An Improved Printing and Measuring or Portioning Machine for Butter, Lard, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 17th Dec., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Printing and Measuring or Portioning Machine for
Butter, Lard, and the like.
I, ALEXANDER CHRISTIE, of Newcastle, in the Colony of New South Wales,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 refers to an improved printing and weighing, measuring, or
portioning machine for butter, lard and the like.
My object being to provide a machine which will compress butter or the like
into the required shape and size, leaving an imprint on one side, and cutting off
or proportioning the butter into blocks of the desired weight. My machine can be
constructed at less cost, and requires less power to operate than those now in use.
For this purpose I construct a wide mouthed hopper of wood or other suitable
material in the bottom of which is an oblong or if preferred a round aperture,
this hopper is placed immediately over a compression chamber, which is open at
both the top and bottom, these openings in the compression chamber correspond
in shape and size with the aperture in the bottom of the hopper. The inside walls
of the compression chamber are slightly concave, for the purpose of allowing the
air and water exuding from the butter under pressure to escape. The bottom or
floor of the compression chamber is formed by a movable print or block on which
it rests as hereafter described. Underneath the side walls of the compression
chamber and attached thereto, grooves are constructed in which a cutter works.
On each side of the compression chamber is holted a metal upright, these uprights
pass freely through the top of the stand or frame of the machine and are con-
nected at their lower extremities by a cross-head, the whole being partially sup-
ported by a spiral spring attached at one end to the under part of the stand, and
at the other to the cross head. This spring is provided to assist in raising the
compression chamber and hopper. The cross head is jointed by means of a
connecting rod to a lever so that by operating the lever the compression chamber,
and hopper can be raised or lowered. This lever bears against a quadrant which
is fitted at one end with a regulating stop and at the other with a slot for the
purpose of holding the compression chamber and hopper in the required position,
as hereafter described. In order to compress the butter which is fed into the
hopper I provide a compressor which is suspended inside the hopper from a lever
bar above as hereafter described, this lever bar is pivotted to the top of an upright
at the back of the machine, and is provided with a balance weight. But in order
that my invention may be more clearly understood reference is made to the
accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a front sectional elevation.
Figure 2 is a side sectional elevation.
T
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page_text: by means of the double joints 12 and B3 as shown. In place of the double
joints B³ and B³ a ball or universal joint may be used if found desirable. C is
compression chamber of which C C are the walls, the inside surfaces of which are
constructed slightly concave as shown. This chamber is preferably of timber and
the walls are so constructed that the hopper A fits partly into it, thus forming a
mouth to the compression chamber.
D is a lever which is pivotted at M2 to the top of an upright M' at the back of
the machine and runs over the centre of the hopper from back to front.
On one
side of the fulcrum M2 of this lever is suspended immediately over the aperture
of the compression chamber the compressor B as before described and on the other
a sliding balance weight 11 is provided.
EE are metal uprights secured one on each of the side walls of the compression
chamber C by means of the bolts E E. These uprights are provided with open
slots E instead of bolt holes so that when the bolts E E are slackened, the
compression chamber and hopper may be removed from between the uprights E E.
F is a cross head to which the lower extremities of the uprights E. E are
connected.
G is a spiral spring placed vertically, the top end of which is attached to the
under part of N which forms the top of the table or stand of machine and through
which the uprights E E pass freely the other end being attached to the centre of
the cross head F, so that the compression chamber and hopper are partially, sup-
ported by means of the spiral spring G.
H, H are adjustable stops sliding on the uprights E E and provided for the
purpose of governing the extent to which the compression chamber and hopper
may be raised.
JJ are guides in which the uprights E E slide provided for the purpose of
securing them in a vertical position, these guides are secured to cross pieces J¹ J.
These guides J, J, act as fixed stops and prevent the compression chamber and
hopper being raised further than the distance between the adjustable stops H H.
and the fixed stops J J as shown in Figure 1.
K is a connecting rod pirotted to the cross-head F at F1 and at L2 to the bent
arm L' of a lever L whose fulcrum is at the fixed bearing L³ as shown in Figure 2.
The lever L bears against a quadrant S which is provided with an adjustable
stop S¹ which retains the lever L in position when pulled forward to raise the
compression chamber and hopper. The position in which this stop S¹ is fixed on
the quadrant S is governed by the position of the adjustable stops H, H, so that
when the lever L is pulled forward and retained by the stop Si the stops H, H
are hard against the fixed stops J J thus ensuring that the compression chamber C
and cutter P are raised and retained in the required position. The slot $2 is
provided to retain the lever L in position when the compression chamber C is
lowered, and thus hold the compression chamber C firmly on the print or block Q.
The extent to which the compression chamber and attached cutter P may be
raised is governed by the position of the adjustable stops H H as before described.
M M are the vertical supports of machine stand.
M is an upright placed at back of machine to the top of which is pivotted at M*
the horizontal lever D.
PP are sides of frame holding wire cutter T this frame slides horizontally in
grooves P. P underneath the side walls C₁ C¹ of compression chamber C.
Q is a movable print or mould of which Q¹ is the handle. This print or mould Q
is so constructed that while the top surface which forms the floor, bottom or end,
of the compression chamber (which when lowered is held firmly against it by
means of the lever L retained in the slot S) is horizontal the under portion rests
on an inclined bed R this construction is provided for the purpose of clearance,
as hereafter described. T is a fine wire stretched at one end of the cutter
frame P P as shown in Figure 3.
.
The method of operating my invention is as follows;The butter to be printed
or weighed is fed into the hopper A, and by means of the lever D and double

page_text: jointed compressor B, which are manipulated by hand, it is compressed into the
chamber C, the floor, bottom or end of which is formed by the print or mould Q.
This chamber C being formed with concave sides allows the air and water con-
tained in the butter to escape into the hopper again so that the butter is evenly
compressed. When the chamber is full of butter the operator presses on the
lever 1 with one hand thus holding the compressor B on the butter in the
chamber C, then, with the other hand, he releases the lever L and draws it for-
ward thus raising the cutter frame P P with compression chamber C and hopper A
by means of the cross head F and uprights E E until the adjustable stops H H
come in contact with the fixed stops J J and the lever L being retained by the
adjustable stop S holds the whole in the raised position and leaves a column of
butter standing on print or mould Q.
The cutter P is now drawn out so that the wire T cuts through the column of
butter; the exact weight of butter to be cut each time being regulated by the
adjustable stops H H which govern the height to which the cutter P is lifted.
The print or mould Q is now pulled out by means of the handle Q this can
be readily done as the bed R on which it rests is inclined towards the front of the
machine so that the cut made through the butter by the wire T clears itself as
soon as the mould Q is pulled forward. The butter is turned off the mould Q
the imprint of which it bears and the mould returned to its place, and the
operation repeated.
.
When found more convenient my machine may be used in a horizontal posi-
tion by making a slight modification in the construction. When the compression
chamber is placed horizontally an inclined shoot is provided which enters the
top of the compression chamber which is made somewhat longer for the purpose.
The lever D is placed in a vertical position and the compressor B works at right
angles to it that is to say horizontally. The lever L which works the reverse
way to that previously described instead of being attached to the compression
chamber C is attached to frame or floor N which is placed vertically and arranged
so as to slide in grooves. The bed R is attached to N as above described. The
action of the lever L is to move N backwards and forwards. When the lever L
is pushed downwards which carries the bed R and print or block Q placed in a
vertical position is pressed against the end of the compression chamber C. The
butter, lard or the like, is now compressed by means of the compressor B into
the compression chamber C, the lever L is now pulled up which moves the frame
of floor N away from the compression chamber. The compressor B is now pressed
against the butter lard or the like in the compression chamber.
This pushes a
column of butter or the like through the aperture in the end of the compression
chamber against the print or block Q. The cutter P is now pulled out thus
cutting a block of butter or the like of the proper size as before described.
0
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
:-
1. In an improved printing and weighing or portioning machine for butter,
lard, and the like, a wide mouthed feed hopper (such as A), corresponding to and
having its lower aperture fitting on a compression chamber (such as C) for the
purposes herein set forth and as illustrated in the drawings.
2. In an improved printing and weighing or portioning machine for butter
lard and the like, a compression chamber (such as C) having its inner walls con-
caved attached to uprights (such as E E) connected by a cross head (such as F)
and partially supported by a spiral spring (such as Ĝ) for the purposes herein
set forth and as illustrated in the drawings.
3. In an improved printing and weighing or portioning machine for butter
lard and the like, the combination and arrangement of adjustable stops (such
as H H) with fixed stops (such as J J) for the purposes herein set forth and as
illustrated in the drawings.

page_text: 4. In an improved printing and weighing or portioning machine for butter
lard and the like, the combination and arrangement of a cross-head (such as F)
and connecting rod (such as K) with a lever (such as L) and a quadrant (such
as $) for the purposes herein set forth and as illustrated in the drawings.
5. In an improved printing and weighing or portioning machine, for butter,
lard, and the like, a compressor (such as B) fitted with a double or universal
joint to a horizontal lever (such as D) for the purposes herein set forth and as
illustrated in the drawings.
6. In an improved printing and weighing or portioning machine, for butter
lard and the like, the combination and arrangement of a horizontal lever (such
as D) a balance weight (such as D¹) and an upright (such as M¹) with a com-
pressor (such as B), and the necessary joints and attachments for the purposes
herein set forth and as illustrated in the drawings.
7. In an improved printing, and weighing or portioning machine for butter
lard and the like, a movable mould or print (such as Q) forming the floor bottom
or end of a compression chamber (such as C) resting upon or bearing against an
inclined bed (such as R) for the purposes herein set forth and as illustrated in
the drawings.
8. In an improved printing and weighing or portioning machine for butter
lard and the like the combination and arrangement of a compression chamber
(such as C) with a cutter frame (such as P) sliding in grooves (such as P¹ P¹) and
fitted with a cutter (such as T) for the purposes herein set forth and as illustrated
in the drawings.
3000
Dated the
Бересно
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents.