Improvements in Machinery for Measuring by Weight and Dividing Dough.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 7th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Measuring by Weight and Dividing
Dough.
I, JOHN MILLER RALSTON Speedwell House, Station Road, Hitchin in the County
of Hertford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
The object of my invention is to facilitate and expedite the operations of measuring
and dividing dough into equal parts or portions whereby the necessity for handling
the same is reduced.
To effect this I employ an apparatus consisting of a lever or spring balance and a
rotary or guillotine knife. The knife is brought into action by the release of a detent
which is caused to move by the falling of the balance when the mass of dough on the
balance is sufficient to overcome the weight on the balance or the resistance of the
spring.
The dough being by suitable appliances passed through a tube on to the pan of
the balance, causes the balance to fall and releases a detent which brings into action
by means of a clutch a rotary knife, which cuts off the part of the dough on the
balance. The part cut off is then removed from the balance by means of the pan
being tilted up or is carried off by a swinging arm, the balance thus releived of
the weight of the part of the dough cut off returns to its former position and at
the same time by means of a cam keyed on to the knife spindle, the knife is put
out of gear and the detent is fixed in position again. After the dough has been
removed from the balance it is carried forward by means of a running belt and
is pressed between rollers.
Instead of the rotary knife as described a guillotine knife can be used for dividing
the dough, the knife being brought into action by the release of a detent which
is moved by the falling of the balance. The part of the dough cut off being
removed from the balance in the manner described in connection with the rotary
knife, the knife is returned to its former position, the balance is raised and the
detent fixed in position again.
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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Measuring by Weight and Dividing
Dough.
I JOHN MILLER RALSTON of Brand Street, Hitchin in the County of Hertford
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 :-
The object of this invention is to facilitate and expedite the operations of measuring
and dividing dough into equal parts or portions of the desired weight whereby the
necessity for handling the same during these operations is obviated.
In carrying out my invention the dough to be measured is placed in a hopper
forming part of a tube or barrel and along which it is carried by means of a
rotary helical creeper to the opposite and open end thereof and deposited on the
scale pan of a lever or spring balance. Connected to the scale pan is a detent or
tripper engaging with a projection on a clutch lever in such manner that on the
descent of the scale pan the said detent is freed from the said clutch lever
which by means of a suitable counterweighted lever causes a saw tooth or other
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clutch coupling mounted on the driving shaft to engage with suitable gearing and
cam mechanism to actuate a knife. which divides the dough at the mouth of the
feed tube and so separates that upon the scale pan, from the bulk in the feed tube.
At the back of the, scale pan is a sliding shovel or scraper mounted on a spindle
to which a limited rotary motion may be imparied so that when the scale pan
descends the scraper is caused by suitable mechanism connected to the dividing
knife camshaft to slide-forward- and remove the weighed dough from the scale
pan. When the scraper has reached nearly the end of its outward stroke a pinion
or, its equivalent on its spindle engages with a rack or its equivalent thereby
imparting a limited rotary motion to the scraper and causing the dough to be
tipped into any convenient receptacle the scraper and knife being instantly returned
to their initial positions. The clutch coupling is then automatically disengaged by
means of a projecting cam on the beforementioned spur wheel on the main shaft
when the weighing scale returns to its initial position and the above described
operation is repeated.
In the accompanying two sheets of illustrative drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section
through the knife cam shaft of a machine constructed according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same and
Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views showing the construction of the clutch coupling
mechanism for engaging and disengaging the gearing actuating the knife cam-and
scraper slide.
The dough to be weighed is placed in the hopper 1 whence it is carried forward
through the tube 2 by means of the rotary helical creeper 3 to the opposite end or
delivery orifice 4 and deposited on the scale pan 5 of the lever balance 6.
The creeper 3 is driven from the pulleys 7 on the main shaft 8 through the
bevel wheels 9, 10 cone drums 11, 12 and worm and pinion 13, 14 the speed
of rotation being capable of very minute variation by means of the strap forks 15, 16
sliding on the rod 17 and adjusted by the screw 18 all as clearly shewn. On the
foot of the bar 19 supporting the weighing pan 5 is a projecting tappet finger 20
engaging with a similar finger 21 secured to one end of a rod 22 sliding in a
casing 23 secured to the framing 24 of the machine by the bracket 25. A detent
tripper finger 26 is secured to the lower end of the rod 22 which is drawn with
a. downward force by the tension of the spring 27 regulated by a nut 28 on the
cap 29 of the casing 23, the tension of the spring 27 being sufficient only to
overcome the friction between detents 26, 31 so that when the balance descends
by the weight of the dough the finger 21. follows and thus releases detents 26
and 31. It will be obvious that the spring 27 may be replaced by a weight if
preferred.
A tripper lever 30 with detent 31, for. engaging with the detent 26 is mounted on
the shaft 32 which also carries the clutch lever 33 with forked end 34 for actuating
the clutch coupling 35-and a counterweighted lever 36-whichi when the detent 26 is
free of the detent 31 forces the clutch-coupling 35 on the shaft 8 into gear with the
'wheel 37.
When the spur wheel 37 has rotated through one revolution the cam or lobe 38
depresses the block 39 and by means of the link 40, 41 again pushes the lever 33 over
and disengages the coupling 35 from the spur wheel 37, the-counterpoise 60. at the
same time returning the fingers, 20, 21 and 26 to their initial positions as clearly shewn.
The,wheel 37 drives. another wheel 42, mounted on anshaft 43 to..which, is secured a
cam 44 for actuating the frame 45 free to slide vertically in the guides 46 and carrying
on its lower part a knife 47 so that when the, scale.pan 5.descends; freeing the
detents 26, 31.,and, allowing the clutch 35.to engage with wheel 37 the said; knife
descends and cuts off the dough at the orifice 4and. separates that on the scale.from
the bulk remaining in the. tube 2.
Mounted on the camshaft. 43 is a.,chain. wheel..wheel .48, driving, the.crank 49
through the chain 50 wheel 51 and shaft 52.
At the back of the scale pan 5 is a sliding, shovel or scraper 53. mounted on a

page_text: spindle 54 connected to the crank 49 by the rod 55 and passing through slide blocks 56
working in guides 57 and also having a pinion 58 secured to it so that when on a
forward motion being imparted to it by the said crank 49 it scrapes or pushes the
dough off the scale 5 and the pinion 58 engaging with the rack 59 it imparts a rotary
motion to the spindle 54 and so tips the dough over into any receptacle placed to
receive it. The scraper scale and knife are then returned to their initial positions and
the coupling 35 disengaged from the wheel 37 as before described and the operation
repeated.
A long slot is provided in the end of the connecting rod 5 to give the scraper an
extended period of rest at each end of its stroke to allow time for weighing the dough
and enable the knife 47 to descend and cut off the weighed dough.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is
1. Automatically severing the part of the dough fed to the weighing apparatus by
means of a conveyer from the main body of the dough when the proper weight has
been fed to the said apparatus substantially in the manner and by means described.
2. Automatically removing the weighed dough from the weighing apparatus by
means of a scraper traversed across the pan of the weighing apparatus and then tipped
so as to deposit the weighed dough into the required receptacle substantially as
described.
3. Automatically engaging the clutch mechanisin through which the severing knife
and removing mechanism are driven by means of a detent and tripper mechanism
operated from the pan of the weighing apparatus on its descent substantially as
described.
4. Automatically disengaging the clutch mechanism, when the operations of severing
the dough and removing it to its receptacle are completed and the parts have returned
to their initial positions, by means of a cam or lobe on the clutch driving wheel, the
said wheel making one complete rotation for each complete operation substantially as
described.
5. The construction of apparatus substantially as described with reference to the
drawings.
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