Improvements in Mechanical Kneading Apparatus with Continuous Action.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 11th Sept., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Kneading Apparatus with Continuous
Action.
I, CHARLES SOMASCO, of Creil, Oise, France, 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:-
My invention relates to an improved construction of mechanical kneading
apparatus wherein the materials for forming the dough are continuously fed
in at one end, and the kneaded dough is continuously discharged at the other end.
A construction of such an apparatus was described in the Specification to my
Patent No. 21537 of 1894.
I will describe my present improvements with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which Figure 1 shews a longitudinal section; Figure 2 a front end
view partly in section; Figure 3 a back end view partly in section and Figure 4
a side view partly in section. Figures 5 and 6 and 7 shew modified constructions
of the feeding devices.
The kneading apparatus consists of a semi-cylindrical trough A of comparatively
small dimensions, a trough capable of producing 140 cwt. of dough daily, having
only about 9 inches diameter and 38 inches length.
Within this trough is a longitudinal shaft B of metal or hard wood provided
with a number of blades ? ? proportioned to the work to be performed.
These blades of helical form are inclined in the direction of the travel to be
imparted to the dough during the rotation of the shaft. A horizontal grating E
serves to prevent the rotary motion of the dough; it produces consequently at
each revolution of the shaft a drawing out and aeration of the dough that is
being kneaded; the blades y pass between the bars of the grating, which con-
stitute in some degree a screw nut to the screw formed by the blades; by this
means the kneading action is rendered very perfect.
The blades can be arranged uniformly along the whole length of the shaft
if it be desired to obtain a maximum amount of kneading action; they may on
the other hand be interrupted at certain points if a less complete kneading is
required, so that the amount of work expended can be limited exactly to the
desired degree of perfection to be obtained. In the arrangement shewn the
blades are placed nearer together at the part where the materials are fed in, and
are placed farther apart at the middle, while at the delivery end, some of the
blades are placed closer together again.
The blade shaft has its one end a formed square, and fitting into a corresponding
socket 6 formed in the axis O of the driving wheel R so that the blade shaft con-
sequently has rotary motion imparted to it through the toothed wheels R, Z,
and U from the driving shaft V which is rotated either by hand or by power.
The other end of the blade shaft is carried by an adjustable centre pin C carried
by a transverse bridge piece G, which is also removeable for facilitating the dis-
mounting and ready removal of the blade shaft and grating when these require
to be cleansed. For this purpose the grating slides in two grooves d formed in

page_text: the sides of the trough A. This trough can consequently be readily emptied and
cleansed.
All the ingredients required for forming the dough fall automatically into the
apparatus at the right hand end Figure 1 and the dough, suitably kneaded passes
out of the other end of the trough.
The flour is placed in a hopper F divided by a horizontal partition é into two
compartments of unequal size; into the upper space F which is comparatively
great, the flour is directly charged while into the lower space " which is con-
siderably smaller, the flour falls intermittently from 1', in consequence of an
alternating motion of the plate c with grid-like openings f which plate moves
in grooves situated above kixed transverse supports 'g, which correspond with
the said openings f in certain positions of the plate e.
The flour in the upper compartment, which will vary in density, according
to the quantity charged therein, falls intermittently into the lower chamber F
through the plate e and will there always be of the same density, as the chamber
is never full. This body of flour is then fed uniformly by the feeding rollers
HH which revolve in contrary directions.
The quantity of flour fed in is regulated by means of a moveable round or
flat bar h, which is actuated externally and which is made to cover a greater or less
· portion of the space between the rollers.
When the manufacture of bread is carried on with the employment of leaven
in the form of paste, whether such leaven is prepared separately or is produced
in preceding operations, it is placed in a hopper I at the lower end of which
extensions of the said two feeding rollers H H cause the leaven to fall into the
kneading trough. A sliding regulating bar h¹ actuated externally enables the
opening between the rollers, and consequently the discharge of leaven, to be
regulated.
For certain manufactures the leaven used is of a liquid consistency; this is
the case in particular for the manufacture of certain fancy breads. In this case
the liquid leaven is placed in a vessel J of slight depth, as shewn in the part
transverse section at Figure 5 and longitudinal section at Figure 6, in
which vessel is a roller k rotated at a suitable speed, and dipping into the liquid
leaven so that by its rotation it carries round an adhering layer of leaven, which
is scraped off by a series of pivoted scrapers 7 bearing against the roller k, the
leaven thus separated being made to fall into the kneading trough A.
The number of scrapers 7, which are mounted on pivots m, can be varied so as
to supply a greater or less quantity of leaven.
The necessary supply of water is led by any suitable known means into a
reservoir K; it is previously heated to the required temperature or it may be
heated in the vessel itself by any known means, such as a heated circulating coil,
a gas burner, &c. Thence it is supplied by a three way cock L to the plug of
which is imparted a reciprocating rotary motion by a crank and slotted rod 9,
so that at each revolution of the wheel Z gearing with the wheel V; the cock
establishes a communication on the one hand between the gauge vessel M and
the reservoir K and on the other hand between the gauge vessel M and
the pipe which supplies the water to the kneading trough A.
The capacity of the gauge vessel M which is preferably partly of glass can be
varied, by making it interchangeable.
An air escape tuber enables the gauge vessel to be readily filled.
The salt supply is contained in a receptacle N in the bottom of which is pro-
vided a screw spindle by the rotation of which a regulated quantity of salt;
dependent on the pitch of the screw and its speed of rotation, is discharged from
the receptacle. The screw spindle can be changed, for varying the quantity of
salt discharged, by withdrawing the pins which holds it. The salt thus dis-
charged falls into a small reservoir u together with the water supplied from the
distributing cock L through the tube t; the salt is dissolved in the water and

page_text: this then flows into the kneading trough A, through channels o, at the place where
the flour enters.
The drawings clearly shew the manner in which motion is transmitted to the
several parts of the apparatus.
When the flour employed is dry and of a pulverulent texture such as that
employed in Austria for making the bread called "Kaiser Brod," &., it may
happen that it will run through between the rollers H. without these being rotated.
The regulation becomes in that case very difficult, as the supply no longer depends
on the speed of rotation. In this case I employ the arrangement shewn at
Figure 7. The flour hopper F has at its lower end an endless cloth S stretched
over two rollers T T. These rollers being rotated, the cloth is made to travel
and so carry with it the flour which passes through the lateral opening, the
discharge being regulated by the adjustable slide y sliding in grooves on the
hopper. The flour falls thence into the kneading trough A and a scraper z
separates the particles of flour that may adhere to the cloth. The latter may
be of any woven fabric or of caoutchouc, &c.; the two rollers can be mounted
on movable bearings for regulating the tension of the cloth; their rotation is
effected through suitable gearing from the driving gear of the apparatus. The
horizontal partition e with grid like openings previously described may also be
applied in the hopper F in this case.
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. In apparatus for kneading dough with continuous action, the use of a knead-
ing device consisting of the combination of a shaft with a series of helical blades,
revolving in a semicylindrical trough, with a grating closing the upper part of
the trough through the openings of which grating the said blades pass in
revolving, whereby a combined kneading and advancing action is obtained in
such manner that the ingredients for forming the dough that are introduced
separately at one end of the trough are discharged in a thoroughly incorporated
and kneaded condition at the other end, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for kneading dough with continuous action the use of a hopper
for supplying the flour to the kneading trough, composed of an upper compartment
into which the flour is charged, and from which the flour is intermittently supplied
through a reciprocating slide into a lower compartment, whence it is discharged
in a uniform manner by means of revolving feed rollers into the kneading trough,
substantially as described.
3. In combination with the feeding hopper referred to in the second claim,
the use of a hopper for supplying leaven, the discharge of which is regulated by
an extension of the same feed rollers that regulate the supply of flour, substantially
as described.
4. In combination with the feed rollers referred to in the second and third
claims, the use of sliding bars for more or less closing the opening between the
feed rollers for the purpose of regulating the discharge of flour and leaven.
5. In kneading apparatus with continuous action such as is referred to in the
first and second claims, the use for supplying a regulated quantity of liquid leaven
together with the flour, of a receptacle containing the liquid leaven, into which
dips a roller, by the rotation of which a quantity of leaven is carried round to
a series of pivoted scrapers, which remove it from the roller and supply it to the
kneading trough substantially as described.
6. In apparatus for kneading dough with continuous action, the use of a hopper
for supplying the flour having at its lower end a horizontal endless travelling
band which carries the flour through a side opening regulated by a slide for dis-
charging it into the kneading hopper, substantially as described."
7. In apparatus for kneading dough with continuous action the use for supplying
the water in regulated quantities to the kneading trough, of apparatus consisting

page_text: of a three way cock receiving reciprocating motion for alternately supplying the
water from a reservoir to a gauge vessel and then from the gauge vessel to a
receptacle whence it flows into the kneading trough substantially as described.
8. In apparatus for kneading dough with continuous action the use for
supplying salt to the kneading trough, of a reservoir containing salt in the bottom
of which is a horizontal revolving screw spindle which discharges a regulated
quantity of salt into the receptacle containing the water supply referred to in
the seventh claim, so that the salt is dissolved in the said water before passing
into the kneading trough, substantially as described.
9. Apparatus for kneading dough with continuous action combined and
operating as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of August 1897
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.