Patent GB-689808-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in sandwich machines
IPC: A23G9/28
Filed: 1950-12-27
Abstract: 689,808. Machines for making ice cream and like sandwiches. ANDERSON, S. F., and ANDERSON, R. F. Dec. 27, 1950 [Dec. 27, 1949], No. 31416/50. Class 28 (i). A sandwich-making machine comprises means for feeding a sheet like stream of plastic comestible, e.g. ice cream, to a preselected station and means for feeding biscuits, wafers and the like simultaneously on opposite sides of the stream to form a sandwich. As shown in Figs. 1 and 5 the outer face 12 of a housing 11 carries a downwardly directed nozzle 14 of rectangular section disposed between inclined biscuit magazines 28, the nozzle being connected at its upper end to a conduit 22 leading to a frozen ice cream supply. The biscuits are fed downwardly from the magazines, which comprise lower U-shaped supporting channels 29 and upper biscuit retaining baffles 33, by plates 34 disposed on opposite sides of the nozzle 14 and reciprocated vertically by a slide 38 operatively connected to the piston rod 42, Fig. 7, of an air motor 43 within the housing. When the oppositely disposed biscuits are positioned on opposite faces of the extruded ice cream, the sandwich so formed is supported by rails 56, 57 and resilient members 58, Fig. 3, until it is removed by an ejector plate 66 that is pivotally connected to a slide 71 reciprocated by the piston rod 86 of an air motor 88 within the casing. The plate 66 is shown carried by spaced rods 67 fixed to a pivoted yoke 68 on slide 71 and one of the rods 67 is extended to coact with a cam 77 which guides the plate 66 on its return stroke, the cam 77 being pivoted to a fixed gib 72 and having a pin 79 to limit its downward movement. The air motors 43, 88 for the biscuit feeding and sandwich ejecting slides are supplied with air through a conduit 51, air filter 49, pressure regulator 48 and moisture filter 49, under control of individual similarly contracted solenoid valves 52, 85. As shown in Fig. 11, the valve 85 comprises a casing 101 with an inlet port 106, ports 103, 104 leading to passages 96, 97 communicating with opposite ends of the air motor chamber 98 and exhaust ports which are opened and closed to atmosphere, through adjustable orifices 118 119, by movement of spring biased valves 112, 111 under control of a valve element 113 and solenoid coils 116, 117. When one or other of the coils is energised the valve element 113 is moved axially of the valve chamber to allow air to enter the chamber through one or other of the ports 104, 103, a valve element projection 105, 108 at the same time lifting the appropriate valve 112 or 111 to open one end of the chamber to atmosphere. The solenoid valves. are operated from power lines L1, L2, Fig. 10, through a main switch 123, transformer 124, timing mechanism 126 and limit switches 50, 92 which operate to energise the coils 122, 116 when the slides 38, 71 move away from their upper and extended positions. The timing mechanism 126 comprises a motor 152 mounted on the back of the front panel 12 and adapted to drive a chain of gears 163, 164, 167, 168, the last of which makes surface contact with a friction wheel 171 on a plate 172 carried by an adjustable bolt 176 and provided with a pin 181 to engage an actuator 182 of switch 133. Adjustment of the bolt 176 by means of a knob 178 changes the relative position of the friction wheel 171 relative to gear 168 (and the frequency of movement of the switch is altered).