IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STICKS OR BARS OF SUGAR, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR and
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STICKS OR BARS
OF SUGAR, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR 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 the manufacture of stick sugar that is to say sugar in
the form of sticks or bars and to apparatus therefor.
Hitherto the moulds used for making stick-sugar have been so composed, that
the sticks had to be loosened from two rigid mould-sides forming together a
right-angle.
According to this invention the moulds are made of flexible sheet-metal and the
sugar sticks are enclosed between three mould-sides from which they are detached
by bending one mould-side. This novel arrangement of the moulds allows sticks.
of a smaller section than heretofore to be formed and moreover the thin sticks thus
obtained have a very smooth surface, in consequence of their having been loosened
in an easy and gradual manner.
The improved moulds are formed substantially of sheet metal plates, having
a series of parallel sheet metal ribs, and inserted, in close order, into a cast iron case.
This case is of square, section, and its sides converge toward its bottom portion,
which is either open or perforated. The ribbed sheet metal plates are held in the
case by means of wedges. When the sugar, with which the mould is filled has
solidified, the cases are placed in a centrifugal machine wherein the sugar is freed
from green syrup and whitened. The whole contents of the case are then with-
drawn from the same, and by bending the sheet metal plates by means of a special
device, the sticks of sugar are loosened.
In the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a cast iron case provided with a perforated
bottom and filled with ribbed sheet-metal plates,
Figure 2 is a perspective view of this case in section.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the ribbed plates.
Figure 4 shews a vertical section of this plate.

page_text: apparatus used for bending the sheet metal plates.
Figure 7 is a plan view of a case having an open bottom.
Figure 8 is a sectional end elevation of said case;
Figure 9 is a sectional side elevation of the same.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the ribbed plates to be inserted in the
bottomless case.
Figures 11 and 12 are a sectional side elevation and an end elevation respectively
of a modified form of the apparatus for bending the ribbed plates.
As clearly shewn in Figures 1 and 2, the cast-iron cases A designed to receive 1
the ribbed sheet-metal plates B are of rectangular section and open at their tops.
Their sides converge toward the gutter-shaped bottom a the lowest portion of
which is provided with a series of holes a¹.
Each plate B to be inserted into the cases A is made of flexible sheet-metal, and
has a series of equi distant sheet-metal ribs b rigidly connected to one surface; the
distances between the said parallel ribs and their width correspond to the section
which it is desired to give to the sticks of sugar. The last ribs b¹ at either end of
each plate B are extended somewhat beyond the top edge of the plate and the end
of this extended portion is bent outside at right angles to the other portion,
laterally projecting yielding flaps b² being thus formed, which provide means for
fixing the plate B between the converging sides of case A. Between each two
ribs b, the lower edge of the plate B is provided with small recesses b³ through
which the green syrup is allowed to flow toward the lowermost portion of the
gutter-shaped perforated bottom a of the case A. By means of wedges c the
whole group of ribbed plates is closely held together.
In the bottomless vessel or case A', having likewise converging sides, the inserted
ribbed sheet-metal plates B¹ are fixed by means of wedges b6* instead of by the
hereinbefore described yielding flaps 63; said wedges being rigidly connected to
the border-ribs 65 and carrying longitudinal ledges 6 to each of which grooves a³ in
the inner surfaces of two opposite sides of the case A¹ correspond. It is obvious
however that ribbed sheet-metal plates B having extended border ribs b' with
laterally projecting flaps 62 may also be used in connection with the bottomless
case A, and that the plates B¹ carrying the wedges b' on their border ribs may be
inserted into a case A with a perforated bottom a, provided that grooves answering
to the ledges of the wedges are formed in the sides of the case A, or that said
ledges are dispensed with.
To obviate the necessity for the wedges c, which in the case A hold together the
ribbed plates B¹, the grooves a² in the sides of the case A¹ are made slightly
converging toward the middle, where the case is divided by a cross partition a³,
and according to this inclined position of the grooves a², the wedges b and
ribs 6, 67 of the sheet-metal plates B¹ are slightly tapered from their top-ends
toward their bottom-ends.
The flexible sheet-metal plates B or B¹ having been fixed in the cases A or A¹ in
the described manner, the stick-moulds thus formed are filled with sugar-To this
end, the bottomless cases A¹ are placed upon a layer of woven fabric or the like,
and several cases are superposed upon each other. When the mass has hardened,
the cases are placed in a centrifugal machine, where the sugar is freed from green
syrup and whitened in the usual manner.
-
For loosening the sticks of sugar from the sides of the moulds in a rapid and
easy manner, the whole contents of the cases A or A¹ are first knocked out by over-
turning said cases, and after the ribbed plates B or B¹ have been separated these
plates with the sugar between their ribs are placed upon one or the other of the
machines shewn in Figures 5 and 6 or Figures 11 and 12, intended for bending
said plates in a direction perpendicular to their ribs and thus freeing the sticks of
sugar.
In the apparatus shewn in Figures 5 and 6, the ribbed plate with its ribs turned
down is placed above an opening d of corresponding size, cut in a table D, which is

page_text: supported by a convenient frame d. The table D carries a standard dª to which is
jointed the one-armed lever d³ to which a connecting-rod d connects a treadle d³.
The lever 3 carries by means of a rod de a convex stamp adapted to press upon
the ribbed plate; whereby the ribs of said plate are caused to open radially and
the sticks of sugar allowed to fall down upon a belt d³, which conveys the said
sticks to the drying-room or to the nipping device, where the sticks are cut into
cubes or tablets. The weight d' causes the stamp d' to rise again when the pressure
upon the treadle d³ ceases.
The apparatus shewn in Figures 11 and 12 is of similar construction, but it
presents the difference that the ribbed plate containing between its ribs the sticks
of sugar, is placed, with its ribs turned upward, upon a block do, having a convex
surface and fixed to the table D, while two rods or bars d¹, d, jointed to the
treadle d and having inward projecting hooks on their upper ends which pass
through holes in the table D, are adapted to seize and bend down the borders of
the ribbed plate; in this case, the loosened sticks are removed by the hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. In the manufacture of sticks of sugar, forming the moulds by super-
posing or juxta-posing flexible, ribbed sheet-metal plates, the parallel ribs of which
are equidistant and of equal width, so that the sticks of sugar before being
loosened, are enclosed on three sides between flexible sheet-metal partitions,
substantially as described.
Second. As a means for fastening the ribbed sheet-metal plates in cases having
downwardly converging sides, the upwardly extended border-ribs b' with outwardly
bent end-flaps 62, substantially as shown and described.
Third. As a means for fastening the ribbed sheet-metal plates in cases having
downward converging sides, wedges 64 rigidly connected to the border ribs b³,
substantially as shown and described.
Fourth. As a means for holding the ribbed plates referred to in claims 1 and 3
closely together in a case, the downwardly tapering ribs 65, 67 and wedges *; these
latter being provided with longitudinal ledges to which correspond downwardly
converging grooves a² in the sides of the case A. or A¹ into which grooves the
ribbed plates are inserted, substantially as shown and described.
Fifth. As a means for loosening the sticks of sugar from the moulds, a table D,
having an opening d of nearly the same size as the plates B or B', and a stamp d
having a convex under surface and being adapted to press upon the ribbed plate
placed above the opening d, with its ribs turned down, substantially as
described.
Sixth. As a means for loosening the sticks of sugar from the moulds, a table D
carrying in its middle a block with a convex surface, upon which the ribbed
plates are placed with their ribs turned upward, vertically movable rods or
bars having inward projecting hooks on their ends being adapted to seize the
border-ribs and draw them down, substantially as set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.