Improvements in Machinery for the Covering or Coating of Sweetmeats and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1899-Accepted, 22nd Apr.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for the Covering or Coating of
Sweetmeats and the like.
I, GEORGE SAMUEL BAKER, Engineer, of 58, City Road, in the County of
London, England, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to machines for covering or coating sweetmeat and like
confectionery goods with chocolate or similar material, and has for its object
the construction of a special receiver for the coating material, and of mechanismu
by which such material is agitated or mixed between each dipping operation,
to keep it in uniform condition throughout its mass.
According to this invention the chocolate or other coating material is con-
tained in a tank which is received by a jacketted holder upon the framing of
the machine. This tank is separate and is readily removable from the jacketted
holder in which it is secured, and this is found to be a valuable feature in facili-
tating the working of the apparatus. In order to facilitate the removal of the
tank from the jacketted holder, without disturbing the dipping gear, the holder
has a jacketted hinged portion or flap which is capable of being turned down
upon its trunnions to allow the tank to be moved into or out of the holder
horizontally. The trunnions are formed with bores or passages which com-
municate with the jacket of the flap to allow of the circulation of the heating or
cooling fluid therein. A jacketted cover is provided for a portion of the tank
leaving a sufficient entrance for the dipping device, this jacketted cover may
also be provided with ingress and egress apertures for the heating or cooling
medium.
The improved stirring or agitating device employed in this machine is adapted
also to keep the material of a uniform consistency as well as from agglomerating
and adhering to the interior of the tank, and for this purpose it is provided with
bevel or knife edges, which scrape the side walls and bottom of the tank as the
device is moved to and fro therein. Gearing is designed to operate the stirring
device at such intervals that it will not foul the dipping device in its operation.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure is a side elevation of a portion of a sweetmeat coating machine with
the tank and jacketted holder in section, and
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the machine showing a portion of the tank
and jacketted holder in cross section upon the line 2-2 Figure 1.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A is the framing of the machine and B is the tank or trough for containing
the chocolate or coating material, secured in the jacketted holder C. A jacketted
portion or flap C is hinged to the holder and may be turned upon the trunnions
C to allow of the insertion or withdrawal of the tank B. The tank is partly
covered in by means of a separate jacketted portion C which may have con-
nections with the main jacket to enable the heating or cooling medium

page_text: circulated in the main jacket to circulate also in the portion 03. Within the
tank or trough is a reciprocatory stirrer and scraper 1) which is in contact with
the sides and bottom of the tank as shown in Figure 2; this device is provided
with bevel or knife edges as shown in dotted lines at D5 Figure 1 so that during
its reciprocating movement it will remove any portions of the coating material
that may adhere to the interior of the tank. The stirring is mainly effected by
means of a grid constituted by a cross tie 12 preferably of oval cross section
mounted in the side plates and connected to the base plate of the stirrer device
by cross pieces D. Arms or links D³ are rivetted at one end to the stirrer
device and are pivotted at the other end De to levers ] mounted upon either
end of a rocking shaft E. Slots or depressions C are formed in the end wall
of the jacketted holder for the arms or links D3 to slide in so that they may
be clear of other working parts. Upon the rocking shaft is keyed a crank
which is reciprocated by means of the rotating cam E³ against the periphery
of which a friction roller E3 mounted upon the end of the crank, impinges.
The cam is rotated through the medium of gear wheels F F the driving wheel F
being mounted upon the driving shaft G upon which is also mounted the cam
for operating the dipping device. The driving wheels FF2 are in the pro-
portion of two to one so that the scraper makes two complete reciprocations to
one operation of the dipping device and the cam is so set with regard to the
cam operating the dipping device that the stirrer D will be at the end of its
stroke whilst the dipping operations are being performed. A spring H is
fastened to the framing at one end and is connected at the other end to a crank H,
upon the rocking shaft E. The spring being extended by the motion of the
shaft Ein one direction will thus effect the movement of the shaft in the oppo-
site direction when the friction roller upon the crank El passes from off the
semicircular portion of the cam E2 on to the inclined portion thereof.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in the drawings, and the cam E2
rotating in the direction of the arrow Figure 1 the end of the crank E¹ will be
moved downward from its horizontal position. This movement of the crank
rocks the shaft E therely moving the ends of the levers 1' over a portion of
the are shown in dotted lines Figure 1. This movement is communicated to
the stirrer D and effects the completion of its stroke. The friction roller of
the crank Ewill now impinge upon the semicircular portion of the cam thereby
keeping the stirrer 1) at the end of its stroke for a period corresponding to
that required for the dipping operation to be performed. When the semicircular
portion of the cam has passed the friction roller upon the end of the crank E¹
the latter is free to be moved upwards and such movement is effected by means
of the spring H acting upon the second crank H¹ keyed to the shaft. The
return of the stirrer being thus accomplished it will again be moved outwards
by the further rotation of the cam, and as the cam is driven at twice the speed
of the cam operating the dipping device, it is obvious that two stirring and
scraping movements take place to one operation of the dipping device.
When it is desired for any purpose to remove the tank or container B, the
stirrer device can be readily raised therefrom by turning the arms 13 upward
upon their pivots D in the ends of the levers D. The jacketted flap C is
then turned down upon its trunnions and the tank may be withdrawn by means
of handles conveniently secured thereto.
Trunnions provided at each side of the flap C₁ are constructed tubular and
communicate with the interior of the jacketted flap C; one of them constitutes
an ingress and the other an egress passage for the heating or cooling fluids. As
shown in Figure 2 baffles C may be employed in one or all of the jacketted
portions to ensure the desired circulation of the fluid over the whole of the
interior surfaces of the jackets.
Instead of the spring, a counterweight or another cam and lever such as E¹
& E³ may be employed to effect the return movement of the stirring device,

page_text: and any number of such movements may be made to one movement of the dipping
device by employing suitable gear. The stirring device may be employed in
conjunction with other stirring devices attached to the dipping device or if
desired it may act as a scraper only in conjunction with such other stirring
devices.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a machine for coating sweetmeats the combination with a jacketted
holder of a removable tank or container for the coating material.
a jacketted
2. In a machine for coating sweetmeats the combination with
holder and a removable tank or container of a jacketted cover and jacketted
hinged portion for the purpose described.
3. In a machine for coating sweetmeats a jacketted holder having a jacketted
hinged portion substantially as described.
4. In a machine for coating sweetmeats the combination of a removable tank
or container for the purpose described and a stirrer which is adapted to scrape
the interior of the tank or container and is readily removable therefrom.
5. In a machine for coating sweetmeats a stirring device operated by pivotted
links so disposed that the stirring device can be readily raised for the purpose
described.
6. In a machine for coating sweetmeats a stirring device of the kind described
cam such as E2 and a return
operated by links and levers controlled by a
mechanism for the purpose described.
7. In a machine for coating sweetmeats the jacketted holder and removable
tank or container substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
8. The complete stirring and mixing device substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of March 1899.
GEORGE SAMUEL BAKER.
Boult & Wade.
Agents for the Applicant.