Improvements in Apparatus for Coating Chocolate Drops and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1895-Accepted. 11th Jan., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Coating Chocolate Drops and
the like.
I, CHARLES THEODORE VIAU, of No. 1288 Notre Dame Street, in the City
of Montreal, in the District of Montreal and Province of Quebec, Dominion of
Canada, Manufacturer, 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:→
My invention relates to apparatus for coating "cream" drops with chocolate or
coating drops of other material such as gelatine or gum with sugar or other
substance, and it has for its object a novel apparatus more cheap and simple, more
durable, and more efficient than the apparatus hitherto employed, performing its
work in less time and requiring no steam or other power.
In order to simplify description I will set forth the construction and operation of
the apparatus as applied to the coating of cream drops with chocolate.
My invention comprises first a special construction of the carrier for the drops
such that the contact of each drop with the carrier is only at a few small points,
and secondly, a construction of the retainer, the tray which receives the finished
drops, and the agitating frame, as I shall describe referring to the accompanying
drawings.
.
Fig. 1 is a plan of the carrier as placed upon the agitator over the chocolate
dipping trough with the retainer on it,
Fig. 2 a perspective view on reduced scale of the tray.
Fig. 3 an enlarged perspective view of one of the holding spaces of the carrier.
Fig. 4 an enlarged elevation of one of the supporting posts, and Fig. 5 a
similar view of one of the latches.
The carrier preferably consists of a rectangular frame having side bars 5 and
end bars 6; the space enclosed by the frame is divided into any desired number of
spaces by longitudinal bars 7 and transverse bars 8.
From the bars 7 and 8 project contacts preferably one from each side of each of
the spaces formed by the bars, and these contacts are preferably formed and
supported in the following manner :-
:
Each contact consists of a slightly curved length of wire 9, having its projecting
end turned downwards as at 10, and two of such contacts may be formed of a
single piece of wire having its ends curved inward towards each other and passed
through a hole 11 in the bar in which hole it is fixed about midway of its length
with its convex side uppermost, thus forming two contacts one projecting on each
side of the bar.
A number of these contacts provide holders for supporting the drops to be
dipped, the surface in contact being exceedingly small so that the coating of the
entire "drop" with chocolate or other material is ensured.
The drops to be dipped are placed one in each space resting upon the contact
fingers 9, and in order to prevent them from floating up when immersed in the
liquid chocolate or other coating material I provide a retainer preferably
constructed as follows:-
A rectangular frame corresponding in length and breadth to the carrier frame
has longitudinal bars 12, and transverse bracing bars 12 a. The longitudinal_bars
are at such a distance apart that they cross the centres of the spaces of the

page_text: carrier, and auxiliary retaining bars can be added, if desired, by stretching
lengths 126 of wire transversely across the longitudinal bars 12 and securing these
wires to the bars so as to be flush with the bearing surface by setting them in
grooves 12 c and fixing them thereon by soldering or the like.
The retainer is held slightly above the carrier by corner posts 13 and 14 on
the carrier, each of the posts 13 extending upwards sufficiently to provide a
shoulder 13a, a recesss 136 and an overhanging part 13 c, the recess 136 being of
sufficient width to accommodate the end bar of the retainer frame. Each of the
other posts 14 extends upward only a sufficient distance to provide a shoulder 14a
and a straight upper part 14 b. The lower parts of the posts 13 and 14, are of
sufficient length to support the carrier a little above the table on which it is set to
be filled.
A pair of spring actuated latches 16 are fulcrumed one at each of the corner
posts 14 upon bolts 17 which are passed through the side bars 5 and the posts 14,
and are screwed into brackets 18. Each bolt carries a coiled spring 19 one end of
which bears on the inside face of the adjacent end piece 6 and its other end bears
on the latch exerting a pressure tending to cause it to stand vertical with its
shoulder 16 a over one end bar of the retainer frame.
The tray that I prefer to use to receive the completed drops, consists of a
rectangular plate 20 corresponding in size to the carrier but with its corners cut
away as at 20 a to clear the corner posts 13 and 14.
The trough 21 in which the coating material is contained and in which the filled
carrier is dipped, is preferably of oblong form, slightly longer and wider than
the carrier and set in a table 22. This table also carries a pair of frames 23 having
holes 23 a to receive the lower ends of the posts 13 and 14. These frames 23 are
agitated by hand or otherwise.
In operating with the apparatus, a drop or other article to be coated is placed in
each of the holders of carrier frame, the drops being preferably placed with
their apices downwards, and their sides resting upon the curved ends of the contact
pieces 9. The retainer frame is then placed upon the carrier and set with one of
its transverse end bars in the recesses 136 of the posts 13, the other end bar being
then pressed down over the latches 16 which are allowed by the springs 19 to yield
and are caused to return so as to hold the transverse bar of the retainer beneath
their shoulders 16 a.
The filled carrier with retainer held thereon is then lifted by handles 25 on the
carrier, and the whole is immersed in the coating material in the trough 21 after
which the carrier is set with its legs 13 and 14 in the holes in the agitator frame
which is then agitated, thus shaking any superfluous coating material back into the
trough. After the agitation the latches 16 are pressed back and the retainer being
removed, the tray 20 is substituted for it. The carrier is then lifted from the
agitator frame and turned upside down, the tray meanwhile being held in place
by hand, when the coated articles are deposited upon the tray thus emptying the
carrier, after which the operation can be repeated.
It is preferred to spread a sheet of paper over the coated articles before the tray
is placed on them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for coating chocolate drops and the like consisting of a table and
trough, an agitator frame, a removeable carrier frame having holding spaces with
contacts for the articles to be coated, a removable retainer having bars and wires
crossing the spaces of the carrier, and a tray for receiving the coated articles,
substantially as described.
2. In the apparatus above referred to, the carrier frame made with spaces to hold
the articles to be coated, each space having wire contacts, substantially as
described.

page_text: 3. In combination with the carrier having holders and contacts, a retainer having-
bars and wires so arranged as to cross the holding spaces of the carrier, substantially
as described.
4. In apparatus for coating chocolate drops or the like, a carrier frame having
holders for the drops consisting of several minute contact wires having rounded
ends projecting toward each other and adapted to engage the sides of the drops,.
substantially as described.
ני
1
1
1007
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.