IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING LOAF SUGAR
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING
LOAF SUGAR."-A communication from abroad by George Henry
Moller, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America..
Sealed the 2nd May 1871, and dated the 1st December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st December 1870.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
CUTTING LOAF SUGAR," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of machine for cutting
sugar into blocks or small cubes by one continuous operation. The loaf
is held in a vertical position by a pair of tongs to which a traverse
motion is given over the table of the machine for the purpose of feeding

page_text: the loaf up to and beyond a series of vertical rotating saws. These saws
serve to make a series of parallel cuts in the bottom of the loaf a short
distance apart, and the loaf thus prepared is carried forward and brought
under the action of a horizontal band saw. This saw serves to slice
off the bottom of the loaf either in the form of a disc or of sticks. This
severed portion of the loaf is received on to an endless apron which
carries it into the bite of a pair of rollers furnished with longitudinal
ribs set at equal distances apart around the periphery of the rollers. As
these rollers rotate and their ribs are brought into line they will cut
the sugar transversely and thus divide it up into cubes or blocks of
suitable size for use. The return motion of the tongs to bring the loaf
into position for advancing it once more to the vertical rotary cutters
will cause a stop or its equivalent to open the tongs and allow the
suspended sugar loaf to drop on the table of the machine, and thus a
fresh portion of the loaf will be brought by the next advance of the
tongs into position for being grooved by the vertical saws. The slicing
and the transverse cutting of the sugar will here be repeated as before
explained.
A modification of the Invention for cutting loaf sugar into slices only
consists in providing an endless feed apron with transverse ribs between
which the loaves to be sliced are placed. This apron will feed the
loaves up to and past a series of vertical saws so arranged that they will
slice up
the loaves into discs as they are brought up in succession under..
their action.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
3
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special 3

page_text: 1
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a side elevation,
partly in section, of the improved sugar cutting machine; Fig. 2 is a
detail side view of a modification in the construction of the feed clamp;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of said feed clamp. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts.
M represents the framework or table upon which the improved
machinery is arranged and supported. This table is made of wood or
metal, or both, as may be found most advantageous of suitable size and
shape. N is a band saw hung over two rollers or drums near the ends
of the table so that the cutting edge of said saw will be above the table
top near to and parallel with one edge of the same; the distance
between the top of the table and the cutting edge of the saw is equal
to that of the slice to be cut off the sugar loaf. O is a shaft hung
transversely in the frame M, and provided with a series of adjustable
circular saws P, P, which are immediately in front of the band saw N
as shewn. Behind the band saw is an endless apron Q leading to a pair
of clipping rollers J, J, which have longitudinal projecting ribs r, r, on
their peripheries. The shafts of the rollers J may be made vertically
´adjustable in their bearings for the purpose of adjusting the said rollers
a suitable distance apart. R is a pair of tongs of such shape that it
will conveniently fit and hold a sugar loaf in the manner indicated in
Fig. 1. These tongs are pivotted to a slide S, which is connected with a
feed screw T hung on the table M. The screw T receives motion by
gearing from a shaft U or other mechanism. All the several shafts in
the said machinery receive their proper motion from a driving shaft W
as indicated in Fig. 1.
The operation is as follows:-The sugar loaf is as in Fig. 1 held by
the tongs or feed clamp R so that it stands either on its base or apex
upon the table. When the screw T feeds the clamp towards the saws
the lower portion of the loaf is first grooved by the saws-P-and then
sliced off by the band saw. .M, whereby a layer of sticks of sugar or a
grooved disc is produced. These sticks or discs are fed along to the
apron Q, and are by the same fed to and between the rollers J, by whose
ribs they are clipped into cubic blocks or pieces ready for market and
without waste. The clamp after the slice has been cut off by the band
saw is drawn back by the reverse action of the screw T, the clamp
holding during its backward motion the loaf clear of the saws. When
the loaf has arrived in front of the saws P the tongs are spread by hand

page_text: or automatically, and thus the loaf is dropped upon the table; when
this is effected the tongs are again allowed to clamp the loaf and feed it
to the saws for the cutting off of another slice as above set forth. There
may be a series of such clamps or tongs on one table, so that if the
shaft O and the band saw are sufficiently long and the saws P sufficiently
numerous any desired number of loaves may at once be cut up by one
machine.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate more clearly the construction of the tongs R.
which are forced together by a spring u, and are for the dropping of the
loaf spread apart by a wedge or key fixed to the table..
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improved.
Machinery for Cutting Loaf Sugar," as communicated to me from
abroad, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim, the combination in one machine of the mechanism
above described whereby loaf sugar may be divided up and subdivided
into blocks or cubes by one continuous operation.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have here-
·
unto 'set my hand and seal, the First day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
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A. V. NEWTON. (L.s.):