Improvements in Machines to Facilitate the Marking of Soap Cakes and Squares with an Indelible Colour.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd May, 1893-Accepted, 24th June, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines to Facilitate the Marking of Soap Cakes
and Squares with an Indelible Colour.
We, GEORGE DUNCAN MACDOUGALD, of 3 Youngsdale Place, Analytical
Chemist, and JAMES STURROCK, of Seacraig, Cashier Dundee Advertiser Office,
both of Newport in the County of Fife, N.B. do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to the construction and arrangement of machinery by
which cakes or squares of soap can be fed, pierced, the piercings charged with a
colour (liquid), the superfluous quantity of liquid removed, the surface wiped and
the cake delivered, all or nearly all of the above operations being conducted
automatically while the cakes are in succession passing through the machine.
The various appliances for effecting the different and successive operations may
be set or arranged for circular motion around a pedestal, or they may be arranged
in a rectangular frame for a straight travel of the cakes or squares.
As an example of our machinery by which the herein before described series of
operations may be performed, we shape a base plate with pockets or recesses for
the reception of cakes or squares of soap from a reservoir, preferably a column,
then by a step motion, the soap is carried to a position under a block with needles
projecting downwardly. This block is fitted in a kind of box, the lower face of
which has a rubber edging for fitting on the soap in a water tight manner, said box
is also provided with an outlet from a colour reservoir, and the quantity of colour
discharged on each cake can be determined by a valve, and the spread of the
colour can be regulated by a plunger in the pipe, from which it is supplied to the
box. The needles by mechanism now pierce the soap to a given depth and are
partially withdrawn to produce a vacuum in the holes made by the needles, into
which holes the colour passes, a fresh descent of the needles to a sufficient depth
forces the colour to the bottoms of the holes which may have partially collapsed by
the air pressure, and when they i.e. the needles, are again lifted, the filling of the
holes is completed. The needles then remain stationary in the upper part of
the box and a tumbler suction tube is pressed through the side of the box to
bear upon the soap, as soon as this is in contact, a lever works a pump to suck
up the superfluous colour, the suction tumbler next returns to its first position
and the box is raised to enable the base plate to be moved to carry that cake
wiping sponge, which cleans the surface of the soap of any colour and leaves it
clear with the indelible markings distinct and visible. While the cake is thus
moving to the wiping sponge a fresh cake is being brought under the needle box
for being similarly operated on, and so on in succession.
to a
The invention thus described has a special reference to the system described in
our previous application for Patent No. 12974 dated 14th July 1892.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said George Duncan Macdougald and James Sturrock.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines to Facilitate the Marking of Soap Cakes
and Squares with an Indelible Colour.
We GEORGE DUNCAN MACDOUGALD of 3 Youngsdale Place, Analytical
Chemist and JAMES STURROCK of Seacraig, Cashier Dundee Advertiser Office,
both of Newport, in the County of Fife, N.B. 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 the construction and arrangement of machinery by
which cakes or squares of soap, can be ſed, pierced, the piercings charged with a
colour (liquid), the superfluous quantity of liquid removed, the surface wiped, and
the cake delivered: all or nearly all of the above operations being conducted
automatically while the cakes are in succession passing through the machine.
The various appliances for effecting the different and successive operations may
be set or arranged for circular motion around a pedestal or they may be arranged
in a rectangular frame for a straight travel of the cakes or squares.
Our invention will be understood upon referring to the accompanying drawings
in which
Figures 1 and 2 are part sectional and front elevation respectively of a machine
designed to automatically effect the various successive operations necessary to mark
cakes of soap in the manner described by means of steam power, and
Figures 3 and 4 are front and side elevations respectively of a machine for
operation by manual power, in which the various operations are under the immediate
control of the operator.
In carrying out our invention we form a series of boxes or pockets A for the
reception of cakes or squares of soap, said pockets A being jointed together to
make an endless chain which is mounted upon pullies B. B that revolve in bearings
formed in the end of extension brackets C, C, secured by bolts to the front of the
machine in such a position that the pockets or boxes A follow each other in a
straight line over an adjustable table D. Above the table D are the piercing
needles attached to a sliding bar H arranged in bearings F, F, and to which is
imparted a double acting reciprocal movement under the action of a face cam G
fixed to the end of a shaft H mounted in bearings upon the frames I, I, and
operated by worm or other gear I' in the manner hereinafter fully described.
The frames I, I, are bracketed together by the cross pieces J, K, the latter of
which supports the cylinder L containing the liquid colour, and a vacuum pump M
for absorbing the superfluous colour from the cakes of soap after the piercing
operation is completed.
The cakes of soap are placed in the pockets A and are moved step by step by a
pawl N and bell crank levers P and spring rod R under the action of an
cam Q fixed upon the main shaft H.
edge
Each cake is moved successively under the plate S which together with an
india rubber ring T attached to the under side of said plate is lowered upon the
cake of soap by means. of the eccentric U operated by the face cam V, lever W
and crank X. By this means the soap held securely in position and a well Y is
formed into which a definite quantity of liquid colour is forced by the downward
movement of the piston Z into the cylinder a from which the colour is driven
through the pipe 6 non-return valve c and small port way d drilled in the plate S
on to the top of the soap, the colour in the cylinder L being at the same time
agitated by the blades Z, Z.
The piercing needles e then descend through the colour into the cake of soap a
given distance say half way through or it may be more or less according to the
vertical position of the table D which is capable of being raised or lowered by the
screw f

page_text: The cam G is so shaped that after the piercing needles have descended to their
lowest position they are partially withdrawn to form a vacuum in the holes made by
the needles into which liquid colour runs and then a fresh descent is made to force
the colour to the bottom of the holes which may have collapsed owing to the
atmospheric pressure. The needles having been wholly withdrawn to the position
shown in Figures 1 and 2 they remain stationary while the sucker g jointed to a
sliding rod is moved forward under the action of the crank lever i, rod j, and
edge cam until it is immediately over the well plate S. The rod is then
lowered by the cam race m and allows the sucker g to fall into the well upon the
soap, the superfluous colour remaining in the well upon the soap after the piercing
operation, is drawn through the sucker and pipe o into the pump M in which a
vacuum is formed by the uprising of the airtight plunger n operated by an
eccentric Pfixed upon the main shaft H.
After the superfluous colour has been absorbed the platform of the rod / lifts
the tail piece g to turn the sucker g upon its hinge out of the well formed by the
plate S and the sliding rod h moves it back to its normal position under the action
of a spring until moved forward by its cam for the next operation.
The plunger n of the vacuum pump descends and discharges whatever colour
may have entered the cylinder M by the port n' through the discharge valve r
into any convenient receptacle placed underneath same.
When the whole of the above operations have been completed the eccentric U
allows the well plate S to be lifted from the soap by means of the springs s, s, for
the pawls N to move the next pocket into position and so on seriatim.
In the machine illustrated by Figures 3, and 4 the cakes of soap are intended to
be fed singly or by hand the various operations incidental to the marking of the
soap being automatic or nearly so as is the case in the machine previously
described.
The cake of soap is first placed in a box represented by the dotted lines A¹ Figure 4
and its lid closed upon it to form a well into which a definite quantity of fluid
colour is discharged by the act of placing the box in position under the needles it
being at the same time automatically fixed in position by means of wedges before
the descent of the needles for the piercing operation in the manner hereinafter
fully described.
When the attendant places the box A' containing the soap tablet in position
against a gauge or register A" it presses a spring plunger B' and tilts the
receiver C which is pivotted at D' until the spout, rests upon the lid of the box
when the liquid colour which has been previously pumped into same from the
colour cylinder a by a depression of the treadle E to which the plunger Z is
connected is emptied into the well upon the top of the soap.
The hand lever F', connected to the slide upon which the piercing needles are
fixed by the rod F, is then pushed down to allow the spring G to pull the cross-
bar H and the connecting cords " which pass over the pullies J to the wedge
piece K¹ and pull same inwardly until it is firmly down upon the box A¹. The
downward movement of the lever F is continued to force the piercing needles
through the colour into the soap a given distance determined by the position of the
set screw L with which the lever F¹ makes contact. The lever is then lifted to
wholly withdraw the needles from the soap and allow the colour to run into the
holes so formed and is again depressed to reintroduce the needles into the soap a
distance regulated by a second set screw L" the lever F' being jointed at F" to
allow of its being moved over the second set screw at its second downward
movement.
The various movements of the lever are utilized to operate the agitator Z' by
the cord M' passing over the pulley N₁ around the pulley P¹ to which is attached
the agitator Z' loosely mounted upon the piston rod to the pulley Q'and counter-
weight R'.
When the piercing operation is finished the lever " is brought to its uppermost
position for the pin a³ to engage the top of the link and the counterweight Fi

page_text: on the lever F¹ to overcome the tension of the spring G and lift the cross bar H
to slack the cords " and allow a spring S' to move the wedge K back and release
the soap box ready for the introduction of another tablet and to allow the
receiver C to resume the position shown in the drawings and which must be filled
with colour by the attendant in the manner before described before another box is
placed in position.
In order that any predetermined quantity of colour may be emptied upon the
soap the pipe from the pump a is caused to dip a given distance into the
receiver C the depth to which it enters being used to regulate the quantity that
shall remain to be tilted upon the soap in the box A. For this purpose we arrange
that the return action of the piston Z draws the colour out of the receiver to the
level of the end of the pipe that dips into it so that it follows a more or less
quantity can be accurately obtained by raising or lowering the pipe by means of
the connector b¹.
The invention thus described has special reference to the system described in our
previous Letters Patent No. 12974 dated 14th July 1892.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The means and appliances hereinbefore described and represented in or by
which holes pierced in soap tablets, cakes squares or bars can be filled with an
insoluble liquid compound by vacuum as set forth.
2. The apparatus shown at Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings with the
working parts arranged substantially as represented for needle piercing cake,
square tablets, or bar soap and flooding the surface with a liquid permanent and
insoluble colour which can be drawn in by vacuum during the withdrawal of the
piercing needles for the purpose of clearly and fixedly marking the same as
described.
3. The apparatus shown at Figures 3 and 4 of the annexed drawings as a
modification of that shown at Figures 1 and 2 in or by which all the working
parts are operated for the purpose of piercing, vacuum filling and marking soap as
set forth.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said G. D. Macdougald and J. Sturrock.