Patent GB-190014967-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Automatically Coating Biscuits and other Articles with Fluid or Semi-fluid Material.
Inventor: BAKER GEORGE SAMUEL
Filed: 1900-08-21
Granted: 1901-06-01
Abstract: 14,967. Baker, G. S., and Carr, W. T. Aug. 21. Biscuits; cakes.-Relates to machinery for coating biscuits and other articles with icing or other fluid or semi-fluid material by the use of a stencil plate and hopper, and also to means for placing material on the coating to form sandwiches. An icing-machine for biscuits is shown in sectional side elevation in Fig. 1<A>, with parts in detail in Figs. 3, 4, and 8. A driving-shaft C carries a cam C' which communicates reciprocating motion through a roller arm D<3>, shaft D, arms D', and links D<2> to slides F moving in guides A<1> and carrying a feeder-plate F<1>. This plate is smooth except near the leading edge, where there are depressions F<2>, Fig. 4, partially closed by bars F<3>, and provided with intervening projections F<4>. A group of feeder-columns G, Fig. 3, containing piles of biscuits, rests on the plate F<1>. A lifting and pneumatic disengaging-device H is reciprocated vertically in guides A<2> through links J and radius rods J<2>, operated by cams B<1> on a shaft B geared with the shaft C. The device H consists of a main tube fitted with smaller tubes H<2>, Fig. 8, communicating with it through constrictions H<3>, and carrying elastic tubes H<4>, and stationary guide-plates H<5> forming a bridge to an endless-belt conveyer K. The main tube is connected by a flexible pipe H<6> to a vacuum-pump cylinder L, the piston of which is operated by a bell-crank lever L<1> on a shaft E and another cam on the shaft B, shaped to give a quick suction-stroke. A stencil plate M is fixed above the device H, and over it is reciprocated a bottomless hopper N through links N' and a rocking-frame E<1> on the shaft E, which is oscillated through an arm E' and another cam B<3> on the shaft B. An arm on one end of the shaft E is pulled by a spring to keep the hopper at the extremity of its travel, and is counterbalanced to allow reciprocation of the hopper by pressing down a pedal connected to the frame E<1> through a spring and chain. In operation, the biscuits advanced by the plate F<1> are lifted from it by the device H, and carried to the stencil plate M and iced, and are then pneumatically withdrawn and lowered, so that at the next advance of the plate F<1> the projections F<4> push them on to the conveyer K. In an alternative form of pneumatic disengaging- device for long biscuits, three elastic tubes are provided for each biscuit. The hopper may be adapted to receive compressed air, or may be fitted with a piston for pressure. Instead of a bottomless hopper, one with bristles or brushes in the outlet may be used. Also, instead of using an intermittently-operated pump for the pneumatic device, a vessel with an approximately-constant vacuum in it may be coupled to the device by a connection with a valve or cock operated by a tappet &c. A non-pneumatic receiving-device and a corresponding feeder-plate are shown in Fig. 12, and a co-operating disengaging-device in Fig. 13. The feeder-plate has extensions F<5> with depressions f<2> and ejector projections f<4>. The receiving-device comprises a reciprocating bar h carrying projections h<1> with yielding facings h<2> formed of rubber tube retained by wire. The disengaging-device comprises a bar Q provided with fingers Q<1> and connected by links Q' to the hopper N. This bar bears sometimes on flanges M<2> of the stencil plate and sometimes on extensions h<5> of the bar h, which lifts the bar during reciprocation of the hopper and then lowers it to allow the fingers Q<1> to disengage the biscuits, the flanges M<2> stopping the bar Q in its descent. A form of hopper for icing in several colours is shown in Fig. 14, and comprises, for four colours, upper troughs N<3>; N', N<5>, N<6>, communicating with lower groups of smaller troughs n<3>, n<4>, n<5>, n<6>. A sandwiching- device is shown in Fig. 18. The covering-biscuits Q are placed in columns g and fed by a reciprocating-plate f<1> provided with recesses in the leading edge and placed above a table R, under which the iced biscuits P are fed on the conveyer K. The sandwiches are pressed by a rubber &c. roller S, or by a stationary pressure plate.