A Chocolate Coating Machine.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1895-Accepted, 24th Aug.,
1895
A Chocolate Coating Machine.
We, PETER JESSIE VANDERLINDA, Inventor, and HERBERT MONROE
DICKINSON, Farmer, of Grand Rapids Kent County and State of Michigan,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, 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 improvements in chocolate coating machines, and its
objects are, to provide for constantly heating and stirring the chocolate to be used,
to give the coated stock the appearance of hand coating, and to provide for
carrying the dripping chocolate from the stock to, and depositing it in the
heating box.
We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying
drawing in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine ;
Fig. 2 is a side view of the excentrics that operate the adjustable track;
Fig. 3 is an end view of the tray;
Fig. 4 is a plan of the chocolate heater and cups ;
Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the carriage; Fig. 6 is a plan of the same;
Fig. 7 is an end view of the machine;
Fig. 8 is a plan of the cup with the dripping shelf in position; and
Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the machine with the mixer, scraper and adjustable
dripping shelves removed.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
A, is the supporting frame of the machine.
B, is a collar that is secured to the shaft E and revolves with the shaft upon the
balls Eat the top of the standard A', as indicated in Fig. 5.
B₁ B are arms pivoted to the collar E¹ which is, also, secured to the top of the
shaft E and revolves therewith. These arms are supported upon rollers G that
travel on the track B. The ends of the arms are provided with yokes having
supports D in the outer end of which are pivoted the cups D in such a manner
that the stock to be coated may be placed in them point downward, and after the
stock is coated and carried around to the conveyor trays the cups are thrown over
and deposit the drops of coated stock upon the trays C¹ point up, as shown in
Fig. 1. The arms are made to revolve to carry the stock to and from the dipping
tank N by the ratchet wheel and the pawl by motion transmitted from the
shaft J through the medium of the connecting rod J to give to the carriage an
intermittent rotary motion so that the cups stop four times each revolution in
position to be filled, to dip into the chocolate, or to discharge the coated stock upon
the trays.
Our means of dipping the chocolate consists of a tank N, in which the melted
chocolate is discharged, which is supported upon the vertical rods N' that are made
to raise and lower to and from the cups as they are at rest over it, by means of
the excentrics N on the shaft L, sufficiently to immerse the stock in the
chocolate. The coated stock is discharged from the cups to the trays, first, by
lowering one section of the track B through the medium of the connecting rod 611
the lever, pivoted to the frame, and the excentric S on the shaft C, (for the
form of this excentric see Fig. 2) until the cups are about level with the tops of
the trays when the excentric S¹, see Fig. 2, on the shaft C, Fig. 1, acts upon
the lever R', to raise the standard R up to engage with the cross bar on the

page_text: end of the cup, and throw the cup bottom up and deposit the drops c out onto the
trays, when the excentric S again forces the lever to position to raise
the adjustable section of the track Bч back to place and the excentric S' ceasing
to act on the lever R' allows the standard R to drop and, coming in contact with
the cross bar ", throw the cup back to place in the yoke.
The trays Care detacbably secured to the belt C by spring fastenings, as c',
Fig. 3, so that they may be readily removed and replaced. This belt is driven by
the ratchet C and pawl " from the crank C through the medium of the con-
necting rod 11 much the same as the shaft J is driven from the crank J'; the
belt being supported upon, and running over the dummy F on the shaft F.
Motion is transmitted from the shaft J to the shaft E (see Fig. 1 and 7) to
drive the carriage, by means of the bevel gear J and E".
We use two appliances to prevent the dripping chocolate from the coated stock
from wasting, and smearing the machine: First, a series of shelves pivoted, one,
to swing to and from under each cup. When the cup is in the position shown in
side elevation in Fig. 1, the shelf is thrown from under it as at D' in Figs. 5 and 6
so that the stock may be placed in it and may be subjected to a slight degree of
heat from the gas jets I', or other suitable device, and is held in this position until
it approaches the conveyor trays C₁ when it drops under the cup and catches all
drippings that fall from the stock (see D" in Figs. 1 5 and 6), when in this
position. The shelves are thrown from under the cups as they pass from the trays
toward the filling position over the jets I by the hooks engaging with the
point and being carried over the slide B as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, and
drop off of the slide at b It is necessary that it be entirely open when over
the chocolate tank N so that the tank may raise freely and immerse the stock that
is in the cups, but as it is necessary that the chocolate should drip after leaving
this position we place dripping pins 1 under the cups when in the positions at
right angles with the longitudinal center of the machine, as shown in Fig. 6.
T, is the driving pulley of the machine, and is mounted on the main shaft J,
which is connected to drive the counter shaft L by means of the sprocket chain j",
and to drive the counter shaft C by the sprocket chain t, and the counter
shaft is driven from the shaft L, by the sprocket chain k¹.
In operating the machine, the chocolate is placed in the tank Q and melted by
means of a gas jet, as Q¹, or other device, when it is discharged upon the shelf P
where it is worked with the mixer L" and drawn forward until it drips into the
tank N' where it is kept at a uniform temperature, and is constantly agitated by
the revolving paddles M. From the tank N the chocolate flows into the tank Ñ
directly under the cup and in position to be raised up to the cup until the stock
therein is fully immersed as hereinbefore described.
The mixer L is supported and operated by the standards L' which are mounted
on the shaft L in position to allow the upper end to swing over and back to and
This
from the positions shown by the solid, and the dotted lines in Fig. 1.
swinging motion is imparted to the standards from the crank K' on the shaft K,
through the medium of the connecting rod K", and the connecting rod is divided,
and the two ends connected by a spiral spring, as K, so that the standards may
be brought up against the end of the frame and remain stationary for a short time
while the tank N raises to, and drops back from the cup in the act of coating the
stock.
The mixer M' is driven from the pulley M by the belt M, and, if desired, a
tightener, as M", may be used to take up the slack of the belt.
The chocolate in the tank N may be kept at a uniform temperature by the use
of a gas jet O, or other suitable appliance."
We
To prevent the stock in the cups from floating when in the chocolate in the
tank N we pivot a series of fingers n to the machine in position so that they may
be thrown over the cap, as the tank rises, and hold the stook down to place.
find that the inost convenient way of operating these fingers is to attach an arm
terminating in a weight n' in position to rest on the edge of the tank N, as in

page_text: Figs. 1 and 4, so that the raising' of the tank will throw the fingers down over the
stock, and the lowering of the tank will allow the weight to drop down and throw
them up out of the way.
We usually construct our tanks hollow at the bottom and ends, and provide for
holding the chocolate to a uniform temperature by means of automatic valves o,
that will open when the desired temperature is attained, and allow the surplus heat
to pass off.
The shelves D' are provided with slots ¹, at one end, for the free passage of
the standards R to act upon the cross bars and for throwing the cups over
and back to deposit the coated stock on the trays.
To cool the chocolate after the stock has left the dipping tank we make use of a
small blower, as U, in Fig. 1, connected to the proper parts by a rubber tube, or
other suitable appliance.
The dripping shelves are thrown under the cups, when freed from the slide B",
by weights (shown in Fig. 6) or other suitable appliance.
We find that our machine works fully as well without the standards L' and the
mixer L, and for most purposes we dispense with these features, as indicated in
Fig. 9 and when dispensing with them we also dispense with the shaft K, the
crank K and the connecting rods K and spring K, greatly reducing the cost
and complication of our machine; and to further simplify it we dispense with the
shelves D' and their connections, and place the pan I down upon the frame as in
Fig. 9.
When dispensing with the mixer we find it necessary to make use of a modified
form of guard for preventing the stock from floating in the chocolate and for this
purpose we construct it as shown in Fig. 9, n" being the guard which is pivoted to
the support 11 in position so that the lower end may be operated by an
excentric n, on the shaft L to act in unison with the vertical reciprocations of
the pan N, and is drawn back by the spiral spring nl.
In Fig. 9, we show, at R", a modified form of appliance for throwing the cups D
over to discharge the stock, and back to position, with which form we pivot an
angle lever R to the arms B' B¹ and connect it by means of the rod Ŕ with
the segment R", and operate it by means of the rod R, actuated by the lever R', as
herein before described, in connection with the rod R as shown in Fig. 1.
H is an adjustable scraper to remove the dripping chocolate from the shelves D',
and H' is a spring for actuating the scraper towards the shelf.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained our invention, we do declare
that what we claim is:
1. In a chocolate coating machine, a frame supporting a revolving carriage, arms
pivoted to said carriage, cups at the outer ends of said arms, a tank supported upon
vertically reciprocating rods, and a shaft and excentric to actuate said rods, as
shown and described.
2. In a chocolate coating machine, a frame supporting a revolving carriage, arms
pivoted to the carriage, cups pivoted to the arms, one section of the track pivoted
at one end to the frame and the other end supported by a lever to raise and lower,
a vertically reciprocating tank, and transfer trays, substantially as shown.
3. In a chocolate coating machine, a frame supporting a revolving carriage
having reciprocating arms pivoted thereto, a track and rollers to support the arms,
one section of the track adapted to raise and lower, a lever and excentric to
operate said section, cups pivoted to the arms and arranged to receive stock one
side up and discharge it the other side up, a lever and cams to throw the cups over
and back, shelves pivoted to be thrown to and from under the cups, and a vertically
reciprocating tank, and transfer trays, substantially as set forth.
4. In a chocolate coating machine, a frame supporting a carriage having
receiving cups at the outer ends, a vertically reciprocating tank in position to
immerse the cups and their contents, fingers to hold the stock into the chocolate,
and a dasher to agitate the chocolate, substantially as specified.

page_text: 5. In a chocolate coating machine, a frame supporting a revolving carriage and
vertically reciprocating tank, a melting tank, a receiving shelf, and a scraper to
convey the melted chocolate to the dipping tank, a guard to throw over the stock
when immersed in the dipping tank, shelves pivoted to the ends of the arms in
position to swing to and from under the cups, dripping pans under the cups, a 5
blower to cool the stock, and transfer trays, substantially as described.
Dated this 18th day of May 1895.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
31, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicants.