The Inclined-Knife Lemon Squeezer: Put In a Whole Lemon, Cut and Press in One Stroke

"In the concavity a1 is secured a knife, D, to cut the lemon as it is pressed upon it. The knife D is placed in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 1. The effect of the inclination of the knife D is to cause the lemon to roll downward, so as to be pressed against one side of the concavity a1, and leave a space at the other side, so that the juice may flow out freely through the hole or holes a2 formed in the part A, and leading down from the bottom or lower part of said cavity a1." "The knife D and slit or notch f′ are designed to be so arranged as to not quite separate the parts into which the lemon is cut."

**Lower block.** Glue up a hardwood block 15 × 12 × 8 cm, carve a rounded cavity in its top that takes a whole lemon, and drill a hole from the cavity's bottom through the block. Fit four dowel legs tall enough for a glass beneath. **Knife.** Cut a blade from stainless steel sheet, file one edge sharp, and set it across the cavity, sharp edge up and tilted at about 30°, in saw kerfs cut in the cavity's walls, as Sammis's drawing shows. **Upper part.** Hinge a hardwood board to one end of the block. Carve a knob on its underside that enters the cavity and saw a slit in the knob that takes the knife's edge, deep enough that the lemon is cut nearly but not quite through. Glue strips along its sides as flanges that overlap the block's sides, and shape a handle at its free end. **Test.** Put a whole lemon in the cavity over a glass and press the handle down. See that the lemon is cut, held together at one edge, and pressed to one side, and that no juice escapes past the flanges.

**Edward M. Sammis** of Babylon, Suffolk County, New York, filed US 142,414 on 19 July 1873; it is dated 2 September 1873. His lower part A stood on legs B tall enough for a tumbler on the plate C beneath, and the parts were to be made of or plated with nickel or another metal lemon juice will not corrode. His claims cover the knife in the cavity, its inclined position, the notched knob with the knife, and the flanges. **Honest limits.** Hardwood and stainless steel stand in for his plated metal. The notebook uses a simple sliding condition for a round, wet lemon; its angles and friction coefficients are examples. Your pressed lemons are the result.