Patent GB-184400-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in bread toasters
IPC: A47J37/08
Filed: 1921-09-26
Abstract: 184,400. Strite, C. P. Sept. 26, 1921. Toasting-apparatus.-In a toasting-machine having an electrically-heated oven, the heat supply is cut off and the toast removed from the oven after a predetermined time, dependent on the amount of moisture in the bread. The oven 14 having a slotted cover 122 through which the bread slices A are placed on the carriers 102, rests on a casing 16 enclosing the timing-mechanism of the apparatus. As shown in Fig. 8, a lever 40 which, together with an integral framework carrying on its upper side the bread-carriers 102 guided by the wires 118, and on its lower side the upper contacts of a switch, is pivoted to a rod 36, so that when the lever 40 is depressed, the bread is lowered into the oven 14 and the heating-circuit closed. The lever 40 is normally held in its raised position by the spring 44. Also pivoted to the rod 36 is a lever 34, which passes through a slot in the front of the casing 16, as does the lever 40. The lever 34 is attached to a chain 32 passing round the drum 80 of a clockwork mechanism, so that on depressing the lever, the mechanism is wound up, to an extent regulated by the lever meeting the arm 54 of a triangular beam which is adjusted angularly by the handle 66, having a detent 68 engaging the notched member 70, as shown in Fig. 11. As the lever 34 is raised by the clock-work, it meets the arm 48 of a hinged beam which acts as a gravity catch device engaging the lever 40, in its lowermost position, so that as the beam is raised, the lever 40 is released, spring arms 72 straddling the lever and fitted with resilient material 74, preventing it from stopping too suddenly. The heating-elements are placed between the carriers 102 and comprise two mica sheets 124 with binding-strips 126, as shown in Fig. 13. The heating-wires 130 are wound round the sheets 124, being held in place by passing through holes in the mica and secured to the binding-strips 126 by eyelets 128. Bus-bars in the bottom of the oven are provided with arms 136, 138 extending towards each other but separated, as shown in Fig. 5, and these arms are provided with three lugs slightly out of alignment to receive the binding-strips 126, so that by being bent, the strips are firmly held in position and make good ccntact with the bus-bars. The front bus-bars 133, 134, 135 are connected to the switch, as shown in Fig. 9, by wires e, c, f, d and the rear bus-bar 132 and the switch are connected to the binding-screws 162, 161,163 by wires g, a, b, the arrangement shown being for a three-wire system. Intermediate switches 164, 166 serve to cut out either one or both of the outer heating- elements to vary the capacity of the oven. The switch has four pairs of carbon contact points 142, 144, the lower contacts 142 being held in metal sockets 143 attached to the insulating sheet 140. The upper contacts 144 are connected in pairs by bars 154 having an insulated and hinged connection to the' spindle 146, which is surrounded by a spring 158 between a cross-bar 96 and the bar 154. The two bars 154 are connected by a flexible metal strip. The cross-bar 96 is hingedly connected to the. frame operated by the lever 40 and is constrained to move vertically by the forked ends 100 of the bar engaging the ports 29. A crumb shield 168 on the bar 96 protects the switch.