IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN ARTICLES OF CON- FECTIONERY, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF BISCUITS AND THE LIKE, AND TO OTHER ARTICLES FROM PLASTIC SUBSTANCES
Year: 1858

page_text: application for Letters Patent was not given within the time prescribed
by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Holstead at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th May
1858.
I, THOMAS HOLSTEAD, of the City of Carlisle, in the County of Cumberland,
Confectioner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN ARTICLES OF CON-
FECTIONERY, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE
OF BISCUITS AND THE LIKE, AND TO OTHER ARTICLES FROM PLASTIC SUBSTANCES," to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for manufacturing
certain articles of confectionery, such as lozenges; also to the manufacture of
biscuits and the like articles from dough or similar substances, and of other
articles from plastic substances. These improvements consist in apparatus for
the more speedy and effectual cutting, stamping, and perforating of the paste
or plastic substance of which such articles are formed. The dough or paste is
prepared in the usual manner, and passed through one or more pairs of rollers
as may be found necessary to roll out the same to the required thickness to form
the lozenge, biscuit, or other article. It is then received on a travelling cloth
which is set in motion as well as the rollers each time the dough or paste is
required to be carried forward to be cut or stamped, and delivered by such
cloth to a table or plate of iron or other suitable material having perforations

page_text: therein through which hollow cutters or punches fixed to a plate immediately
under the said table are caused to pass to and fro for the severing or dividing
of the dough into the required forms when it has been deposited upon or
moved on to such table over the cutters. The table and plate, or parts of such
table and plate, are capable of being taken out and replaced by other tables and
plates in whole or in part, with suitable perforations and sockets for the punches
or cutters when the size or position of such is varied. When the lozenges or
biscuits or other articles are of large diameter or width, I make use of a thin
pallet or plate of iron or other material, to which I give a reciprocating move-
ment in order to assist the transmission of the paste or dough over the dead
surface of the perforated table, and to bring it into a suitable position over the
cutters, and also for the purpose of supporting the dough whilst receiving
impressions or perforations previously to its being cut into the necessary shapes,
if such are required to be stamped or made therein. This pallet being at or
near to the extremity of the travelling web towards the cutters, and the dough
resting thereon, is caused by suitable machinery to move simultaneously with
the travelling cloth, and thereby assist in depositing the paste or dough over
the cutters, and when this has been carried sufficiently far, the reciprocating
plate is caused to return towards the travelling cloth which conveys the dough
from the rollers. Immediately over the perforated table, and at a distance
somewhat greater than the thickness of the dough or paste, is a cutting board,
which is caused by suitable machinery to descend as soon as the dough has
been lodged on the perforated table, at the same time the hollow cutters are
made to ascend and to pass through the dough, and meet the descending cutting
board, which, for the more effectual cutting or severing of the dough into the
required forms, is covered with vulcanized india-rubber or with gutta percha.
The cutters or punches having received a charge of dough or paste corre-
sponding to their shape, and the thickness of the interposed layer of dough, and
the articles required thus having been formed, the said cutters or punches are
then caused to descend. On a repetition of this operation the succeeding
charge or charges or layers of dough or paste force downwards the preceding
charges through the cores of the hollow punches (if they have not already
fallen through by their own gravity and the impulse given in the operation of
cutting), and the severed dough falls upon a travelling web, thence to be
conveyed away. The cutters or punches are made conical for the more easy
passage of the divided dough. When I wish to make impressions or to stamp
devices on the dough or paste, I fix the requisite stamps or dies to the cutting
board, which is made to descend upon the dough before the pallet previously
described is removed from under the dough, and make the required impressions.

page_text: And when I wish to make perforations in the dough I make such previously
to cutting the dough into shapes; I cause prickers to descend, passing through
holes made in the cutting board for that purpose upon the dough. After the
dough has been perforated or pricked, the prickers are then withdrawn there-
from, and the pallet is made to move from under the dough and return to its
former position to await the next movement of the travelling cloth; the hollow
cutters are then made to ascend until they pass through the dough and come
in contact with the cutting board above; on the top of the cutting board, or
between it and the cross-head or other apparatus which gives motion thereto,
I place vulcanized india-rubber in order that such board may the better
accomodate itself to the cutters. Another arrangement of my improved
machinery for cutting and stamping the aforesaid articles is as follows:-The
cutters in this case are stationary, and the perforated table has sufficient
vertical movement imparted to it in order to prevent the dough or paste
coming in contact with the cutters before the time of severing. Previously to
the dough or paste being delivered to the perforated table, this latter is brought
to the same level with or a little above the tops of the cutters; the paste is
then carried on to the perforated table as before. The table is then made to
descend at least so far as that a space between the table and the top of cutters
shall be left equal to the thickness of the dough, so that the paste may rest on
the cutting edges of the hollow punches, and the cutting board is then imme-
diately brought down upon the paste, by pressure of which board it is severed,
and being forced through the punches, falls upon the travelling cloth as before.
In all cases the paste remaining on the table, from which the articles have been
cut, is pushed forward by the dough from behind, and falls upon a travelling
cloth, and conveyed away.