IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STIRRING OR MIXING VARIOUS INGREDIENTS OR MATERIALS TO A PASTY CONSISTENCE, SAID MACHINERY BEING ESPECIALLY ADAPTED TO THE MANUFACTURE OF BREAD AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FOOD
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adolphe Ernest Ragon, of Caroline Street, Bedford
Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STIRRING OR MIXING VARIOUS INGREDIENTS OR
MATERIALS TO A PASTY CONSISTENCE, SAID MACHINERY BEING ESPECIALLY
ADAPTED TO THE MANUFACTURE OF BREAD AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FOOD."-A
communication from abroad by Charles Constant Simonet de Changy, of
Arras, in the French Empire.
Sealed the 22nd March 1864, and dated the 24th September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adolphe Ernest Ragon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th September 1863.
I, ADOLPHE ERNEST RAGON, of Caroline Street, Bedford Square, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STIRRING OR MIXING VARIOUS INGRE-
DIENTS OR MATERIALS TO A PASTY CONSISTENCE, SAID MACHINERY BEING ESPECIALLY
ADAPTED TO THE MANUFACTURE OF BREAD AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FOOD,"
(communicated to me from abroad by Charles Constant Simonet de Changy,
of Arras, in the French Empire,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of an open vessel mounted upon hollow axes situate
at its ends and working in suitable standards or supports; the bottom of the
aforesaid open vessel is formed curved, and the sides and ends flat or upright,
a portion of the bottom is also punctured or perforated from end to end with
lines of fine holes for the admission of compressed air from a vessel or reservoir
connected with a chamber fixed to the outside of the aforesaid open vessel.

page_text: An important feature in this Invention consists of an instrument of the ful-
lowing construction for stirring or mixing ingredients together; for example,
in mixing flour into dough or paste for the manufacture of bread and pastry,
instead of using ordinary knives or blades mounted on a revolving shaft, I
form a skeleton knife of an oval or elliptical form with bars across same. This
knife should be of such length as to reach from the bottom of the aforesaid
open vessel at one end thereof to the top of the other end of said vessel, in
which oblique position it is supported and caused to rotate by pieces of metal
or cranks being fixed thereto and to the short axes aforesaid, so that as this oval
knife revolves every part of its edge touches every of the sides of the aforesaid
open vessel from end to end in a backward and forward direction, thereby
constantly disturbing and thoroughly mixing the ingredients or materials
placed therein in a simple and efficient manner. In preparing dough for the
manufacture of bread it is proposed to admit air into the aforesaid vessel
during the rotation of the aforesaid elliptical stirring instrument. When the
operation is finished the dough or other ingredients or materials may be
removed by turning the aforesaid vessel upon its axes upside down.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Adolphe Ernest Ragon in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ADOLPHIE
ERNEST RAGON, of Caroline Street, Bedford Square, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Adolphe Ernest Ragon, Her special licence that I, the said
Adolphe Ernest Ragon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Adolphe Ernest Ragon, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STIRRING OR MIXING VARIOUS
INGREDIENTS OR MATERIALS TO A PASTY CONSISTENCE, SAID MACHINERY BEING

page_text: ESPECIALLY ADAPTED TO THE MANUFACTURE OF BREAD AND OTHER ARTICLES OF
Food," (communicated to me from abroad by Charles Constant Simonet de
Changy, of Arras, in the French Empire,) upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Adolphe Ernest Ragon, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 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 Adolphe Ernest Ragon, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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:-
This Invention consists of an open vessel mounted upon axes situate at its
ends and working in suitable standards or supports; the bottom of the afore-
said open vessel is formed curved, and the sides and ends flat or upright, a
portion of the bottom is also punctured or perforated from end to end with
lines of fine holes for the admission of compressed air from a vessel or reservoir
connected with a chamber fixed to the outside of the aforesaid open vessel.
An important feature in this Invention consists of an instrument of the fol-
lowing construction for stirring or mixing ingredients together; for example,
in mixing flour into dough or paste for the manufacture of bread and pastry,
instead of using ordinary knives or blades mounted on a revolving shaft, I
form a skeleton knife of an oval or elliptical form with bars across same..
This knife should be of such length as to reach from the bottom of the afore-
said open vessel at one end thereof to the top of the other end of said vessel,
in which oblique position it is supported and caused to rotate by pieces of
metal or cranks being fixed thereto and to the short axes aforesaid, so that as
this oval knife revolves every part of its edge touches every portion of the
curved sides of the aforesaid open vessel from end to end in a backward and
forward direction, thereby constantly disturbing and thoroughly mixing the
ingredients or materials placed therein in a simple and efficient manner.
preparing dough for the manufacture of bread it is proposed to admit air into
the aforesaid vessel during the rotation of the aforesaid elliptical stirring
instrument. When the operation is finished the dough or other ingredients
or materials may be removed by turning the aforesaid vessel upon its axes
upside down.
In
In order to explain this Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into

page_text: practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings
accompanying these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the improved machinery or appa-
ratus; Figure 2, a top plan of the same; Figure 3, a section through the line
A, B, Figure 2, of the kneading trough or vessel; Figure 4 is a vertical section
of the said apparatus through the line C, D, Figures 1 and 2; Figure 5, an
end elevation.
At Figures 1 and 2 A, A, are standards supporting the kneading trough or
vessel B, open at the top and having two ends B' formed of pieces of wood of
the shape shewn in Figure 5. These sides are connected together by a piece
of sheet metal or other suitable material B; D, D', are axes or pivots fixed to
the ends B', said pivots resting in bearings formed in the standards A, as at
Figures 1 and 2; the axes or pivots D, D', pass loosely through holes in the
ends B and are made square at their inner ends for connecting thereto by
nuts a, a, the oblique skeleton knife E, which is of an elliptical shape, as at
Figure 6, in order that every portion of its edge may touch the curved part of
the piece B as said knife is caused to revolve by iniparting rotatory motion to
the handle G fixed on the pivot D¹; the form of this knife and its action
within the vessel B is such as would be produced by two hollow cylinders
fitting into each other being cut through obliquely; the outer cylinder repre-
.sents the fixed vessel B, and the inner cylinder the rotating elliptical knife or
stirring instrument E; H is a hollow casting fixed to the lowest part of the
piece B, the casting H has perforations made through the upper side thereof,
as at 6, b, Figures 2, 3, and 4, said perforations corresponding with other per-
forations made through the piece B; I is a loose cover fitting air-tight in the
piece H, to which it is connected by screw clips K; L is a piece of metal of
the same shape as the inside of H, but smaller, covered with leather or elastic
material. The use of this piece is to regulate the quantity of air allowed to
pass through the perforations b, b, and if necessary to shut off the communi-
cation entirely. The piece L may be raised or lowered for that purpose by.a
screw nut c passed over the screw d, the head e whereof supports the piece L.
M is an opening communicating with the inside of the piece H and with any
suitable vessel containing compressed air; N are pieces of metal fixed to the
ends B, B, these pieces serve as handles for discharging the contents of the
vessel B, and also for holding same steady by passing pins f through holes
therein and in the standards A; 0, 0, are, pieces of metal fixed to the ends B',

page_text: employed, if necessary, for keeping the vessel B in the position denoted by the
dotted lines at Figure 5, by passing pins a through holes in said pieces, as
exhibited.
MODE OF OPERATING.
The materials to be mixed or stirred (suppose, for example, the machine to
be required for mixing dough in the manufacture of bread, biscuits, or cakes),
said materials are placed in the vessel B, motion is then imparted to the
handle G, the effect of which is to cause the knife E to pass through the
dough and cut and divide it continually throughout the entire mass contained
in the vessel A, and thereby mix and incorporate the materials thoroughly
together to an uniform consistence; during this time, if desired, air may be
allowed to pass through the openings b, b, and permeate the dough by the
continuous disturbing or stirring action of the knife E. In stirring other
materials or ingredients to an uniform consistence, for example, caoutchouc,
vulcanized india-rubber, or gutta percha, the connection with the. air vessel
may be shut off and the stirring action above be employed.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of this
Invention for "Improved Machinery or Apparatus for Stirring or Mixing
various Ingredients or Materials to a Pasty Consistence, said Machinery
being especially adapted to the Manufacture of Bread and other Articles of
Food," together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I hereby declare
this Invention to consist in, and I claim as follows:-
I claim, first, the use of an oblique elliptical knife or stirring instrument
working in an open or closed vessel, the bottom part whereof is of a circular
form, in which said knife fits easily, and by its rotatory movement touches, as
near as may be, the entire curved surface of the inside of said vessel from
end to end in a backward and forward direction, as above stated with reference
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Secondly, I claim the foregoing parts in combination with the vessel H
and parts connected therewith for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adolphe Ernest Ragon, have hereunto set
my band and seal, this Twenty-third day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.