoted at a, the cup B formed with A and the plate C with A′, and the slots ran lengthwise, extending on one side beyond the cup so the knife could be put in beyond the lemon's edge without piercing it first. His claims cover the slotted cup and plate on the handles, and the spurs in the cup. **Honest limits.** Flat bar and dished tinplate stand in for his made-up levers, cup and plate. The notebook spreads the force evenly over the lemon; its forces, lengths and sizes are examples. Your juice and slices are the result.