Patent GB-190225314-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Baking Biscuit, Crackers and the like.
Inventor: PERKY HENRY D
Filed: 1902-11-18
Granted: 1903-01-08
Abstract: 25,314. Perky, H. D. Nov. 18. Moulding biscuits &c.-Biscuits, crackers, and the like, formed from fibrous, filamentous, or shredded grain or other material, are baked and shaped in apparatus of which the principal parts are shown in sectional elevation in Fig. 5. The products consist of filaments arranged in a more or less undulatory manner in one direction, and formed on both surfaces into series of ribs and intervening indentations, as shown in Fig. 16, in the case of a cracker. The apparatus comprises an oven or casing f fitted with an inner and an outer endless baking chain or band, each having irons preferably heated by electricity, and provided also with a continuous feed and cutting device c, a pneumatic feed transfer device, and a discharge device and conveyer h. The reduced grain &c. is received upon a continuous feed chain 1, which is carried on sprocket wheels, as indicated at 2, and composed of trough links moving on guide ways. Upper and lower chains 4, 3 are carried at 6, 5, and consist of guided links provided with cutter blades or knives 7 arranged at intervals corresponding to the width of the baking-bands, which are disposed at right-angles to the direction of the feed. The links of the chain 4 are also provided with air passages and faced with wire cloth &c., and co-act with the pneumatic device in holding the material until it is in position over the baking-device. The chain 4 enters the oven near one end ; the chain 3 does not extend into the oven. The pneumatic device, Fig. 3, consists of an air chamber 9 connected to a suction fan or exhaust and provided with one or more cam - operated valves v. The oven is usually packed or lined with asbestos &c. The baking bands are arranged as shown in Fig. 3, 11 denoting the outer band, and 13 the inner band. The outer band is extended for feeding and discharging. The inner band, preferably, is driven from the driving-shaft, and the outer band is driven by engagement of the links 12, 15 of the two bands, so that the irons of the two bands are kept in register. The bands are kept in tension automatically, the sprocket wheels at one end being carried on a swinging shaft journalled in weighted levers. The links 12, 15 consist of elongated body portions or plates 32, Fig. 9, having middle ribs 33 provided with arms forming the link connections. The links are provided with anti-friction rollers which run on tracks of the framing, and all the links have the same pitch line, so that the tracks can be arranged side by side. Detachable irons 40, Fig. 11, are arranged in series along the body plates 32, Fig. 9, and are provided with a surface distribution of pointed studs or projections 45, and also with indenting plates or knives 41 for dividing up the material. The irons are recessed or hollow at the back, and this portion is provided with a layer of insulating material or paint, and receives fine wiring w which is covered by another layer of insulating material or paint. The wiring is counected t) conducting wires p, Fig. 9, which are seated between detachable insulating strips or blocks n, preferably of porcelain. Spring brushes 35 are connected by flexible wires 38 to their respective wires p. The brushes are carried by short conducting bolts or pins 37 seated in non-conducting bushings m located in openings 36 in the ribs 33, and corresponding insulated outer and inner contact bars are provided. The extended part of the outer baking- band is not required to be heated, and in order to cut off the current gradually, one of the outer contact bars is separated at the feed end of the oven into contact sections, which are connected to the body portion of the bar by a graded series of resistances. The spring brushes are usually formed of two leaves so that the breaks of the current at the cut-off intervals will not be too pronounced. The discharge conveyer k, Figs. 3 and 5, is arranged in a lateral opening in the oven wall, or in the feed opening, and an inclined or curved guide or slide way 42 leading to this conveyer is provided with an adjustable comb or clearing-device, the fingers of which enter between the projections of the baking-irons. Another clearing-device 44 is provided above the first in order to loosen any material adhering to the irons of the outer band.