Patent GB-190119172-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Chocolate Coating Machinery.
Inventor: PANOULIAS PANAYIOTIS
Filed: 1901-09-25
Granted: 1902-01-16
Abstract: 19,172. Panoulias, P. Sept. 25. Confectionery or sweetmeats.- Machinery for coating cream centres and other candies with chocolate or other material is shown in side elevation in Fig. 1, and details in Figs. 8 and 10. A chocolate receptacle 14, Fig. 1, is set in a water tank 13 heated by steam. Buckets 15<a> on chains 15 supply chocolate to a hopper 8<d> provided with a strainer and disposed over a distributing-frame shown enlarged in Fig. 8. This frame comprises uprights 37 and inclined side plates 38 with recesses 39, 40, 41, 42 and guide-strips 43, on the lower three of which are slides 44 and on the top one a stationary plate 45. The bottom slide 44 has a front piece 46, 47 and a slot 48. The edges of the slides are formed so that the slides catch together when drawn downwards by means of chains 50 secured to the lower slides 44 and driven from a shaft 33. Power is applied to a stub-shaft 21, Fig. 1, geared to a shaft 17 provided with sprocket-wheels 18 for the chains 15. The shaft 17 is also geared to an agitator-shaft 30 and a shaft 25. A chain 34 from the shaft 25 passes over a sprocket-wheel 57, loose on the shaft 33 and provided with a clutch head and a corresponding splined collar 59. A yoke 61 is connected to the collar 59, as usual, and provided with a pivoted crosshead 62 connected to angle bars 64, 65. The bar 65 has a pivot pin 69 moving in a segmental slot in a curved arm on a pivoted post 72 operated either way by a handle 79. The bar 64 is connected to a bolt or rod 67 adapted to be struck by the part 46 to withdraw the clutch. A weight 55, carried by a chain &c. 53, is wound on a drum 35 on the shaft 33, and serves to draw up the slides 44. The agitator-frame comprises side bars 82, Fig. 10, provided with guidep i n s 83 moving vertically in brackets 80, adjusting-screws 84, and end screws 86 with springs 87 on which rest bars 88, 89 secured to a frame 90. Each bar 82 has jaws 92 with set-screws and a hanger 94 carrying a roller 95 engaging a cam-wheel 97 on a tube 96 on the shaft 30. One wheel 97 has a clutch collar 99 for engagement with a sliding collar connected to a lever 3<a>, Fig. 1, operated one way by a grooved roller on the post 72, and the other way by hand, or both ways by connection to the post 72. Two verticallymovable shafts 5<a> support a frame provided with angle-irons fitting in the sides of a basket or dipping- frame 6<c>, Figs. 1 and 10, provided with a wire body portion of known form. The frame 6<c> has lugs 7<c> at the corners, two lugs forming pivots in brackets 5<c>. The lower ends of the shafts 5<a> are connected by a cross-bar 1<b>, in turn connected to a bar 4<b> and a lever 6<b> provided with a weight 8<b> and a pedal 9<b> adapted to be engaged by a pivoted catch 2<c>. A feed-board to be placed on the frame of the shafts 5<a> comprises a stationary member 2<d>, Fig. 10 with recesses for the candies 6<d>, and a movable member 3<d> with corresponding raised portions. The feedboard is raised flush with the bottom of the frame 6<c> by releasing the pedal, and the member 3<d> is raised by hand to project the candies into the frame 6<c>. The whole is then turned backwards as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 10, lowered over the agitator-frame ; and the feed-boards removed. A perforated plate on the top of the agitatorframe prevents any candies from falling into a drip shoot 1<e>, Fig.1. When the coating is finished, a sheet of paper &c. and a board are placed over the frame 6<c>, and the whole is turned into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 10, the shafts 5<a> are lowered, and the candies removed. The candies are held in the frame 6<c> by a spring- operated catch released by striking a lug 8<c> on the frame of the shafts 5<a>. The machine may comprise several similar working sections, in which case the tank 14 has partition plates with openings and sliding doors.