Improvements in and relating to a Method of and Apparatus for Producing Letters or Characters in Bread.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1894-Accepted, 22nd Dec.,
1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to a Method of and Apparatus for
Producing Letters or Characters in Bread.
I, RICHARD MELANOTHON SHAFFER, a citizen of the United States of
America, of 211 North Calvert Street, in the City and County of Baltimore and
State of Maryland, one of the United States of America, 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 :-
My invention relates to a method of and apparatus for producing letters or
characters in bread.
The purpose of the invention is to enable a baker to turn out bread with his own
name or any desired characters imprinted therein; the accomplishment of which
consists in impressing said letters or characters in the blocks of dough by means
of a die heated to a degree sufficient to sear the surfaces of. the impressed letters
or characters, whereby as the dough rises in the act of baking, the obliteration
of said letters or characters thereby is prevented.
•
My invention also consists in a novel apparatus well adapted for carrying out the
above-described method.
Figure of the drawings is a side elevation of my apparatus, showing the
manner in which it is employed to stamp blocks of dough.
Figure 2 is a perspective underside view of the burner-box provided with a
burner and die.
Figure 3 is a cross-section taken on the line - Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the burner with the burner-plate removed.
Figure 5 is a side view of the same.
Figure 6 is a plan view of the burner-plate.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal central section of the same.
Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical central sectional view of the air-mixer and so
much of the burner-box, burner, and die as is necessary to show its connection
therewith.
Figure 9 is a side elevation of the gas-delivery having the air mixer connected
therewith.
Referring to the drawings, A is the burner-box, which is rectangular in form,
open at the bottom, and has a narrow rectangular opening 1 in the top, above
which is a heat-shield a supported by arms 2 removably secured to the sides of
the box.
B is the burner, which, in addition to the burner-plate hereinafter described,
consists of a bottom-plate b on which is a rectangular raised wall b', one end
portion of which is higher than the rest, in order to form a shoulder b³. At one
end the burner is provided with a screw-threaded nipple 68 which communicates
with the interior of the burner. This burner is secured in the bottom of the
burner-box, the rectangular wall ¹fitting snugly therein, the nipple 6* of the
burner projecting, through an. opening 3 formed in one end of the burner box.
Draft-openings 4 are also formed in the ends of the burner-box.
C is the burner-plate, which is secured over the wall of the burner, it being
1
1
1

page_text: provided at one end with a raised projection e which abuts against the shoulder b
of the burner. This plate is perforated on each side of its longitudinal center, as
at ; and in its underside there is formed a central groove for a purpose
hereinafter described.
To the underside of the burner is secured any suitable die D, the letters or
characters of which are formed in relief.
Before the gas is admitted to the burner for heating the die it passes through an
air-mixer, comprising a cylindrical metal body E having a large bore 5 in one end
and lateral openings 6 communicating therewith, the other end of the body being
reduced in size to fit into a pipe-elbow 7 and having a bore 8, with which latter
a small tube E extending longitudinally through the body E communicates.
In the bore 5 of the mixer is inserted a reducer e adapted to screw onto the
nipple of the burner, the bore of the reducer being large enough to leave au
annular space el around the central tube E'.
Hinged to the ends of the burner-box are legs F, formed of wire, and adapted
to be turned down in a position to support the apparatus above the top of the
table when not in use.
Gas is admitted to the burner from any suitable source of supply through a
flexible tube 10, pipes 9, and elbows 7, that portion of the pipe horizontally above
the burner-box being covered by a wooden handle 11. For convenience in
regulating the flow of gas to the burner I have placed a stop-cook 12 in the pipe
near the handle.
•
G represents a portion of a table, and H a block of dough lying thereon.
The operation of my apparatus is as follows:
Gas being admitted to the burner through the flexible tube, the pipes, the mixer-
tube, and the burner-nipple, air will enter the mixer through the openings 6, and,
passing through the annular space e¹ in the nipple, will meet the in-going gas at
the end of the mixer-tube and combine therewith, thus supplying oxygen to the
gas and thereby giving it a greater heating capacity than it would otherwise have.
As the gas enters the burner under pressure it is directed by the groove in the
burner-plate toward the longitudinal center of said plate, when, on expansion it
will make its exit through the various perforations in the burner-plate, in an oven
manner. When the gas is ignited a draft sufficient to maintain a steady and regular
flame will be set up by the air entering the box through the draft openings 4. The
heat thus developed, will, by the conductivity of the burner, be transmitted to the
die. When the die has become sufficiently heated the operator takes hold of
the handle 11 and lightly places the die on a block of dough, when the surfaces
of the letters or characters impressed in the dough will become Beared and
hardened, which will prevent the obliteration of said letters or characters by the
rising of the dough while in the oven being baked.
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 :-
1. The herein described method of producing letters or characters in bread,
which consists in impressing said letters or characters in the blocks of dough by
means of a die heated to a degree sufficient to sear the surfaces of the impressed
letters or characters, whereby as the dough rises in the act of baking, said letters
or characters are caused to remain intact.
2. 'In an apparatus of the class above described, the combination, with a burner-
box open on its lower side and having suitable draft-openings, of a burner located
in and closing said open side of the box, the burner-plate having a longitudinal
groove in its underside and perforated on each side of said groove, means for
adinitting gas to the interior of the burner, and a die secured on the outer side of
the burner and adapted to be beated by the gas burning above the burner-plate.
3. In an apparatus of the class above described, the combination with a burner-
box open on its lower side and having suitable draft-openings, of a burner located

page_text: in and closing said open side of the box and provided with a projecting nipple,
an air-mixer secured to said nipple, gas-pipe connected with the mixer, a handle
on said pipe, and a flexible tube leading from a gas-supply and connected with
the gas-pipe.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1894.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agenta.