IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY. OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING LOZENGES' OR OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Lesser, of Manchester,. in the County of Lan-.
caster, Confectioner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY.
OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING LOZENGES' OR OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 10th February 1857, and dated the 13th August 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Lesser at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th August
1856.
J, DAVID LESSER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Confectioner,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING LOZENGES' OR OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES,"
to be as follows:-
My improvements consist, first, in the employment of an upper and lower
set or series of rollers so arranged as gradually to compress the sugar or other.
paste or substance (which has been previously prepared and rendered suf-
ficiently plastic for the subsequent operations of which the lozenges, &c. are to
be made, until it is of a proper thickness and consistency for delivery to the
die. Between each of the upper rollers I provide a box or sieve containing
the upper
finely powdered sugar, which is continually scattered or dusted upon
surface of the shect of paste as it proceeds through the delivery and pressing
rollers. In order that the upper surface of such paste may alɛo be dusted or

page_text: powdered, I cause the lower set of rollers to revolve in boxes containing
finely pulverized sugar, so that as they rotate and press against the under
surface of the paste a coating or dusting of sugar will be left thereupon.
And, secondly, at one extremity of the bed or table containing these rollers,
and at a convenient distance from the last pair of them, I provide a stamping
or moulding apparatus, consisting of a rod, bar, or bed, upon which is cut or
otherwise formed a series or row of patterns, designs, or devices with which
the under side of the lozenges are to be impressed; this bar or bed partakes
of a reciprocating vibratory motion from side to side for the delivery of the
lozenges, &c. Immediately above the sunk dies are a corresponding number
of punches or dies bearing the designs for the upper surface of the lozenge.
When the paste has been gradually thinned down, pressed, and dusted, it is
propelled by the roller over the vibrating bed containing the lower dies, the
upper punches or dies descend, cut out the shape of the lozenge,- -and- press it
into the lower die, thus impressing a design upon both the upper and lower
surface of the lozenge; these plungers or punches then rise from the lower dies,
leaving the lozenges in them, after which the bed vibrates or swings from the
table, and a series of plungers under the dies (actuated by a suitable arrange-
ment of levers) force out the lozenges from their moulds, and deliver them on
to a traversing cloth for subsequent drying. Should the lozenges not leave
the moulds readily, a thin blade is placed at the limit of the vibration of the
hed, against the edge of which the lozenges are forced, and then raised from
their dies or moulds.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Lesser in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th February 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
LESSER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Confectioner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
David Lesser, Her especial license that I, the said David Lesser, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said David Lesser, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and

page_text: no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS FOR MAKING 'LOZENGES' OR OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition,.
amongst others, that I, the said David Lesser, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David Lesser, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
My improvements consist, first, in the employment of an upper and lower.
set or series of rollers so arranged as gradually to compress the sugar or other.
paste or substance (which has been previously prepared or rendered suf-
ficiently plastic for the subsequent operations) of which the lozenzes are to be
made until it is of a proper thickness and consistency for delivering to the die.
Between each of the upper rollers I provide a box or sieve containing finely
powdered sugar, which is continually scattered or dusted upon the upper
surface of the sheet of paste as it proceeds through the delivering and pressing
rollers. In order that the under surface of such paste may also be powdered,,
I cause the lower set of rollers to revolve in boxes containing finely pulverized
sugar, so that as they rotate and press against the under surface of the paste
or coating or dusting of sugar will be left thereupon.
And, secondly, at one extremity of the bed or table containing these rollers,
and at a convenient distance from the last pair of them, I provide a stamping
or moulding apparatus, consisting of a rod, bar, or bed, in or upon which is cut
or otherwise formed a series or row of patterns, designs, or devices with which
the under side of the lozenges are to be impressed; this bar or bed may
partake of a reciprocating vibratory motion for the delivery of the lozenges,
&c., or the dies may be formed at opposite sides of the bar or bed, which,
when caused to turn half round, the lozenges would become forced out by the
weight of a piston sliding (one in each die) in the bar. Immediately above
the sunk dies are a corresponding number of punches or dies bearing the
designs for the upper surfaces of the lozenges. When the paste has been
gradually thinned down, pressed, and dusted, it is propelled by the roller over

page_text: the bed containing the lower dies; the upper punches or dies now descend, cut
out the shape of the lozenge, and press it into the lower die, thus impressing a
design upon both the upper and lower surfaces of the lozenges. These
punches or plungers then rise from the lower dies, leaving the lozenge in them,
after which the bed either vibrates or turns half round upon its axis, and a
series of plungers suitably contained with the dies force out the lozenges
from their moulds, and deliver them on to a traversing cloth for subsequent
drying. Should the lozenges not leave the moulds readily, a thin blade may
be placed at the limit of the motion of the bed (when this method is employed)
against the edge of which the lozenges are forced, and thus raised from their
dies or moulds.
In order that my Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings illustrating the
-mechanism employed when the bed turns half round upon its axis, being the
most preferable form of machine for the rapid production of the lozenges, &c.,
the Drawing being made (about one quarter) the real size, having similar
letters of reference marked upon corresponding parts of the mechanism
throughout all the Figures shewn.
Fig. is a side elevation of the apparatus, exhibiting the methods of
imparting motion to the pressing rollers and dies; Fig. 2 is a front view of
the same, shewing the position of the dies and plungers; and Fig. 3 is a
sectional view, shewing the bar or rod containing the lower set of dies and
internal pistons for discharging the lozenges, also the guide for the paste and
upper set of plungers, together with the traversing cloths for receiving the
waste paste and the finished lozenges. In the framing a, a, are supported the
pressing rollers b, b, which are driven by means of the ratchet wheel c through
the pulleys & and endless banding d', so as to impart to the rollers b, b, and.
consequently to the paste, an intermittent motion to allow for the descent and
ascent of the plungers. e is the main driving shaft, upon which is secured a
cam f, which gives an alternate rising and falling motion to the plungers g;
the bar, rod, or bed h has two or more sets of dies formed thereupon, each
die containing a double sliding piston, i, i, which falls to the bottom of the
lowest set of dies in the bed as the bed h turns partly round, and forces the
lozenges out of the set of dies. Upon the endless traversing cloth are.
placed boards upon which the lozenges fall; when forced from the dies, the
motion of this cloth is so, governed or regulated by the ratchet wheel and the
endless band d, that when one set of lozenges has been dropped or placed
upon the board, the cloth and, band moves forward to receive another supply
until full. is the traversing cloth for carrying away the waste paste after the.

page_text: plungers have descended and cut the lozenges from the plain sheet supplied
by the rollers b, b; m, m, are the boxes for containing the pulverised sugar
for dusting the lower set of rollers which powder the under side of the paste,
and n, n, are those which contain the sugar for the upper set of rollers and
surface of the paste; o is the slab into which the paste is first placed to feed
the pressing rollers b, b, and which also receives the waste paste for pre-
paration to be again submitted to a subsequent process of a similar kind
through the machine.
I would here remark, that although I have described this machine is
principally adapted for the manufacture of lozenges, yet it is equally applicable
for rolling, cutting, and stamping clay and other elastic substances, and all
other materials which may be rendered capable of receiving the various.
processes for which the machine is designed.
The operation of the machine will be more readily understood upon
reference to the Drawing, and the following working description thereof. The
paste to be operated upon having been suitably prepared, is placed upon the
slab o, and the first pair of rollers, b, b, having been adjusted so as to roll it to
a certain thickness, and set in motion by the driving shaft ratchet wheel and
endless band, the paste becomes partly thinned down, and is further reduced
to the proper thickness by the second pair of rollers, b, b; the paste is then
propelled by these rollers towards and through the guide plates p, the rollers:
then are caused to stop (by the action of the ratchet wheel) and the cam f
upon the driving shaft brings down the upper dies or punches through the
guide plates and intermediate paste, cutting therefrom the lozenges, and
forcing them into the dies beneath, this one action impressing the lozenges
with a device upon each surface. The upper dies or punches then rise to
their limit ready for the next plunge or fall; the rollers then propel the waste
paste through the guide plates on to the travelling cloth, and place another
layer of paste between the plates for the next set of lozenges. Simultaneously
with the progressive movement of the paste the rod or bed h turns half or
partly round upon its axis, thus bringing the empty dies which were at the
under side of the bed to the upper side, and presenting them beneath the
upper dies for the reception of the set of lozenges to be cut by the next fall of
the said plungers; again, at the same time the bed turns round, the sliding
pistons i, i, contained within, and connected between the two sets of dies, fall
by their own weight to the lowest part of the lowest set of dies, and thus force
the "lozenges" from the dies. The paste having now been rolled, cut, punched,
and impressed with a device upon ench surface, is formed into the articles
known as "lozenges," and is delivered from the moulds on to the board or

page_text: boards placed upon the travelling cloth k, which aro then carried from the
machine to be submitted to the final operation of drying.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together
with the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be
distinctly understood that I claim,―
First, the novel method of discharging the lozenges or other finished
articles, &c. from the moulds by means of the internal plungers i, i, in com-
bination with the intermittent revolving or partly revolving motion imparted
to the bed h.
And, secondly, in the general construction, arrangement, and combination
of the apparatus, whether employed in the manufacture of "lozenges" only,
or for rolling, cutting, punching, stamping, and delivering any other similar
articles, substances, or materials to which the apparatus may be applied, as
herein-before described, set forth, and fully exhibited in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Lesser, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
DAVID LESSER. (L.S.)