Improvements in Apparatus for Scraping and Cutting Soap.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 1st Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Scraping and Cutting Soap.
We, PETER GILL of Oakland Street Widnes in the County of Lancaster, Insurance
Agent and THOMAS OSMAN of Cholmondeley Street, Widnes aforesaid, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—
In the manufacture of soap, the soap from the boiling pan is cooled and moulded in
a frame the sides of which are whitewashed to prevent the soap sticking thereto. The
soap leaves this frame in the form of a block known as a sess, and has then to be cut
first into slabs and then into bars. The sides of the sess also require scraping or
cutting to remove the lime or whitewash adhering thereto, or the lime soap that may
have been formed. The first cutting and scraping are now usually done by hand and
require considerable amount of time and labour to perform.
The chief object of this invention is to provide a machine that will scrape and cut
the sess at one operation. It consists essentially of an apparatus provided with a
movable carriage and pusher, and knives or scrapers between which the sess is
caused to pass, and of a frame or frames of wires which divide the soap into slabs of
the size required.
In carrying the invention into effect, we construct a framework of wood or other
suitable material sufficiently wide to receive the sess of soap. Inside this framing at one
or both ends are placed two or more knives standing vertically and the whole height of
the machine. These knives are preferably carried in a frame having guide rollers
which direct the course of the soap between the knives. The frame which carries the
scraping knives and guide rollers is, when the machine is intended for sesses of
different sizes, connected to a screw or other similar adjusting device, so that the
knives may be set to scrape or pare the sess to any required size. The bottom of the
frame may either be made smooth so that the soap can slide along it or be fitted with
rollers upon which a trolly or board carrying the soap may run. A sliding pusher
which moves to and fro in the centre of the machine is driven by a rack and pinion
which latter receives motion through suitable gearing from a pulley which if driven
by power is provided with reversing gear, so as to be driven in either direction. The
machine may be thus fitted at one end, but we prefer that both ends should be fitted
alike, so that the machine may be in operation when working in both directions.
Din 0.77

page_text: Across the ends of the machine are fitted frames carrying wires which divide the
soap as it is passed along. These frames preferably slide into brackets fixed to the
ends of the machine and are easily removable when in operation, the sess as it
comes from the soap frame is placed in the centre of the machine, the scrapers
or knives adjusted to the required distance apart, the wire carrying frame placed in
position at the end and the machine set in motion. The pusher then moves slowly
and pushes the soap past the scraping knives and the dividing wires, and it emerges
from the machine in slabs cut down to the required width. These are then removed
for cutting into bars and stacking. Another sess is placed in the machine at the
other end and the same operation repeated and so on alternating at each end of the
machine.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Scraping and Cutting Soap.
We, PETER GILL of Oakland Street Widnes in the County of Lancaster, Insurance
Agent and THOMAS OSMAN of Cholmondeley Street, Widnes aforesaid 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:-
In the manufacture of soap, the soap from the boiling pan is cooled and moulded in
a frame, the sides of which are whitewashed to prevent the soap sticking thereto.
The soap leaves this frame in the form of a block known as a sess, and has then to be
cut first into slabs, and then into bars. The sides of the sess also require scraping or
cutting to remove the lime or white wash adhering thereto, or the lime soap that may
have been formed. The first cutting and scraping are now usually done by hand and
require considerable amount of time and labour to perform.
The chief object of this invention is to provide a machine that will scrape and cut
the sess at one operation.
It is best described by aid-of-the accompanying drawings of my experimental machine
in which,
Figure 1 is a front view,

page_text: Figure pian, nan in section,
Figure 4 a plan of the belt apparatus, and
Figure 5 an enlarged sectional elevation of carriage and spring catch.
In these A is a framework, preferably of cast iron, it can, however, be of wood or
other material. This is sufficiently wide hetween its sides to receive the sess of soap,
and the side scraping apparatus hereafter described. B is a driving shaft with
gearing b, driving a small pinion C which gears into a rack C, having two vertical
abutments or pushers D one at each end, the rack and abutments being guided and
carried in any convenient manner so as to be firmly held from all but longitudinal
movement. D, D are pushers lined with a thick flat pad of rubber in front to push the
sess as hereafter described. In the apparatus set forth in the drawing, the two abut-
ments D, D slide on guide bars d, d, above and below respectively, in some cases, we
may, however, also place a support immediately beneath the pinion and rack at the
central point for the rack to slide on, this is, however, hardly necessary. E, E, are
subsidiary frames attached to main frame by parallel motion links e, e, and each attached
to the corresponding frame on the other side by links and levers e¹, e, e³, and actuated
by hand lever F on shaft f. is a quadrant for locking this handle. Each of the
frames E, E, carry two rollers L, L, and a knife M placed at an oblique angle as
shown. The rollers act as guides for the sess, and also as fences to prevent the knives
entering the soap too much on one side, and not enough on the other. The frames E
can be fixed in position when only one sized sess is to be cut, but when the machine is
used for different sized sesses, the parallel lever arrangement, or its equivalent (parallel
adjusting screws or the like) is necessary. G is a sliding frame of wires, each wire
being attached by a hook g at each end, held firm in frame G, so that they can be tightened
by screwing up, as required, by nuts g². These frames G travel on rails or grooves H
below, and in guides H' above, so that they can be pulled out in a direction at
right angles to the axis of the machine for the insertion of a sess as hereinafter
set forth.
Referring now to Figure 5, I is a carriage for carrying the sess to the machine,
and receiving and carrying away the soap when cut. It is formed with a series of
rollers iii (Figure 3) in its fraie, upon which the base plate of the soap frame and
the sess rest, a spring catch J worked by foot plate j, levers, j, j and spring
automatically catches and holds the carriage when run against the machine, and releases
it when it is to be drawn away, on the workman pressing down foot plate with his
foot. The object of this catching apparatus is to hold the wagon and prevent it being
pushed backward by the pile of soap slabs or bars as it emerges from the wires, and
glides onto the wagon. KK are a series of rollers upon which the base plate and sess
run, when they are shoved off the wagon into the machine. All the rollers i, i, i,
K, K, have their top surfaces on the same level. In cases where sesses are to be
manipulated without a base plate or board to carry them, we form the floor of the
wagon smooth, and the floor of the machine smooth also, and at the same level, so as
to slide the sess easily in and out. On each abutment D we place a pin or tappet N,
these project above the guide bars d, and acting on the automatic reversing apparatus
throws the driving mechanism out of gear with the mechanism propelling the rack
and abutments D. This can be done by clutch motion, but in our experimental
machine it is done as shown by belt guide, and fast and loose pulleys as follows, see
Figures 2 and 4.
Pin N, as the abutment approaches the pinion C, comes in contact with lever O on
stem P. Lever p on stem P draws back lever Q, which is linked to belt guide R, and
thus draws the then driving (open) belt onto one of the loose pulleys S, S, stopping
the machine. The attendant, when he wishes to start the machine on the reverse
motion, pulls the belt guide by means of handle T and throws the other (cross) belt
onto the central pulley U, and thus drives the mechanism in the reverse direction to
that in which it was going before.
The remaining parts of the machine require no explanation, except perhaps W, which
is a sheet iron apron attached to frame E, and sliding with it, and used to prevent
the soap shavings falling inside the frames A.

page_text: The mode of action is as follows :—
The driving mechanism is set in motion till one of the abutments reaches the end of
its travel nearest the centre. The frame G at that end is drawn or pushed out, and
frames E pulled back toward frames A, leaving an open space in front of it.
A sess
on the wagon is brought forward till the wagon comes against the machine and is
caught and held by stop or catch J. The sess is then shoved in till it is stopped by the
abutment. The frame G is then shoved back into place, and the peg 93 inserted to
prevent it shifting. Frames E, E, are now shifted inward by handles F until the
rollers bear against the sess, and the knives are the right distance apart to shave the sess
clean. The other belt is now shifted onto the driving pulley U, and the abutment
slowly forces the sess forward through the wires on G, the latter cutting it into layers,
and the knives M, M, shave the two sides clean. The pile of slabs forming the sess,
is again deposited on the wagon. The workman depresses the foot plate j and draws
the wagon off. In the mean time the frames G and E at the other end of the machine
are drawn back, a sess inserted at that end, and 'the operation repeated the reverse
way. It will be seen at once that the machine can be varied considerably. It can be
made single ended and single acting instead of double acting, and on the other hand,
if no board or base plate be used, cross wires can be inserted in frame G, and the soap
can be cut into bars at a single operation. In such case, however, the wagon should
have high sides to hold them when being carried off.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood
that we make no claim for the combination of abutments D, frames A, frames of
wires G, and driving mechanism for alternately driving abutments D opposite ways,
but we declare that what we claim is:
1st. In a machine or apparatus for scraping and cutting soap, the combination with
a travelling abutment D, of adjustable knives M, and rollers L, L, or equivalent fence,
substantially as described.
2nd. The combination with apparatus for forcing sesses through frames of
wires, one at each end of the machine of the reversing apparatus, substantially as
. described.
3rd. The arrangement of carrying pulleys, and the movable carriage or wagon,
substantially as and for the purposes above described.
4th. The arrangement of frame G with wires attached to adjustable attachments,
whereby the wires can be tightened up as they grow slack without interfering with
the working of the machine.
5th. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming a soap cutting and
shaving apparatus, substantially as described, and subject to the above disclaiming
clause.
Dated this 21st da
1107
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicants.