Improvements in Machines connected with the Marking of Soap Tablets and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 30th July, 1896-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines connected with the Marking of Soap
Tablets and the like.
We, GEORGE DUNGAN MACDOUGALD, of Edenbank, Wormit, County of Fife,
N.B. Analytical Chemist, and THE LONDON AND DUNDEE SYNDICATE LD. of
18 St. Swithin's Lane, London, Merchants do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to improved construction of machines for marking tablets
or bars of soap with indelible colour in a more easy and expeditious manner than
heretofore.
For the purpose of this invention, we construct a framework and pivot to same
a wheel for carrying the tablets or bars of soap to be marked.
On each side of the wheel or soap holder is arranged levers pivoted or resting
in the base or lower part of the framework and with their upper parts in line
with the soap when in position to be marked.
Two conveniently shaped pieces of metal termed soap jaws have their ends
made with openings of the desired shape and are employed for pressing against
the soap and holding it firmly and with a perfect joint around the edges of the
openings, the end of the before mentioned lever (termed the needle bar) carries
the marking instrument, preferably needles arranged to the design required, and
is in connection with a box containing colour.
The needle bars are operated by a screw and hand wheel or directly by rods
from a double crank, or disc rotated by a hand wheel or lever. The rods or
screw may be attached to the upper ends or to the centre of levers or other
part convenient to the operator.
The ends of the soap jaws, needle bar, and the colour box are in connection
with one another by a kind of rubber bag, so that when the soap is gripped by
the soap jaws, the colour can be forced to the soap, the marking instrument
attached to the needle bar moving in a watertight casing. These soap jaws are
moved either automatically or by pedal action. The needle levers are moved
by hand wheel or lever.
The colour is contained in a box or collapsable bag and the colour is brought to
the soap to be marked by the action of a displacer in the box, or by the collapse of
the bag, in either case gutomatically or by treadle.
Adjacent to the lower part of the soap carrying wheel is a sprayer or sprayers,
or other device for cleansing the surface of the soap from superfluous colour, and
channels or gutters are provided in the frame of the machine for conveying away
the used water and superfluous colour to a receptacle where the unused colour
subsides.
The wheel preferably carries two tablets together to be marked, and the marking
is effected on one or on both sides, the marking instrument entering into the soap
to any depth required according to adjustment.
The operation of the machine is somewhat as follows:-
The attendant places the cakes of soap in their respective openings in the soap
wheel which is brought into position for marking. The soap jaws through the

page_text: necessary gear are caused to approach each other and to grip the soap in a firm
manner.
Thereafter the displacer in the colour box or collapsable colour bag forces
sufficient colour to the soap, this being done the needle levers are brought together,
the needles or marking instruments entering the soap to the required depth. On
the reverse motion the marking instrument or needles are withdrawn from the soap,
and the colour contained in the bag immediately enters the cavities or holes made
in the soap, and thus the marking is effected. The displacer or collapsable bag
now returns to its original position and sucks back the remaining colour. Lastly,
the soap jaws are caused to retire from the cake or cakes, and the soap wheel is
.now turned for the tablets to be in position for washing by a jet of water or spray,
which tablets can be afterwards removed from the machine either by hand or
automatically and wiped dry and packed in boxes.
It is evident that in place of the levers pivoted at the bottom of the machine
that an action of a similar nature as regards the resulting stamping may be
obtained by the use of slides, and these may be employed without departing from
the nature of the machine.
ז
11005
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London.
Agent for the said George Duncan Macdougald and
The London and Dundee Syndicate Ld.
Improvements in Machines connected with the Marking of Soap
Tablets and the like.
We, GEORGE DUNCAN MACDOUGALD, of Edenbank, Wormit, County of
Fife, N.B. Analytical Chemist, and THE LONDON AND DUNDEE SYNDICATE, LD.
of 18, St. Swithin's Lane, London, Merchants, 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 improved construction of machines for marking tablets
or bars of soap with indelible colour in a more easy and expeditious manner than
heretofore.
For the purpose of this invention, we construct a framework and pivot to same
a wheel for carrying the tablets or bars of soap to be marked.
On each side of the wheel or soap holder is arranged levers pivoted or resting
in the base or lower part of the framework and with their upper parts in line with
the soap when in position to be marked.
Two conveniently shaped pieces of metal termed soap jaws have their ends
made with openings of the desired shape and are employed for pressing against
the soap and holding it firmly and with a perfect joint around the edges of the
openings, the end of the beforementioned lever (termed the needle bar) carries the
marking instrument, preferably needles arranged to the design required, and is in
connection with a box containing colour.
The needle bars are operated by a screw and hand wheel or directly by rods
from a double crank or disc rotated by a hand wheel or lever. The rods or screw
may be attached to the upper ends or to the centre of levers or other part
convenient to the operator.
The ends of the soap jaws, needle bar, and the colour box are in connection with
one another by a kind of rubber bag, so that when the soap is gripped by the
soap jaws, the colour can be forced to the soap, the marking instrument attached

page_text: to the needle bar moving in a watertight casing. These soap jaws are moved either
automatically, or by pedal action. The needle levers are moved by hand wheel or
lever.
The colour is contained in a box or collapsable bag and the colour is brought
to the soap to be marked by the action of a displacer in the box or by the collapse
of the bag in either case either automatically, or by treadle.
Adjacent to the lower part of the soap carrying wheel is a sprayer or sprayers,
or other device for cleansing the surface of the soap from superfluous colour, and
channels or gutters are provided in the frame of the machine for conveying away
the used water and superfluous colour to a receptacle where the unused colour
subsides.
The wheel preferably carries two tablets together to be marked and the marking
is effected on one or on both sides, the marking instrument entering into the soap
to any depth required according to adjustment.
The operation of the machine is somewhat as follows:-
The attendant places the cakes of soap in their respective openings in the soap
wheel which is brought into position for marking. The soap jaws through the
necessary gear are caused to approach each other and to grip the soap in a firm
Thereafter the displacer in the colour box or collapsable colour bag
forces sufficient colour to the soap, this being done the needle levers are brought
together, the needles or marking instruments entering the soap to the required
depth.
manner.
On the reverse motion, the marking instrument or needles are withdrawn from
the soap, and the colour contained in the bag immediately enters the cavities or
holes made in the soap, and thus the marking is effected. The displacer or
collapsable bag now returns to its original position and sucks back the remaining
colour. Lastly, the soap jaws are caused to retire from the cake or cakes, and
the soap wheel is now turned for the tablets to be in position for washing by a jet
of water or spray, which tablets can be afterwards removed from the machine
either by hand or automatically, and wiped dry and packed in boxes.
It is evident that in place of the levers pivoted at the bottom of the machine
that an action of a similar nature, as regards the resulting stamping, may be
obtained by the use of slides, and these may be employed without departing from
the nature of the machine.
The invention will be more particularly understood by an inspection of the
annexed drawings.
Figure 1 side elevation.
Figure 2 back elevation.
Figure 3 plan.
Figure 4 front elevation partly in section.
Figure 5 vertical front section of levers, standard and bags.
Figures 6 and 64 partial plans through line 1, 2, of Figure 5.
Figure 7 detached elevation of the soap holding frame.
Figure 8 front and edge views of one of the bag compressors.
A is the base with an upright or standard by which the whole of the mechanism
and appliances are carried. C, C, are two levers knuckle jointed in the base
at D, D, for oscillatory motion therefrom under control of the beam E and
connecting rod F for simultaneous reciprocation, said beam being carried by a
bracket G from one of the levers C. The levers have flexible waterproof
bags H, H, affixed and these are subject to compression by pressure boards I, I,
for forcing the liquid contained in the bags above the normal level and sufficiently
high to cover the marking needles J, J, these being secured in backing blocks K, K,
affixed to the inner faces of the two levers C, C, in a watertight manner, so that
when the liquid is pressed upwards there shall be no escape at those parts.
The beam E is under control of a rod L and lever M from the bottom gear N.

page_text: closing in of the levers C, C, by the limbs P, P, coming into contact with the short
levers Q, Q, with which the pressure board arms are provided.
A recess R is formed in each limb P, P, to enable the pins of the short
levers Q, Q, to fall into, to relieve the pressure of the bags during the movement
of the needles while entering the soap to prevent the overflowing of the liquid
colour.
The soap cakes or tablets are within an intermittent rotating carrier S pivoted
to a bracket T and rotative movement is effected.
The spindle U of the carrier carries a claw wheel V having as many teeth as
there are actual bolders of soap in the frame. This claw wheel V is operated by
a claw lever W at the completion of the outward movement of one of the levers C
which for the purpose is provided with slotted bar X, in the slot of which one end
of a pivoted lever Y is engaged for swinging the claw W into action for pushing
the frame round the required distance, this being absolute by the claw W coming
into contact with an inclined faced stop Z, as seen in the diagram Figure 9. The
return travel of the claw W is effected by the inward motion of the lever C, the
carrier being locked by the paul a engaging in a notch of a notched wheel b
also on the spindle U to prevent any movement of the carrier during the needle
piercing operation.
The soap carrier frame is composed of skeleton wings each to carry two cakes
and are of a shape internally to suit the sizes of the cakes or tablets of soap to be
marked.
Each wing has three fixed sides c, d, e, and one hinged side f which when the
cakes of soap are placed in the frame bear on and fix them temporarily therein,
assisted by the points g, g, some of which are movable against springs h, h.
The hinged side is pulled down by hand after the soap is inserted in the
carrier and becomes locked by riding under a spring catch and against the
tension of the spring until that part of the carrier comes round for the release of
the cakes after being marked, the hinged side being then released by the catch i
coming into contact with a curved nose piece k arranged within its path, the
spring then exerting its power to throw up the hinged side f. The marked cakes
at this time are within range of a flicker out attached to the paul a which at this
moment by the movement of the carrier enters a notch of the notched wheel b
to flick the soap cakes that have been marked out of the frame.
Each pair of cakes or tablets after being inserted and locked in the wing are
carried round on edge by the carrier to the position for piercing and marking,
and in order that a liquid tight joint can be made next the soap irrespective of
the varying thicknesses of the soap placed in the holder, the front or part of the
bags through which the needles pass is clamped to a slider m which is controlled
in its forward and backward motions by combined right and left hand screws n, n,
working within blocks p, p. These screws are part of or have attached to them
chain pinions q, q, the chains r,, r, of which pass over and carry at their free ends
differential weights s, s, t, t. "The larger weights s, s, have the ends of other
chains u, u, affixed, the opposite ends of said chains (or ropes) u, u, are secured to
the larger diameter of pulleys v, v, in the manner shown at Figure 1, a smaller
diameter of each pulley vhaving a wrapping of another chain or cord w, w, attached
to arms a, a, pivoted to the fixed frame and provided with a spur y to bear against
the movable levers C, C.
.
The soap cakes up to this stage have been described as marked, the next
movement of the carrier is another tooth to bring freshly inserted cakes, to the
marking needles, the former one being carried round and into a chamber z (see
Figure 2) for exposing such marked soap to the jet or washing' action of a spray
of water from the nozzles 1, 1, these being supplied from tanks 2, 2, the water in
which is maintained at a constant level by the pipe 3 and a branch 4 connected to a
cistern 5.
The water issuing from the nozzles 1, 1, is projected with force of air issuing

page_text: from nozzles 6, 6, under pressure of air from a reservoir by pipes 7 and 8 there:
being a valve 9 between said pipes which can only open under the influence of a
passing blade 10 under the action of lever M, said valve being closable: by the-
weight and cord 11.
The wash water after washing the soap falls into a basin 12 for re-collection by
the pipe 13 in the tank 14 and in which the washed off colour can precipitate. This
tank 14 is hermetically closed by a cover 15 and contains a smaller tank 16 thia
having a non-return valve 17. The surface of the water in the tank 16 has to bear
a pressure of air from an air compressor by the pipe 18 each time the valve 9 is
operated. This pressure in the tank 16 causes the water to rise up the pipe 19 and
flow into the cistern 5 from which after rising to a fixed level the surplus water
flows back into the tank 14 by the pipe 20. By this means the water for washing
purposes is maintained at the same level in the tanks 2, 2, and cistern 5, an essential
feature for the washing operation from the nozzles 1, 1, and 6, 6.
The machine hereinbefore described and shown on the annexed drawings is for
use in carrying out the vacuum_process_of marking soap cakes and tablets as
described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to Messrs. Macdougald
and Sturrock dated 14th July 1892, and numbered 12974.
We are aware that needles have been proposed for marking soap by puncture,
prickings, or the like, and that colour has been suggested for use therewith for
distinguishing such markings but in no previous case has there been found, what
may be termed, a vacuum process such as is described in the previous mentioned
numbered Patent Specification, i.e. so arranging needles to move for piercing soap,
and as the submerged needles are being withdrawn for the liquid to flow into the
holes so made.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. In a machine for marking soap cakes and tablets the construction shown ou
the annexed drawings with the various detail appliances in combination, and
ncting in sequence from vertically set reciprocating levers as and in the manuer
described.
2. In a machine of the kind described and shown and used for the purposo
explained the combination with two vertically set levers C. C. socketted in a base A
and connected at the top by a rod F and oscillating beam E of flexible bags H, H,
attached to the aforesaid levers C C and to sliders m, m, at opposite faces.
respectively, and the limbs P, P, with recesses R, R, whereby the pressure
boards I, 1, are operated for the purpose described.
g
3. In a machine for marking suap tablets or cakes the carrier S with pins y and
hinged side in conjunction with the fastener i and a spring for automatically
opening said hinged side by contact of the fastener i with a curved plate k said
carrier S having an intermittent motion in the same direction as and by the means
set forth.
4. In a machine for marking soap cakes and tablets in which an intermittent
motioned carrier S is fitted, a spring flicker in combination with a pawl a for
locking the carrier S and simultaneously operating said flicker for automatically
discharging the soap cakes or tablets from the carrier as described.
5. In a machine for marking soap cakes and tablets the combination with a
claw W operated by the vertically set lever C of an inclined face stop Z for
determining the position at which the intermittent rotative carrier S shall be
stopped and locked as set forth.
6. In a machine for marking soap cakes and tablets the combination of liquid
containers 2, 2, with a supply cistern 5 in which the level of the liquid is maintained
uniformly and after use for spraying purposes said liquid is returned to the
cistern 5 in the manner described and by the appliances substantially as shown.
7. In a machine for marking soap cakes and tablets the combination with an

page_text: intermittent motioned rotative carrier S of sliders m, m, connected and operated by
right and left hand screws n, n, through chain gear r, r, under the action of
differential weights s, t, the heavier weights s of which are moved by the vertically
set levers C. C. in the manner and for the purpose described.
Date way
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said G. D. Macdougald and
The London & Dundee Synd. Ld.