Improvements in Machinery for Covering or Coating Sweet-meats and other Small Goods.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1898-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Covering or Coating Sweet-meats and
other Small Goods.
I, NICOLAUS FRINGS, of Schaufelderstrasse, Hannover, in the Empire of Ger-
many, Manufacturer, 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 machinery or appliances for covering or coating small
sweet-meats, sugar bon-bons and like confectionery with chocolate or similar sub-
stance, but is also applicable to coating small goods generally for various pur-
poses, and is an improvement upon, or a development of the invention described
in the Specification of the Letters Patent applied for by me on the 24th day of
August 1898 No. 18186.
The characteristic features of the machine for this purpose described in the
said specification of August 24th was that the goods to be coated were dipped
into a stationary or fixed vessel or vat containing the solution by.
the act
of intermittently lowering certain rocking levers which sup-
ported axles provided with a removable holder for the said goods, whose
escape was prevented by means of a lower holder, whilst after being dipped the
goods were shaken to remove superfluous coating material through a blow im-
parted to the supporting axle by a rising and falling weight, and then by a turn-
ing movement of the said axle, the goods were brought to a conveyor cloth and
passed thereby through a cooling or drying chamber prior to being removed from
the conveyor.
In
Now according to one part of the present invention, it is proposed to so arrange
the machine that the trough can be lifted wholly or partially up to the goods
with the liquid in it, or the liquid can be raised within a fixed trough by means
of a displacer and thus brought up to the goods which are kept stationary.
both of these cases, the rising and falling motion of the trough or a portion of it
or of the displacer is effected by connecting it with a rocking lever and by
arranging the bearings of the said axle, as well as the elbow supports of the goods
carrier, upon the frame of the machine, while the whole of the other parts of the
machine described in my first specification are retained and combined with means
for imparting the necessary movement to the whole or part of the trough or con-
tainer for the coating solution, or to the displacer used in conjunction with a
fixed trough. The machine thus olitained is considerably simplified as the lever
controlling the trough or the displacer is raised and depressed by direct-acting
foot or hand power instead of by complicated cam mechanism such as was pre-
viously employed for rocking the goods carrier lever. Further, the motion of
the conveyor band is effected by the same hand or foot power while the shaking
and turning of the network support for the goods is done by hand.
The accompanying drawings Figures 1 to 4 represents elevations of four

page_text: different forms of my improved covering machine worked by foot-power with the
side walls of troughs being removed in each case.
Figure 1 represents a machine on the same system as in my previous patent
in which the goods are lowered into coating solution contained in a fixed trough,
but the arrangement and operation of the parts is much simplified over the
original arrangement, particularly in respect of the operation mechanism.
In this machine a bracket A2, is connected with the sliding or movable bear-
ings C, of the axle A, and upon which the hammer F, fixed on the said axle A,
strikes for removing superfluous solution from the goods after coating. These
brackets A3, of which a pair are employed support the elbows B2, carrying the
grating frame B, 130, and the lower holder for supporting the goods. A handle
is provided on the hammer for operating the same to strike the bracket A2, and
for turning the axle A, for removing or transferring the goods as hereafter
described. From the forked lower end of the sliding bearings C, of the axle A,
with bars U on opposite sides of the machine, hang and are connected with the
axle Us, of the treadle U4, by means of the lever Uo, bar U, and lever U2. The
pin u, lies in the fork N¹, of the double-armed lever N, the arm n, of which
moves forward the ratchet wheel shewn on the axle M', of the conveyor band by
means of the bar 'P, and pawl P2, and thereby moves also the conveyor band Q³.
The weight P1, on the arm Po, brings back the ratchet into its original position.
When the treadle is lowered the axle A, is drawn down as shewn in Figure 1,
along with the network support H, and the network and the supported goods
are dipped into the liquid in the fixed trough T and are prevented from escaping
by means of a lower or supplementary holder worked by hand. When the
treadle U³, is allowed to rise again, the goods are lifted out of the liquid and the
lever N makes the conveyor band move forward. The lower holder is now re-
leased, the network support with the goods is shaken by striking with the
hammer on A2, and the superfluous liquid is removed or shaken off by the blow
thus given, while by turning the said hammer F over to the other side, by means
of a suitable handle, the axle A is revolved and the coated goods are deposited
on the conveyor or band. The extent of the turning of the axle A, is regulated
by the adjusting screw f, and the extent of the dipping by screws u², and u³,
and stops a and a, arranged in conjunction with the foot lever. The adjustment
of the height of the conveyor band M, is effected by the adjusting screw M*,
and its hand wheel, controlling the position of the frame M³, jointed at M', to
the standard X, and carrying at its outer end, the ratchet m¹, and the guide
roller M5, of the band and at its inner end, the second roller M10.
Figure 2 shews a machine in which the whole trough is lifted instead of the
goods being lowered thereinto for dipping. The axle A, together with the net-
work support H and net-work h, has bearings in the frame and the elbow B².
with grating frame and lower holder, is fixedly attached. On the other hand
the trough T is raised by the rod or bar T¹, passing through the bearing g, this
raising being effected by the lever U, lying below the hub of the adjustable
hand wheel T, which lever is attached to the axle U, and is in connection with
axle U³, of the treadle Us, by means of the bar U¹ and lever U2, and rises when
the treadle is depressed. The coating liquid in the trough circulates around the
goods which lie on the net-work h, and are prevented from escaping by the lower
holder, when the treadle rises the liquid leaves the goods then the superfluous
drops are removed by the striking of the hammer F, and by turning over the
said hammer and consequently rotating the axle A, the goods are deposited on
the conveyor band. This latter is moved forward as the trough rises by the
lever N affixed to the axle Uº, already described as in Figure 1. The rise of the
trough is in this case also regulated by adjusting screws and ³, and stops a,
and a, arranged in conjunction with the treadle.
Figure 3 shews a machine in which the trough T, is only partly lifted up to the
goods, which are held stationary. The trough T, is rotatable on its hinder edge t,

page_text: about a centre or axis connected to the frame G, and rests or is supported upon
the sliding bar T', by whose vertical movement the forward portion of the
trough T is made to rise and fall. The highest position is shewn in dotted lines
and when in this said position the liquid covers the goods on the network h. In
other respects this machine exactly resembles that in Figure 2 although, if neces-
sary, the conveyor band may be driven by the swinging movement of the trough.
Figure 4 illustrates a coating machine in which the liquid contained in a fixed
trough, is raised up to the goods in a stationary holder by means of the descent
of a displacer. The grating-frame may be done away with in this case and the
network h, laid on the bottom of the trough. The axle A, together with net-
work support has its bearings in the frame and the pillars Q, of the lower holder
are fixedly attached to the trough T, which is in fixed connection with the frame.
The trough has a depression or sunken part To, for the purpose of receiving the
liquid and the displacer V which is connected by the bar V, with the treadle-
lever U, and falls when the treadle falls. Hereupon the liquid passes out of
the depressed part of the trough onto the goods laid on the network and secured
by the lower holder and coats them. When the treadle rises the displacer is
lifted clear of the liquid which flows back again into the said depression, the
goods are separated from it and after the striking of the hammer, as previously
described, are deposited on the conveyor band while this is driven by the lever N,
on the treadle axle U. In this case also the depth to which the displacer is
immersed is regulated by adjusting screws and stops not shewn. Counterpoises
are used in all the machines in Figures 1 to 4.
In the foregoing the treadles U, are connected with the slide bars, either for
lowering the network together with the axle as in Figure 1, or for raising the
whole or part of the trough as in Figures 2 and 3, or for lowering the displacer
as in Figure 4, in order to effect the coating of the goods. The same movements
can, however, be effected by hand by connecting the said slide rod with a hand
wheel.
Further, the raising or tilting of the trough or the depression of the plunger
may be effected by power through suitable mechanical means such as by cams
on a rotating power-driven shaft acting upon sliding bars or rods, connected with
the said trough or displacer.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be 'performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
First A coating machine for coating small articles in which the goods to
be coated are supported on a network attached to a network support connected
interchangeably with an axle, and prevented from escaping by a lower holder;
characterized by the goods being coated by the rising of the liquid either in or
along with the trough, and afterwards being shaken to free them from super-
fluous liquid and finally by means of a half revolution of the axle desposited by
means of the network support on the conveyor band substantially as described
and set forth.
Secondly: In a machine according to Claim 1, the lifting of the liquid to
the goods either by raising the trough, or by turning the trough on its lower
hinder edge, or by means of a displacer immersed in the liquid, said operations
being effected by means of a lever which is worked either foot or hand power
or by a cam wheel on a rotating axle substantially as described and set forth.
Thirdly In a machine according to Claim 1, the shaking of the covered or
coated goods by the blow of a hammer, on the axle A, which is operated either
by hand or foot substantially as and for the purpose described and set forth.
Fourthly: In a machine according to Claim 1, the adjustment of the con-
veyor band to the height necessary for the conveying of the coated goods by
means of an adjusting screw in the frame, substantially as described and set
forth.

page_text: Fifthly: In a machine for coating goods, depressing the bearings of the
axle A, together with the network-support for the goods, and network and the
elbow B2, fixed to the bearings, together with grating and lower holder, by means
of a lever which is worked either by foot or hand power, substantially as described
and set forth in Figure 1.
Dated this 2nd day of Novambar 1809
NICOLAUS FRINGS,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.