Improvements in or relating to Machines for Coating Sweets or Confectionery.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1899-Accepted, 1st July, 1899
Improvements in or relating to Machines for Coating Sweets or
Confectionery.
A communication from Louis BERNHARDT LEHMANN, Manufacturer and Proprietor
of the Firm T. M. Lehmann, Dresden-Löbtau, Tharandterstrasse 8/9, Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :--
The present invention relates to a machine for covering sweets or confectionery
(especially pralines) with some coating of chocolate or the material by immersing
the sweets into a trough which rises and falls for this purpose, such machines being
distinguished from machines of a similar kind in that they only require one attendant
to look after each machine. This result is obtained by an arrangement by which
the insertion and the removal of the sweets is accomplished on the same side of the
machine at two places, side by side.
A carrier passing crossways in the machine conducts the dipped sweets from one
place to another of the two slides actuated by the machine, one transfers the
dipped sweets from the fixed dipping grating on to the carrier and the other from
the carrier on to the discharge plate, the latter moving gradually forward. The
fresh sweets are usually put on the dipping grating by means of a device actuated
by hand.
Fig. 1 is a front view of the machine in section according to the line A-B-C-
D-E-F-G-H― of Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a plan view.
Fig. 3 is a side view.
Figs. 4 and 5 represent the feeding slide, the dipping trough and the dipping
grating as well as the guard for retaining the sweets on the dipping grating in two
different positions.
Fig. 6 also represents some of the parts shown in Figs. 4 and 5, as well as the
gearing employed for raising and lowering the trough and for the movement of the
guard for retaining the sweets on the grate.
Fig. 7 represents the means employed for holding the sweets, the gear for the
movement of the slide which is movable crossways and the shaking device.
Fig. 8 represents the means by which the sweets after dipping are transferred
from the dipping grating on to the movable carrier.
In Figs. 9 and 9ª the means are shown for pushing off and removing the sweets
from the crossways movable carrier to the discharge place.
Figs. 4 to 9 are all vertical cross sections of the machine, drawn on a larger scale
than Figs. 1-3.
and
Figure 10 is a detail view.
Fig. 11 represents part of the crossways movable carrier seen from the front,

page_text: Fig. 12 represents part of the guard employed for the purpose of retaining the
sweets on the dipping grating.
The attendant stands between B and G (Fig. 2). On the left-hand side the sweets
are introduced and dipped, then transferred by means of the movable carrier to the
right side and finally delivered on the right side.
On the left side the movable plate 1 can be moved on the frame past I and I':
on this plate 1 another plate 2 is also arranged so as to be movable.
Plate 2 is much smaller than plate 1, and at the beginning of the operation
stands in line with the front edge of plate 1 (next to the attendant) (Fig. 4).
The further edge of plate 2 is provided with regular recesses (Fig. 2) the
sweets (say pralines) w are placed behind the plate 2 on the plate 1 (Figs. 2 and 4)
at as nearly equal distances as possible.
Connected to the sliding plate is a trough 4 for containing the substance used for
coating or covering the sweets. The trough stands on a plate 4" (Figs. 1, 3 and 6)
and can, when in its lowest position (as seen in Fig. 1) be removed from the
framework altogether (see Fig. 3).
This plate 4 is supported by two rods 12 (Figs. 1, 3 and 6) which are vertically
movable in guiding sockets 12ª fixed to the framing i (Figure 1) which rods are
provided with teeth at the back. The toothed wheels 13 (Figs. 3 and 6) on the
shaft 37 gear with these teeth.
The shaft 37 also carries the toothed wheel 38 operating the toothed arm of a bent
lever 39. This lever 39 is loosely pivotted on the shaft 24 and is actuated by a cam
disc 40, the latter being carried on the shaft 11. The shafts 24 and 11 are arranged
parallel to each other, within the frames I and I2 (Figs. 1 and 3). The shaft 11 is
the operating shaft from which all the movements of the machine are transmitted.
The operating shaft is driven from the transmission shaft 41 by means of a toothed
wheel 42 driving a large toothed wheel 43 (Figs. 1,
and 3).
Above the machine is arranged the dipping grating 3 (Figs 1, 7, 8 and 10) consisting
of two long hars with short cross bars 3ª (Fig. 10) fixed to them so as to enable the
excess of covering substance to drip off or be shaken off the sweets.
The grating is supported by two rods 7 (Figs. 7 and 10) which are secured by means
of short arms 7 (Figs. 3 and 7) to the beam 8 of the upper part of the machine,
running across the whole of the machine.
On the rods 7 is arranged a frame 6 (Figs. 1 and 3) which is vertically movable
being guided by its collars 6* (Figs. 1 and 10) on the rods 7. This frame or bar
carries the guard 5 for retaining the sweets in position on the dipping grating 3.
The guard is made of wires (Figs. 10 and 12) and is shaped according to the form
of the sweets which are to be coated. When such sweets as, for instance round
pralines are to be coated then rings will fit round them (Fig. 6) while the cross
wire 5 above will prevent the sweets from floating off when iminersed in the liquid
coating, since they are of less specific gravity than the coating substance and
consequently tend to float.
The guard 5 is lowered on the sweets as soon as they are placed on the dipping
grating and lifted again when the dipping is over.
For this purpose a bent rod 9 (Figs. 1 to 3 and 6) actuates the movable frame 6
which rod is guided in a socket 9 and actuated by a cam disc 10 fixed on the
shaft 11 (Fig. 6).
After dipping the excess of the coating substance which drops off too slowly must
be removed more rapidly by means of a shaking device. For this purpose two
hammers 19 movable in guiding sockets 19 attached to the frame bar 8 (Figures 1, 3
and 7) are employed to strike against the rods 7. The hammers are actuated by
arms 17 (Figures 1-3, 7) engaging in holes or recesses in the hammers. The said
arins are arranged on a shaft 44 revolving in bearings 44ª (Figures 1 and 2) on the
cross bar 8. On this shaft is also secured an arm 17" extending rearwardly.
shaft 45 situate above the cross bar 8 (Figure 1) is actuated from the driving shaft 41
by means of pulleys 46 and 47. The said shaft is provided with an arm 17ª above the
ratchet wheel 18 (Figures 1-3, 7) by which the arm 17* is alternately pressed down
A

page_text: and released, thus alternately raising and freeing the hammers for effecting the
striking motion. Inasmuch as this shaking device is only required to act for a certain
time (after the dipping) the arm 17ª is drawn downwards after shaking by a finger 14
on a rod 15, by which arrangement the arm is removed from the sphere of action of
the ratchet wheel 18. This happens whenever the cam 16 on the shaft 11
(Figures 1, 3, 7) allows the end of the rod to descend. The hammers therefore are
in operation only so long as the rod 15 occupies the elevated position represented in
Figure 7, which it is about to leave. The end of the rod 15 as well as that of the
rod 9 (Figure 6) may be provided with a guide roller in the well-known manner.
After the sweets w have been placed in the inanner described on tray 1 (Figure 4)
the tray 1 is pushed forward until it meets the grating 3 (Figure 5), then the tray 2
is pushed forward, whereby the sweets wo are pushed over the tray 1 on to the grating
(Figure 5). The trays are now returned and the guard 5 with the frame 6 is lowered
by means of the rod 9 and the cam 10, until the frame covers the sweets standing in
a row on the dipping grating. Immediately afterwards cam 40 begins to operate on
the bell-crank lever 39 turning the shaft 37 with its toothed wheels 13, lifting
thereby the rod 12 and with it the trough 4 (Figure 6) whereby the sweets w are
immersed in the coating substance. After this the cam 40 allows the trough 4 to
sink, while a little later the cam 10 raises the frame 6 together with the guard 5.
In the meantime the rod 15 provided with the finger 14 has been lifted by the
cam 16 (Figure 7) in consequence of which the arm 17 of the shaking device is
actuated by the ratchet wheel 18. So long as the cam keeps the rod 15 in this
raised position the hammers 19 continue to beat on the heads of the rods 7. After
the excess of coating material has been removed, the rod 15 is lowered and by means
of the finger 14, again locks or engages the arm 17ª. The sweets at this stage are
now placed on the movable slide for the purpose of conveying them to the right side
of the machine. The slide consists in the first place of a plate 20 (Figures 1-3, 7, 9, 11).
The surface of the plate is provided with ribs, grooves, (Figure 11) or the like so as
to prevent the coated sweets w from sticking to it, the horizontal track of the plate 20
is on a level with the dipping grating 3 and in front of the same.
The plate is con-
nected by means of vertical rods 22 (Figure 7) and horizontal arms 22ª to a sliding
bar or device 21 which is horizontally movable in a straight guide of the cross bar 8
(Figures 1 and 7) the back of the bar 21 is provided with a toothed bar 21. With
this toothed bar is geared a toothed wheel 23 (Figures 1, 3 and 7 provided in
Figures 2 and 3 with a cover 23") fixed on a vertical shaft 48 in a sleeve 49
(Figures 3 and 7) and carrying at its lower end a toothed wheel 50. This toothed
wheel 50 gears with a toothed sector 51 swinging on the pivot 52 (Figure 7), this
pivot 52 is provided with a bevel gear 53 actuated by the bevel toothed sector 54
keyed on the shaft 24. On this shaft is also secured an arm 25 (Figures 1, 3, 7)
which engages with the grooved curve of a cam 26 on the shaft 11; so that by means
of the said gearing the slide 20-21 is moved from the left to the right and from the
right to the left, stopping for some time at each of the terminal positions, for the
purpose of allowing the sweets to be removed during the stoppage, from the grating 3
to the plate 20, or from the plate 20 on to a collecting tray. Both movements are
produced by horizontally movable slides passing over the grating, or over the plate 20
pushing the sweets before them.
The slide 27 (Figures 2 and 8) is guided in the frame portions I I', and moves in
a horizontal plane of somewhat higher elevation than that of the surface of the grat-
ing 3 and of the plate 20 (Figure 8). Two arms 29 engage the slide 27 by means of
the rods 27, which arms are set on a hub 30 loosely rotating on the shaft 24. From
the hub passes downward an arm 31 which is actuated by the cam 32 on the shaft 11.
The slide advancing in the direction indicated by the arrow (Figure 8) comes against
the sweets w and pushes them from the grating 3 on to the plate 20 after which the
slide 20-21 moves to the right.
In the right half of the machine there is another slide 28 (Figures 2 and 9) which
is guided in the frame parts I 12 and actuated by the devices 27-29-30-31-32
which are exactly similar to those provided for the movement of the slide 27, repre-

page_text: sented in Figure 8. Figure 9 sbows an advancing slide 28 about to remove the
sweets w from the plate 20, on to the collecting tray or receiver.
This collecting tray 33 moves in the frame parts I I² beneath the plate 20 and
underneath the track of that plate (Figures 1, 2, 9). On the lower side of the plate 33
is fixed a toothed bar 33, with which gears a toothed wheel 34 keyed on the shaft 55.
This shaft is provided at its end with. a;crank 36 to be turned by hand, and a ratchet
wheel 56 (Figures 1 and 9ª) engaging with a pawl 57. The latter is pivotted on the
arms 58 (Figure 2) freely rotating on the shaft 55 one on either side of the ratchet
wheel, against which the locking device or pawl is pressed by a spring. To the other
end of the levers 58 is connected a rod 59 passing obliquely downwards and pressed
upwards by a spring 60, which rod is drawn downwards once in every rotation of the
shaft 11 by a projection 35 on the dise 35 (Figure 9) striking on a projection 61 on
the rod 59. By this means the ratchet wheel 56, is moved forwards each time to the
extent of one tooth, and hence the slide 33 is correspondingly moved forward, in
consequence of which the sweets w are collected on the slide as it gradually moves
forward. On the collecting tray 33 a lining (Figure 9) is placed which is taken off
and replaced by an empty one, as soon as it is covered with sweets. The advanced
tray 33 is then moved back again by lifting up the locking device and turning the
crank 36.
It is advisable to arrange the machine in such a manner that it should become
stopped or the parts disengaged as soon as the tray 33 has advanced to its full extent,
.e. is covered with sweets. For this purpose the driving belt fork 62 (Figure 2) is
connected with a rod 63 (Figures 2 and 9) guided between the frame parts I I. This
rod 63, provided with an uncoupling lever 64, represented in dotted lines in Figure 2,
is normally drawn to the right by means of the spring 65 (Figures 1 and 2). In a
groove 63 of the rod 63 an elbow-lever 66 engages under the action of a spring 67
(Figure 9) so long as the rod is moved towards the left by setting the spring, and
when the belt is transferred on the fixed pulley. The elbow lever is connected by
means of the rod 68 with a lever 69 pivotted on the frame part I I². When the
advancing slide 33 advances towards its terminal position it, at last, meets the lever
69 which swings forward, whereupon the elbow lever 66 is removed from the groove 63ª
of the rod 63, the rod moves towards the right and the belt-fork 62 places the belt on
to the loose pulley.
The details of the construction may be changed without affecting the principle of
the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A machine for coating sweets or confectionery comprising a trough for the
coating substance a dipping grating arranged above. the trough a carrier plate movable
to and fro across the machine on a level with the grating, a slide by means of which
the articles are removed from the grating to the carrier plate, a slide which pushes
the coated articles from the carrier plate and a movable receptacle for the reception
of the coated articles substantially as described.
2. In a machine of the kind described a slide such as 1 movable in the plane of the
dipping grating and a second movable slide such as 2 the first being adapted to move
forward until it meets the grating while the latter pushes the sweets from the first
slide on to the grating substantially as described.
3. In a machine of the kind described hammers such as 19 arranged above the
rods carrying the dipping grating for the purpose of shaking off the excess of coating
matter a shaft carrying arms engaging with the haminers and an arm for actuating the
hammers; a ratchet wheel which in combination with arms operates the hammers and
a rod such as 15 with tappets for the purpose of disengaging the arms and means for
the movement of the rod for the purpose of periodically actuating and stopping the
shaking device substantially as described.
4. A machine of the kind described comprising a rod (63) connected with a belt

page_text: fork (62) in combination with a spring (65) and a lever (66) engaging in a groove (63)
of the rod (63) when the machine is at work, and an uncoupling lever (69) actuated
by the advancing slide (33) said lever releasing the rod (63) when the slide (33)
reaching its terminal position, whereby the machine is automatically stopped
substantially as described.
5. In a machine of the kind described means for effecting the immersion of the
articles in the coating material substantially as described or illustrated in Figure 6 of
the accompanying drawings.
6. The complete machine for coating sweets or confectionery substantially as
described or illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of May 1800
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.