Improvements in Apparatus for Use in Moulding or Making-up Dough for Placing in Loaf Tins Preparatory to Baking.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in Moulding or Making-up
Dough for Placing in Loaf Tins Preparatory to Baking.
We, CHRISTOPHER DOBSON, of 71, Poulton Street, Kirkham, in the County of
Lancaster, Confectioner and Baker, and ROBERT KENNETH BALCARRAS, of 13, Victoria
Buildings, in the City of Manchester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our improved apparatus for use in moulding or making up dough for placing in
loaf tins preparatory to baking consists of a wooden trough-like framing having a
bottom plate and two vertical sides the sides forming the end bearings of a number
of rollers. Two geared feed rollers one of which is rotated by means of a handle
receive the usual weighed out portion of dough and flattening it out pass it on into
a cavity formed between four other rollers the latter receiving their rotation from
the feed rollers so as all to rotate in the same direction. One of the rollers standing
over the cavity is extra-weighted and mounted in slotted guide bearings concentric
to the axis of its driving feed roller. As the flattened dough passes into the cavity
it is turned over into a roll and pressed solid by the weighted roller above which
having done its work is lifted up along the concentric slots out of the way and the
rolled or moulded piece of dough is then withdrawn from the apparatus.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in Moulding or Making-up
Dough for Placing in Loaf Tins Preparatory to Baking.
We, CHRISTOPHER DOBSON, of 71, Poulton Street, Kirkham, in the County of
Lancaster, Confectioner and Baker, and ROBERT KENNETH BALCARRAS, of 13, Victoria
Buildings, in the City of Manchester, 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:-
Our invention has for its object the construction of a simple and convenient
machine or apparatus for readily and efficiently moulding or making up dough
preparatory to baking.
Referring to the two accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings:-

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a plan of a dough moulding machine
constructed in accordance with our invention.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the machine, with the framing omitted, illustrating
the automatic discharge of the moulded roll of dough.
The same reference letters in the different views indicate the same parts.
The trough like framing of our improved machine or apparatus consists of two
side plates as A A¹ and a bottom plate B, preferably of cast iron. The bearings for
the shafts carrying the rollers C D E F and G, and for the shaft carrying the
cams H H¹, are formed in the side plates A A' as illustrated.
The weighed-out portion of dough to be moulded is placed in the hopper formed
by the cross plate J at the mouth or the entering side of the rollers CD, and as
such rollers are rotated in the directions shown at Figure 1 the dough is carried
through them and passed forward as a sheet on to the lower roll E and from
thence to the roller K which directs it on to the upper roller G. The roller G
causes the sheet of dough to return towards the hopper until it is brought into
contact with the roller which again diverts the dough and so compels it to coil
upon itself and thus form a roll. The direction of the dough through the machine
and the coiling of the same into a roll in the space between the rollers E F G and K
is indicated by the thick dotted line at Figure 1.
The bearings of the shaft carrying the roller F are open at the top, whilst the
sides are of circular form, being struck with radii from the centre of the bearings
carrying the roller C. Thus after the filling of the normal space between the
coiling rollers the further increase or growth of the roll of dough will raise or tend
to raise the roller F, and as the latter is loaded to a suitable weight the dough
will be compressed or moulded into a solid roll.
Instead of supporting the roller F by open top and circular bearings as herein-
before described, we sometimes carry it by a pair of arms or brackets pivotted
upon the shaft carrying the roller C.
The rollers C and D are connected preferably by toothed gearing and the
rollers C and F are connected in like manner. The roller E is driven by chain
gearing from the shaft of the roller D, and from E motion is similarly transmitted
to the roller G which in turn drives the roller K. The rollers E F G and K all
rotate in the same direction as indicated at Figure 1.
The machine is driven either by manual power or by a motor through the
medium of belts running on the fast and loose pulleys L L¹, or other power trans-
mitting appliances.
The roller K is supported by the suspension arms or brackets M M' each bracket
having a projection as m m fitted with a small roller at the outer end. Such
rollers are kept in contact with the peripheries of the cams H and H¹ respectively
by the tension of the spring N. The shaft carrying the cams H H is rotated in
the direction indicated at Figure 1 by a ratchet and pawl mechanism as illustrated,
which is operated from the crank disc O. The crank disc has two crank pin eyes
or apertures, at unequal distances from the centre of the shaft on which it is
mounted, for the purpose of imparting either a long or short stroke to the connecting
rod 0¹, according to the speed at which it is desired to rotate the cam H¤¹³
relatively to the speed of the dough rollers.
The cams H H are gapped as illustrated to permit the spring N to withdraw the
roller K (together with the suspended brackets by which it is supported) to the
position indicated at Figure 3, thereby allowing the moulded roll of dough P to
fall away from the coiling space, and so to automatically discharge itself from the
machine. The cams are made of such a diameter and are rotated at such a speed
as to bring their gaps into position for the action of the spring N simultaneously
with the complete formation of each roll of dough.
We sometimes provide adjustable bearings for the roller C or D to permit of a
slight adjustment of the distance between such rollers to suit the dough to be
woulded

page_text: The rollers are either of a plain form as illustrated or have corrugated or like
surfaces to produce rolls of dough of fancy shapes.
Instead of arranging for the discharge of the moulded rolls of dough in the
manner herein before described, we sometimes lift the roller F sufficiently for the
withdrawal of the moulded dough from the upper side of the machine.
To permit of the simultaneous rolling and coiling of two or more sheets of dough
in the one machine, the rollers are lengthened and partitions are arranged at the
required distances apart to form the separate moulding and coiling chambers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The moulding of dough into sheets and the coiling and pressing of such
sheets into solid rolls by the action of a combination of rollers, substantially as
described.
2. In dough moulding machines, the formation of a coiling space or cavity
between rotating rollers, one of such rollers being weighted and made movable in
its bearings, substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. A machine or apparatus for use in moulding dough, constructed and arranged
substantially as described and as illustrated.
Dated this 7th day of April 1898.
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.