Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1886.
Complete Left, 8th Sept., 1887
Complete Accepted, 11th Oct., 1887.
I, GEORGE JOHNSTON, of Plantation Engine Works, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to
be as follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to apparatus of the kind described in the Specification of
my patent No. 1, of 1884, and has for its object to improve the construction and
operation of such apparatus.
In carrying out my present Invention a heavy castiron block is used for pressing
upon and spreading the dough in a rectangular metal box so as to equalise its depth,
and the lower part of this pressing block has narrow grooves formed in it to receive
the blades which divide the dough into rectangular portions. The pressing block is
fixed to the lower end of a rod, which extends up through a vertical tubular shaft and
has a collar adjustably fixed upon its upper end to rest upon or be lifted by the
upper end of the tubular shaft. The upper part of the tubular shaft has a right-
hand screw thread formed on it and working in an internal screw in a fixed part of
the framing, and the tubular shaft is turned by means of a bevil wheel which acts on
it by means of a feather and groove and which gears with a bevil wheel on a
horizontal first-motion shaft having on it a loose pulley and fast pulleys for open and
crossed belts. When the tubular shaft is turned in one direction the screw thread on
its upper part makes it descend, and then the pressing block previously supported
above the dough box is free to descend and act by its weight on the dough. The
lower part of the tubular shaft has a left-hand screw thread formed on it which works
in an internal screw in a plate to which it imparts a doubled movement, namely that
due to the action of its lower screw thread in addition to that due to its own vertical
movement. The plate has vertical rods passing through it and attached to a block
hereinafter termed the dividing block which is connected to the dividing blades' by

page_text: rods passing down to them through holes in the pressing block. Helical springs are
placed above and below the plate on the rods attached to the dividing block, and in
descending or rising the plate first acts on the springs and through them on the
dividing block, the upper springs bearing up against collars fixed on the rods. The
dividing block is temporarily supported in its highest position by the upper ends of
strong blade springs fixed to the pressing block so that the weight of the two blocks
acts in pressing and spreading the dough uniformly. The bearing parts of the blade
springs are bevilled and when the plate moved downwards by the tubular shaft
reaches the dividing block the additional pressure which it brings to bear makes the
springs yield outwards and allow the dividing block to descend sufficiently to effect
the division of the dough into portions to form loaves. The resistance of the blade
springs can be adjusted so that if necessary they may not yield until after a little
additional pressure has been imparted through them to the pressing block to
satisfactorily complete the action of that block.
When the blades have been forced down to the bottom of the doughbox a kicker on
the plate which acts on the dividing block moves a rod which shifts the driving belt
on to the reversing pulley whereby the vertical tubular shaft is made to rotate in the
opposite direction. On this reversal of the motion taking place, the pressing block
first rises about an inch and then the dividing blades are drawn up into the grooves
in the pressing block, those parts of that block between the grooves acting as plungers
or pistons to keep down the dough whilst the blades rise. When the parts have
reached their highest positions an upper kicker acts on the reversing rod and the
driving belt is shifted on to the loose pulley. The dough box is then removed and
the divided dough taken out; and a fresh quantity of dough is operated on in the
machine in the same or in another dough box.
Dated this Eighth day of December 1886.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Dividing Dough to Form Loaves.
I, GEORGE JOHNSTON, of Plantation Engine Works, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain; Engineer, 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to apparatus of the kind described in the Specification of
my Patent No. 1 of 1884, and has for its object to improve the construction and
operation of such apparatus. And in order that my improvements and the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect may be properly understood I hereunto append
two sheets of explanatory drawings to be hereinafter referred to and representing a
dough-dividing machine as made according to my present Invention.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the drawings is a plan of the machine; and figures, 2,
and 3, on sheet, 2, are sectional elevations as at right angles to each other.
Figures, 4, 5, and 6, are elevations of the dividing plates. In these drawings the
same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are
repeated.
The working parts are carried on a castiron bedframe or table, 7, shown partly
broken away, and having fixed on it a cylindrical pillar, 8, which has fixed at its
upper end a top frame or entablature, 9. The top frame, 9, is also supported and
connected to the table, 7, by bars, 10, which as well as the pillars, 8, are made to serve
also as guides for certain parts. The machine as shown in the drawings is provided
with two dough boxes, 11, which are connected by a middle part fitted to turn upon
the lower part of the pillar, 8, so that the dough to be operated on can be put into a
box in the outer position and be then carried round into the inner position to be
operated on by the dividing apparatus, and afterwards be turned out for the removal
of the divided dough, whilst the other box ready supplied with dough is turned in to be
operated on. Instead of having this turn-table arrangement, however, the dough
box or a pair of dough boxes may be arranged to move into and out of position
rectilineally. Rollers are by preference fitted in the table, 7, for the dough box or
boxes to move upon.
A heavy castiron block, 12, guided on the pillar, 8, is used for pressing upon and
spreading the dough in the rectangular metal dough box, 11; and the lower part of
this block, 12, consisting, as it were, of a plate, 13, connected by a number of shanks, 14,
to the upper part, 12, is grooved or divided by saw cuts to receive blades, 15, 16,

page_text: which divide the dough into rectangular portions. The pressing block, 12, is fixed
to the lower end of a rod, 17, which extends up through a vertical tubular shaft, 18,
and has a collar, 19, adjustably fixed upon its upper end to rest upon or be lifted by
the upper end of the tubular shaft, 18. The upper part of the tubular shaft, 18, has a
left-hand screw thread formed on it and working in an internal scrow in a fixed
part, 20, cast or fixed on the top fraine, 9; and the tubular shaft, 18, is turned by
means of a bevil wheel, 21, which acts on it by means of a feather and groove, and
which gears with a bevil pinion, 22, on a short horizontal shaft, 23. This shaft, 23,
has also on it a bevil wheel, 24, which has gearing with it two opposite bevil pinions, 25,
26, one, 25, fast on a shaft, 27, carrying a fast and a loose pulley, 28, 29, and also a
pulley, 30, which is fast on a short tubular shaft, on which the other bevil pinion, 26,
is fixed, the whole being a well known arrangement for obtaining opposite motions
by shifting the driving belt from one pulley to the other.
When the tubular shaft, 18, is turned in one direction the screw thread on its
upper part makes it descend, and then the pressing block, 12, previously supported
above the dough box, 11, is free to descend and act by its weight on the dough. The
lower part of the tubular shaft; 18, has a right-hand screw thread formed on it which
works in an internal screw in the boss, 31, of a plate, 32, to which it imparts a doubled
movement, namely that due to the action of its lower screw thread in addition to that
due to its own vertical movement caused by the action of its upper screw thread in
the stationary internally screwed piece, 20. The plate, 32, has vertical rods, 33,
passing through it and attached to a block, 34, hereinafter terined the dividing block,
and which is connected to the dividing plates or blades, 15, 16, by the downward
prolongations of the rods, 33. Helical springs, 35, 36, are placed above and below
the plate, 32, on the rods, 33, attached to the dividing block, 34, and in descending or
rising the plate, 32, first acts on the springs, 35, 36, and through them on the rods
and dividing block, the upper springs, 35, bearing up against collars, 37, fixed on the
upper ends of the rods. The dividing block, 34, is temporarily supported in its highest
position by the upper. ends of spring blades or arms, 38, attached to the pressing
block, 12, so that the weight of the two blocks acts inipressing and spreading the dough
uniformly. There are two of the spring arms, 38, on one side and one on the other; and
rods, 39, from the two arms extend across the machine and have helical springs, 40, on
them and bearing between collars on their ends and a crosshead, 41, which last is
connected to the single arm, 38, by a screw spindle having on it a hand wheel, 42.
By turning this handwheel, 42, the action of the springs, 40, can be adjusted to make
the arms, 38, bear inwards more or less as required. The bearing parts at the upper
ends of the spring arms, 38, are bevilled and when the plate, 32, moved downwards
by the tubular shaft, 18, reaches the dividing block, 34, the additional pressure
which it brings to bear makes the spring arms, 38, yield outwards and allow the
dividing block to descend sufficiently to effect the division of the dough into portions
to form loaves. The springs, 40, may be adjusted so that the arms, 38, will not yield
until after a little additional pressure has been imparted through them to the pressing
block, 12, if that is required to make the spreading action satisfactorily complete
before the dividing blades, 15, 16, operate.
When the blades, 15, 16, have been forced down to the bottom of the dough box, 11,
a kicker, 43, (shown in dotted lines) on the plate, 32, which acts on the dividing
block, 34, moves a rod, 44, which is jointed to the starting, reversing, and stopping
lever, 45; and this lever acting on a sliding bar, 46, shifts the driving belt on to the
reversing pulley, 30, whereby the vertical tubular shaft, 18, is made to rotate in the
opposite direction. On this reversal of the motion taking place, the pressing block, 12,
first rises about an inch and then the dividing blades, 15, 16, are drawn up into the
grooves in the lower part, 13, of the pressing block, those parts of that block (14, 13)
between the grooves or saw cuts acting as plungers or pistons to keep down the dough
whilst the blades, 15, 16, rise. When the parts have reached their highest positions
the kicker, 43, acts on an upper stop or collar on the reversing rod, 44, and causes the
driving belt to be shifted on to the loose pulley, 29, this shifting action being rendered
certain by a spring, 47, applied to the lever, 45. The dough box, 11, can then be

page_text: moved into the position in which the divided portions of dough can be taken out and
a fresh charge of dough be put in.
The dividing blades, 15, 16, may be combined in various ways, but a convenient
and simple arrangement which I have adopted will be understood from figures, 4, 5,
and 6. What I will term the longitudinal plates, 15, are made with slits, one half
with the slits made from the bottom edge as shown in figure, 4, and the other half with
the slits made from the top edge as shown in figure, 5, and these two kinds of plates
are arranged alternately. The transverse plates, 16, are slit as shown in figure, 6;
and when the longitudinal and transverse plates, 15, 16, are combined, rods, 48, are
passed through holes provided for the purpose in the upper corners of the longitudinal
plates, 15, and also through the lower ends of the rods, 33, attached to the dividing
block, 34; and by these means the dividing plates, 15, 16, are bound together and
attached to the dividing block, 34.
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 :-
1-The improved combination of apparatus for dividing dough to form loaves
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2-Arranging the block by which the dough is spread and rendered uniformly flat
in the dough box so as to act by weight, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3-Combining the pressing block and dividing block in the improved manner
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4 The application of the adjustable spring arms, 38, whereby an adjustable
pressure in addition to the weight can be made to operate through the pressing and
spreading block, 12, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Seventh day of September 1887.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.