IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOZENGES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Kernahan, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr,
North Britain, Confectionery Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOZENGES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
Sealed the 27th April 1877, and dated the 14th November 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Kernahan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th November 1876.
"
THOMAS KERNAHAN, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain,
Confectionery Manufacturer. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOZENGES,
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
This Invention has reference to a new or improved construction of machine and
special parts thereof for cutting lozenges from the sheet of prepared mixture
previously rolled and fed into the machine, all in a superior and more expeditious
manner than heretofore.
And the nature and novelty of the Inventions consist all as follows:-In erecting
two rows of hollow cylindrical cutters having their back stems attached to one
cross head, the one row being arranged diagonally to the other so as to leave the least
possible space between the cutters, and thus utilize the greatest possible proportion
of the sheet of prepared material to be cut or punched, across which the cutters are
arranged transversely and horizontally, to be reciprocated in two cross rails of a
supporting and guide frame by a connecting rod or rods actuated by cranks or
eccentrics on a suitable transverse shaft carried in bearings in any convenient part
of the main framing of the machine, all so that the sharp front ends of the cutters
would pierce the sheet, passing down in front of them against a cutting bed of
gutta percha, leather, or other suitable material which would not blunt the cutters,
the cut lozenges entering the cutters at each forward traverse of the cross head to
which the cutters are attached.
Each cutter proper is made of steel or other suitable metal, in the form of short
thin hollow cylinders fixed by a screw socket or other equivalent at its back end to
its moving stem, the front part being parallel inside and outside, but with the

page_text: immediate points slightly tapered outside to a sharp edge at the inner face (like a
gun wadding or colfin cutter) and working over a stationary piston fitted in each,
and fixed by a small cross head passed out through a slot in the back stem of each
cutter, and screwed or otherwise fixed to one of the transverse guides of the frame,
so that the front end of each piston will project slightly beyond the face of the
front guide bar or rail, and the sharp point of the cutter when at the furthest out or
back part of its stroke, so as to push out and discharge the punched lozenge; and
the end of the piston may have a disc of india-rubber or other equivalent material
on it to fill and clean the interior of the cutter.
Between the front guide and the cutting surface bar, another transverse bar is
fitted through which the front parallel parts of the cutters pass, having a sheet of
india-rubber secured on its one side for cleaning the outer surface or cutting ends of
the cutters in their outward and inward traverse, the inner surface of this bar
serving to remove the waste of the cut sheet which may happen to adhere to the
cutters, and which is allowed to fall on to and be carried away to one side of the
machine by an endless traversing baud, while the cut lozenges are discharged in the
space between the two bars on to and carried away by another endless band
preferably traversing in the opposite direction or away from the cutters.
The cutter frame when arranged horizontally as described may be all secured by
two simple standards or long studs screwed to the face of the frame of the cutting
table, which in this instance is vertical, having a strip of the india-rubber, leather,
or other elastic material against which the cutters act in cutting the sheet of lozenge
forining material previously rolled to the desired thickness, and which is placed on
and carried forward by an endless band over two end rollers, where both the web
and sheet of material to be cut pass down between the said vertical cutting table
and cutters to be operated upon all as herein-before described.
The whole arrangement of moving mechanism herein described may be erected
on any suitable iron or wood framing at a suitable height for the operator to attend
to the feeding in of the sheets of material, and to the proper acting of the cutters,
as say upon two light open cast-iron side frames, secured together by transverse
beams or tie rods, and which would carry the journal bearing blocks of the
actuating shaft and spindles of the drums carrying the endless traversing bands,
the top one which feeds in the sheet to be cut being preferably fed intermittently
a sufficient distance for each double row of lozenges to be cut at each reciprocation
of the cutters.
The intermittent feeding of the carrying band and material to be punched may
be given by a motion taken from the crank shaft which actuates the cutters through
a crank and connecting rod working the pawl lever of a ratchet wheel on the
spindle of the front barrel carrying the endless web, during each backward and
forward traverse of the cutters after they have left, and before they again reach
the carrying web and sheet to be cut, which remain stationary while the lozenges
are being cut.
The endless feeding-in web or band may be made of india-rubber and canvas, or
other durable flexible material which would not blunt or hurt the cutters, and when
thick enough and having sufficient elasticity in front of the cutters it might do
instead of the soft or elastic material on the cutting and abutting table or surface
which might then be made of smooth wood or metal; and for preventing the sheets
of prepared material or punched lozenges from adhering to the carrying webs the
surfaces of these may be cleaned and dried by dusting on dry Farina flour with
revolving or reciprocating brushes acting on their surface preferably where the
webs pass over some of their carrying rollers.
The first motion crank shaft (or it might be a counter shaft geared thereto) from
which the whole of the mechanism is actuated, may either be driven by hand or by
motive power as desired, preferably the latter, by fast and loose pulleys upon
one end of the shaft driven by a belt from any adjacent prime moving shaft.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Kernahan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th May.
1877.
THOMAS KERNAHAN, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain,.
Confectionery Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOZENGES,'
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THERFOR."
My said Invention has reference to a new or improved construction of machine
and special parts thereof for cutting lozenges from the sheet of prepared mixture.
(or dough) previously rolled and fed into the machine, all in a superior and more"
expeditious manner than heretofore.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my said Invention
may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several Figures
on the two Sheets of Drawings which I have hereunto appended, for the purpose
of showing the best modes and means I am at present aware of for putting the
Invention into effect or practice; the same reference letters and numerals indicating '
the same or like parts in all the Figures where shown.
Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 1 are respectively a side elevation and a plan of an
arrangement of lozenge making or cutting machine, constructed in accordance with
and illustrative of one modification of my Invention or improvements.
Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet 2 are a longitudinal and a transverse section respec-.
tively taken on the lines 1 - - - - 1 and 22, each on the other; and Figure 5 is
a partial horizontal section taken on the line 3 - 3 in Figure 3, all of the new.
or improved construction and arrangement of the lozenge cutters a and their
cleaners and guiding and moving mechanism, to a large scale, as detached from
the general arrangement, shown on Sheet 1, to show their construction and con-
nections more clearly.
Referring to these Figures, 1 to 5, and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the
general construction of the machine consists of the two main open triangular side
frames A, A, secured at a proper distance apart by the tie bars A' and pressure
plate E and guide frame F¹, complete as a stationary portable frame carrying all
the working parts of the machine, capable of being secured by its lower flanges A",
to any suitable foundation or wood frame at a proper height for the attendant to
supply it with sheets of the rolled material to be cut or punched from the
ordinary separate confectionery dough-rolling machine in the proper thickness and
width required.
The said prepared sheets of sugar dough z are regularly, as required, laid on to
the down running upper part at 1 of the inclined endless web B of vulcanized
india-rubber, or a combination of that and canvas or other equivalent, suitable,
strong, soft, or elastic web material, as leather, textile cloth, or felt, passed over
and driven by the large roller or drum C, carried by its shaft C₁ in the adjustable
tightening up journal bearing blocks D at the upper back part of the frames A, A,
and down over in front of the two small guide rollers C", C¹¹, running loose by
their journals in bearings in the adjustable brackets C2, which carry the reacting
or pressure-receiving cutting block E between them in front, facing the cutting
ends a¹ of the set of two rows of new or improved cutters a. A third roller C
carried in journal slotted bearings in the upper part of the brackets C2, rests on the
sheet of material z as it is fed with the web B over the rollers C", and so retains or
holds it while being picrced by the said cutters a.
These new or improved cutters & are each of a thin hollow cylindrical form,
tapered or sharpened outside towards the point and inside diameter, which is made
to the size of the particular lozenges to be cut; and they are arranged longitudinally
in two rows transversely and horizontally, the one row diagonal to the other, that
is, over the spaces between the other, to leave the least possible waste space between
the cutters and so utilize the greatest proportion or surface of the prepared sheet
of material, as seen particularly in Figure 4; but the cutters might be arranged in

page_text: one, three, or more rows, although two are shown, this number being preferred.
The two rows of cutters so arranged have their back open ends with retaining
collars at a inserted in bored recesses in the front of their reciprocating slide
frame F, and secured thereto against the collars by the holding plate and screws F",
and they have their front outer parallel parts a guided and reciprocated through
corresponding sets of holes in the guide and cleaning plates c, d, adjusted and fixed
by screw nuts on the screw studs d³, secured to and projecting out from the
front of the brackets C² on each side of and parallel to the set of cutters a.
b
A thick sheet of vulcanized india-rubber d' is secured by screws and a plate du
on the one side of the plate d through which the cutters a pass, so as to clean their
outer surface to the very point as they work to and fro through them, as seen
particularly in Figures 3 and 5, and the inner or front surface of the bar C, besides
guiding or steadying the front or cutting end of the cutters a, serves to remove the
loose part of the sheet being cut or pierced from the cutters when it adheres thereto,
so that it descends at 21 through the space E² between the rollers C and bar c
over the guide c¹, Figures 1 and 3, into a tray or other receptacle to be mixed and
rolled again into fresh sheets of lozenge dough z and pierced by the cutters each
time their sharp ends are brought forward against it in front of the block E by the
reciprocation of their hollow or box slide frame F, carried in the adjustable slide
guide frame or plate F¹, screwed to the flanges A11 of the frames A, and which
also carries the stationary pistons b, fited within the cutters a, and secured at the
back end of their rods 611 by nuts 6111 to the holding plate f screwed to the
flange, projecting up from it within the slide box F, through a hole in which
at f and the open back end all of the cutters a the rods of the pistons 6 pass, each
fitted at its front end with a cleaning india-rubber ring or washer b¹, which fills
the inside of the cutter and cleans it to the very point or cutting edge each time
the set of cutters are brought to the furthest back part of their stroke by the
reciprocation of their frame F. This frame F is planed and formed with flat lower
side and bevel-edged flanges fitted into a corresponding adjustable angled or dove-
tailed guide or slide bed plate F¹, screwed to the top flanges A of the front end
of the frames A, A, so that the frame F is reciprocated to and fro in the guide
plate F by the cross head G, mounted on the central stud F, secured in its upper
side or face and jointed at its ends G¹ to the free ends of the eccentric or con-
necting rods G, G, actuated by the eccentrics G, G, keyed on the first motion
driving shaft H, carried in bush bearings A³ in the side frames A, A, below the
endless carrying web B; but other equivalent means might be employed to reci-
procate the frame F from this shaft H by a crank and connecting rod jointed direct
or through a lever to a stud in the frame F. This shaft H is preferably fitted with
a fly wheel I to insure the regular and steady action of all the moving parts.
The machine is shown as actuated by hand through the crank or winch handle I¹
in the fly wheel I; but it might be driven by motive power, when preferred, through
gearing or fast and loose pulleys mounted on it, and a driving strap or band passed
over them from any adjacent motive-power transmitting shaft. The shaft H also
gives intermittent motion to the carrying web B through the revolving crank and
its crank or eccentric pin J and connecting rod J¹ connected to the adjustable pin J²
in the long slotted arm J" of the kneed or two armed lever J", J, oscillating on
the end of the spindle C of the drum C, with the V grooved silent motion friction
wheel K fixed on it actuated every down stroke of the connecting rod J' and
lever J, J, by the corresponding V shaped eccentric segmental pawl K¹ carried
on a lateral stud in the short arm J111 of the said lever, the wheel K being held from
turning on the up stroke or in the backward direction by the corresponding
eccentric gravitating pawl K" carried on a stud in the stationary arm or bracket K²
secured to the eye or side of one of the bearing blocks.
The crank pin J is so set on the shaft H in relation to the eccentrics G2, C, as to
move and feed forward the web B and sheet of lozenge dough on it, while the
cutters a and their carrying frame F are on their back or receding stroke therefrom,
and so that a fresh uncut part will be brought opposite their front ends a¹,
and

page_text: stand there while they come forward to pierce it and force the cut lozenges within
the parallel cutters, so as to be carried back with them on their receding stroke,
and discharge them at the front or cutting end again as the cutters enter the back
cleaning bar d, d, d, by the action of the front end of the pistons b which project
a little beyond the front face of this plate d, where the lozenges are delivered down
through the space between the plates c, d, by the guided plates el on to the
removing endless band L carried on small rollers L', L", in bearing brackets L¹¹
projecting down from the lower front part of the side frames A, A, all as seen
particularly in Figures 1, 3, and 5; and the front roller L may be driven at a slow
intermittent rate by a band 7 passed over a pulley on the one end of its spindle,
and one on the spindle of one of the front rollers C¹¹, as shown in dotted lines in
Figure 1, the cut lozenges being delivered over the front of the roller L" on to trays
or other equivalent to be dried in the usual manner. A small hole a² is pierced
through each cutter a near the point to prevent a pressure of air being formed in
this contracting space as the cutters are going back before the lozenges reach the
pistons b, which push them out as they are brought back against it, all as described.
To keep the cutters moist and any sugar which may collect on their inner or
outer surface a small dish or trough of water e is set over them, with a small tap e¹
to each cutter a to allow of a drop of water falling on them slowly, which moistens the
outer surface and also the inner surface through the small slot as formed through each
cutter at the part which passes below the tap forward over the piston, so as thus to
moisten the inner and outer india-rubber cleaners b¹ and d¹ to assist them in keeping
the surface of the cutters clean as well as moist, and to prevent any drops of water
from getting down on to the travelling band of finished lozenges, a small tray as
dotted in at e may be set below the taps and wettest part of the cutters; all as
seen particularly in Figure 3.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, as many variations may be made therefrom
without departing from the main or essential features of the Invention, such as
working the cutters a perpendicularly or at other angles than that shown, but
what I consider novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—-
First. The general construction or combination of the parts of a lozenge-making
or cutting and delivering machine or mechanism, substantially as herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
Second. The construction and use of lozenge-making machines having a set of
reciprocated parallel cutters a with internal discharging and cleaning pistons b, b¹,
and cleaning outside plate d, d, d", substantially as herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Third. The fitting of lozenge cutters a with air and water holes a², as, to moisten
the same from a supply vessel e, all substantially as and for the purposes herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere
modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Kernahan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
Witness,
JOHN BROWN,
Patent Agent,
96, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow.
T. KERNAHAN. (L.S.)
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