IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COOKING OR DRYING FOODS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN ROBSON, of 20 Pancras Road in the County of Middlesex, Printer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR COOKING OR DRYING FOODS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, to be as follows: —
My Invention consists of improvements in apparatus more particularly used for
baking or cooking food, especially such as is of a farinaceous character, whereby all
the particles of the material which is being operated upon are kept in a continual
state of agitation, and are all thoroughly and equally exposed in turn to the action
of the heat employed.
In carrying out my Invention in practice, I place the food which is to be cooked,
in a trough, constructed of sheet iron or other suitable substance, and having a
bottom of a semi circular section.-An axis extends the whole length of the trough,
and is supported in bearings at each end. If the trough is of considerable length,
one or more intermediate supports or bearings may be employed.-A flat strip of
iron or other suitable substance, extending the whole length of the trough, is
attached to the said axis by short arms projecting from it, in such a way that
it forms a helical path around the axis, and the arms are of such a length that when
the axis is rotated, the said helical strip just sweeps clear of the semi circular bottom
of the trough. The axis projects through one end of the trough, which may be
called the front end, and has fixed upon this projecting end, a spur wheel, a straight
rack, supported in suitable guides upon the front of the trough, engages with the
teeth of the aforesaid spur wheel, and by giving a reciprocating motion to the rack
through any convenient means, a reciprocating rotary motion may be communicated
to the spur wheel, and to the axis and its helical strip, by which means the food or
other material in the trough is very thoroughly and effectively turned over, and
every particle brought to the surface, and exposed to the action of the beat; a
perfectly equable effect being thus quickly produced.-The aforesaid trough may be
placed in an oven or other suitable contrivance to produce the heat required.-In
practice, I prefer to construct the bottom of my trough of two or more parallel,
semi circular or curved troughs, each provided with its own axis and helical strip,
but the spur wheels at the ends of the axes may all gear into the one straight rack,
Paine RJ1

page_text: and be worked simultaneously by the reciprocating motion of the said rack-I do
not necessarily confine myself to the above described method of giving the required
motion to the axes in the troughs, as any other suitable means by which a recipro-
cating rotating motion can be obtained may be employed, nor do I limit myself to
making the stirring strip of a strictly helical form, though I find it to be the most
effective in practice.
In addition to the cooking or baking of farinaceous and other foods, my improved
apparatus is also applicable for quickly and equably drying or heating various
substances and for many other similar purposes.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JOHN ROBSON of 20 Pancras Road in the county of Middlesex, Printer
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR COOKING OR DRYING FOODS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES" and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My invention consists of improvements in apparatus more particularly used for
baking or cooking food, especially such as is of a farinaceous character, whereby all
the particles of the material which is being operated upon, are kept in a continual
state of agitation, and are all thoroughly and equally exposed in turn to the action
of the heat employed.
In carrying out my invention in practice, I place the food which is to be cooked
in a trough, constructed of sheet iron or other suitable substance, and having a
bottom of a semicircular section. An axis extends the whole length of the trough,
and is supported in bearings at each end. If the trough is of considerable length,
one or more intermediate supports or bearings may be employed-A flat strip of
iron or other suitable substance extending the whole length of the trough, is
attached to the said axis by short arms projecting from it, in such a way that it
forms a helical path around the axis, and the arms are of such a length, that when
the axis is rotated the said helical strip just sweeps clear of the semicircular bottom
of the trough.
The axis projects through one end of the trough which may be called the front
end and has fixed upon this projecting end a spur wheel; a straight rack, supported
in suitable guides upon the front of the trough engages with the teeth of the afore-
said spur wheel; and by giving a reciprocating motion to the rack through any
convenient means, a reciprocating rotary motion may be communicated to the spur
wheel and to the axis and its helical strip; by which means the food or other
material in the trough is very thoroughly and effectively turned over, and every.
particle brought to the surface and exposed to the action of the heat; a perfectly
equable effect being thus quickly produced.
The aforesaid trough may be placed in an oven or other suitable contrivance to
produce the heat required.
In practice, I prefer to construct the bottom of my trough of two or more
parallel semicircular or curved troughs, each provided with its own axis and
helical strip, but the spur wheels at the ends of the axes may all gear into the one
straight rack and be worked simultaneously by the reciprocating motion of the
said rack.
In order that the nature of my invention may be more clearly understood, I will
now proceed to further describe it by reference to the accompanying sheet of
drawings,
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan of my apparatus and Fic. 2 a sectional elevation of the same.

page_text: A is a trough having the bottom constructed of three parallel semi-circular
troughs B. B B.-Axes C C C extend the whole length of the troughs and a plate D
is provided about midway with bearings to support the weight of the axes or
shafts Such plate and bearings may be dispensed with when shorter troughs are
used.
Bearings are also provided for the shafts at each end of the trough as shown.
Strips E E E form helical paths round the said shafts and are affixed thereto by
means of the radial arms F. F. &c.
The shafts extend through the front of the trough, and have spur wheels G, G G,
keyed on their ends-A rack H is provided to gear with the said spur wheels, and
the said rack is supported and guided by means of the flanged rollers J J J working
on studs fixed to the front of the trough.
The rollers are preferably made with a front flange only, the other flange forming
a collar on the stud-Upon extracting the pins which keep the rollers in place on
the studs, the rollers may readily be removed and the rack lifted out.
A convenient arrangement for giving a slow reciprocating motion to the rack is
shewn in Fig. 4. A pinion K gears into a spur wheel L and the rotary motion of
the said wheel communicates a reciprocating motion to the rack H by means of the
connecting rod M.
Motion may be given to the pinion K from any suitable source of power by
means of a drum and belt N, or other convenient arrangement.
The material which is to be operated upon is placed in the trough, A and the
entire trough, with the exception of the working gear in front, is enclosed in an.
oven of any suitable construction to give the required amount of heat.
.
Rollers OO &c are provided upon the bottom of the trough so that it be may be
readily run in or out of the oven; and handles P P are affixed to the front plate
for the same purpose.
I wish it to be understood that I do not necessarily confine myself to the number
of parallel troughs employed, nor to the particular means shewn for giving the
reciprocating rotary motion to the shafts, as any other suitable arrangement, which
will give the same motion, may be adopted; nor do I limit myself to making the
stirring strip of a strictly helical form, though I find it to be the most effective in
practice.
In addition to the cooking or baking of farinaceous and other foods, my improved
apparatus is also applicable for quickly and equally drying or heating various
substances, and for many other similar purposes.
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. A trough with semi-circular bottom, fitted with a shaft provided with helical
strips, having a reciprocating rotary motion, constructed in the manner and for the
purposes, substantially as herein set forth.
2. The combination of two or more such troughs, shafts and helical strips in one
apparatus, constructed in the manner and for the purposes, substantially as herein
set forth.