Improvements in and relating to Machinery or Apparatus for the Manufacture of Sweetmeats.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Machinery or Apparatus for the
Manufacture of Sweetmeats.
I, EDWARD SHAW, of 9 Lower Castle Street, Bristol, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machinery or apparatus for the manufacture of sweet-
meats, and consists, firstly, in an improved construction and arrangement of
machinery for making sweets known as drops.
According to this invention the pairs of rolls employed for stamping out the
drops are carried by a frame which is capable of rotating on a horizontal axis.
The frame consists, under one arrangement, of a pair of plates bolted together
with distance pieces and so arranged as to be capable of rotation on trunnion
bearings carried on a pair of standards. The rolls are situated in circular series
between the plates. The pairs of rolls are set at convenient distances apart and are
supported on bearings which may be parts of or secured to the frame. The
bearings at one end of the rolls may be fixed, and those at the opposite end
removable to facilitate change of rolls. The rolls in each pair are, as is usual,
geared, and, on the spindle of each of the innermost rolls in each pair, is carried
an additional toothed wheel which gears with a central toothed wheel carried on a
driving shaft extended through the frame and supported on suitable bearings
inside the trunnion bearings on the standards. All the pairs of rolls are driven
from the said central wheel. By means of an idle toothed wheel fitted to be put
into and out of gear, at will, with the said central wheel, any pair of rolls may be
put into or out of action, when desired. Or, a clutch or equivalent device may be
employed for these purposes.
By thus concentrating the pairs of rolls into a group about one place the
feeding bench is shortened, and space is otherwise economised. Time and labour
are also saved. The sweetmeat, in the sheet or slab, is always fed at a fixed
point and is always delivered, after stamping, at another fixed point.
Under a modification in this part of my invention, the shaft carrying the
toothed wheel by which motion is communicated from the said shaft to the pairs
of rolls is disposed eccentrically to the frame; the arrangement being such that
when, by turning the frame, a pair of rolls is brought into the position for
receiving the sheet or slab of sweetmeat, the additional toothed wheel herein before
referred to, as being carried on the spindle of the innermost roll in each pair, is
brought into gear with the toothed wheel on the driving shaft, and thus both rolls
in the pair are rotated: the rolls in the other pairs being meanwhile out of action
and remaining so until in turn presented to receive a sheet or slab of sweetmeat.
Under another arrangement the several pairs of rolls are carried on a plate in
such a manner that whilst the plate can be rotated on a horizontal axis so as to
bring any pair of rolls into action, the axes of the rolls are pointing towards the
axis of the plate and are driven by bevel wheels from a central bevel wheel carried
on a shaft which is at the centre of the plate. By this arrangement the axes of

page_text: the rolls, instead of always remaining horizontal, work in a vertical plane and the
sugar, instead of passing through the machine between the frames, passes through
at right angles to the plate carrying the rolls.
This invention consists, secondly, in providing detachable working faces for the
rolls, being sleeves of gun-metal or other suitable metal, and adapted to be slid
endwise on to the rolls, to which they are secured by keys or set screws. By this
provision the working faces can be readily changed and varied without removing
the spindles and bodies of the rolls and, moreover, by the provision aforesaid of
removable bearings at one end of the rolls, the sleeves can be changed without
withdrawing the toothed wheels carried on their spindles, and thus the operation
of changing the dies is greatly facilitated over the old process of removing all the
gearing and spindles.
This invention consists, thirdly, in means for cooling the slabs or sheets of drops
after delivery from the rolls. The slabs or sheets of drops, as delivered from the
rolls, are discharged on to a travelling band or net by which they are conveyed
over a cooling appliance being a table having a cold water jacket. Or the conveyor
may be conducted between two such tables. The slabs or sheets of sweets are
cooled in the passage of the conveyor which may, if desired, be brought temporarily
to rest when necessary for completion of cooling. On leaving the cooling appliance
or appliances the sweet meat is delivered by the conveyor into a suitable receptacle.
A fourth improvement constituting part of this invention consists in the
employment, in conjunction with the cooling apparatus, of a mechanically-operated
riddle or sieve into which the slabs or sheets of sweetmeat, when delivered by the
conveyor aforesaid, are received, and in which they are divided into drops and
sifted, and from which they may be taken in a condition for bottling.
Dated this 12th day of September 1896
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.
Improvements in and relating to Machinery or Apparatus for the
Manufacture of Sweetmeats.
I, EDWARD SHAW, of 9, Lower Castle Street, Bristol, Engineer, 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 apparatus for the manufacture of sweet-
meats, and consists, firstly, in an improved construction and arrangement of
machinery for making sweets known as drops.
According to this invention, the pair of rolls employed for moulding the drops
are carried by a frame which is capable of rotating on a horizontal axis.
The frame consists, under one arrangement, of a pair of plates bolted together
with distance pieces and so arranged as to be capable of rotation on trunnion
bearings carried on a pair of standards. The rolls are situated in circular series
between the plates. The pairs of rolls are set at convenient distances apart and
are supported on bearings which may be part of or secured to the frame. The
bearings at one end of the rolls may be fixed, and those at the opposite end
removable, to facilitate change of rolls. The rolls in each pair are, as is usual,
geared, and on the spindle of each of the innermost rolls in each pair, is carried an
additional toothed wheel which gears, when in the top position, with a pinion
carried on a fixed shaft extended through the frame and supported on the standards.
The shaft carrying the pinion by which motion is communicated to the pairs of

page_text: rolls is disposed eccentrically to the frame; the arrangement being such that when,
by turning the frame, a pair of rolls is brought into the position for receiving the
sheet or slab of sweetmeat, the additional toothed wheel hereinbefore referred to,
as being carried on the spindle of the innermost roll in each pair, is brought into
gear, with the piuion on the fixed shaft, and thus both rolls in the pair are
rotated; the rolls in the other pair being meanwhile out of action and remaining
so until in turn presented to receive a sheet or slab of sweetmeat.
Under a modification in this part of my invention, the shaft carrying the
toothed wheel by which motion is communicated to the pairs of rolls is disposed
concentrically to the frame. All the pairs of rolls are driven from the said wheel
which is centrally situated. By means of an idle toothed wheel fitted to be put
into and out of gear at will, with the said central wheel any pair of rolls may be
put into or out of action as desired. Or, a clutch or equivalent device may be
employed for these purposes.
Under another arrangement, several pairs of rolls are carried on a plate in
such a manner that whilst the plate can be rotated on a horizontal axis, so as to
bring any pair of rolls into action, the axes of the rolls are in a plane perpendicular
to the axis of the plate and are driven from one central driving gear disposed near
the centre of the plate. By this arrangement the axes of the rolls, instead of
always remaining horizontal, work in a vertical plane, and the sugar, instead of
passing through the machine between the frames, passes through at right angles
to the plate carrying the rolls.
In all the arrangements above described the pairs of rolls for pressing out the
drops are concentrated into a group about one place, thus enabling the feeding
bench to be shortened and space to be otherwise economised. Time and labour
are also saved. The sweetmeat, in the sheet or slab, is always fed at a fixed point,
and is always delivered, after stamping, at another fixed point.
My invention consists, secondly, in providing detachable working faces for the
rolls, being sleeves of gun metal or other suitable metal, and adapted to be slid
endwise on to the rolls, to which they are secured by keys or set screws. By this
provision the working faces can be readily changed and varied without removing
the spindles and the bodies of the rolls and, moreover, by the provision aforesaid,
of removable bearings at one end of the rolls, the sleeves can be changed without
withdrawing the toothed wheels carried on their spindles, and thus the operation
of changing the dies is greatly facilitated over the old process of removing all the
gearing and spindles.
My invention consists, thirdly, in means for cooling the slabs or sheets of drops
after delivery from the rolls. The slabs or sheets of drops, as delivered from the
rolls, are discharged on to a travelling band or net by which they are conveyed
over a cooling appliance being a table having a cold water jacket, or the conveyor
may be conducted between two such tables. The slabs or sheets of sweets are
cooled in the passage of the conveyor, which may be, if desired, brought temporarily
to rest when necessary for completion of cooling. On leaving the cooling appliance
or appliances, the sweetmeat is delivered by the conveyor into a suitable receptacle.
A fourth improvement constituting part of my invention consists in the
employment, in conjunction with the cooling apparatus, of a mechanically-operated
riddle or sieve into which the slabs or sheets of sweetmeat, when delivered by the
conveyor aforesaid, are received, and in which they are divided into drops and
sifted, and from which they may be taken in a condition for bottling.
Referring to the accompanying sheets of illustrative drawings, Fig. 1 represents,
in end view, a drop-making machine constructed and arranged in accordance with
one method comprised in this invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the opposite end as
seen after removal of the standard at that end. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical
section, and Fig. 4 a plan.
According to this arrangement the rolls employed for moulding the drops are.
carried in a frame which consists of a pair of plates A and A' connected by distance
pieces B. The frame is mounted by trunnion bearings on a pair of standards C, C¹.

page_text: The rolls are arranged in circular series between the plates A, A¹ and are
supported in bearings. The bearings of the innermost series of rolls are fixed,
but the bearings of the outer series of rolls are adjustable. By means of the
toothed wheels E secured on the spindles of the rolls, the latter are, as is usual,
geared together. On the same side of the machine at which are situated the
toothed wheels E, the spindles of the innermost series of rolls D carry each a
toothed wheel F. Extending transversely across the machine is a fixed shaft G
upon which is loosely centred a pinion II, and a pulley I. The adjacent bosses of
the pinion and pulley are shaped to constitute a clutch which is put into and out
of action by sliding, by means of the lever J, the pinion H¹ along the shaft G.
The shaft is disposed eccentrically to the plates A, A
In practically using the machine, the sheet or slab of sweetmeat from which the
drops are to be made is fed in at the top thereof along the top of the sheet-iron
guide G¹ in the direction indicated by the arrow shown at Figs. 1 and 2. The
pair of rolls between which the sheet or slab of sweetmeat is to be fed is brought
to the top by turning the plates A, A' on their trunnion bearings. The plates A, A¹
are then locked by a locking pin K passed through the standard C into the plate A.
The toothed wheel appertaining to the top pair of rolls is, by turning the
plates A, A¹, as aforesaid, brought into gear with the pinion H, through the
eccentricity of the shaft G, and the uppermost pair of rolls are consequently
rotated, and the sheet or slab of sweetmeat passes between them. The patterns
carried by the rolls differ in each pair, and when it is desired to change from one
pattern to another, the locking pin K is withdrawn and the plates A, A¹ are
turned on their trunnion bearings until the rolls having the required pattern are
brought uppermost.
a slot
Fig. 5 represents a section through the rolls, which are furnished with detachable
faces, being sleeves of gun metal. Each sleeve fits loosely on the enlarged part
of the roll spindle. The sleeve is capable of being slid end-ways into place,
or feather way in the sleeve engaging with a long key or feather provided in the
spindle. This arrangement allows the sleeves to be readily changed and at the
same time enables the spindle when actuated by the gearing to carry round the
sleeves.
The sleeves are removed from the spindles through an opening A2 provided in
the frame A, which is left free for this purpose when the block L carrying the two
bearings is removed by withdrawing the set screws L¹. The removal of the
block L leaves the spindles in the machine where they are supported by the
bearings at the other end of the spindle. The convenience of this arrangement
is considerable, because the spindles with the gearing attached are never removed
from the machine for the purpose of changing patterns and a great saving of time
in changing dies is effected.
At Fig. 6 is shown in part vertical section another arrangement of my improved
drop-making machine according to which the several pairs of drop-forming rolls D
are carried on a plate or wheel M with their axes lying in a plane perpendicular
to the axis about which the plate M can be turned. Fig.7 is a plan, and Fig. 8 an
end view on the delivery side. The plate M is made with standards M which,
with the small gun-metal blocks usually employed, carry the rolls which are of the
usual kind, that is to say, having non-removable gunmetal working faces cast
solid on the spindles. The centre line between each pair of standards M¹ runs
through the axis of the plate M and thus the pair of rolls at the top have their
axes horizontal, and in a position suitable for receiving the sugar to be moulded.
At Figs. 6 and 7 is shown the arrangement for driving the rolls. The driving
pulley N Fig. 7---is keyed on the shaft N towards the opposite end of which
is secured the pinion O which when the idle wheel 01 is in the position shown
at Fig. 7, is geared up to the spur wheel 02, keyed to the innermost roll of each
pair. The wheel O¹, is keyed to a spindle free to revolve in a bearing provided in
the frame P. The frame P is supported by a similar bearing on the shaft N¹.

page_text: The whole frame is capable of being rotated about the shaft N and can be locked
in two positions by a lock bolt P operated through the handle P².
When the frame is locked in the position for driving the rolls the angled sheet
of metal, which acts as a support for the sugar introduced to the machine, fits
between the standards M' carrying the top pair of rolls and locks the plate M so
that it cannot move. By withdrawing the pin P from the frame 1', the latter
can be moved about the shaft N', so that the idle pinion O takes up the position
shown at 0; thus removing the driving power from the rolls, and leaving the
frame M free to be turned, so as to bring the desired pair of rolls to the top
position. When the frame P is in this position, by reversing the movement of
the handle 1, the pin 1" again locks the frame, so as to keep it out of gear. The
sheet of sugar when formel into the required shape passes through the machine.
in the direction shown by the arrow, is relieved from the rolls by means of the
small delivery platform and thence passes away in a continuous sheet to be
cooled.
At Fig. 9 is represented, in plan, that part of my invention which relates to
cooling the sheets of drops after delivery from the rolls. Fig. 10 is a side elevation
towards one end of the machine. Fig. 11 is a side elevation partly in section, the
middle of the apparatus being omitted. The travelling hands which convey the
sugar over the cooling table, pass over the pulleys or discs Q at either end of the
machine, and consist of steel tapes having small projections on the outer face,
which, engaging with the sheet of sugar, drag it along over the cooling tablet,
which is preferably made of wrought iron, with a water jacket R underneath.
Water is fed into the jacket through the feed pipe R', supply being regulated
by the cock R2 whilst the heated water is removed by the overflow pipe R³.
Motion is imparted to the pulleys Q, Q and thus to the steel tapes or bands, by
means of the fast and loose pulley arrangement, which driving the first motion
shaft, actuate the spur wheel Q on the end of the shaft Q' carrying the pulleys Q, Q
through a chain pinion, chain and chain wheel, the latter running idly on a fixed
spindle, and carrying with it a pinion gearing into the spur wheel Q2. By means
of this gearing, the speed of the first motion shaft, which is preferably high, is
sufficiently reduced to give the slow motion required to the travelling bands.
At each end of the cooling table are six of the pulleys Q, forming two sets of
three each, each set being cast together on one sleeve. The sleeve is loose on the
shaft Q', and is capable of rotating but not of moving end-wise. A driving arm Q³
is secured on the shaft Q', and by means of projections on the arm Q³, and suitable
stops on the two adjacent pulleys Q, Q the arm Q3 is enabled, when the shaft Q' is
moved endwise, to convey motion to either one or the other of the two sets of
pulleys and bands connected therewith. The end motion of the shaft Q¹ is
provided for by means of the grooved boss Q', the toothed disc Q, and the shaft
and handle Q. The grooves on the boss Q are turned out so that the teeth on
the disc Q are able to engage properly with them, and cause a movement to the
shaft Q', independent of its rotation.
When it is required to convey a sheet of drops on to the machine, which is
sufficiently wide to take one sheet on either side, the required set of bands are put
in motion by the starting gear, and so soon as the sheet of sweets is sufficiently
on the machine, the motion can be stopped for any required time, so as to complete
the process of cooling, should such be necessary.
In order to more conveniently receive from the drop-forming machine the sheet
of sweets, the cooling table is made to swivel about the pin S, Fig. 11. The
tablet rests on anti-friction rollers carried in the standards t' and the table runs
on the said rollers when its further end is pulled across to bring one set of
travelling bands opposite the advancing sheet of sugar.
At Figs. 9, 10 and 11 is shown the mechanically operated riddle or sieve T
which is hinged at the point T, and oscillated by means of the connecting rods T³,
which receive their motion from the eccentric pin T3 on the end of the shaft T',
driven at a high speed, by means of the spur wheel U and pinion U from the

page_text: first motion shaft. The direction taken by the drops is indicated, by the arrows
shown at Fig. 11. The sheet of sugar when sufficiently cooled and set in motion
is carried along and breaks off inside the box at the end of the conveyor table and
falls in a more or less broken condition into the sifter, which, at its upper end, is
made of wire so as to allow the small broken edges to pass through. The violent
vertical motion at this point effectually breaks up the collections of drops, and
removes all the thin parts which connect the drops together. On further passing
down the sifter, the drops fall out at the end into suitable trays T by means of
which they can be taken away for the purpose of bottling. A box T is used for
the purpose for collecting the siftings which come from the drops through the
sieve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
-
1. In sugar drop making machinery the concentration of a number of pairs of
drop forming rolls in a frame which rotating about an axis, brings, at will, any
one pair of rolls into one and the same fixed position for receiving the sugar to
be formed into drops, the motion of the frame being about an axis which is
parallel to the axis of the rolls, with one central driving gear actuating any one
of the several sets of rolls, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3
and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In sugar drop making machinery, the concentration of a number of pairs of
drop-forming rolls in a frame which rotating about an axis, brings, at will, any
one pair of rolls into one and the same fixed position for receiving the sugar to
be formed into drops, the motion of the frame being about an axis, which is
perpendicular to the plane containing the axes of the rolls, with one central driving
gear actuating any one of the several sets of rolls, substantially as herein above
described with reference to Figs. 6, 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In sugar drop making machinery constructed arranged and operating
according to the arrangement hereinabove described and claimed in Claim 1, the
combination therewith of rolls having detachable faces or sleeves embossed with
suitable patterns and capable of being removed and replaced endways on the
spindles, without disturbing the spindles.
4. A continuous cooling apparatus with mechanical sifter attached, either for
one or two widths of the sugar sheets, and either fixed or swivelling at one end,
substantially as described with reference to Figs. 9, 10 and 11 of the appended
drawings.
5. The combination of drop-forming machinery in which from any one of a
number of pairs of rolls fixed on one frame, a sheet of sugar can be delivered at
a given point, with a continuous cooling machine, and mechanical sifter,
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of July 1897
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.