Improvements in and relating to Machines for Stamping, Marking, or Printing Soap.
Year: 1895

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c., Act, 1883), as required
by the decision of the Chief Examiner of the 10th day of February 1897.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Machines for Stamping, Marking,
or Printing Soap.
We, DAVID JOHNSTONE MACDONALD, of 30 Dens Road, Machine Maker, and
GEORGE CAMERON DOUGLAS, of 41 Reform Street, Consulting Engineer, both
of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, Scotland, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in machines for stamping, marking, or
printing soap, the object being to indelibly mark soap in a new and improved
manner and by means of improved apparatus.
In carrying out our invention we provide means for holding the piece of soap in
such a manner that the two opposite faces which are to be simultaneously stamped,
are in vertical planes. When in this position the colouring liquid is raised in any
suitable known way so as to be in contact with the said two opposite faces, its level
being then above the stamps. These stamps, which consist of needles, wires, or
other like appliances arranged with their axes normal to the vertical plane in which
the soap is held, and so as to form any desired pattern, are each attached to a
horizontal slide, one such slide being opposed to each face of the soap.
These slides are then actuated by a suitable mechanism which impels them
towards and into the opposite faces of the soap in such a manner that the imprint
of the needles is made to any desired depth. The slides then being withdrawn, the
liquid, which is still in contact with the soap, flows into the holes in consequence
of the vacuum formed by the withdrawal of the needles. The liquid is then
withdrawn, the soap released and cleaned. In some cases the action of the vacuum
in filling the holes with colour may be supplemented by a second and partial
insertion of the needles. Instead of raising and lowering the colour, a shutter or
slide may be employed to retain the colouring liquid within its receptacle when the
soap is to be released.
One type of machine which may be employed, consists essentially of a frame or
standard to which are attached two hollow vertical cylinders, which are so designed
that each carries a slide on which are one or more stamps.
These slides are
actuated, preferably by cams, such cams being cylindrical with the roller grooves
in their periphery, that is to say, they are screws with a thread or threads of such
form as to cause the slides to move backwards and forwards intermittently or
continuously, as may be desired. The roller or rollers which engage with the
threads of the cam are suitably attached to the slides. Each vertical cylinder is
open at the top and a piston forms the bottom. By raising and lowering..

page_text: piston, the level of the colouring liquid may be altered. In order to keep the
liquid in constant agitation, moveable agitators are employed, such agitators being
actuated in any suitable manner; or the liquid may be made to circulate within
the cylinder as it rises or falls. The soap holders are moved backwards and
forwards by screws which are controlled by cams or other devices. The holders,
when gripping the cake, form receptacles at the top of the vertical cylinders into
which the colouring liquid is raised, flexible joints or slides permitting the relative
movement of the stamps and holders, although, were the cake not in position, the
liquid might pass through the apertures made for the passage of the stamp to the
soap, hence the necessity of lowering its level when the soap is not in position to be
stamped.
The cakes may be placed at leisure into suitable grippers, which may then
automatically or otherwise be placed between the holders and gripped by them.
One central shaft is used to carry the cams for actuating the slides and the screws
for the holders, such shaft being driven by hand or power.
In another machine we propose to stamp two cakes simultaneously. The stamps
in this case are attached to opposite slides or their branches, the slides being
actuated by cams as in the first mentioned machine, or by screws, cranks, levers,
or gear wheels, as may be found most suitable. The aforesaid stamps are each
contained in a suitably shaped receptacle which forms a tank for the colouring
liquid, and also a supplementary guide for the stamp and a holder for the soap.
The tanks move in slides which may be partially or wholly a continuation or
modification of the stamp slides.
Each tank has an aperture next the soap, and therefore the level of the colouring
liquid has to be lowered when the cakes are not in position to be stamped. The
holders are actuated very much as in the first mentioned machine. The colouring
matter may be supplied by vertical pumps as previously described or they may be,
one at each side of the tank and moving with it, or alternatively fixed to the frame
of the machine, arrangements being made to conduct the liquid from the cylinder
to its tank, either when the piston is raised or when it is depressed, that is to say
in the one case the liquid is directly above the piston and in the other case it is
beneath. The pistons are simultaneously raised or lowered by means of a crank
or cranks or cams. In some cases displacers may be used to alter the level of the
liquid.
Sometimes we dispense with pumps or displacers and permanently retain the
working colour at a uniform level in the hereinbefore described tank or receptacle.
In order to do this we employ a slide or shutter to cover the opening through
which the needles have access to the soap. This shutter is placed in position prior
to the release of the soap and withdrawn when a fresh piece is again held for
stamping. We provide suitable means for heating, agitating, replenishing or
otherwise treating the colouring liquid. When the soap is released by the holders
it may simply be allowed to fall into a receptacle, or it may be tilted or seized by
suitable mechanism which may convey it to a subsidiary cleansing appliance. This
appliance may consist of an arrangenient of spraying nozzles capable of discharging
air, water, or air and water combined; in such a way that the colour adhering to
the surface of the soap is removed, while the colour which fills the holes remains
intact. We may dispose the mechanism for holding the soap while being cleansed
in such a way as to best secure this result. The refuse colour which may be
contained in the water which has been used for cleansing is conducted to a settling
tank specially designed to secure a thorough subsidence of the colour and the
drawing off of the water, in such a way as to prevent re-incorporation. Pieces of
soap may be fed to the machine by hand, but we prefer to use an automatic
feeding arrangement. This may consist of an endless band or similar device
actuated from any convenient part of the machine, such band being fed from
hopper, or by hand, and used to convey the pieces of soap into the proper position
for stamping, and also if desirable to convey them to the cleansing apparatus and
finally deposit them where required. Another feeding arrangement consists of a

page_text: rotating carrier or carriers so actuated and constructed as to perform the functions
of the endless band as herein before described. Another arrangement consists of
levers constructed and actuated to imitate as nearly as possible the operation of
hand feeding and subsequent manipulation as previously described.
In another type of machine the motive power may either be air, steam, water, or
any other gas or fluid. This motive power may be applied directly to the actuating
of the stamping and other mechanism by means of cylinders, pistons or like direct
actors whose motions are governed by valves actuated in the known way, or it may
be applied to the said mechanism through the medium of cranks, levers and other
mechanism.
Dated this 11th day of September 1895.
GEO. C. DOUGLAS & Co.,
41 Reform Street, Dundee, Agents for Applicants.
Improvements in and relating to Machines for Stamping, Marking,
or Printing Soap.
We, DAVID JOHNSTONE MACDONALD, sometime of 30 Dens Road, but now of
South St. Roque's Works, Machine Maker and GEORGE CAMERON DOUGLAS,
of 41 Reform Street, Consulting Engineer, both of Dundee, in the County of
Forfar, Scotland, 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 machines for stamping, marking or
printing soap, the object being to indelibly mark soap in a new and improved
manner and by means of improved apparatus.
And in order that our said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, we have hereunto
appended four explanatory sheets of drawings in which the same reference numerals
are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown, that is
to say :-
Figure 1. (Sheet 1.) is a side elevation of a soap stamping machine.
Figure 2. (Sheet 1.) is an upper plan, and Figure 3. (Sheet 1.) an under sectional
plan of the machine.
Figure 4. (Sheet 2.) is a part cross sectional view showing how the shutters are
actuated; Figure 5. (Sheet 2.) being the corresponding longitudinal part section
of same.
Figure 6. (Sheet 2.) is a part cross sectional view showing how the tilting
apparatus is actuated, Figure 7. (Sheet 2.) being a corresponding longitudinal part
section of same.
Figure 8. (Sheet 3.) is a part cross sectional view showing how the grippers are
actuated, and
Figure 9. (Sheet 4) is a general plan showing how the machine may be disposed
in relation to subsidiary appliances.
In carrying out our invention we provide means for holding the piece of soap 10.
in such a manner that the two opposite faces which are to be simultaneously
stamped are in vertical planes. We preferably stamp two cakes of such soap 10.
simultaneously and the stamps 11. are each contained in a suitably shaped
receptacle 12. which forms a tank for the colouring liquid and also a supplementary
guide for the stamp and a holder for the soap. These tanks move in slides 13.
which are a continuation of the stamp slides, and each tank has an aperture 14.
next the soap. The soap holders, that is to say the tanks 12. are moved backwards

page_text: and forwards by screws 15. which are controlled by a cam 16. We permanently
retain the working colour at an approximately uniform level in its tank or
receptacle, the level being such that the stamps are totally immersed. In order
to do this we employ a slide or shutter 17. to cover each opening 14. through
which the needles have access to the soap. These shutters are placed in position
prior to the release of the soap and withdrawn when fresh pieces are again held for
stamping. The stamps which consist of needles, wires or other like appliances are
arranged with their axes normal to the vertical plane in which the soap is held and
so as to form any desired pattern. They may be constructed as described in the
British Specification of Macdougald and Sturrock No. 1793, of A.D. 1893, or in
any other suitable known way. They are each attached to a horizontal slide 18.
one such slide being opposed to each face of the soap. These slides are then
actuated by a suitable mechanism which impels them towards and into the opposite
faces of the soap in such a manner that the imprint of the needles is made to any
desired depth. The slides being then withdrawn, the liquid, which is still in
contact with the soap flows into the holes in consequence of the vacuum formed
by the withdrawal of the needles. The shutters are placed in position, as
previously explained, the soap being then released and cleaned, that is to say the
slides 18. are actuated by cylindrical cams 19. with the roller grooves 20 in their
periphery of such form as to cause the slides to move backwards and forwards
intermittently or continuously as may be desired. In the drawings the grooves
are made to actuate the slides intermittently. The rollers 21. which engage with
the grooves of the cams are attached to their respective slides by means of studs
and Duts 22. We may provide suitable means for heating, agitating and
replenishing the colouring liquid, such store of liquid being retained in a
reservoir 23. where it may be treated in the manner indicated although we do
not consider it absolutely necessary that such reservoir 23. be used, as the tanks 12.
may be kept supplied with liquid in any other suitable way by the operator.
When the cakes of soap are released by the holders 12. they are tilted by suitable
mechanism, as shown in Figure 6, into a receptacle or on to endless bands 24.
which may convey them to subsidiary cleansing appliances. The cakes of soap
are fed to the machine by hand.
One central shaft 25. is used to carry the cams for actuating the slides and the
screws for the holders, such shaft being driven by hand or by power by means of
the hand wheel 26. or by the friction clutch 27. respectively.
The machine is operated in the following manner :-Assuming the machine to be
in full operation, that is to say that the cakes of soap are being continuously
treated. The central shaft 25. is kept in continuous rotation at say a speed of
about fifteen revolutions per minute by means of a belt which drives the friction
clutch 27, or continuously or intermittently by means of the band wheel 26. which
At the
gears with the main shaft 25. by means of the pinion 28. and wheel 29.
moment the two cakes are fed into the machine the stamps are wholly within the
tanks 12. and the holders are sufficiently far apart to permit of the soap being
easily dropped between and on to the tilters 30, while at the same time the
shutters 17. are fully up, their movements being controlled by the cams 31, the
guides 32, cam rollers 33, and compression springs 34, such shutters being free to
move backwards and forwards on the pins 35. with the grippers, and up and down
as determined by the cam rollers which are always kept in contact with their cams
by the springs. When the cakes are in this position the grippers are moved
forward by means of the tension springs 36. which, by means of the chains 47, pull
round the pulleys 37. and with them the right and left hand screws 15. thus moving
the nuts 39. towards each other and with them the grippers 12. until they firmly
hold the cakes with a pressure due to the strength of the springs 36.
When the
cakes are firmly held they close the apertures 14. and the shutters are then
lowered permitting of the needles heing inserted into the soap to the required
depth such movement being controlled by the cams 19, rollers 21, and slides 18.
When the needles are withdrawn the colouring matter rushes into the holes thus

page_text: formed by them by reason of the pressure of the atmosphere and the head of
liquid. The shutters then rise and the grippers recede from each other leaving
the cakes loosely supported by the tilters 30. after which they are tilted to the
position shown by the dotted lines in Figure 6, in this manner dropping such cakes
into a receptacle or on to endless bands as may be desired. The tilters are
actuated by the cam 40, cam roller 41, guide 42, racks 43, wheels 44, fixed to the
tilter spindles 45. and compression springs 46. The position of the grippers
relative to their common centre may be adjusted by lifting the chains 47. off their
pulleys and then rotating the screws in the necessary direction, after which the
chains may be replaced. Immediately the cakes are thrown out of their tilters,
such tilters resume their normal position and are ready to receive two other
cakes.
In sheet four, Figure 9, is shown a diagrammatic plan illustrating how the
machine 50. may be arranged in reference to say a washing ani drying machine 48.
and 49. in which 24. are endless bands upon which the cakes are dropped by the
tilters and carried to the shoot 51. into the washing machine 48. and from thence
to the drying machine 49. As we have previously explained the employment of
the reservoir 23, endless bands 24, and washing and drying machines 48. and 49.
are not essential to the successful working of the soap stamping machine and we
do not claim anything in connection with that particular combination.
We wish it to be particularly understood that we do not limit ourselves to the
precise details of construction herein before described and illustrated on the annexed
drawings, but that we hold ourselves free to make such changes and alterations as
conform with the disposition and scope of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what mauner the same is to be performed, we are aware that it has
been previously proposed to reciprocate the needles of soap stamping machines
by means of horizontal slides and we do not claim such construction per se,
and we wish it to be understood that we are aware of the prior Patents of
Macdougald and Sturrock Nos. 12974/92 and 13417/92, and we lay no claim at
large to such construction, but we declare that what we claim is :-
(1) In machines for stamping, marking or printing soap, the combination and
arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figures 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
(2) In machines for stamping, marking or printing soap, the combination and
arrangement of parts for closing and opening the apertures 14, as described and
more particularly illustrated by Figures 4. and 5. of the accompanying
drawings.
(3) In machines for stamping, marking or printing soap, the combination and
arrangement of parts for throwing the tablets of soap out of the machine as
described and more particularly illustrated by Figures 6. and 7. of the accompanying
drawings.
GEO. C. DOUGLAS & Co.,
41 Reform Street, Dundee, Agents for Applicants.