IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND PACKING OF BREAD OR BISCUITS
Year: 1853

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Hickson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th September 1853.
(Void by reason of notice to proceed not having been given within the
time prescribed by the Act.)
I, WILLIAM HICKSON, of Carlisle, in the County of Cumberland,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND PACKING OF
BREAD OR BISCUITS " to be as follows:-
The ingredients are amalgamated in a cemo-cylindrical trough in-
flated or provided with a double case, so as to leave a space between
the inner and outer case, provided with wheels for its locomotion by
the trough being driven in a rotatory manner upon a turntable, with
the aid of scrapers also inflated as above and arranged angularly, and
rotating within the trough, but in an opposite direction. A given tem-
perature is kept up by a circulation of hot water between the inner
and outer case, as above. The trough is provided also with a brake or
other fastener and a frame carrying the scrapers capable of being ele-
vated or lowered out of or into the trough. This trough is passed on
to a second turntable, and that, after its contents having been allowed

page_text: to sponge, made secure with a brake or fastener, and rotatory motion is
then given to it. Immediately above is a kneading apparatus, of which
the following is a description, viz.: two drums of a suitable diameter
rotate in opposite directions, horizontally, parallel, and one above the
other, which, having a curved projection on their circumferences, put in
motion a double series of upright beaters (also inflated) arranged on
each side of the drums in close succession from end to end, and each
is provided with a pair of relative projections and friction pullies, if
desireable, the framework through which the beaters pass at each end
acting as a scraper upon each beater at every upward movement. The
length of the drums and the sum of each series of beaters are equal to
the diameter of the trough. Syphons or flexible tubing connecting the
whole of the beaters and the hot water circulated through them.
Scrapers and knives are employed to cut and turn over the dough in the
trough. Two wire rotating cylinders are placed conveniently above the
trough, through which additions of flour are passed on to the dough,
&c. These apparatuses are alike applicable to bread and biscuits;
that is to say, for mixing, doughing, washing butter, and pulverising
sugar, cold water being in circulation where caloric is not desirable;
and in the case of butter washing the trough may be fitted with cylin-
drical pestles rotating horizontally; a jet throwing a body of water
over the external area, and the water passing off over a sieve. The fol-
lowing improvements apply more directly to biscuits manufacture
generally, arranged in the same order as when required for use, viz.,
the butter, after having been washed in like manner as in a machine
before described, is passed into a vertical inflated cylinder, the lower part
of which having a number of perforations through which the butter is
made to pass by pressure from a piston, hot water being made to circu-
late when necessary to make the butter break off in short threads when
in conjunction with a current of flour brought from a hopper by means
of a worm rotating in a casement, falls or passes between a pair of
tables, one or both having both a rotatory and oscillatory movement;
its discharge being into a cylindrical trough suspended upon a loose
horizontal axle or shaft where other ingredients are added. A double
series of radial swivel arms or flat iron bars penetrate this shaft,

page_text: which is tubular at opposite sides, and there each arm forms a crank,
each separate series being connected vertically by bars having a twist
or bend answering to the curve made by the arms which are not
parallel with the shaft. The rods, by altering their position, give a
uniform or diversified pitch to the two series of radial arms, which
rotating pass the ingredients either from one end of the trough to the
other alternately; or, if having a diversified pitch, the amalgamation
is performed by one series of arms counteracting the other series, the
pitches being reversed at every one or alternate revolution. The radial
arms on one series are over against the intermediate spaces of the arms
in the other series, so that together they sweep the entire circumference
of the trough, each arm entering a rod by a pivot at the other end,
the rod connecting and acting as a support to each and all the arms, and
as a scraper likewise. One arm at each end of each series is not swivel,
but fixed upon the shaft which is a support to the cross bars. When
the amalgamation is perfected the radial bars or arms, if not otherwise
desirable, are rendered devoid of any pitch, and continuing to rotate,
the doughing is performed, after which the dough is discharged into
a hopper, the trough being turned round, the opening while in this
position being underneath, a brake or other fastener keeping the trough
in any position. The hopper is in close proximity to several series of
rollers, from whence the dough passes to the first series, which consists
of eight distinct rollers, any three of which forming a triangle, and
between which are strips of wood or metal acting as guides to the dough
passing through. From the first series of rollers the dough is deposited
on to an oscillating table, and in descending wraps in folds, and is
passed by a series of 'surface rollers (put in motion so soon as the whole
sheet of dough shall have left the first series) into. a second series at
right angles with. the first, the sheets of dough being-reversed in the
transfer, that is, passed edgeways, and in toto into the second series. In
the same way is the same sheet transferred to the third series of rollers,
and again from thence to one of three kinds of cutters, which may be as
follows: First, a conical cylinder, in length equal to the radius of the
oven pan, having friction rollers in connection therewith to turn the
oven pan upon its axis until its entire surface has been covered with
-

page_text: biscuits; a brake and suitable apparatus for impeding the progress of
the endless chain, upon which are the pans while this is being done
and repeated. Second, two cylindrical cutters together equal in length
to the diameter of the oven pan, rotating in the same line, and tho
cutters on their circumference being confined within a circle answering
to the oven pan, which is likewise circular; in this case two sheets of
dough, side by side, pass through the cutters at one and the same time.
Third, the cutters are confined within a circle, and are on a plane which
forms part of a press. A moving table with a rack putting in motion
a series of rollers immediately above takes beneath the press the sheet
of dough as it is delivered in lengths from the rollers (the circumference
of which, being equal to the .length of the table, with a knife fixed
thereon), when the dies, &c. descend, cut out the biscuits, and ascend, the
biscuits adhering thereto; the scrap dough, however, being removed by
the table, the knives rising above the surface of the dies, and descending
with a concussive force frees the press from any biscuits which may adhere
to it, and are deposited upon the oven pans underneath. Or a series of
tables, forming an endless chain, and actuated by chain pullies, may be
made to pass in succession below said press, the sheets of dough being
laid upon their surface in indefinite lengths, as before, and the biscuits
being removed from them by a semi-circular scraper working loosely in a
vertical slot, the biscuits passing on to the pans beneath through the
spaces forming the divisions between the tables. The scrap dough in
all cases being taken by an endless web to the dough hopper. The
rollers and dough in sheets being dusted by an oscillating porous flour
bag or rotating wire cylinder suitably placed for that purpose. The
paus may be cleaned by a series of wire or other kind of brushes
rotating above the chain, so as to cause them to touch the entire sur-
face of one and all of the pans. The biscuits, after passing through the
oven, during which time they are being transmitted from the bakery to
the packing store or salesroom, are removed from the pans by a semi-
circular scraper of a suitable size and shape, which communicates with au
inclined table having a flexible cover, and this table communicates with
a rack having a sieve or wire bottom. Between this table and its flexible
cover are two series of parallel rods, one of which series being raised

page_text: alternately causes the surface of the table to undulate, and the biscuits
thereon to incline upon their edges and run down the vallies into the
rack, the divisions of which diminishing in width as they approach the
extremity where the biscuits congregate in regular piles, which by cross
bars are let out into a box, basket, or other receptacle for stowage or
transit, or into a gutter wherein plays a plunger with a spring at one
end, and at each stroke passes the biscuits into a telescopic bend, one
end of which communicating with the interior of a cask, which, rotat-
ing upon a small turntable having a screw for its axle or shaft, lets down
the cask as filled by the said bend; an attendant wedging up every
course of biscuits as delivered. In the case of cylindrical tins the plungers
transfer the biscuits into a bottomless cylinder, upon which is laid the
paper lining and the tin encasing both. When filled, the charged tin
is let down, lined, and packed. If the biscuits prior to packing require
to be elevated a wheel and suitable scoops or buckets can be employed
for delivering them to a rack at any altitude. This machinery may be
driven or impelled by steam power derived from the heat employed
in baking.