Improvements in Apparatus for use in the Manufacture of Bread.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for use in the Manufacture of
Bread.
JOHN ADAIR Commission Agent Waterford Ireland do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
The preparing of dough for oven I perform thus. 1 place an oven tray in what
I term a pressing box-upon this oven tray I place dough which has previously
been rolled. I spread this dough evenly by pressing over this tray.
I then lower on this dough an oiled frame-cutter, which cuts the dough into the
required sizes.
When this is performed I lower on such dough a frame-moulder which will shape
tops of loaves and also brand them.
For the purpose of oiling frame-cutter I place underneath it an oil tray into
which frame-cutter descends for oiling.
Sheet No. 2 Fig. 1. is an oven tray with sheet iron sides-the sheet iron sides
turn at bottom at right angles inwards, and on this the wire lattice bottom is laid
and bolted or rivetted to sheet-iron-care being taken to make inside smooth.
A. are the holes for lifting tray into which chains or rods enter.
Sheet 1. Fig. 2. is pressing box into which oven tray is lowered-said box having
a flat bottom and strong sides.
As it is most important that oven-tray should be firmly held during the operation
of pressing the sides of this pressing-box shift inwards by screws.
place upon this tray which is now firmly held in pressing-box-dough which
has been previously rolled-my object is now to spread this dough evenly over
oven-tray. To perform this-I descend on the dough a pressing plate, which plate
is a smooth-faced plate of iron made sufficiently strong to bear the strain of
pressing said plate has holes in it to let off air during the operation.
To
prevent this plate sticking to dough I grease face of same, and if dough is
light I use also a dusting of rice-flour.
Plate pressed on dough by means of cams as represcuted.
Sheet No. 1 Fig. 2. is pressing-box on wheels as before mentioned the screw B.
draws the cam C. by the arm D. the arm E. connects the cam C. with the cam F.
these cams work on the centre part of axle. This axle which passes through cam
is attached to box by bearings fastened to bottom of box. At each end of this
axle are cams G. which are attached by the arms H. to the slide-box K. which
box K. slides up and down in the iron guide-frame L. which is attached to sides of
pressing-box. The projecting arm M. which is on pressing plate, and also on
frame cutter is dropped into the slide-box K. and is held there by the movable
pin N. which runs over it, through the slide-box K.
Pressing is performed by the handle-wheel O. which works a worm on the cog-
wheel B. B. which acts as a nut on the screw B.-by following the construction it
is obvious the manner of working.
I take care to press dough gradually, and when I consider enough pressure has
been given I leave the operation to stand a short period. As dough being an
elastic body, will not yield immediately, but will rather stretch than properly
spread.
Removing the pressing plate 1 pass pressing box on underneath oiled frame
cutter, which is a plain frame made of iron plate as shewn in Sheet No. 1. Fig. 1.
formed into square cells thus:-by passing through the plates which run length-
wise, cross plates and cutting slots in plates so as to let them enter half into each
other.

page_text: For oiling, this frame descends into oil-tray Sheet No. 1 Fig. 3.
This tray has a steam jacket bottom into which steam enters by the pipe S. and
escapes by the pipe R. thus heating tray and melting the lard to the required
condition.
P. are blocks of hard-wood cut into squares and rounded at top so as to permit
more freely the oil frame entering between them. These blocks are fastened by
cross-bars underneath, which are screwed into bottom of blocks-thus keeping the
blocks at their fixed distances. Pins at each side, of bottom of oil tray receive on
then the cross-bars and thus hold bars in exact place required.
This oil-tray is stationary.
As cleanliness is important in this as well as every other part of bread making I
slide a door over oil-tray when not in use.
Oil frame cutter ascends, and pressing box with oven tray and dough in it passes
underneath oil frame cutter-which is lowered gradually on dough, until it
reaches bottom of tray. It is left in this position for a little time-then very
slowly raised-care being taken that dough if sticking is allowed to fall off cutter,
this will be performed by the slow motion upward.
I now push forward pressing box under moulding frame Sheet 2 Fig. 2. this is a
plain frame made of cross-bars of timber bound with iron, sufficiently strong to
bear the slight pressure required-on this frame are fastened blocks of hard timber
shaped as required with the desired brands on the blocks-this frame moulder is
greased slightly and then rice-dusted. The rice dusting is performed by lowering
frame-moulder into a box Sheet 2. Fig. 3.-the frame inoulder forming lid of this
box, and the box itself containing the rice-flour.
This frame-moulder descends on the dough in pressing-box marking and branding
it as required. Tray is now lifted from pressing-box and an iron frame on wheels is
run underneath, which frame carries it into oven for baking.
Dated this 28th day of 3 Mo. 1892.
JOHN ADAIR.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for use in the Manufacture of
Bread.
I, JOHN ADAIR, Baker, of Waterford, Ireland, 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 :-
I take the dough when properly fermented, and pass it through rollers into a
roller box after the manner described in the Specification of my Letters Patent
No. 11,139 of A.D. 1890, and when it has rested there a little while I elevate the
roller box and open the bottom, letting the dough fall into a baking tray on wheels
which baking tray has previously been placed in a pressing box made sufficiently
strong to hold in the sides of the tray to prevent any yielding during the operation
of pressing.
This pressing-box has wheels on it, permitting it to move as required for the
various operations to which it. is subjected as hereinafter set forth. The said
operations constitute an improved method which forms an important feature of my
invention. The first of the said operations is to press the dough evenly on the tray.
by means of a pressing board; the second operation is the cutting of the dough into
squares or shapes by an oiled frame cutter, and the third operation is the treatment
of the dough by what I term the frame moulder, which brands, shapes, and marks
the loaf to the required design.
In order that my said invention may be clearly, understood. I will now proceed to.
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings.
.:
Figure 1 represents the baking tray, which tray is made of " steel, with sides

page_text: 5″ high and bent angular at the bottom 2" inwards, to receive upon the said
inwardly-bent portion a strong lattice woven wire bottom which is bolted to it.
Wheels are attached to this tray by strong claw arms.
A is the strong wire bottom of the tray, B is the side wall thereof, bent inwards,
to which the wire bottom is firmly bolted. CC are claw arms, attached by bolts
to side of tray and attached to axle for wheels by means of a bolt which is at end
of claw, being part of the same. The wheels run in line with the sides of the tray,
in order to permit the said tray to run into pressing box with its sides as close as
possible to the sides of the said pressing box.
Figure 2 is the pressing box into which the tray enters upon the hinge rails 39
each of which is lowered or elevated by means of a rod 40 which is attached to the
rail 39 by means of a connecting link 26, and also attached to a link 31 by means
of a connecting pin 25. When the baking tray is entering, the rail 39 shown at
the right-hand end of the box, in the drawing, is elevated in order that the tray
may run easily into the pressing box. When the tray is properly placed, the
wheels rest on the arms 39 which are then lowered bringing the bottom of tray
down on the bottom of pressing box in order that it may endure pressing. It will
be noted that one of the arms 39 is of claw shape for the purpose of preventing the
tray from running too far backward.
•
In order to keep the tray in tight at both ends the fall doors 43 are closed, and
are pinned tight down by the pin 45. Each door 43 works upon a hinge 44, which
permits the door to open sufficiently high to let tray run under it. In the doors 43
there are cuts taken out for the wheels of the tray so that the door may not be
hindered from shutting by said wheels. When the dough is placed as before
mentioned in this box it is wheeled forwards until it comes under the pressing
board, the lugs of which are shewn in position in the slide box at 32; said board is
to be hereafter described. The pins 36 are put in and the arm 31 drawn down by
its connection with the arm 30 which is attached firmly to the axle 35. The said
axle 35 works in strong bearings bolted to the bottom and sides of box, and it is
also firmly attached to arm 34 which arm is connected with the screw 27 by the
rod 33. The said screw 27 is acted upon by the hand wheel 28 which revolves a
worm and drives a wheel 29, which wheel turns in a bearing on the underside of
the box and acts as a nut upon the screw, thus drawing it in or out. And further
the aforesaid arm 34 is connected by the rod 38 to the arm 37 which works in like
manner to the arm 34 upon the axle 35, being connected with 31 by an outside
arm working on shaft 35 and not shewn in the drawing. This pressing box has
wheels 47, which run upon rails 46 to enable it to be conveyed to any desired place.
The said pressing box is made strongly with plank timber, plated where required.
Previous to dough being pressed, I place over it oiled paper well greased. I
then gradually lower the presser upon it until 1 put a good strong pressure on it,
I leave it in this position à little while to "even" under the pressure, as dough is
an elastic body and it would spring back if not held down until it settled to its
form. When this pressing is sufficiently performed, I elevate the pressing board,
leaving still upon the top of the dough the greased paper; a little rice flour dusted
over the paper prevents it from sticking to the pressing board.
I then bring the pressing box with tray still in it, under the frame-cutter, which
has been previously oiled as hereinafter to be described. I lower this frame cutter
on to the dough after the same manner as the pressing board, first removing the
oiled paper, permitting the cutter to separate the dough; for as these cutters are
specially made blunt to as far as possible prevent them from cutting, by allowing
them to descend gradually they draw the dough somewhat downwards, rather than
cut it, especially at the top, though the dough in some conditions, may be difficult
to manage thus. Care must be taken to lower the oiled frame cutter well down to
the bottom of the tray in order to perfectly separate the loaves.
I then raise the oiled frame cutter very gradually until it has freed itself from
the dough and I next move the box forward under the frame moulder, which

page_text: descends upon it in like manner, gradually, and is allowed to rest upon it for some
time in order that the dough may take its shape. The frame moulder is then
elevated gradually from it, the pin 45 is withdrawn, the door 43 at the right-hand
end of the box in the drawings is opened upon the hinge 44, and the rails 39 are
elevated sufficiently high to enable the tray to be removed upon its wheels out of
the pressing box forward to the oven, which it enters on rails, upon which it
remains during baking.
The baking trays, previous to receiving the dough for pressing, are covered with
asbestos cloth, strongly made, and woven upon wire. This asbestos not only covers
the bottom of the baking tray, but also the sides, to which sides it is firmly attached,
and at the corners the said asbestos is lapped and riveted. This arrangement will
prevent the dough from escaping into any crevices during the pressing, and thus
getting out of the baking tray into the pressing box. This asbestos, it will be
understood, is one large sheet of cloth-further, to prevent the pressing board from
wearing the asbestos in the pressing, I rivet or screw a small steel hoop all round
the top of tray, which laps over the asbestos.
As it is necessary that this pressing box should be specially strong and also as
light as possible, I put into the bottom (which is preferably made of 2" or 3" timber),
flat bars E, of iron (see Fig. 3) the depth of the thickness of the bottom, and, say,
"in thickness. I allow these to extend outside the sides of the box, and then
turn them up, in a semi-circular shape until they press in upon the sides. This
detail is illustrated in Figure 3, which is a transverse section of the box.
The pressing board and the manner in which it operates is described in the
Specification of my Letters Patent No. 11139 of A.D. 1890, but, instead of greasing
the pressing board as therein stated I place greased paper on the dough, such
greased paper having holes perforated in it.
In cases where the dough is lumpy, it may be more convenient to place the
paper on the face of the pressing board, than upon the dough, the paper can be
attached by folding it over the back of the pressing board, and fastening it there
by spring clips which press it down upon the back of board, thus keeping it tight
upon the face.
The frame cutter is shewn in side elevation in Figure 4.
It is formed of strips of steel which may be enamelled and are arranged at right
angles to each other."
The longitudinal pieces are cut thus :-One length with cuts on the top edge
extending half way down, the next length with cuts in the bottom extending half
way up, and the third length cut as the first length, the fourth length as the second
and so on.
Cross pieces are put into these, cut to correspond, viz. first cut, on the
bottom extending half way up, the next cut on the same piece on the top, extending
half way down, and so on.
When the longitudinal and cross pieces are thus framed into each other, bars
pass through the longitudinal pieces as shewn at B Figure 4. The longitudinal
pieces have upright arms in them through which these bars pass, the ends of which
bars form lugs for the pressing arrangement and the other part of which is attached
to chains for lifting.
It being exceedingly important that the frame cutter should have all its sides
oiled at the same time, and at the same temperature and with the same quantity of
oil, I construct a cistern which I term an oil tray. It is represented in transverse
section in Figure 5. This oil tray preferably made of steel plate, with a double
bottom marked D B, into which a steam pipe marked S P, enters. This bottom
is supported by several centre stays, which resemble bolts, with shoulders on them
and are tightened by a nut at top and bottom. Thus the steam will be able to
pass through the whole bottom without obstruction, and to escape by the pipe E.
This oil tray is constructed as shewn with the bottoms put on by having their
edges turned outwards instead of inwards, which permits them more easily to be
repaired and constructed, as there are no inside rivets.

page_text: As it would be waste to fill this whole oil tray with oil, I place therein square
blocks R, the upper edges of which are bevelled, so as to permit the cutter to
descend more readily and having spaces between them sufficiently wide to allow
the cutters to descend thereinto.
These blocks are preferably made of timber, and are screwed by screws u to
cross-bars, u', each of which cross bars is suitably secured in place, to keep blocks
in required position and render them easily removable for cleaning.
These blocks need not necessarily be made of timber, but could be made of
strong tin or plate steel.
As it is absolutely necessary to keep the dust from the oiled frame cutter, and
from the oil tray when not in use, I lower the oiled frame cutter into the oil tray,
it being suspended right above it, and, a cover being attached to the oiled frame
cutter the oil tray is thus encased and well protected from dust.
The frame moulder is a plain strong frame to which are attached, face down-
wards, the required moulds, which may be made of hard timber, tin, steel plate,
or other desirable material. These moulds may have on them the name of the
baker, or any other desired brand. Also, if needed, cutters may be placed in them,
which cut or mark the bread. They are preferably so arranged that by their
shape, as shewn, they will give the desired press in the centre which helps to shape
the loaf. Care should be taken to leave no crevice between these moulds in which
dough would stick. These moulds will require occasional greasing and a very
light coating of rice flour, which latter is thus imparted to them. The frame
moulder, which is perfectly smooth on top and completely covered, rests in a rice
box of which it forms the lid; this rice box is fairly deep. and by agitating the rice
in it, (which rice must be of the very finest and driest character) the dust arising
therefrom dusts the mould. This agitation can be performed by a revolving shaft
with a few small short arms on it, and the said shaft can be revolved by hand.
As it may be required in some cases to grease the loaves more in the cutting, for
instance by reason of the increased size of loaf or quality of dough, I sometimes
flute the oiled frame cutters, which fluting permits them to retain oil.
Figure 6 illustrates the frame moulder in side elevation.
In that figure, M are the moulding blocks, N is one shewn with stamp shape on
it, O is one shewn with name branded thereon.
Figure 7 is the rice box in side elevation.
His a hand wheel. B, B, B, are
the beaters, upon a shaft rotatable by the said wheel, for agitating the rice and
causing the dust to rise therefrom.
The introduction of steam into the oil tray as aforesaid, not only keeps the lard
melted but gives heat to the oiled frame cutter, so that when it rises out of the
dough the lard still remains melted on it, thus permitting it, when it descends upon
the dough, to be in that condition in which it will allow the lard to flow freely on
to the dough during the operation of dividing. If the lard did not remain melted,
the dough, though separated, not being larded, would join together almost as if it
had never been divided. It will be obvious that as the dough is spread evenly
over the baking tray and the oiled frame cutter is divided into equal squares, the
pieces of dough divided ought also to be equal in bulk, and consequently in weight,
though it may be that in practice the exact similarity of all the loaves could not
be arrived at.
I therefore claim for this oiled frame cutter that it will divide a sheet of dough
into pieces which are fairly equal, and therefore, should it not be used upon a
baking tray, it may still be used as a dough divider. It possesses the great
advantage of requiring no rice flour in its operation to keep the dough divided, as
that is secured by the oil which is upon it; and further, this oiled frame cutter
itself might stand down in the dough, keeping the pieces divided, as long as
required.
It is thus an excellent, clean, and easily worked dough divider, but when working
as such it will be more convenient to work without the cover.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be distinctly understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise dimensions or relative proportions of
the several parts hereinbefore described, for it will be readily seen that these may
be considerably varied without departing from the invention, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The method of preparing dough for the oven, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The use of oiled paper, in combination with a pressing board, substantially as
hereinbefore described for the purpose specified.
3. An oil tray constructed substantially as herein before described, with or
without means for heating its contents by steam, for the purpose specified.
4. A frame cutter, with the blades thereof fluted, substantially as hereinbefore
described, for the purpose specified.
5. A frame cutter, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings for the purpose specified.
6. The apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings, for operating the presser, frame cutter
and frame moulder.
7. The apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings, comprising the hinged rails 39 and means
for operating the same for the purpose specified.
8. A baking tray constructed substantially as herein before described with refer-
ence to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, for the purpose specified.
9. The moulding frame, in combination with a rice box, substantially as herein-
before described for the purpose specified.
Dated this 98th day of January 1892
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.