Patent GB-269359-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for manufacturing and packing articles of food
IPC: B65B23/10
Filed: 1926-06-09
Abstract: 269,359. Shredded Wheat Co., Ltd., (Shredded Wheat Co.). June 9, 1926. Bakers' ovens.-A machine for making and packing cereal biscuits and other food products comprises means for forming the biscuits and transferring them to an oven conveyer, delivery mechanism which transfers them to a device where they are packed into cartons and means for sealing the cartons. Biscuit moulding and cutting apparatus. Cereal grain, having been preliminarily cooked, is formed into filaments by roller apparatus, the filaments falling on to a conveyer 69, Fig. 2, comprising spaced links 70 and roller connections 71 which run on guide rails 72. The filaments are carried between cutter chains 73, 74, the blades 79, 84 of which pass between the links 70, register and sever the filaments into biscuit lengths. Feeding biscuits to the oven pans. The cutter chain 73 has hollow links covered by gauze 81, Fig. 3, and in communication either with a vacuum chamber 85 or a pressure chamber 86 through a ported slide valve 90. The biscuits are retained against the gauze 81 by the vacuum until they are positioned over the oven trays 100 into which they are discharged by admitting pressure to the links. Oven and conveyer construction. The oven conveyer comprises two side chains having links 101, Fig. 5, connected loosely by rods 102 having supporting lugs 103 for the pans 100. Lugs 104, connected by links 105, depend from the rods 102 and are engaged by revoluble eccentric discs 148, where the conveyer passes around sprockets, which keep the pans horizontal. The conveyer moves continuously in a zig-zag path through the oven which has an upper baking space separated from a lower drying space by a partition 150<1>, Fig. 4, and is preferably supported in swinging bights at the feeding and discharging positions 62, 63 to produce an intermittent motion at those points. The bights are supported by swinging arms 118, having connecting links, operated by rock arms 134 and cams 136. The oven conveyer is driven through gearing from the shaft 139 and is tensioned by springs 115. The conveyer passes out of the oven through a conduit 151 having a gate 152 which controls the air admission. Moisture laden air is withdrawn through vacuum pipes 153, 154. Removing biscuits from oven trays, apparatus for. This comprises uprights 165, 166, Fig. 6, carrying square section guide bars 167, 168 for a sliding frame consisting of uprights 169, 170 connected by a cross piece 171, having a handle 172, and a lower cross piece. A plate 178 is slotted vertically to engage studs 174, 175 on the frame whereby the plate moves longitudinally with the frame and vertically relatively thereto. A member 179 is reciprocated on the bars 167, 168 by a lever 190 having a crank drive connection 194, 196, 198, with the shaft 158, and engages stop lugs on the plate 178 which is thus reciprocated with lost motion. The member 179 is connected by bellcrank &c. levers 184 - - 189 to the plate 178 which is moved vertically during the lost motion, i.e. elevated when moving to the left, Fig. 6, and lowered when moving to the right. Blades 201 on the plate engage behind the biscuits on the trays 100 and draw them on to a table 199. One set of apparatus, as described above, is arranged on each side of the pans 100, the load of twelve biscuits being discharged six on each side. The blades 201 are each vieldingly mounted on a pair of frames 202, 203, Fig. 46, pivoted on shafts 204, 205, carried by the plate 178. The frames 202, 203 are slotted to permit the shafts to slide therein against springs 207, 208. A stop 211 limits the downward motion of the blades, the frame 202 being normally held against the stop by a spring 212. Specification 222,336 is referred to.