The Biscuit-Cutter Board: A Hinged Lid of Cutters, One Press for All

"My invention relates to a novel domestic utensil, which I term a biscuit or cake cutter; and it consists of a molding-board, having hinged to one side or end a cover, which is provided with the desired shaped cutters upon its lower side. These cutters have plates inside and springs, which allow the plates to recede when the cutters are pressed down upon the material, but which forces them out when the cover is lifted." The cutters "may be made of metal, and in any fancy shape desired." "When the cover is shut down upon the paste upon the molding-board it will be seen that as many cakes or biscuits will be formed instantaneously as there are cutters." The back of the cross-bar and the board are made concave "so that the rolling-pin H will fit into the concavities sufficiently to be held in place when not in use."

Make a biscuit dough, weigh it, and roll it to an even sheet. Cut rounds in a square grid, lift them out, and weigh them. Gather the scraps, re-roll, cut again and weigh; repeat once more. Work out the share of dough used after each roll and compare it with the notebook's square-grid line. Then try cutting in offset rows, each row shifted half a cutter, and see how close you get to the hexagonal line.

**Alexander P. Ashbourne** of Oakland, Alameda County, California, filed US 170,460 on 11 May 1875; it is dated 30 November 1875. **Honest limits.** The packing figures are exact for circles on an endless sheet; a real sheet has edges, and re-rolled dough is never quite the same dough. The loose share is an example. Your weights are the measurement.