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Biscuit Cutter (Spring-Loaded Biscuit Cutter)
Alexander P. Ashbourne

Inventor
Alexander P. Ashbourne
Alexander P. Ashbourne was an early inventor. He was born into slavery in Philadelphia around 1820. There are very few documented facts about his personal life. He grew up cutting wheat alongside his family members. In his youth, Ashbourne began to think of more efficient ways to cut wheat mainly to make harvesting easier for himself and other enslaved people. He approached his owners with these ideas but they refused to adopt them.
He catered weddings and buffets of the wealthy elite in Philadelphia and was selected as one of a handful of local caterers for the 1863 Emancipation Celebration held in the city.
While attending this event, Ashbourne noticed that the biscuits were simply hand patted and lacked any real form. He began a decade long process to create a device, a spring-loaded biscuit cutter, that would guarantee a uniform shape and size. Ashbourne applied for a patent for his invention on May 11, 1875, and on November 30, 1875 he was granted patent number U.S. Patent No. 170460. His patented cutter had a board to load and unload biscuits easily. There were also metal plates with various shapes. The cook could push down on the plate to cut the dough into specialized shapes.
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Biscuit Cutter (Spring-Loaded Biscuit Cutter)
Alexander P. Ashbourne

Biography
Alexander P. Ashbourne was an early inventor. He was born into slavery in Philadelphia around 1820. There are very few documented facts about his personal life. He grew up cutting wheat alongside his family members. In his youth, Ashbourne began to think of more efficient ways to cut wheat mainly to make harvesting easier for himself and other enslaved people. He approached his owners with these ideas but they refused to adopt them.
He catered weddings and buffets of the wealthy elite in Philadelphia and was selected as one of a handful of local caterers for the 1863 Emancipation Celebration held in the city. While attending this event, Ashbourne noticed that the biscuits were simply hand patted and lacked any real form. He began a decade long process to create a device, a spring-loaded biscuit cutter, that would guarantee a uniform shape and size. Ashbourne applied for a patent for his invention on May 11, 1875, and on November 30, 1875 he was granted patent number U.S. Patent No. 170460. His patented cutter had a board to load and unload biscuits easily. There were also metal plates with various shapes. The cook could push down on the plate to cut the dough into specialized shapes.
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