Patent GB-190925246-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Machines for Breaking and Packing Sugar.
Inventor: BOIVIN ANDRE
IPC: C13B45/02
Filed: 1909-11-02
Granted: 1910-10-27
Abstract: 25,246. Boivin, A. Nov. 2. Sugar cutters.-In a machine for breaking sugar loaves and packing the pieces into boxes, the breaker and the boxing- mechanism are operated alternately, the clutch of the boxing- mechanism being closed by a counter actuated by the breaker, and the clutch of the breaker being closed by the boxing mechanism. Means may also be provided for stopping the breaker during interruptions in the feed thereto. In the machine shown in elevation in Fig. 1 and in section in Fig. 4, the loaves 5 are fed from a box 4 having a bottom grating 6 by fingers 7, 8 upon shafts 9, 10 mounted in a slide 11 and connected by a rod 13 so as to be rocked by a sector 14 to lower the fingers during return. The breaker comprises plates 16, which are rocked about shafts 20, 21 by a rod reciprocated by a crank-pin and slot mechanism from a shaft 27 and connecting opposing cranks upon the shafts 20. The plates 16 can be adjusted by screws 29 connecting supporting- arms 18 loose upon, and arms 28 fixed to, the shafts 20. The sugar is advanced on to a table 33, which has resilient plates 34 to guide and hold the pieces, and is brought beneath adjustable pincers for transferring the sugar to a box 37. The pincers consist of a cross-piece 39, which slides in slots 40 and carries fixed plates 38 and plates 41 carried by parallel levers 43 so as to be retracted against the action of springs 45 by arms 46 upon a rock-shaft 47. Pistons 49 displace the sugar from the pincers. A grid 53 conveys the boxes 37 from a basket 52 to a receptacle 36 beneath the pincers, and lowers it when full on to a conveyer 54. Shutters 134, hinged to the receptacle 36 and connected together, guide the pincers into the box. The driving-mechanism comprises a shaft 55 which drives shatts 58, 60 through gearing 56, 57, 59. The wheels 57, 59 are clutched to the shafts 58, 60 by clutches consisting of bolts rotated into engagement by springs, and out of engagement by fingers 62, 65. The shaft 58 drives, through a broken screw-thread, a shaft 68 carrying a cam 69, whereby the feed-block 11 is intermittently advanced and rapidly retracted through levers 70, 72. The shaft 58 also drives by spur-gearing a wheel 74 clutched to the breaker-driving shaft 27 by a clutch 76, which is disengaged during the return movement of the feed-block 11 by a lever 78 actuated by a cam 77. The shaft 27 drives by worm gearing a counter 8t having a circular row of holes equal to the number of teeth thereon, and in which are fixed cams 82 equal in number to the layers of sugar in the boxes 37. The cams 82 engage an arm 83 upon a shaft 84, which carries an arm 85 extended by a spring 87 and rocking between steps 90, 91 to bring levers 96, 92 into and out of engagement with the clutch fingers 62, 65. The shaft 60 rotates by screw-gearing a shaft 97 carrying cams, of which (1) the cam 100 reciprocates the table 33 by levers 107, 109, 110 ; (2) the cam 101 reciprocates the pincers by levers 111, 112, 113, 115 ; (3) the cam 102 opens the pincers by levers 116, 117, 118, 46 ; (4) the cam 103 reciprocates the pistons 49 by levers 119, 120, 121, 123 ; (5) the cam 104 moves the grid 53 horizontally by levers 128, 126, 125 ; (6) the cam 105 moves the grid vertically by levers 130, 131, 133 ; (7) the cam 106 actuates the shutters 134 by levers 137, 139, 140 and a slide-block 136 ; (8) cams 142, equal in number to the cams 82, and mounted in a disk 141, engage an arm 143 upon the shaft 84. In operation, when the required number of pieces of sugar has been cut, the counter 81 actuates the levers 96, 92 to open the breaker-clutch 62 and close the clutch 65, whereupon the shaft 97 is partly rotated to transfer a box from the basket 52 to the receptacle 36, lift it, lower the shutters 134, advance the table 33, depress the pincers, allow them to be closed by the springs 45 to grip the sugar, raise the pincers slightly, withdraw the table 33, lower the pincers into the box, depress the pistons 49, and raise the pincers and then the pistons. A cam 142 then reverses the clutches 62, 65 to operate the breaker again. When the next cam 82 again reverses the clutches, the movements of the table, pincers, and pistons are repeated. As the shaft 97 finishes one revolution, the grid 53 lowers the box on to the conveyer 54 and is returned to the basket 52. The cams 100, 101, 102, 103 have as many undulations as there are layers of sugar to be superposed, and either the cams 101, 103 are shaped to lower the pistons and pincers less as the box becomes full or the grid 53 is lowered step by step. A number of breakers &c. may be arranged side by side.