Patent GB-190320873-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Machines for Making Pies.
Inventor: WILLIAMS DAVID SAMUEL
Filed: 1903-09-29
Granted: 1904-09-29
Abstract: 20,873. Williams, D. S. Sept. 29. Moulding pastry.- Relates to machines for making pies. The plates or pans in which the pies are to be made are fed on to an endless conveyer C, Fig. 2, and provided with a piece of dough, which is brought under the action of a heated plunger E and pressed to form the lower crust. The crust passes to the filling - mechanism F, where it is supplied with fruit or meat, and then its outer edge is moistened ready to receive the top crust, which, having been previously shaped and perforated, is pressed into position by mechanism H, Fig. 10. The irregular edges are afterwards trimmed, and the top crust sized. The conveyer consists of links C<1> hinged together and provided with openings to receive the plates. The shaft C<7> of the sprocket-wheel C', carries a star-wheel actuated by a ratchet C<1> mounted on a shaft B<6> driven through spur-gearing from the driving-shaft B. The plate feeding- mechanism D consists of a base-plate carrying guides D', between which the plates are supported. Each guide is provided with an escapement ring D<3>, Fig. 3, having two mutilated rings D<4>, D<5>, consisting of concentric rings with cut-out portions out of line with each other, and arranged so that the upper ring engages the rim of the plate next above the bottom plate before the lower ring releases the lower plate and allows it to drop on to the conveyer. Bell-crank levers D<6>, carried by the rings D<3>, are connected by rods D<7> and receive motion from a lever actuated in one direction by a cam on the shaft C<8>, and in the other direction by a spring. Instead of the rings D<4>, D<5>, a pair of sliding plates arranged one above the other and moving to and from the pie plates, may be employed. The crust-forming mechanism E consists of a crosshead E<1> carrying a plunger E<2> reciprocated in guides in the frame A<2> by rods E<3> actuated by cranks E<4> on the shaft E<5>, one of the cranks E<4> being operated by a rod E<7> receiving motion from a crank E<8> on the shaft B<6>. The plunger is heated by a coiled steam pipe, or by a gas burner E<9>. The filling-mechanism consists of a receptacle F provided with a conveyer F', the buckets of which deliver into a shoot F<8>. Each plate is slightly raised as it comes under this mechanism by riding over a turntable F<13>, which releases the plate from the conveyer and allows it to be turned by a shaft F<14> driven by belt gearing from the shaft B<7>. The mouth of the shoot F<8> being towards one side of the centre of the plate, the fruit &c. is distributed evenly over it. The lower crust is moistened by revolving brushes G', carried by a shaft G<3> and supplied with water &c. by tubes leading from a pan G<5>. The mechanism which forms the upper crust consists of a crosshead H<1> reciprocated in uprights A<4> by rods H<2> actuated by cranks H<3> on the shaft B<7>. As the crosshead ascends, the dough is brought against a plate H<4> and pressed to the desired thickness, the plate being heated by a gas burner and provided with small pins h<4> to perforate or mark the crust. As the crosshead descends, it is turned through half a revolution by a rack B<5> actuating a pinion H<6> on one of the trunnions of the crosshead, the rack H<5> being operated by a lever H<8> carried by a shaft actuated by a cam H<10>. The irregular edges of the crust are trimmed by circular cutters on the end of the arm I' of a shaft P, which is raised out of the path of the crusts when the conveyer is in motion by a roller bearing on the face of the conveyer belt and connected to an arm I<7> on a shaft I<8> carrying an arm I<9> yoked to the shaft I<3>. When the belt has advanced a step, the roller drops into a depression in the section of the conveyer beneath the cutters. A rotary brush J', fed with milk &c. from a reservoir J', glazes the top crust, the shaft J<3> receiving motion through bevel-gearing from a shaft driven through chain-gearing from the shaft B<6>. The shafts G<3>, I<3> are driven by belts from the shaft J<3>.