Improvements in Automatic Machinery for Weighing Dough.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1892-Accepted, 3rd Sept.. 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Automatic Machinery for Weighing Dough.
We, WILLIAM HENRY GOODYEAR, of No. 169, Grove Lane, Smethwick,
Staffordshire, Baker and Confectioner, and WALTER GRAINGER, of No. 69,
Aberdeen Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Machinist, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in the hereindescribed improvements in automatic
machinery for weighing dough which are carried out as follows:-
We provide a trough having preferably upright sides and at the bottom of this
trough is an endless travelling band which, as hereinafter described, moves the
dough along from one end of the trough to the other. This travelling band
receives motion by passing round two rollers mounted on shafts at either end of the
trough, one or both of the shafts being furnished with a clutch and lever by which
the travelling band is automatically caused to revolve or to stop revolving as herein-
after described.
The dough comes down a shoot or large pipe into the trough at one end thereof
and in this shoot or trough there is or may be a screw or an endless band for
moving the dough along. At this end of the trough there is or may be a revolving
knife which separates the dough into small pieces and there is or may be a perforated
shaking box or trough above the dough actuated by a revolving cam and filled with
rice flour for dusting the dough as it passes along to prevent the dough sticking.
At the other end of the trough there is a pair of knife blades one above the other
the bottom blade being stationary and the upper blade receiving up and down
motion from a revolving shaft by a crank and connecting rod or other means.
At that end of the trough where the knives are situated and outside the trough
is a scale pan or platform on to which the dough passes as it leaves the trough.
This scale pan is counterbalanced so as to descend when the required quantity
of dough has passed on to it. Underneath or adjacent to the scale pan or plat-
form there is a lever forming one arm of or connected to the lever which actuates
the clutch on the roller shaft or the clutches on the roller shafts above referred to.
The machine above described acts as follows :-
==
The dough is moved along the trough by the travelling band above described
and it issues at one end thereof between the knives on to the scale pan or platform.
When sufficient dough has passed on to the scale pan or platform the latter
descends and in so doing throws the said clutch or clutches out of gear and the
travelling band with the dough thereon in the trough stops moving. The said
knife now descends and cuts off the dough which is on the scale pan or platform.
The knife then rises and when this dough has been removed from the scale pan or
platform the latter rises and the clutch or clutches come into gear and the band
and dough commence to move forward and a weighed portion of the latter is
separated as before.
In front of or adjacent to the scale pan there is or may be a slide down which
the weighed portions of dough pass, and in order to automatically remove the
weighed portions of dough from the scale pan or platform the latter may be
arranged to tilt in rising, or a scraper arranged to move at the proper times may be
employed.
Instead of using a pair of knives to separate the dough as above described we

page_text: may dispense with the bottom knife.and instead thereof may use a wooden or other
block for the top knife to cut on to.
Date this 6th day of October 1891.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Machinery for Weighing Dough.
We, WILLIAM HENRY GOODYEAR, of No. 169 Grove Lane, Smethwick,
Staffordshire, Baker and Confectioner, and WALter Graingøb, of No. 69
Aberdeen Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Machinist, 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 consists in the improvements in automatic machinery for weighing
dough which are carried out as we will describe by referring to the accompanying
drawings on which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of an automatic dough weighing
machine constructed according to this invention;
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same ;
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same and
1.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the same with the weighing part removed;
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate on an enlarged scale the mechanism for separating the
dough and also shew the action of the same;
Figs. 8 and 9 shew (also on an enlarged scale) the mechanism by which the
scale pan (when sufficient dough has moved on to it) throws a clutch out of gear
and stops the moving of the dough on to the scale pan;
Fig. 10 is a plan of the said machine drawn to the same scale as Figs. 1, 2,
3 and 4.
In carrying out our invention we provide a trough A having preferably upright
sides and at the bottom of this trough is an endless travelling band B which as
hereinafter described moves the dough along from one end of the trough to the
other in the direction shewn by the arrow in Fig. 1. This travelling band B
receives motion by passing round two rollers marked respectively C¹ C³ mounted
on shafts dat either end of the trough free to revolve in bearings in the
machine frame E. The roller C₁ is mounted loosely upon the shaft d¹ and the
latter is furnished with a clutch F¹ which turns with this shaft and slides on a
fenther thereon. A similar clutch F is (see Fig. 5) formed with the roller C¹
which is produced through the bearing in the machine frame E. The shaft d'
receives continuous rotary motion from the first motion shaft G by a band on the
pulleys H is a lever (turning on a fulcrum h¹) and engaging with the
clutch F.
The lower end of this lever is as hereinafter described acted
upon through the scale pan P so that at the proper times the clutch F¹ is moved
in and out of gear with the clutch F so as to automatically cause the travelling
band to travel or to stop as hereinafter described. The dough comes down a
shoot or large pipe (not shewn in the drawing) into the trough A at one end
thereof where there is or may be a hopper J to receive the dough. In order
to assist in moving the dough on to the travelling band A we may provide three
rollers at the base of the hopper J which receive rotary motion from the
shaft d as shewn in Fig. 2 so as to revolve therewith. Or the rollers may
be driven from any other convenient source or they may be altogether dispensed
with. is another roller driven from the shaft and placed immediately above
it so as to make the dough issue evenly between the knives hereinafter described.
The dough is dusted by rice flour from perforated or other shaking boxes as used
in other machines for acting on dough to prevent the dough sticking. At the

page_text: other end of the trough A there is a pair of knife blades one above the other the
bottom blade K being stationary and the upper blade L receiving up and
down motion from the revolving shaft m which is driven from the shaft d' by the.
bevel wheel and pinion m³ m
. I;
►
The mechanism by which the upper knife blade L is operated and which is shewn
more clearly by Figures 5,6 and 7 we will now describe. The upper-knife blade L
is carried by the lever N along which the knife blade is free to alidé. to and fro..
is a connecting rod jointed to the knife. blade L and to. the crank pin l' on
the cam O.revolving with the shaft m², The lever N turns. on the fixed fulcrum ..
pin and the short arm of. this lever N is by the link n. connected to the
swinging lever n which at its lower end has a roller n which by the spring nº is
kept in contact with the cam O above referred to. The lever N.is also connected
to the bracket pin n by the spring n'. This arrangement of mechanism imparts.
a combined downward and endwise movement to the knife blade L-so as to cut the..
dough cleanly and also raises the knife blade. This will be clear by an examination.
of Figures 5, 6 and 7:-The shaft m' with the cam O revolve in the direction shewn
by the arrow. In Fig. 5 the knife blade L is shewn raised ready for the dough
to pass between the blades K and L on to the platform of the weighing machine as
hereinafter described. As the shaft m' revolves the connecting rod gradually
moves the blade L along the lever N as far as the slot n in the lever N will allow..
The parts are now in the positions shewn by Fig. 6. As the motion of the
shaft m' continues the lever N with the blade L are by the connecting rod It
turned about the pin n' as a centre so that the knife blade L extended as shewn
in Fig. 6 first assumes an inclined position somewhat over the end of the
trough A and then as the downward movement of the blade and lever N is
continued by the cam O acting upon the swinging lever n the blade L is by
the connecting rod gradually drawn endwise towards the shaft m' as is necessary
to properly separate the dough and the parts ultimately assume the positions shewn
by Fig. 7 where the blade is in its lowest position. Immediately after the shaft m
has passed this position the lever N and the blade L'are by the springs nº and n
raised quickly to the former position shewn by Fig. 5 ready for another portion of
dough to come on to the scale pan as hereinafter described.
This scale pan or platform P on to which the dough passes as it leaves the
trough A is situated outside the end of the trough where the knives K L are
and is by preference made inclined as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 at such an angle that.
the dough will slide down it. The scale pan P is counterbalanced as by the
weight pl so as to descend when the required quantity of dough has passed on to it..
In front of the scale pan P there is or may be a slide Q down which the weighed
portions of dough pass and in order to automatically remove the weighed portions.
of dough from the scale pan or platform P the latter has a door p' which can turn
outwardly about a hinge at its top edge. When the scale pan or platform is in
its highest position (Figs. 1 and 2) ready to receive the dough this door p² is kept
closed by the fixed roller q carried by the slide Q but when the scale pan moves
down as hereinafter described the door p being then below the roller q' is free to
open and the severed portion of dough can pass from the scale pan or platform
down the slide or shoot Q. Underneath or adjacent to the scale pan or platform P
there is a lever B (see Figs. 8 and 9) operating in connection with the lever H
which actuates the clutch F¹ on the roller shaft d' above referred to. This
lever R turns on a fixed fulcrum pin and at one end has a wedge shaped
piece which is in contact with the roller on the end of the lever H. This
wedge shaped piece is at its upper part made straight at so that when in the
position shewn by Fig. 8 any pressure of the clutch F¹ has no effect. in moving
the lever R. The other end of the lever R carries a set screw which is acted.
upon by a projection p on the scale pan P so that when the scale pan P falls one
end of the lever R is depressed as shewn in Fig. 9 and the clutch F¹ is thrown out
of gear with the roller C¹ so that the motion of the dough in the trough A ceases.
The lever R is raised with the scale pan P by the projection p thereon.
"

page_text: The machine above described acts as follows :—
The dough is moved along the trough A by the travelling band B as above
described and the dough issues at one end: thereof between the knives K L on to
the scale pan or platform P. When sufficient dough has passed on to the scale
pan or platform P the latter descends and in so doing the projection p³ depresses
the lever R as shewn in Fig. 9 and throws the clutch F¹ out of gear with the
roller C' and the travelling band A with the dough thereon in the trough stops
moving as do also the other rolls which move the dough along. The knife L now
descends as above described and cuts off the dough which is on the scale pan or
platform P. The knife L then rises rapidly as above described while the severed
portion of the dough slides down the scale pan or platform P and the shoot Q.
The scale pan or platform P then rises and the clutch F1 comes into gear with the
roller C¹ and the band A and the dough commence to move forward again until
sufficient dough has been moved on to the scale pan or platform which then descenda
and the weighed portion is separated as before.
In order to prevent the knife L being jammed by the dough when in first starting
the machine the full section of dough is not fed forward and therefore is not heavy
enough to depress the scale pan at the proper time we provide a lever S turning
on a fixed fulcrum &¹ and a cam s' on the shaft m¹ so arranged that if the dough is
not heavy enough to depress the scale pan or platform P at the proper time the
lower ends of this lever S will, by the cam acting upon the upper ends* act
directly upon the scale pan or platform and depress the same (as shown in Fig. 5)
and throw out the clutch F1 and stop the motion of the body of dough in the
trough A. The bevel wheel and pinion m² m³ are by preference arranged at a
proportion of about 3 to 1 so as to give plenty of time for the dough to move into
position on the scale pan or platform while the knife is raised.
We wish it to be understood that our invention is not limited to the precise
details of construction as herein described and illustrated by the drawings as the
same can be varied without departing from the nature of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In automatic machinery for weighing dough and in combination the use of a
trough along which the dough is moved by a travelling band a counterbalanced
scale pan or platform and a severing knife or knives at the outlet end of the trough
and clutch mechanism for the travelling band operated by the scale pan all so
arranged that when a sufficient portion of the dough has moved from the trough
on to the scale pan the latter in descending causes the motion of the dough along the
trough to cease and the knife then severs the weighed portion of the dough which
slides off the scale pan or platform and the latter in rising causes the main
body of the dough in the trough to commence to move again as before, substantially
as described.
2. In automatic dough weighing machinery of the kind denoted by Claim 1
the use of the mechanism herein described and illustrated more particularly by
Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings for imparting a combined down-
ward and endwise movement to the knife which severs the weighed portion from
the main body of the dough and for raising the said knife at the proper times as
herein before described and illustrated.
3. Automatic dough weighing machinery arranged and operating substantially
in the manner herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of July 1809
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.