IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING POMFRET OR LIQUORICE CAKES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to. William Wood, of Monkhill, Pontefract, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF
MANUFACTURING POMFRET OR LIQUORICE CAKES."
Sealed the 29th July 1862, and dated the 11th February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
February 1862.
I, WILLIAM WOOD, of Monkhill, Pontefract, in the County of York, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS
OP MANUFACTURING POMFRET OR LIQUORICE CAKES," to be as follows:-
The ingredients of the dough or paste from which Pomfret or liquorice
cakes. are formed are now mixed together and boiled in a pan, the materials:
being constantly stirred. The paste thus produced is then made into cakes by:
hand; lard being rubbed on the hands to prevent. the adhesion of the paste:
thereto, each cake being formed separately, placed on a board or surface, and
then stamped in succession by a stamp held in the hand. Now, according to my
Invention, the dough or paste, omitting the liquorice and some other materials,,
such as sugar and gum, is first prepared and subjected to heat in a pan, the
extract of liquorice and other materials are then combined with the paste or
dough on a metal or other suitable table heated in any convenient manner,
such table having one or more rollers so placed that they rest thereon, or are

page_text: at any desired distance therefrom, and they are either moved upon the table or
the bearings of the rollers may be fixed and the table be continuously moved
under the rollers. Scrapers are also used to move and turn the materials on
the table, so that by the combined action of heat, and the pressure or rubbing
of the rollers, the materials are intimately mixed, and at the same time dried
to any desired consistency. In place of making and stamping each cake sepa-
rately by hand, as heretofore, when the dough or paste is very soft and plastic,
the dough or paste is made, according to my Invention, into a much drier
state than formerly, whereby it becomes less adhesive and requires less (if any)
lard or unctuous matter to prevent clogging of the stamps or dies, and also
produces a much clearer and more defined impression, and by the action of a
screw or other form of pressure acting with moulds or dies, the cakes are
rapidly produced without being handled, and by using a series of moulds or
dies,
, or
or any of such cakes are made at the same time, each marked
on one or both sides by the moulds or dies being properly
formed with the desired devices and names. Or I form the paste or dough into
a sheet, strip, or band of the required thickness, which is then or afterwards
submitted to the action of automatic stamps and cutters, whereby the cakes
are rapidly produced without being handled, and by submitting the sheet of
material to a series or system of automatic stamps and cutters, many of such
cakes are produced at the same time. Heretofore Pomfret or liquorice cakes
have been made with a device or ornament on one side only. I prefer in all
cases that both sides of each cake should be stamped or marked with designs
or devices, and in preparing the moulds, or dies, or instruments I arrange for
so stamping or marking them..
The peculiarity of the Invention consists in the process herein described,
aided by apparatus, such as herein referred to, especially of that by which any
desired number of cakes are made and marked with devices and names at the
same time, and.in the avoidance of the handling of the material or stamp; but
no claim is made to the moulds, or dies, or instruments apart from the
manufacture of Pomfret or liquorice cakes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Wood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM 35
WOOD, of Monkhill, Pontefract, in the County of York, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing 'date the Eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
réign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Wood, Her special licence that I, the said William Wood,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the 'said William
Wood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS
OF MANUFACTURING POMFRET OR LIQUORICE CAKES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Wood, my executors or 'administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seál Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Wood, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
The ingredients of the dough or paste from which Pomfret or liquorice
cakes are formed are now mixed together and boiled in a pan, the materials
being constantly stirred. The paste thus produced is then made into cakes
by band; lard being rubbed on the hands to prevent the adhesion of the paste
thereto, each cake being formed separately; placed on a board or surface; and
then stamped in succession by a stamp held in the hand. Now, according to
my Invention, the dough or paste, omitting the liquorico and some other
materials, is first prepared and subjected to heat in a pan; the extract of
liquorice and other materials are then combined with the paste or dough on a
metal or other suitable table heated in any convenient manner; such table
having one or more rollers so placed that they rest thereon, or are at any
desired distance therefrom, and they are either moved upon the table or the
bearings of the rollers may be fixed and the table be continuously moved
under the rollers: Scrapers are also used to move and turn the materials on
the table, so that by the combined action of heat and the pressure or rubbing
of the rollers, the materials are intimately mixed, and at the same time äfied
to any desired consistency. In place of making and stamping each caké

page_text: separately by hand, as heretofore, when the dough or paste is very soft and
plastic, the dough or paste is made, according to my Invention, into a much
drier state than formerly, whereby it becomes less adhesive and requires less.
(if any) lard or unctuous matter to prevent clogging of the stamps or dies,
and also produces a much clearer and more defined impression, and by the
action of a screw or other form of pressure acting with moulds or dies, the.
cakes are rapidly produced without being handled, and by using a series of
moulds or dies several or many of such cakes are made at the same time, each.
marked or ornamented on one or both sides by the moulds or dies being
Or I form the paste or
properly formed with the desired devices and names.
dough into a sheet, strip, or band of the required thickness, which is then or
afterwards submitted to the action of automatic stamps and cutters, whereby,
the cakes are rapidly produced without being handled, and by submitting the
sheet of material to a series or system of automatic stamps and cutters, many
of such cakes are produced at the same time. Heretofore Pomfret or liquorice
cakes have been made with a device or ornament on one side only. I prefer
in all cases that both sides of each cake should be stamped or marked with
designs or devices, and in preparing the moulds, or dies, or instruments I
arrange for so stamping or marking them.
The peculiarity of the Invention consists in the process herein described,
aided by apparatus, such as herein referred to, especially of that by which any
desired number of cakes are made and marked with devices and names at the
same time, and in the avoidance of the handling of the material or stamp;
but no claim is made to the moulds, or dies, or instruments apart from the
manufacture of Pomfret or liquorice cakes,
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same. In the preparation of Pomfret
or liquorice cakes of the ordinary description, when flour or farina is employed,
I first make a dough or paste of the flour or farina, I boil or prepare with
water the flour or farina, and it may be some other of the materials in an iron
pan, so as to make a thick paste or thin dough, and then transfer it to a metal
or other suitable table or tables having rims thereon to confine the material
heated in any convenient manner, and having rotating, crushing, or spreading
rollers, and scrapers, for replacing and mixing the materials thereon, I then
mix therewith the extract of liquorice and other materials. This apparatus is
somewhat similar to the table or trough rollers and scrapers used in the
manufacture of chocolate, and the mixing process is conducted in a similar
manner; the table or trough rollers and other apparatus of this manufacture
are so well understood, that I do not think it necessary to show Drawings of

page_text: the same.
In some cases particularly in the manufacture of the better kind
of liquorice cakes, when I employ no flour or farina, the boiling or preparing
of the materials or of part of them in a pan may be omitted, and the extract of
liquorice, sugar, and gum arabic or whatever materials may be used, (the
materials which I prefer being one part of extract of liquorice, one part of
sugar, and one part of gum arabic), may be at once placed on the table, when
by the working of the machine, together with the effect of the heat, the materials
are intimately mixed and blended. At the same time by the action of the
scrapers the mixture is broken up and placed in a suitable position to be
repeatedly crushed and spread out by the rollers, so that by this process the
materials are more perfectly blended and may be made into a much drier state
than if they were prepared in a pan only, and from the frequent exposure of
large evaporating surfaces the drying can be obtained at a much lower
degree of heat, and consequently less injury to the flavor of the materials.
When the paste or dough is required to be made very dry, I find it convenient'
to use a second table whereon the materials, after they have been treated on'
the first table, are subjected to the action of more powerful crushing rollers'
and apparatus. I will now proceed to describe the machinery and processes
by which the paste or prepared mixture can be rapidly formed into cakes, and
the impressions or devices produced or stamped on one or both sides of them"
without handling the material. When the materials have been sufficiently
blended and dried, I remove them from the mixing table whilst they are'
warm, and form them into a slab or thick sheet which by being passed'
through a succession of rolls, one of each pair having a flange thereon, is'
formed into sheets, strips, or bands, of any desired thickness and width.
disc.
In Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 a longitudinal section, and'
Figure 3 a plan of a machine for moulding the cakes and producing the'
device or devices thereon at the same time by pressure; Figure 4 is a full
size section of one of the moveable dies having a cake moulded on it; Figure 5
shows the die and cake when pushed out of the mould, the cake about to be
removed by the brush; Figure 6 is a plan of a portion of the surface of tho
The same parts of the machine are lettered alike in all the Figures. A
is the framing of the machine; B, the bearings mounted thereon, in which are
placed shafts C, carrying discs or cylinders D, D', on the surface of one of
which (D) are sunk any desired number of moulds E, each of which is per-
forated so as to contain a moveable die F, as shewn in section at Figure 4,
full size and in plan at Figure 6, a cake being shown as pressed into the mould
and resting on the die. This disc D has a flange on each side round the'
circumference into which the rim of the disc D' fits; G, G, are rollers and

page_text: cans for lubricating, (with oils or melted fats or other suitable material) the
surface of the discs, moulds, and dies, the rollers being covered with cloth or
other suitable material; H is a fixed inclined plane acting against the ends of
the dies, pushing them and, the cakes out of the moulds; I is a revolving brush
which removes the cakes, from the dies.; J is a shaft on which are mounted the
driving pullies k, k, and fly, wheel L, which by means of a band M drives
the revolving brush I, and by means of a pinion N; at the opposite end, gives
motion to the toothed wheel. O, which gears into the toothed; wheel P, thereby
giving motion to the discs, or cylinders. The material Q having, been made
of a suitable consistency and being, formed into a strip or band, passing over
the guide roller R, and through the guide tube S is by the. action of the discs
drawn forward, and by their, pressure (which pressure can be regulated by, the
set screws T, T, drawing the bearing of the disc D' which, moves in a slide
nearer the disc D), forced into the moulds, whereby cakes are rapidly produced
without being handled. After having been moulded, the cakes, in the moulds
pass on until the ends of the dies E come in contact with the inclined plane.
of the presser H, supported by a bracket H bolted to the frame A as, shewn,
on plan, Figure 3, which incline gradually pushes out, the, die and thereby
raises the cake out of the mould, the, cake is then removed from the die, by
the action of the brush when past the presser H, the dies by the action of the
spiral springs, mounted on them are brought back to their beds or places, and,
on passing the roller G, the surface of the disc, together with the moulds and
dies, are. lubricated; and are ready to renew the operation at the point of
contact with the dise D'. This machine is, for the sake of clearness, shown
with one row, of moulds and dies only, but by increasing the width of the, dises
or cylinders, a series of moulds and dies may be formed thereon, and several
of such cakes may be made and marked or ornamented at the same time
without handling the, material. The device, may be produced on one or
both sides of the cakes as desired, one side being formed by the dies F, and if
a device or name is required on the other side, it is formed by engraving the
face of the rim of the disc D', opposite to each die in the disc D, the discs
being of the same size and connected together by toothed, wheels, the devices
will thus be brought opposite each other by the action of, the machine, and
form a device on both sides at the same time.
On Sheet 2 is shewn a mode where the paste or dough of a suitable dryness,,
and formed into a sheet, strip, or band of any desired breadth and thickness,
is submitted to the action of dies or stamps and cutters. Figure 1 is a side
view of this machine (which may be, if desired,, much larger than the size
shewn); Figure 2, a section, and Figure 3, a plan of the same; Figure 4 is a

page_text: section of the cylinder-containing the cutters and pushing-out-apparatus; and
Figure 5 is a section of part of another arrangement for those purposes.
I will now proceed to describe the parts. A, A, A, is the framing;: A', a
driving pulley mounted on a shaft B, working in bearings on the frame A,
having a pinion C fixed thereto working into the toothed wheel. D, which is
keyed on one end of the shaft E of the roller, F, on the other end of which
shaft E is, affixed, a, toothed wheel, which gears into similar toothed wheels.
keyed on the upper roller G and cutting cylinder H; the positions of these.
wheels are indicated by the red lines in Figure 2; round the rollers, F and G,
and cylinder H, which rollers and cylinder, are mounted in, bearings on the
frame A. The upper wheel on shaft of roller G is shewn at I, in-plan, Figure 3.
In the inside of the cylinder H is a roller J and a series of pegs K,, which work
into the cutters I either, separately, and having a collar thereon, to prevent
their falling too far, or each row may be mounted on a bar, as shewn in plan,.
Figure 6. A section of the cylinder H, the roller, J, and pegs K, K, is shewn
at Figure 4. M, in Figure 2, is a roller covered with elastic-material bearing
against the cutters L, the pressure of which is regulated by the screws M' and-
M² under which is the wire guide roller N, the pressure of which is regulated
by screws N' and N2, drawing the roller N downwards, and so tightening the;
series of endless conducting wires, bands, or strings Z, Z, which passing round
the drum Y and roller F, and between the cylinder H- and roller-M, and round
the roller N, conduct the sheet of material through the machine; the doctor M*.
strips the waste of the sheet from the conducting wires. The drum Y, rollers,
F and N, have grooves formed on their surfaces to receive the conducting
wires, which are thereby guided through the machine. 0, 0, 0, are rollers and
cans for lubricating with oil, melted fats, or other suitable material the surface
of the rollers F and G and cutters L in cylinder H. P is a revolving brush,
acting against the cutters L, driven by the band Q on the grooved wheel R,
on the shaft B and grooved pinion S, on brush shaft. Resting on the bracket
T is the roller U, round which the paste or dough V, of a suitable dryness, and
formed into a sheet, strip, or, band of the desired width and thickness, is
wound. Motion being given to the shaft B by means of the driving strap on,
pulley A', or by means of the handle A³ on grooved wheel R, the rollers Fand
G (the roller G being provided with a flange on each side round the circum-
ference), are thereby caused to revolve, and drawing forward the sheet of
material V, reduce the thickness as may be desired, for which purpose the
upper roller G can be set at a greater or less distance from the roller F by:
means of the set screws W, W, on the upper part of the frame A. At the
same time as the rollers reduce the sheet of material they partially imbed. the!

page_text: conducting wires, bands, or strings Z, Z, therein, and by means of stamps or
dies let into or formed on one or both of their surfaces, produce upon the
material any desired pattern; device, letters, or words. When it is desired to
produce a design on both sides of the cakes, I engrave or form a design on both
rollers, and so arrange them that the cake is ornamented or figured simul-
taneously on both sides. The configurated sheet then passes forward in the
direction shewn by the arrow on roller F, when it comes in contact with the
cutters in cylinder H, which are, by means of screws X, X, Figure 1, made
to insert themselves into the stamped sheet any desired distance. The con-
tinued revolution of the cylinder brings the material in contact with the elastic
roller M, the pressure of which forces it into the cutters, and thereby completes
the cutting of the cake from the sheet. The doctor or scraper M³ strips the
waste from the conducting wires as they pass partly round the roller N, being
assisted in so doing by the grooves in the roller, when it may be again formed
into a sheet or strip. The cakes contained in the cutters pass on until they
approach the lowest part of the cylinder, when they are by the action of the
pegs K, K, (which are pressed out by the revolving roller J inside the cylinder
H) pushed out of the cutters, the brush revolving in contact therewith assists
and completes the operation. For the purpose of cutting the cakes, and
pushing them out of the cutters, I sometimes use a cylinder having cutters
therein, and pegs or pushers somewhat similar to the dies F, F, in the
cylinder D, shewn at Figure 2, Sheet 1, and at Figure 5, Sheet 2, which pegs
or pushers are caused to act by a fixed presser inside the cylinder, producing
on them a similar effect to that produced by the presser J, Figure 2, Sheet 1,
thereby expelling the cakes from the cutters, as shewn at Figure 2, Sheet 2.
On Sheet 3 is shewn another mode whereby the paste or dough of a suit-
able dryness, and formed into a sheet, strip, or band of any desired breadth and
thickness may be submitted to the action of one or a series of automatic
reciprocating stamps and cutters. Figure 1 is a side view of this machine ;
Figure 2, a section thereof; and Figure 3, a plan of the same. A, A A, is the
framing; A', the driving pulley; the red line, B, Figure 1, is a pinion keyed on
the shaft of the driving pulley, giving motion to the wheel at red line C, keyed'
on the tappet shaft D; E is the tappet which gives motion to the lever F,
connected by the rod H to the lever G, on which is a ratchet I working into
the ratchet wheel K, giving motion to the pulley L, and by means of the wires
L' to the pulley L², the. lubricating rollers M, M, and rollers M¹, M. On
the tappet shaft D is mounted an excentric N on each side of the machine,
which by means of the connecting rods R, R, Figure 1, gives motion to the
bar O, in which are inserted the stamps O¹ and cutters 0%, which are arranged

page_text: to work into holes in the guide plate 0%. On the tappet shaft D is another
excentric P, P, on each side, which gives motion by the connecting rods S, S,
to the lower bar Q containing the stamps Q1, also arranged to work in a guide
plate Q. The roller T which is mounted in a slot on the upper part of the
frame A having been filled with the sheet, strip, or band of material of a
suitable dryness, and of any desired thickness rests on the pulley L. The
sheet U is by means of a weight V inserted in the slot and resting on the
shaft of the roller T pressed on to the conducting wires, bands, or strings L',
which partly imbedded therein, and partly recessed in grooves in the pullies
L and L' are carried forward by the motion of the machine at each movement
produced by the tappet E, and carry the sheet between the lubricating
rollers M, M, which lubricate the sheet on both sides and the upper stamps O'
and lower stamps Q', a downward motion being given to the upper stamps
by the excentrics N, N, acting through the rods R, R, and an upward motion
given to the lower stamps Q¹, by the excentrics P, P, acting through the rods;
S, S, the sheet of material is thereby stamped on both sides at the same time
when during the opening or return of the stamps the sheet is advanced by
the movement of the conducting wires, bands, or strings L', so as to bring
another portion of the sheet between the stamps, which again acting as before-
produce another device or row of devices on the under and upper surface of
the material; simultaneously with this operation the cutters 0° placed in the
bar O parallel to the stamps are by the same means which actuate the stamps
caused to descend, and being somewhat longer than the stamps, press the
stamped sheet into holes formed in the guide plate, and thereby cut out the
cakes which drop down through the holes into a receiver, the sheet being
arranged to register so as to bring the portion previously stamped correctly
under the cutters. The part of the sheet not cut out passes on the conducting
wires between the rollers M³, M³, and over the pulley L from which it is
stripped by the doctor W.
I also use another mode of forming the cakes without handling the material
by combining a portion of the machinery shewn on Sheet 2 with a part of that
shewn on Sheet 3, for this purpose the frame and working parts (with the
exception of such parts as are mentioned below), shewn on Sheet 3 are com-
bined with figuring rollers as at F and G, on Sheet 2, in order to produce the
device or pattern by their means, instead of by means of the upper and lower
stamps O¹ and Q, Sheet 3. The figuring rollers are placed in suitable bearings
in the positions occupied by the pulley L and sheet roller T which latter is
removed for that purpose, and placed in a suitable position for feeding the
pattern rollers F and G, the lower figuring roller having grooves on its surface

page_text: for the reception of the endless carrying wires, the same as in the pulley L'.
The sheet after having been configurated by the rollers V and G, passes on to
the vertical cutters, working as previously described when acting in conjunction
with the vertical stamps. The lubricating rollers M, M, the upper and under
stamps and the excentrics P, P, with their connecting rods and the bar Q are
omitted in this mode, lubricating rollers and cans are placed in connection with
the figuring rollers F and G. In this arrangement the tappet by means of
the levers, rods, and apparatus in connection therewith, turns the figuring
rollers which have a suitable sheet of material between them a given distance,
when the punch or row of punches descends and cuts out the cakes by forcing
the figured parts of the sheet through holes in the fixed guide plate below
them. The rollers may be moved one or several rows of stamps at one time
by one movement of the tappet, in which case there must be a similar number
of rows of punches, all of which descend together and thus form many cakes at
the same time without handling the material.
Having thus described the nature of iny Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would remark that I make no claim to the parts of the
machinery apart from the manufacture of Pomfret or liquorice cakes, nor do
I confine myself in carrying out my Invention to the details or mechanical
arrangements herein shewn and described, but what I claim is, the manu-
facture of Pomfret or liquorice cakes by the combined process and apparatus
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wood, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
WILLIAM WOOD. (L.S.)