Improvements in and connected with Machinery for making Confections.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Machinery for making
Confections.
We, JOHN ROBINS of 57, Roding Road, Homerton, London, Confectioner, and
THE CONFECTIONERS, VEGETABLE COLOURS AND FRUIT ESSENCES COY., LTD., of
Messina Works, Hackney Wick, London, N.E., Manufacturers do hereby declare
the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in and connected with machinery for
making confections.
In carrying out our Invention we provide à suitable framework on which the
apparatus to be hereafter described is carried. An endless belt or chain-to
which is imparted the necessary traverse and stop motion--running longitu-
dinally from end to end of the machine carries the starch boards or trays. These
starch boards or trays are supplied with starch from a hopper by an endless chain
mounted with cups o buckets after the manner of an elevator. The starch
boards or trays in their travel to the stamping mechanism with their proper
quantity of starch have their surfaces levelled in order to receive the correct
impression from the stamp by suitable scrapers placed transversely across the
machine. In front of the scrapers there is an arrangement for lightening the
starch and also for assisting the levelling. From the levelling operation the
starch boards or trays are carried to the stamping mechanism. The stamping
or moulding mechanism consists of a hammer which is made to rise and fall
by a suitable face plate provided with a projecting pin which engages with a
corresponding projection formed on the upper end of hammer. The hammer
at its lower end carries a transverse bar or board with screw adjustment and
adapted to receive various sizes of stamps required in the moulding operation.
A pair of levers mounted with a cross-bar on either side of the said endless chain
or belt ensures that the stamping mechanism is always raised clear of the lip
of the starch board or tray during its forward travel. The vessel or hopper for
containing the viscuous or liquified material of which the sweetmeats are composed
is supported in suitable brackets. The drop of the material is effected by suitable
slot arrangement which causes a plunger mounted with rods corresponding to the
number of stamps, to rise and fall and thus enables the material to flow on to
the moulds.
The starch boards or trays, after the stamping and dropping and drying (if
required) have been effected, are emptied with their contents into a vibrating
sieve for sifting and separating the sweetmeat from the starch. Beneath the
sieve and extending beyond it longitudinally with the side of the machine is
another sieve. This sieve is mounted upon side rods or links and receives a
vibrating motion from an eccentric mounted on a rotary shaft. This sieve is
provided with a brush to which there is imparted a backward and forward motion
for brushing and dusting the goods.

page_text: The bottom of the sieve is inclined and is perforated to enable the starch to
drop through.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1896.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Machinery for making
Confections.
We, JOHN ROBINS of 57, Roding Road, Homerton, London, Confectioner, and
THE CONFECTIONERS, VEGETABLE COLOURS AND FRUIT ESSENCES COY., LTD., of
Messina Works, Hackney Wick, London, N.E., 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:-
Our Invention relates to improvements in and connected with machinery for,
making confections.
In order that our Invention may be properly understood and readily carried
into effect we have hereunto appended two sheets of Drawings in the several
Figures of which corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of
reference.
"
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine embodying our improvements.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a part side elevation of the stamping and dropping arrangement
drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 4 is a part elevation of the starching arrangement.
Figure 5 is a side view of one of the elevator buckets fixed to the chain and
Figure 6 is an end view of the endless chain with a fixed transverse scraping
and propelling bar all hereafter more fully described.
The framework, on which the apparatus to be hereafter described is carried,
is marked A. The endless belt or chain to which is imparted the. necessary
traverse and stop motion hereafter referred to, is marked B. The said chain by
'means of its cross bars C carries the starch board D seen in Figure 3. The trays
or boards D are supplied with starch from a hopper E Figure 1 at the commence-
ment of the process or operation of making the sweetmeats after which an auxiliary
starch feeder supplies starch from the well or pit E. The said well or pit E is
traversed transversely by an endless belt or chain F mounted with cups or buckets
Gafter the manner of an elevator which it indeed is.
The starch board or trays D in their travel to the stamping mechanism with
their quantity of starch have their surfaces levelled by a set of three scrapers
G, G, G, placed transversely across the machine.
The said scrapers have imparted to them a certain yielding action which is
obtained by the springs g, 9, 9, and which not only effects the levelling but
lightens the starch. The superabundant starch removed by the said scrapers falls
below on to the table or platform II, seen more particularly in Figure 4, which
in proper order is pushed forward into the pit E at the underside travel of the
belt or chain B by means of the cross bars C, which in this instance performs the
function of scrapers.
The stamping or moulding mechanism consists of a transverse bar or board J
upon whose underside depend the stamps j, 1, 1, Figure 3. The up and down
-motion required in the moulding operation is obtained by a pair of levers K

page_text: carried in suitable bearings or bushes on either side of, and longitudinally
with the machine. Motion is imparted to the levers by a cam or eccentric L
mounted on either the driving shaft or in communication with the driving shaft.
The same cam may be arranged to operate both the stamping and dropping
arrangement by a system of double levers.
The descent of the said stamp bar J into the starch with the desired pressure
to make sharp and clear impressions is obtained by a drop hammer M, which is
carried-in suitable guides and is raised and dropped by the engagement of a pin m
on a revolving disc N and a hook or projection m formed on the stem of the
hammer, at the proper period.
To ensure that the stamping mechanism last described is prevented from coming
down upon the forward or rearward lip of the starch tray or board, the cross bars
C aforesaid are so arranged in position in the chain that there is always a bar
immediately in front and immediately in the rear of the said
tray. It will be
seen from Figure 3 that the cross bar
C. there shown is just about to engage and raise the curved extremities
of the stamps and stamp bar so that they shall for the time being, remain
impervious to the starch and be inoperative to the action of the levers. This
cessation however is only of momentary duration, the next movement of the chain
B will disengage the cross bar C from the stamp bar and the stamping operation
will go on uninterruptedly till the whole board is finished.
The vessel or hopper for containing the material required for making the sweet-
meats is marked 0 and is supported in the brackets o, o. The vessel or hopper
is continuously supplied with material by a suplemental vessel P.
The
top of the vessel is mounted with a crossbar Q depending from whose under
surface are the plungers R. The plungers R engage the nozzles (Figure 3)
and regulate and control the drop or drops to form the sweetmeats.
Up and down motion is imparted to the vessel or hopper by a
pair of double
levers K similar to those described with reference to the stamping, which said
levers K are also operated by the cam or eccentric L. The said vessel or hopper
O when it is lowered allows the fluid substance to flow into the moulds, and
when the hopper or vessel rises the nozzles or outlets formed in the bottom thereof
come in contact with the plungers, which shut the holes.
The dropping mechanism will be better understood when it is mentioned that
the cross bar Q during the dropping operation remains stationary, this it would
always do but for an adjustable screw arrangement marked S, which is duplicated
on both sides of the machine and is somewhat after the manner of a tool slide
rest, by virtue of which the plungers may be raised to various elevations in and
out of the nozzles and so determine the size of the drop.
In like manner with the stamp board no dropping can be effected so long as
the lip of the starch board should happen to be stationary for the time being
under the dropping nozzles, the vessel being raised bodily in V guides as seen
on Figure 2 by the cross bar engaging the curved portions s
The starch board or trays, after the stamping and dropping and drying (if
required) have been effected, are emptied with their contents into a vibrating
sieve T for sifting and separating the sweetmeat from the starch. The said
sieve is agitated by the eccentric and eccentric rod t through the levers and
rocking bar . Beneath the sieve and extending beyond it longitudinally with
the side of the machine is another sieve U. This sieve which is inclined to the
horizon is mounted upon side rods or links r, w, and receives a vibrating motion
from a crank u. This sieve is provided with five brushes u, u, u³, u, and us to
which there is imparted a backward and forward motion for brushing and dusting
the goods.
The bottom of the sieve is inclined and is perforated to enable the starch to drop
through. A fan W is employed to completely remove the starch from the goods.
The whole of the mechanism is driven by-steam power through belt and chain
gearing, not shewn.

page_text: We may sometimes effect the stamping of one whole board at one operation, in
which case the dropping part of the machine might be detached from the sifting
and printing part, and placed at a convenient distance therefrom, when the two
parts could still be worked in combination or separate, as found most convenient.
The dropping part can also be used by itself for filling other than starched
moulds, more particularly moulds made of india-rubber or similar substance.
Also moulds made of metal, plaster Paris, Glass, Earthenware, and similar
substances. Also moulds made of wood, paper, or other vegetable matter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1, In machinery for making confections the method or arrangement by which
the hopper rises and falls, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of Drawings.
2. In machinery for making confections, the arrangement for regulating the
drop, substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and more
particularly in Figure 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
3. In machinery for making confections, the arrangement of crossbar for lifting
the stamping and dropping mechanism clear of the lip of the starch board or tray
during its forward travel, substantially as described and illustrated more
particularly in Figure 3 of the accompanying sheets of Drawings.
4. In machinery for making confections, the general arrangement combination
and operation of the parts, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of Drawings.
Dated this 22 day of July 1897.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Patent Agents.