IMPROVEMENTS IN KNEADING DOUGH, AND WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE KNEADING OR BEATING OF CLAY, LOAM, OR OTHER PLASTIC MATERIALS."
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Pratt, of Boughton Street, in the City
r
of Worcester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNEADING
DOUGH, AND WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE
KNEADING OR BEATING OF CLAY, LOAM, OR OTHER PLASTIC MATERIALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Pratt at
the Office of the Cominissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 4th November 1853.
I, HENRY PRATT, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KNEADING DOUGH, AND WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS
ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE KNEADING OR BEATING OF CLAY, LOAM, OR
OTHER PLASTIC MATERIALS," to be as follows, that is. to.say :--
My improvements consist in providing a stout bed of suitable
material, such bed to be enclosed on two sides with upright boards,
the depth of which may be regulated by the requirements. Across

page_text: the bed, from front to back, are laid the beaters, consisting of a
series of pieces or bars of hard wood or other suitable material,
hollow or otherwise, the substance or weight of such beaters to be
governed by the material to be operated on. These are attached by
a suitable axis passing through them and the side boards before
mentioned, with wood, leather, or metal washers between them to
prevent their striking together. The back end of beaters are beveled
upwards, the edge of the bed being also beveled at a corresponding
angle downwards, which admits of the beaters being lifted from the
bed by pressing down the back or beveled ends. The arrangement
of the bed and beaters being now complete, the operation or process
of kneading is effected in the following manner-Over the beveled
ends of beaters, and just behind the axis on which they work, is
fixed a barrel, in which are inserted a double row of cogs or teeth, so
arranged as to lift the beaters by pressing down the back ends, as before
described, causing them to rise and fall on the bed one after the other,
from right to left and left to right, in alternate and rapid succession,
thus performing the operation in an easy effectual manner, and with
great facility.
It will easily be seen that this my said Invention can be adapted
to any amount of work requiring to be performed, as the bed can
be extended to any length, and devided into compartments with
seperate sets of beaters and barrels, presenting a series of machines,
in which the process can be carried on in different degrees as the
nature of the material may require, the whole, with suitable gear,
being set in motion conjointly or seperately, and detached at pleasure
by the operator; and in cases where heat may be required steam
may be admited to the inside of the beaters through the axis on which
they work.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Pratt in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY PRATT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Baker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Pratt, Her special license that
I, the said Henry Pratt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Henry Pratt, my executors, administrators,
or 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 KNEADING DOUGH,
AND WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE KNEADING OR
BEATING OF CLAY, LOAM, OR OTHER PLASTIC MATERIALS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Pratt, 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 performed, 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 Henry Pratt, 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 (that is to say):
My Invention consists in arranging a convenient number of beaters
side by side upon a stout bed of hard wood, stone, or other suitable
material, inclosed at the two sides. The beaters may be formed of hard
wood, working on an axis passing through them near the back ends, and.

page_text: 26 i
set in the sides, before mentioned, allowing a sufficient space between
the bed and beaters for the dough or other material to be kneaded." I
may here mention that the beaters will admit of varied construction,
adapted to the degree of temperature and consistency required in the
dough or other material being-operated-on, as, for instance, the front
ends may be of hollow metal for receiving hot water or hot irons, or the
whole may be formed of metal tube, and may be heated by steam being
admitted through the axis on which they work, and which in that case
would also be a metal tube: To prevent any great friction in the
working of the beaters it is necessary-that their axis should be as small
as possible consistent with the required strength, and to counteract the
vibration that would naturally take place from a number of loose or
unconnected parts working upon a slender axis. I propose to introduce
between the beaters metal washers, so formed as to be capable of being
bolted or otherwise secured to the bed' underneath, thus answering the
double purpose of preventing the beaters from striking each other, and
forming intermediate bearings for the axis; but in cases where such
washers are not desired or cannot be applied the same result may be
partially effected by holding the rod forming such axis in a state of
tension by means of a screw and nut at one or botli extremities of such
axis:
1
Having thus described the arrangement of the bed and beaters, I
will now explain the mode I prefer in giving motion to them. Over the
back ends of the beaters I fix: a barrel or roller, working in journeys
secured to the sides before described, which barrel is provided with a
double row of projecting pins corresponding to the number of beaters,
being two pins for each beater, one row-running from one end of the
barrel to the other in a spiral-line around one half of its circumference,
the other row forming the same line back on the other half: It will
be evident from this arrangement, that as the barrel is made to revolve
by steam or other power the pins will lift the front ends of the beaters
by pressing down the back ends directly. behind their axis, causing them
to fall on the dough in regular succession, that is, from left to right and
right to left, until the dough or "plastic material on which they are
operating is. sufficiently kneaded.. To, enable the operator to lay the

page_text: dough or other plastic materials on the bed to be kneaded, or to remove
it when kneaded, it is necessary that the whole of the beaters should be
lifted up in a vertical position. This I effect by means of an iron frame
fitting the outside of the bed, and working upon the axis of the beaters,
which is allowed to project through the sides for that purpose, the
beaters being also sufficiently long to rest on the front bar of the frame;
and as this bar may be thin and broad it can stand above the bed and
act as a stop or rest for the beaters, and also prevent the dough working
over or off the front of the bed. On the back bar of the frame I adjust
a counterpoise, consisting of a weight, or, where more convenient, an
elastic band or bands; when the beaters are at work this frame.is held
down by a pin passing through the front bar into the bed, and which
has only to be withdrawn by the attendant' standing in front of the
machine, when the whole of the beaters will be lifted up and retained
in the desired position by the weight or contracting quality of the india-
rubber strap or band. Thus the various operations are easily effected,
and an amount of tedious labour performed with greater facility
and more perfection than is usually obtained from hand labour. It
will also be evident that, if required, the bed can be extended to any
length, and divided into compartments. with separate sets of beaters, in
which the operation of kneading, can be carried on in various degrees,
and the whole may be worked conjointly or separately and detached at
pleasure by the operator. But as my description may be better under-
stood from a Drawing I will proceed to describe the one here-
unto annexed, which exhibits my Invention, as arranged for one set. of
beaters.
..
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, represents a top view of my machine, exhibiting the arrange-
ment of the barrel, beaters, '&c. A, A, are 'the sides or fence boards
secured to the bed; B, is the barrel, shewing one row or set of pins,"
the other set being in the same position on the other or lower half of
the barrel, both rows starting from C, from which point they diverge,
passing around the barrel, 'meeting at the other end at D. E, E, are
the journeys, secured to the fence boards for carrying the axis F, F,
of the barrel B. G, and G, are the fast and loose pulleys for receiving

page_text: the band from the speed wheel fixed to the driving shaft, and which I
have not thought necessary to exhibit, as it is a common mode of
giving motion to machinery. H, and H', H2, H3, H, H, H, and H', is
a row of beaters, the transverse or sectional form of which I have
exhibited in an end view or section at Fig. 2. I, I, are the ends of the
axis on which the beaters work, as represented by the dotted lines
running through from side to side. The beater 11' shews that when
weight or power is required in the working end of the beater it may be
loaded with lead, as represented by the four circles in dotted lines. H³,
partly shewn in section, also represents that when heat or weight is
required the working end of the beater may be made of tube, with a
small neck or mouth, through which hot water may be poured and
secured by a common cork; and the beater H³ is also drawn partly in
section to shew that we may obtain the same object by using a loose.
iron J, which may be heated or otherwise as required, and may be lield
in the end of the beater by a pin inserted in the hole .K, or it may be.
preferable if a continuous temperature or certain amount of heat be.
required (which may be necessary in kneading dough or other plastic:
materials at certain periods of the year); the whole of the beaters may
be made hollow, and the axis on which they work be converted into a
steam pipe for charging them with steam to preserve the degree of beat
required. L, L, L, L, represent an iron frame for lifting the beaters
working on their axis I, I, and counterpoised by the weight M, as
exhibited in Figure 2, which represents the front of the iron frame
carried up by the weight M, lifting the beaters from the bed, so that the
operator may place on or remove the dough or other material. The
dotted line H represents the end of the beater when down, resting on
the front piece of the iron frame; and I have also shewn the position of
the ends of the iron frame in dotted lines when down, resting on a pro-
jecting piece N, secured to the bottom edge of the sides or fence boards
A, A; and is retained in that position by the pin O, as represented in
Figure 4, which is the same view as the last Figure, with the side or
fence board A removed for the purpose of shewing that the front part
-of-the-frame-L stands up beyond the level of the table, forming a
cavity between that and the raised part Q for the dough or material to

page_text: be kneaded to rest in, the bed itself being represented as in transverse
section at R, R. This view also enables me to shew the form of the
washer P, that goes between the beaters, or may be used for a centre
or alternate washer, and a common circular washer used between the
others, as the object of the washer P is to destroy the vibration on the
axis of the beaters by the washer extending down and resting on
the bed to which it may be secured. And this view further shews how
the beaters are lifted up and liberated by the projecting pins on the
barrel B, pressing on their back ends in alternate and rapid succession
as they come in contact by the revolution of the barrel.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the various
modes of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
what I claim is, the arrangement for kneading dough or other plastic
materials by beaters lifted up by the action of projecting pins fixed on
the periphery of a barrel or roller in the order shewn at Figures 1, 3,
and 4, in the Drawings, without any regard to the number of projecting
pins or beaters used; and to the various modes of applying heat to such
beaters, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Pratt, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four..
HENRY PRATT.
(L.S.)