Improvements in Machines relating to the Manufacture of Sugar Confections and the like Coated with Chocolate or other Coating Material.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines relating to the Manufacture of Sugar
Confections and the like Coated with Chocolate or other Coating
Material.
We, GEORGE SAMUEL BAKER and WILLIAM KING BAKER, both of 58, City Road,
in the County of London, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in machines for the coating of sugar or
other articles with chocolate or other like material and has for its object the manu-
facture of more perfect forms of these goods than has hitherto been attained upon
machines for this purpose.
According to one form of our invention, we provide a tank or box jacketted so
that it may be heated by warm water or steam to maintain the chocolate in a liquid
state at the required temperature for coating the goods and we employ mechanism
for automatically inserting the sugar confections or centres into the liquid chocolate
so that they become covered or coated with the chocolate. They are then raised
out of the chocolate by means of suitable mechanism and placed upon trays or
some suitable receiver for same.
=
Suitable means are provided in the shape of a knocking or shaking motion to
remove the superfluous chocolate from the covered goods and means are also pro-
vided for producing various ornaments upon the goods.
According to one form of our invention, we provide a tank rectangular in plan
and semi circular in cross section. Upon this we have a reciprocating frame work
which is made to descend into the tank for coating the goods, and after they have
been coated, it is caused to rise to its highest point for the delivery of the goods.
This frame work is operated upon a shaft running through the centre of slide
blocks carried in a suitable frame work so that it may be operated to descend into
and rise out of the tank to perform its various functions. A suitable device is
employed for giving a concussion to the frame work, thereby removing the
superfluous chocolate from the coated goods. From this central shaft we employ
radial levers or arms extending from the centre of the shaft to the circular sweep
of the tank. The centres are arranged in a row upon a suitable pusher at the
edge of the tank and are pushed forward upon a framework for supporting them.
The sliding block being at the bottom of the slot, the holding grips or fingers are
caused to descend and hold the fingers in place. The holding grip arm and the
supporting frame are now caused to rotate through half a circle thus carrying the
centres through the liquid chocolate in the tank. A vibratory or oscillating
motion may be given to arms when in the tank in order to cause the chocolate to
more perfectly coat the "centres" and another vibratory motion to remove
superfluous chocolate after goods leave the tank.
This supporting framework is carried upon arms attached to another shaft (in
close proximity to the shaft working in the central sliding blocks which carries

page_text: the devices for further dealing with the chocolate centres), the radial length of the
arm supporting the frame we prefer to be shorter than that working in the sliding
bearings which at its bottom position is central with the tank. By having this arm
of shorter radius, and its centre placed between the sliding block and the point
at which the framework receives the centres, it will, upon the supporting frame
and clip arms being moved through the chocolate, and rising out at the farther
side of the tank, withdraw itself, and the chocolate centre being now carried in the
clips, is free to be moved upwards and away from the tank by means of the sliding
block. It will be apparent that there is no further necessity for the frame as the
chocolate centres as they immerge from the tank are supported in the clips or cups
which before simply served the purpose of keeping them in position on the frame.
The arms carrying the centres at the top of slide are now caused to make a second
semi rotation in the same direction to deposit the goods upon a plate or tray for
same which may be moved under the arm to have the goods deposited upon it. As
the goods are brought by the holder to the receiving tray, the clips are caused to.
open so as to release the centres and allow them to drop and as the clips slowly
rise from the chocolate centres, they are caused to close together and whatever
liquid chocolate remains upon the tips of the holding fingers of the clip may be
caused to receive a movement of circular or other form as required in order to give
a tail to the covered goods in imitation of the various classes of goods coated by
hand.
Instead of the clips for holding the centres in position, we may employ a holder
made of open work but of such shape that the centre will rest in it as in a cup
while the cup is supporting it and these cups may be made of open work of such
design as to give the markings of various ornaments as may be required as the
goods are deposited out of them. A tapping motion may be imparted to the arms
to loosen any goods that might adhere to the cup holders so as to allow them to
be deposited upon the receiving trays. The radial arm is now caused to rotate
in the opposite direction nearly a complete circle and the supporting frame, upon
which the centres are first deposited, is caused to turn back again to its first posi-
tion to receive the centres for the clip holders to descend and hold them in position,
and the same operations are repeated.
Suitable beaters or mixing devices may be arranged for in the tank to keep the
material of uniform consistency.
Instead of placing the chocolate centres in rows upon the feeding table, an auto-
matic device may be employed where the chocolate centres are of uniform shape
for bringing the centres in rows up to the edge of the tank in order to be fed for-
ward on to the supporting frame.
In another form of our machine, we employ a tank of rectangular oblong shape
for holding the coating material with mechanism for operating the vertically
moving slide working in guides, supported upon a frame of the machine with an
opening and closing frame carried by said slide, and adapted to hold an independent
and insertable tray.
For fondants to be coated, we employ a clamping and locking mechanism for
the opening and closing frame, together with a knocking or shaking mechanism
operating upon a vertical moving slide, the latter being so arranged that the
shaking may be done in the tank in order to get the centres thoroughly coated,
and a shaking or knocking motion is employed when the frame is raised out of
the tank to remove the superfluous chocolate. A slight knocking motion is also
used when the supporting tray is at the top of the slide or at any other point as
may be required before the goods are removed from the holders, (which may be
of the cup shape or of holding clips as before described). Motion may be given
to the top supporting clips.to give any ornamental design required.
A tank is provided with a stirring device consisting of two blades placed one
upon the other, one of which is triangular in cross section and has its base next to
the bottom of the tank and the other of which is in the form of a truncated tri-
- angle in cross section, and has its base parallel with one of the sides of the first

page_text: mentioned blade, whereby different currents are produced in the mass in the said
tank from the top and bottom of the mass to the centre when the stirring device
is moved in one direction, and from the bottom and centre. of the mass towards
the top, when the said device is moved in the other direction.
These beaters are placed at each end of the tank and are operated by suitable
mechanism from below to reciprocate backwards and forwards towards the centre
of the tank, their object being to thoroughly mix the whole mass of the material
and keep the same of uniform consistency.
Dated this 21st dor of Nataka. 1907
Improvements in Machines relating to the Manufacture of Sugar
Confections and the like Coated with Chocolate or other Coating
Material.
We, GEORGE SAMUEL BAKER and WILLIAM KING BAKER, Engineers, both of
Willesden Junction, London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in machines for the coating of sugar or
other articles with chocolate or like material, and has for its object the manu-
facture of more perfect forms of these goods than has hitherto been obtained upon
machines for this purpose. This object is accomplished in the manner and by
the means hereafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification;
Figure 1 is a side view of the machine, showing the cam for lifting the bearings
of revolving arms.
Figure 2 is a side view of the machine showing the cam for working racks for
giving a revolving motion to the arms, and showing the arms at the top of the
travel.
Figure 3 is a front view of the machine looking from the feed end.
Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 2 but showing the arms at the bottom
of the travel.
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, show the different positions of the arms during
one complete revolution of cams shown in position in Figs. 1 and 2.
Figure 12 is a side view of racks and cam for working them.
Figure 13 is a plan showing feed hopper etc.
Figure 14 is a detail of bearing for arms C hereinafter referred to, showing
locking bolt for holding arms in position when revolving pinions are free of the
rack teeth.
Similar letters denote the same part of the machine in the several drawings.
Referring to the drawings, A, is the tank or box containing the chocolate and
is jacketed to enable it to be heated by warm water or steam to maintain the
chocolate in a liquid state and at the required temperature for coating the goods.
This tank is carried on suitable legs to raise it a sufficient height from the ground
for working. B B are frames attached to sides of tank and forming guides in
which the bearing blocks B and 132 move, carrying the revolving arms C which
travel in a vertical direction. These side frames have provision for carrying seg-
ment racks C and the train (2 and 3 for giving such vertical motion to the blocks

page_text: and on one side have a guide for the cam lifting rod C. D is the feed table
carrying the hopper D₁ which is not a fixture but capable of receiving a rapid side
shaking motion from eccentrics D2 on main driving shaft G and connecting rods D³
with suitable supporting radius rods as D', or a shaking motion from side to side
may be imparted. It is necessary for automatically feeding "centres" or blanks
to be coated, from the hopper D₁, which are usually of a hemispherical or like
shape, that each should uniformly lie on its bottom or flat side. We find that
when placed indiscriminately on a flat surface shaking horizontally those "centres"
which may have been up side down are caused to turn over on to their flat surface
and they can thus be uniformly and regularly fed to the machine. Hopper ])' is a
box with a flat bottom for receiving the "centres" to be coated, the front of which
(that is the part towards the machine) is formed into a chamber. 15, of a suitable
width to receive one row of "centres," and the two walls of which are provided
cach with a door D6 and D7 opening vertically, and so arranged that when the
outer door D' is closed to the feed table, the inner door De, admitting the "centres
from the hopper is open. When a row has been shaken into this chamber, the
door De closes and at the same time the door D opens, allowing the "centres" to
pass out upon the feed table, which in this part has diverging grooves down which the
"centres" pass by reason of the shaking motion aforesaid and are deposited upon a
second table D8, formed as a grid or plate; the "centres" are thus placed at the correct
distance apart for being carried to the dipping grid E2 by means of the pushers D⁹
operated by cam D10 and lever Du which in turn are driven by means of a chain
with sprocket wheels from the shaft G2. The driven shaft D12 has also keved
upon it another cam D for imparting motion to the shutter doors before described
for the automatic feeding of the row of centres. The doors or shutters of the feed
chamber D of the hopper, are worked in conjunction the one with the other and
a suitable cam is provided to give one feed for each cycle of the operations which
are controlled by the cam shaft G².
"
E E are a pair of arms centred at E, on the side frames and connected together
at the opposite end by the cross-bar E³ supporting the grid table 12 upon which
the centres are pushed from the fixed intermediate table D8; when so deposited in
place they are ready to descend into the liquid chocolate in the tank A. The grid
table E is forced through the liquid chocolate by the arms C in their circular
passage through it, in which they come first into contact with the top side of the
table E2 but in consequence of the frame E E3 which carries the grid table having
a longer leverage, at about the time when the fingers carrying the " centres
leave the chocolate the arms C and the frame E E separate, the grid table thus
being released and allowed to return to its original position by means of a spring.
counterbalance weight, or other suitable means, ready to receive the next row of
chocolates to be deposited upon it. In the Provisional Specification the arms
carrying the grid table are described as the shorter. This arrangement is equally
effective, but we prefer the arrangement herein described.
"
The armis C C are centred upon trunnions working in blocks B1 and B2 which
slide in vertical guide openings in the side frames B, B; these arms form a frame
having two distinct motions, one a vertical motion in the frame guides as before
stated. and the other a rotary motion on the trunnions carried in the blocks B¹
and B. The arms are connected together by a bar F cast with them the whole
of which is hollowed out to allow warm water or steam to circulate through to
enable them to be kept at the same temperature as the liquid chocolate.
Upon a bar F movable in a direction transverse to its length in jaws at the
ends of the arms C are a series of short arms F1 set at the same distance apart as
the "centres" when the latter are in position on the table E2 for dinning, and
in the first position, immediately over them. At the extreme end of these short
arms is a device shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13 and figured Fa
for gripping the centres when passing through the liquid chocolate, releasing them
at the proper time, and performing other operations to be presently described.
This device may be likened to the action of the digits of the human hand, and

page_text: consists of three members the front one F rigidly secured to the end of the short
arm F and which will answer say to the thumb and the back ones F8 F9 corre-
sponding to the fore and middle fingers, being suitably pivoted to the arm F¹ and
each provided with a tail piece F. These back fingers F8 F9 are free to move
towards or recede from the fixed or thumb piece as required in the following
manner: Above and below the tail pieces F of the fingers F8 F rods F³ and F
pass, the ends of which are secured in one of the arms of bell-crank levers, shown
in Fig. 2, at F and pivoted to a continuation of the arm C, the other arm of this
bell-crank is under control of a guide M M over which it travels and which operates it
to raise or lower the rods F3 and F and so through the tail pieces of the fingers
causes all the said fingers to move in unison relatively to the fixed or thumb pieces
When the bell-crank F is not being controlled by the guide strip M or the open-
ing incline M it is influenced by a spring which has the tendency to cause the
fingers to close together as hereinafter described. Beneath the tank are suitable
shafts for gearing down the speed from the shaft G carrying the driving pulleys
to the shaft G2 carrying the cams for actuating the several moving parts. In the
arrangement shown we employ three shafts G, G¹, and-G². Shaft G carries the
driving pulleys G³, a bevelled friction wheel G4 for driving the decorating device
to be hereinafter described, the first pinion of the gearing down train of spur
wheels Go, and eccentrics D² for giving the shaking motion to the feed table D;
shaft G is simply an intermediate shaft carrying spur wheel and pinion G6 and G7;
the shaft G2 carries the wheel G8, the last of the gearing down train and which
causes the shaft G2 to run at a suitable speed to perform the various operations.
The shaft G2 carries at one end outside the frames a cam G, whose function it is
to raise the blocks BB in which the arms C are trunnioned, the blocks and arms
descending by their own weight; the other end of the shaft G carries a closed
or other suitable cam Go for raising and lowering the rack G in order to give
in part directly and in part through a pinion H2 and other racks H and Ha
revolving motion to the frame constituted by the arms C and bar F, and herein-
after referred to as the frame C CF. The cam G9 for giving a vertical motion
to this frame operates as follows:-A sliding connecting rod C upon the lower
end of which is a roller resting upon the cam, is connected at the top to a toothed
quadrant C, this quadrant meshes with a pinion C; the pinion is keyed to a
cross shaft Cupon which are also keyed 2 spur wheels C³, C² which gear into the
racks B formed into guide rods attached to the blocks B1 and B2 It is only
necessary for the cam to lift the frame, the weight of the several parts being
sufficient to effect its descent; by this arrangement a small lifting motion of the
cam is multiplied so as to give the required travel to the sliding blocks B¹ and B³.
The closed cam G10 for giving and governing the rotary motion of the arms C
and bar F does so by racks G H and H, of which G is under the immediate
control of the cam G10, H is raised and lowered through an idle spur pinion H³
fixed to the top of the side frame, and H' has no motion, but is attached to the side
of the machine. On one side of the frame C C F the trunnion carrying it is pro-
longed, and keyed to it are 2 pinion segments side by side, the teeth of these
pinion segments are so arranged that certain blank spaces are left so as to pass
clear of the teeth in the racks when the frame C C F is not required to revolve.
One rotary movement of the frame is given by the motion of the rack G₁ acting
direct upon the pinion segment H³ while the frame and pinion are not being
moved by the cam G, another portion of this rotary movement is given by the
rack H also while the frame is not being moved up and down by the said cam.
and the third part of the rotary movement is caused by the downward motion of
the frame when the teeth of the pinion segment H are engaged with fixed rack H.
The device for decorating is seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 13. Upright spindles J & J¹
are mounted in suitable bearings on the side of the tank A and driven during a
small portion of the time necessary to perform one operation of coating. These
spindles are driven by bevelled wheels from the quick running main shaft G:
of these bevelled wheels the pair Jª and G+ are friction wheels the others (Fig. 3)

page_text: J3, J, J, and Jo are ordinary bevelled toothed wheels. Upon the upright spindle J
a disc J' is keyed which has one lug on its edge; a sliding bolt Js engages with
this lug and prevents the spindle from turning during part of the cycle; during
this time one friction wheel slips past the other. At the proper time of the revolu-
tion of the shaft G² a catch piece J³ on cam G¹ draws this bolt aside and the
spindle is allowed to revolve. The bolt is released by the onward travel of the cam
and returned by an opposing spring again holding the spindle from turning. At
the top of upright shafts J & J are horizontal cranks Jio, J10 (Fig. 13) carrying
a bar J. Upon this bar are pins J which engage in the bar F carrying the
finger arms and through the cranks motion is given to the finger bar and fingers;
in the example illustrated the bar F and all the parts attached to it will moye
in circles of the same size as that described by the pin J12 on the bar J, and the
residual chocolate dropping from between the "thumb" F7 and fingers FS and F9
will be caused to follow a similar circular path so as to descend in a circular pattern
on to the goods.
Alternatively the bar J could be given a motion other than circular, in which
case such other motion would be transmitted to the pins J12 and bar F6 and its
appurtenances; for instance the pins of the cranks Jio could be left free to move
radially in diametral slots upon them under the control of a pattern cam fixed
above them; or the pins could be moved in a non-circular path by so mounting
the shaft J as to make it movable laterally whilst rotating.
At certain stages of the operation a hammering motion may be given to the
arms C to knock off the superfluous chocolate; no device for this purpose is shown
in the drawings. K is a mixer of a suitable form continually revolving in the
liquid chocolate for the purpose of agitating it and keeping it thoroughly mixed.
Instead of the holding fingers F2 previously described we may employ wire cups
to hold the centres while dipping and during subsequent movement.
Fig. 14 shows the device for holding the frame C C F in a horizontal position
to right and left of the centre of the machine, when the pinion segment teeth are
free from the racks. A stop-piece L engages in the depressions in trunnions of
frame and is held by a spring as shown.
The operation of coating in the machine is performed as follows:-A row of
centres being automatically placed upon the dipping grid E2 Fig. 1, the fingers F7,
F8, F9 descend and hold them as shown in Fig. 5 the cam G10 moves in the direc-
tion of the arrow causing the teeth on rack G to ascend and to revolve by means
of the pinion H³ the frame constituted by the arms C and bar F carrying the
fingers F7, F8, F9 and the "centres" retained in them backwards and forwards in
the chocolate, finally stopping in the position shown in Fig. 6 where the superfluous
chocolate may be knocked off by a mechanical hammer or otherwise. Cam G
now by acting on the parts C, C, C3, C2, 13, 131, 132 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3) raises
the frame vertically to position shown in Fig. 7 when the pinion H³ engages in
rack H which here has no motion. Its further vertical travel causes it to revolve
landing it upon a table in position shown in Fig. 8. The fingers now open and
release the goods, being still further lifted vertically without rotation causes the
fingers to close as in Fig. 9; a certain amount of residual liquid chocolate adheres
to the fingers which are now joined together, and runs in a stream from them
and at this moment the decorating device being set in motion by friction gear
device an ornament is made on the top of the goods; rack H now rises under the
action of parts G1 G H2, giving the finger frame CCF a half turn in the opposite
direction. The whole frame now descends vertically when the finger frame assumes
the position shown in Fig. 11, through the action of the outer pinion H+ (Fig. 12)
engaging with the fixed rack H2, at the same time the fingers F are opened by
means of bell-crank F5 coming in contact with the guide strip M as shown in
Figure 1. The fingers are now immediately over another row of goods which
have meanwhile been deposited upon the dipping grid and the further downward
vertical descent of the frame causes the fingers to take hold of the new row of
centres and the operation is repeated. It is clear that by giving various movements

page_text: to the finger bar F6 that circles, straight lines, wavy lines, or any other required
design can be given to the tails for the ornamentation of the top of the goods by
means of modified and suitable gearing attached to the top of the vertical shaft J
and J..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1st. The finger device as described for holding the centres with opening and
closing mechanism and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. The finger device with means of giving motion to it either for circular or
any other pattern as desired for the purpose of ornamentation of the goods.
3rd. Frame C, with the various motions given to it as described and carrying
clips or cups for holding the centres.
4th. The combination of frame C, with the finger device for holding the centres
and the circular or other form of motion as described.
5th. The movable grid table E³ as described and as for the purposes set forth.
6th. The movable grid table as described working in connection with the
frame C.
7th. The combination of cams racks and segment pinions in connection with
frame C, and the grid table E for the purpose described.
8th. In a chocolate coating machine the use of a shaking feed table with or
without hopper for the purpose of automatically feeding forward the centres from
a hopper or receptacle uniformly as described.
9th. The combination of the table with the shaking motion and feeding forward
a row at a time and automatically feeding the machine for the purpose specified.
10th. In a chocolate coating machine, the combination of the hopper and the
feeding and distribution device one or more rows at a time for the purpose specified.
11th. The combination of the several parts of the machine for the various pur-
poses as set forth and described.
Dated this 19th day of August 1898.
GEORGE SAMUEL BAKER.
WILLIAM KING BAKER.