Improved Dough Cutting Machine.
Year: 1896

page_text: PRETIVAAL DIECIETATION
An Improved Dough Cutting Machine.
I ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the Firm of A. M. & Wm. Clark, of
53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered Institute
of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me by Oberle Brothers of Villingen (Baden) Germany,) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a dough-cutting machine and has for its object to
obviate the difficulties which are at present experienced in cutting up the sheet of
dough to form biscuits and which may be briefly summarized as follows, viz. :-
(1) Effecting a perfectly straight cut, that is to say preventing the dough from
squeezing under the pressure of the knife;
(2) Cutting pieces of exactly the same size;
(3) Preventing lateral pressure against the surface of the knife in cutting, which
would be liable to crush or tear the severed slices; and
(4) Ensuring that the portion severed shall fall clear away from the apparatus.
The machine hereafter described is designed to fulfil these requirements, its
construction and mode of operation being as follows:-For the purpose of deter-
mining the thickness of the slice, a stop is employed against which the dough to
be cut is pushed under the knife. This stop is fixed during the advance movement
so that the dough or gouds can be pressed with sufficient force close up to the stop.
During the descent of the knife, at the moment it begins to cut, the stop is
rendered movable so that the goods may then be moved in opposition to the
pressure of a weak spring which enables the goods to yield to an extent equal to
the thickness of the knife and yet a sufficiently strong pressure can be exerted from
the front to prevent the goods from curling up in front of the knife and thus
obviate hollow cutting of the same. Finally, during the last stage of the cut the
stop is moved away so that the slice cut off is quite free of the stop and can fall
through an opening.
The arrangements in detail are as follows:-The stop is acted upon by a weak
pressure spring, a latch lever, and a crank connected to said stop, these three
parts acting in succession in such manner that during the first stage of the
operation the latch lever will prevent any movement, then during the second stage
of the operation the latch lever is released and the pressure of the spring alone
opposes the motion of the stop, whilst during the third stage the stop is moved
away by a positive motion in opposition to the spring.
It is to he understood that for the purpose of regulating the thickness of
the slice, means are provided to exactly determine the initial position of the
stop.
The dough is supplied to a trough-like box the bottom of which is formed
by a leather band furnished with fine spikes, which passes over two rollers and
feeds the mass laid upon it in a straight line. The knife is pivoted to work
across the front end of this box and is guided by a frame. Beyond the knife
an aperture is provided in a plate forming a continuation of the trough bottom
through which the cut dough can fall. Upon this plate the stop is movably
arranged and is operated by the following mechanism in the manner stated:
The knife is pivoted to a shaft extending alongside the trough and provided with
a crank from which is suspended a slotted link by which the mechanism hereafter

page_text: described is operated. The stop is provided with a guide rod having adjustable
muts to limit the motion of the stop in the direction of the knife and thus allow
of determining the thickness of the slice, this stop being pressed up towards the
knife by a spring. The stop has a laterally projecting bracket which can be
adjusted so that in the initial position of the stop a latch lever will engage the
said bracket and thereby prevent receding motion of the stop from the knife. On
the descent of the knife the latch lever is disengaged by a stud on the slotted
link before mentioned, the stop being then only held up by the spring. This
happens when the knife begins to enter the goods being cut. In its further
course, that is to say near the end of the cut, the slotted link actuates, through a
bent lever, link, and crank arm, a rock shaft having a forked arm that engages
with the guide rod of the stop and draws it back. When the stop reaches its
outermost position another latch lever engages with a pin on the crank arm and holds
the stop firmly in its extreme position, the stop remaining in this position so
that the pieces cut off have time to fall freely away below. On the ascent of
the knife another stud on the slotted link strikes the last mentioned latch lever
and lifts it out of engagement so that when the knife has reached its highest
position the stop is caused by the pressure of the spring to move back to its initial
position.
Dated this 20th day of Jale 1806
A. M. & W M. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Dough Cutting Machine.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the Firm of A. M. & Wm. Clark of
53, Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered Institute
of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me by Oberle Brothers of Villingen, (Baden) Germany,) and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:--
This invention relates to a machine for cutting dough which has been baked a
first time, into slices to be baked a second time to form rusks, and has for its object
to obviate the difficulties which are at present experienced in cutting. up the dough
and which may be briefly summarized as follows, viz. :-
(1) Effecting a perfectly plane cut, that is to say preventing the dough from
squeezing under the pressure of the knife;
(2) Cutting slices of exactly the same thickness;
(3) Preventing lateral pressure against the surface of the knife in cutting, which
would be liable to crush or tear the severed slices; and
(4) Ensuring that the slice severed shall fall clear away from the apparatus.
The machine hereafter described is designed to fulfil these requirements, its
construction and mode of operation being as follows:-For the purpose of
determining the thickness of the slice, a gauge is employed against which the dough
to be cut is pushed under the knife. This gauge is fixed during the advance
movement so that the dough can be pressed with sufficient force against the gauge
either by hand, which is preferred, or by mechanical means. During the descent
of the kuife, at the moment it begins to cut, the gauge is rendered movable so that
the slice may then be moved in opposition to the pressure of a weak spring which
enables the slice to yield to an extent equal to the thickness of the knife and yet a
sufficiently strong pressure can be exerted from the front to prevent the slice from
curling up in front of the knife aud thus obviate hollow cutting of the same.

page_text: Finally during the last stage of the cut the gauge is moved entirely away so that
the slice cut off is quite free of the gauge and can fall through an opening.
The arrangements in detail are as follows:-The gauge is acted on by a weak
spring, a latch lever, and a crank, these parts acting in succession in such manner
that during the first part of the cut the latch lever prevents any movement of the
gauge, then during the second stage of the operation the latch lever is released and
the pressure of the spring alone opposes the motion of the gauge, whilst during the
third stage the gauge is moved away by a positive motion in opposition to the
spring. For the purpose of regulating the thickness of the slice, means are
provided to exactly determine the initial position of the gauge.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification the machine is
represented in side elevation in Figure 1, in front elevation in Figure 2, and in plan
in Figure 3. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the
figures.
The dough is supplied to a trough-like box A the bottom of which is formed by
an endless leather band V furnished with fine spikes, which passes over two
rollers W and feeds the mass laid upon it in a straight line, the tension of the band
being maintained by a strap X engaging the journals of the rear roller, and a set
screw . The knife E is pivoted to be worked by a handle e across the front end
of this box and is guided by a frame D. Beyond the knife an aperture is provided
in a plate U forming a continuation of the trough bottom through which the cut
dough can fall. Upon this plate U the gauge R is movably arranged aud is
operated by the mechanism hereafter described. The kuife E is pivoted to a
shaft F extending alongside the trough and provided with a crank G from which
is suspended a slotted link H by which the mechanism hereafter described is
operated. The gauge R is provided with a guide rod S working in guides T and
having adjustable nuts S to limit the motion of the gauge in the direction of the
knife and thus allow of determining the thickness of the slice, this gauge being
pressed up towards the knife by a spring s'. The gauge has a laterally projecting
bracket YY which can be adjusted and secured by screws Z so that in the initial
position of the gauge R the latch of a lever L pivoted at will engage the
bracket arm and thereby prevent receding motion of the gauge plate froin the
knife. On the descent of the knife the latch lever is disengaged by a stud ³ ou
the link H taking under the return end of the latch lever, the gauge being then
only held up by the spring s. This happens when the knife begins to enter the
slice being cut. By the further motion of the link H, that is to say near the end
of the cut, the end of the slot in the link comes against pin i' and the link thus
actuates (through an elbow lever I pivoted at i, a link I connected to it at ³, and
a crank arm M to the pin m of which the link is coupled) a rock shaft N having a
forked armı Q that engages with a cross pin s on the guide rod S of the gauge and
draws it back. When the gauge reaches its outermost position another latch
lever O pivoted at 01 is caused by spring P to engage by a notch piu m¹ on the
crank arm M and holds the gauge firmly in its extreme position, the gauge
remaining in this position so that the pieces cut off have time to fall freely away
below. Ou the ascent of the knife another stud 3 on the slotted link H strikes
the latch lever O and disengages it so that when the kuife has reached its highest
position the gauge is returned by the spring s to its initial position, that is to say
until nut S bears against the guide T and the latch lever L becomes re-engaged.
The knife guide D is provided with a plate C having holes to receive pins by
which the upward stroke of the knife may be limited. The whole of the
operating mechanism is mounted on a supporting frame B bolted to the sides of
the trough.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A dough cutting machine characterized by a movable gauge which is locked

page_text: during the feeding up of the dough, then released and held by spring pressure only
so as to yield to the slice in order to accommodate the thickness of the knife, then
caused to recede by a positive motion in order to release the slice so that before
the commencement of the cut a firm abutment and definite gauge is provided to
regulate the thickness of the slice whilst during the cutting, squeezing and tearing
of the slice is obviated as described.
2. The combination of mechanistn for effecting the operations specified in
Claim 1, consisting of the spring pressed gauge, a latch lever adapted to lock the
gauge until the commencement of the cut, means for releasing the latch lever, and
means for positively moving the gauge plate backwards after the completion of the
cut and there locking it until the knife rises substantially as described.
3. The means for actuating the mechanism referred to in Claim 2 consisting of a
crank on the knife shaft a link connected thereto and adapted to act at proper
moments during its upward motion first on the self-engaging latch lever for
releasing the gauge and then on the lever mechanism for the positive receding
motion of the gauge and during its downward motion on the latch lever by which
the gauge is locked in its rearmost position until the knife rises substantially as
specified.
11005
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.