Patent GB-190323089-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Machines for Forming and Wrapping Blocks of Caramel or similarly Plastic Material.
Inventor: DOOLITTLE PERRY ERNEST
Filed: 1903-10-24
Granted: 1904-12-23
Abstract: 23,089. Doolittle, P. E. Oct. 24. Parcelling confectionery or sweetmeats.-Relates to machines for forming and wrapping-up blocks of caramels or similar plastic material. The paper is fed from a reel 17, Figs. 1 and 2, by rollers 14, 15, and passes down through an aperture 18 in the bed plate 1 and up through a guide-frame to intermittently-rotated rollers 22, 28, Fig. 3, which feed it between guides to the receiving-bed 51 and paper cutting mechanism 54. The strip of caramel is fed, by an inclined belt 64, to the sizing and shaping rollers 66, which reduce it to the proper size and feed it to the guide-plate 52 above the bed 51. The caramel knife 77 and the paper cutter 54 then descend simultaneously, and the plunger 86 forces the cut caramel and paper into a shoot 98, whereby the side edges of the paper are turned up at right-angles. A carriage with a folding blade 99, Fig. 6, next slides laterally and folds down one side of the paper upon the top of the caramel ; simultaneously a guard-plate 110 is snapped over the paper by its spring and carries the end of the second fold below the level at which the paper is fed by the rollers. The opposite top folding-plate 120 then folds down the opposite sides of the paper upon the first fold, after which the end folders 141, 145 and the corner folders 146 come into operation. The shaft 12 of the lower feed wheel 14 carries a friction wheel 11, driven by contact with a friction wheel 10 adjustable on a shaft 9 receiving motion, through bevel gearing, from the driving shaft 4. The lower roller 22 of the second set of feed rollers, is mounted in spring-pressed rocking journal-bars 23, a handle 26, on the shaft 27 connecting the bars, allowing the rollers to be separated a slight distance when desired. Scrapers are provided to remove any wax &c. deposited by the paper upon the feed rollers. The rollers 22, 28 are intermittently rotated by a friction clutch carried by the rocking lever 35, Fig. 12, which is loose on the shaft 29 and adjustably connected to a link 36, actuated by a lever 37 receiving motion from a cam 40 on the main shaft 4. The friction clutch comprises a sleeve 45, extending from the lever 35 and provided at its inner end with teeth 46 having inclined recesses 47 containing rollers 48, behind which are placed springs 49 ; the rollers pass into the deep parts of the recesses and roll under the hub extension 50 during the forward throw of the lever 35, and into the shallow parts on the backward movement of the lever, thus advancing the shaft 29 step by step. The paper cutting mechanism comprises a fixed blade 53 and an angularly-moving blade 54. The blade 54 is jointed to the lower ends of swinging arms, one of which is mounted on a shaft carrying a rocking arm actuated by a cam on the main shaft 4. The upper end of the plunger rod 87 is adjustably connected to links 90 pivoted to a rocking lever 91, receiving motion through links 93 from a lever 94 actuated by a cam 97 on the shaft 4. The side walls of the shoot 98 are formed of sheet metal and are flared at the top and bottom. The carriage carrying the folding blade 99 is reciprocated by a lever 103 actuated by a cam 109 on the main shaft. The guard-plate 110 is carried by a rod 111 having a forked arm 112 engaging a fixed pin 113, and is surrounded by a spring 114 which acts to throw the rod and plate outwards. A pivoted rod 116, having a forked end embracing a pin on the rod 111, carries a roller contacting with a cam on the shaft 4. The opposite blade 120 is carried by a sliding member actuated by a lever 124. The flat blades 141, 145, which fold down the ends of the top folds of the paper, are carried by shafts 132, 144, respectively. The shaft 132, Fig. 15, mounted in the standard 131, can be slid through a collar secured by a screw 134 to a sleeve 135, which is mounted in the standard and terminates in a collar 136. An arm 137, mounted on a pin on the collar 136, is pivoted to a rocking arm 138 actuated by a cam on the driving-shaft. The corner folders 146 are mounted on posts 147 and pivoted to the ends of links 148, in turn pivoted to cross-bars 149 caused to slide on the carriage. Loosely-turning end folders 152, 153 are mounted below the wings 146. In the machine shown in Fig. 31, the strips of caramel are fed from a table 63 to sizing rolls 66<a>, and delivered on to a table 63<a>, furnished with a travelling band which carries them to the shaping - rollers 66, the wrapped caramels being delivered at the side of the machine. Figs. 34 and 35 show the paper folding and delivery mechanisms. The sliding carriages 101, 122, with the folding-blades 99, 120 and the end-folders 141, 145, act as described above, and are provided with corner folding wings 146 mounted on posts 147 and having front and rear noses 146<a>, 146<b>, respectively. When the carriages are in their rear positions, spring-actuated pins 149<a> bear against the pieces 146<b>, and cause the wings to turn into the open position. When the carriages move inwards, the fingers 146 extend through holes in the side walls of the shoot 98*, and the pieces 146<a> bear against springs on the walls, causing the wings to turn on their pins and fold the corners of the partially-wrapped caramels. A pusher 101<a> on the slide 101 pushes the caramel, resting on the spring- pressed platform 98<c> forming the bottom of the shoot, into the side delivery passage 160. The bottom of this passage is divided centrally for a portion of its length, and the two portions bent downwards and then upwards, so as to form guides which turn the projecting ends of the paper under and against the caramel as it passes along the passage.