Improved Apparatus for "Dropping" or Running Out Liquid or Semi-liquid Sweetmeat or analogous Material into or onto Suitable Receptacles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left. 14th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 10:h Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for "Dropping" or Running Out Liquid or
Semi-liquid Sweetmeat or analogous Material into or onto
Suitable Receptacles.
We, ROBERT STUART MURRAY of 4 The Terrace, Camden Square, London,
Manufacturer, and FREDERICK WILLIAM EAMES of 36, Shepherdess Walk, City
Road, London, Confectioner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
"
This invention relates to machinery or apparatus for "dropping" or running out
material in a liquid or semi-liquid or such like state such as the "cream
or other
material in a molten state used for making fondants creams gums or other suitable
sweetmeats etc. and the object of this said invention is to enable each operator to
run out a number of such confections etc. at a time instead of dropping such confections
only one at a time as heretofore usual by the old band method (in general use) the
machinery or apparatus according to this invention working in a very simple and
expeditious manner and one operative can with this apparatus do as much work as
several operatives working with the old hand method and we not only thereby
increase the production of each operative but greatly economise the space required
to produce a given quantity per day or per week.
According to this invention the machinery or apparatus is as follows:-
In a suitable framework stand or support is mounted a tank or vessel of suitable
size and shape advantageously with the sides at an angle to each other thereby
forming a downwardly and inwardly tapering shape-this form assisting the running
out of the material.
This vessel is the reservoir or hopper into which is placed the mass of material to
be run out or "dropped" in manner hereafter described.
At or near the bottom of this vessel a number of discharge orifices or openings
are arranged or mounted-of round or other suitable shape and either arranged in
one (or more) straight line (or lines) or arranged in any other suitable way as may
be desired.
These passages may be formed in or on the body of said vessel but same are
advantageously arranged and formed or mounted upon a false bottom or detachable
plate which has means to fix same to the vessel the lower part of the latter
being formed and arranged or adapted to receive such plate in any suitable
manner.
Thus a series of these bottom plates may be made with varying numbers sizes or
arrangements of the discharge orifices thereon and being interchangeable thereby
great variety in the use and application of this apparatus is possible.
These discharge orifices are advantageously short tubes or funnels of conical
form or otherwise as desired.
For the sake of example we will describe this apparatus with 12 such discharge
orifices in a straight single row.
Within or over each such outlet one end of a long rod or piston acts as a valve
or plunger to control said outlet (or equivalent or other means may he used to
stopper said outlet) that is to open and close same when desired.
Each such plunger valve or stopper or equivalent is carried by or suitably
connected to a transverse bar or cross head or otherwise suitably carried so that the
raising or lowering of this cross head or equivalent (which for the sake of brevity
we shall refer to as the "cross bead ") will simultaneously impart movement to all
the plungers or stoppers etc. and thereby open or close all the said outlets

page_text: simultaneously and allow part of the contents to escape and in some cases serve to
force out the desired quantity of the material.
For this purpose said cross head is mounted so as to normally rest on the top
edge of the said vessel or is otherwise suitably supported and in its normal position
closes the outlets-while by hinging said cross head on one side to the vessel and
placing a handle on the other (or by a direct or other suitable movement)
thereby the cross head is lifted or moved and with it the whole of the plungers or
equivalents and consequently the whole of the outlets are simultaneously opened.
These plungers or equivalents and the parts carrying same are advantageously
made capable of being easily removed and another series of plungers or equivalents
of differing sizes shapes or arrangements may be used to correspond to the size
shape and arrangement of the outlets when the latter are changed.
The frame in which this vessel is supported may advantageously be mounted on
wheels travelling on guide rails or same may be arranged and mounted in any other
suitable manner to move easily and expeditiously over the moulds or receptacles
into which the material is to be dropped or run out for instance the apparatus
might be swung from overhead.
The operation is as follows:-
The moulds may advantageously be arranged in groups of 12 holes wide or other
suitable number to correspond to the outlets and any suitable number longways.
These are brought under the said discharge orifices-the position of each of the
holes in the row brought under the outlets exactly or approximately tallying with
said orifices.
The operator with one hand adjusts the position of the apparatus by means of
either pushing or moving the carriage and vessel. therein along by hand direct or
through the intervention of a frictional propelling wheel-or other equivalent or
suitable means may be adopted to move this vessel and its contents along over the
moulds etc.
The position having been adjusted-the operator with his other hand lifts the
row of plungers as before described and 12 sweetmeats are dropped at each such
operation.
It will be obvious that the apparatus can drop other numbers than twelve either
in one or more rows or other arrangement and either into moulds corresponding to
the outlets or if desired onto flat or other surfaces which can be readily removed
after the material has been thus deposited thereon.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1893.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lanc, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improved Apparatus for "Dropping" or Running Out Liquid or
Semi-liquid Sweetmeat or analogous Material into or onto
Suitable Receptacles.
We, ROBERT STUART MURRAY of 4, The Terrace, Camden Square, London,
Manufacturer, and FREDERICK WILLIAM EAMES of 36, Shepherdess Walk,
City Road, London, Confectioner, 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 casting dropping or running
out materials in a liquid or semi-liquid or such like state such as the cream or other
material in a molten or soft state used for making gum jellies fondants creams or
other sweetmeats or viscous material such as polishing creams, sauces, etc., required

page_text: to be filled into pots bottles etc. and the object of this said invention is to produce a
hand-controlled movable machine capable of casting or running out a number of
such confections or filling a number of such bottles or receptacles etc. at a time
instead of dropping such confections (or filling such receptacles) only one at a time
as heretofore usual for instance in the manufacture of sweetmeats by the old hand-
carried single dropping pot (heretofore in general use) the machinery or apparatus
according to this invention working in a very simple and expeditious manner.
Our invention consists essentially of a stock box or reservoir of suitable size and
shape a removable bottom (or it may be a non-removable bottom) to said stock box
said bottom having a number of downwardly projecting funnels or other suitable
outlets leading from said stock box into the moulds or other suitable receptacles
over which same is moved a series of plungers stoppers or valves corresponding in
number to said outlets and controlling same means to simultaneously operate the
whole series of said plungers valves or stoppers by a single movement of a hand
lever or handle so as to permit at each such operation the desired amount of
material to pass out through each outlet or assist in forcing same out if desired a
frame or carriage travelling on suitable rails or guideways forming a track for
carrying said stock box means to move said carriage under hand control along said
rails or guideways said track being adapted to receive therein-between any suitable
moulds or receptacles into or onto which the material from the stock box is dropped
or run out simultaneously from a number of outlets. Furthermore this invention
may either be used or not in conjunction with interchangeable bottoms or bottom
plates carrying the aforesaid outlets and also means of changing the plungers
stoppers or valves controlling said outlets means of sliding on or otherwise affixing
said interchangeable bottoms to the stock box and other details and combinations
all of which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the
clains.
.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
:-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the stock box mounted on a wheeled carriage ruuning
on rails.
Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow a.
Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on line 1-1 Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a view of the series of plungers removed from the stock box.
a is the stock box or vessel containing the material to be cast or run out.
bis the framework or wheeled carriage in which said stock box is carried-the
top part of the framework having a flanged edge 61 all round inside forming a
seating or resting edge upon which the flange « of the stock box rests and is there
secured in position by the turn buttons so that this stock box can be thus readily
dropped into its carriage and secured therein by said turn buttons or easily.
removed therefrom for cleaning or other purposes. Or said stock box a may
be arranged and mounted in said framework or carriage in any other equivalent.
or suitable manner.
cc are the grooved wheels (or these may be flanged wheels) on the axle et
journalled in the said frame b.
d is a hand wheel keyed or otherwise rigidly fixed to the axle e in any suitable.
manner so that on rotating the wheel d by the hand of the operator thereby the
wheels e on the same axle as d will be revolved and consequently the carriage and
stock box a will be carried along the rail track provided for same.
ee are the guide rails upon which the grooved wheels c run.
are the funnel-shaped outlets which may be either separately screwed or
otherwise mounted in the bottom of the stock box a or said outlets may be all
carried in a removable plate or bottom sliding on or otherwise suitably attached to
and forming the bottom of the stock box a.
99 are the plungers corresponding in number and size to outlets and which
in the case illustrated control said outlets so that when raised as hereinafter
explained they permit the material to escape through said outlets and when lowered

page_text: they close said outlets and prevent any further escape of the material in the stock
box a.
These plungers y are each secured by any suitable means such as by nuts h to the
horizontal bar i-this said bar i is attached by any suitable means such as a winged
nut turn button etc. to the hand lever bars j which latter at their front end are
connected by the handle bark and at their other end are hinged at to the
Bupport 6 on the aforesaid frame b.
By lifting the bar by means of the handle it will thus be seen that the whole
series of plungers are simultaneously raised and thereby the whole series of
outlets are simultaneously opened while by lowering said handle k said outlets
are all simultaneously closed.
yy are handles attached to the stock
lifted in or out of the carriage b--the
moved clear out of the way by detaching
turning the latter back on the hinge pins
thereon.
box a by means of which same can be
bar i and series of plungers y being first
same from the handle bars; and then
and then lifting out bar i and plungers g
The moulds or receptacles into or onto which the material is to be cast or run
out are placed between the guide rails e which latter may extend for any length of
distance required and these moulds etc. may advantageously be of the well-known
flexible character now in use for "dropping" sweetmeats (or may be bottles or
separate receptacles according as required or suitable for the material to be run
out) and furthermore the position of each hole or depression in each row of holes
in said mould exactly correspond respectively with one of the outlets and each
row or otherwise of holes corresponds to the row or otherwise of outlets/.
The guide bars or longitudinal sleepers we carrying the guide rails è in com-
bination with the lower longitudinal sleepers form a guideway or means to adjust
and keep the moulds (which exactly fit in between the guide bars w-resting on
sleepers ) in the proper position.
The operation is as follows:-
The stock box a is filled or partially filled with material ready to be cast or run
out and the stock box is placed in position on the travelling carriage b.
"
The operator now takes hold of the handle with one band and takes hold of
the driving wheel with the other hand and by the latter moves the stock box a
into the exact desired position over the moulds etc. and then with the other hand
raises the plunger and thereby "drops or casts some of the material from each
of all the outlets simultaneously-the return downward movement of the
plungers g stopping these outlets and also serving to force out or assist in forcing
out the material from each outlet if required.
By revolving the driving wheel & the operator now moves on the stock box so as
to bring the outlets over the next row or other series of holes in the mould etc.
which are simultaneously filled as before and so on until all the rows (or otherwise)
in the mould are filled-then the stock box is moved on over the next mould which
is quickly filled as before while meantime each mould as same is filled is removed
from between the guide rails and replaced by empty moulds.
The operation of removing and replacing the moulds etc. is easily and cheaply
effected by manual labour or same may be mechanically moved as desired.
It will thus be seen that the movement of the stock box over the mould etc. and
the means for simultaneously dropping the material from a number of outlets
respectively are both independently under the hand control of the operator and
this separate and independent hand control constitutes a very essential feature of
the present invention.
In the manufacture of sweetmeats-since the flavours used differ so materially
some being very pronounced and some very mild it becomes very important to have
a dropping machine all of whose parts may be readily and thoroughly cleaned; or
in certain cases removed altogether and replaced by others.
The hereinbefore described stock box is readily removable and may be either
used over again for the same kind of candy or may readily be washed out or even

page_text: be thrown bodily into a tank of hot water or other suitable solvent for the candied
material.
Again the plungers are of such a form and arrangement as to be readily cleaned
or they may be readily detached from the hand levers and replaced by a new set..
This also is important where different flavours of candy are being manufactured.
By having the progressive motion of the travelling stock box controlled by a
hand wheel the said motion is more readily regulated than where the machine is
pushed forward bodily and at the same time the requisite freedom of motion is
obtained.
Also the hand lever operating the plungers gives a much more positive control
and rapidly adjustable outflow of the liquid or viscous mass than the arbitrary
control of such plungers when same are mechanically operated and the importance
of this point will be readily understood as it is evident that if the mass of candy
be cooler at one time than another if dropped at regular intervals (i.e. mechanically)
the drops will not he of the exact size all the time but will vary in size inversely
with the viscosity.
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 an apparatus for the purposes described-the combination of a stock box
a carriage adapted to move on wheels travelling on guide rails and carrying said
stock box a series of discharge outlets in the bottom of said stock box means
controlled by one hand of the operator to open or close simultaneously said outlets
and means adapted to be independently operated by the other hand of the operator
to cause said carriage and stock box carried therein to be moved as desired along
over the moulds or receptacles.
2. In an apparatus for the purposes described-the combination of a stock box
a carriage adapted to move on wheels travelling on guide rails and carrying said
stock box a series of discharge outlets in the bottom of said stock box means
controlled by one hand of the operator to open or close simultaneously said outlets
and means adapted to be independently operated by the other hand of the operator
to cause said carriage and stock box carried therein to be moved along as desired
over the moulds or receptacles substantially in the manner and for the purposes
herein before set forth.
3. In an apparatus for the purposes described the combination with a track of a
wheeled carriage travelling thereon a detachable stock box for a viscous liquid
supported thereon and provided with drop openings a hand lever and valves for
regulating the opening and closing thereof and a hand operating knob connected
with one of said wheels for moving said carriage substantially in the manner and
for the purposes herein before set forth.
4. In an apparatus for the purposes described the combination with a travelling
stock box for viscous liquid provided with a series of outlet openings in its bottom
of a series of tapering plungers for closing said openings a bar connecting the top
of said plungers a hand lever binged to the top of said box and detachably con-
nected with said bar and adapted to regulate the movement of said plungers and a
hand knob for moving said travelling stock box substantially as in the manner and
for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
C
5. The combination of a stock box a, a carriage having a flange on the top
adapted to receive and hold thereon the said stock box wheels journalled in said
carriage and running on guide rails e supporting said carriage a hand wheel a rigidly
fixed to c and adapted to be grasped by one hand of the operator so that the
rotation of d will cause the stock box to travel along the aforesaid rails e a series
of outlets leading from said stock box and a band lever adapted when raised
or lowered by the other hand of the operator to open or close simultaneously all
the said outlets and thereby drop or run out the desired amount of material
through each outlet at each such operation substantially in the manner and for the

page_text: purposes herein before described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed.
6. The improved apparatus arranged constructed combined and acting
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before described and
illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed."
Dated this 14th day of September 1894.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.