Improvements in or relating to Machines for Coating Fondants and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Machines for Coating Fondants
and the like.
I, DANIEL MOREY HOLMES, of 17, Craven Park, Willesden, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to machines for coating fondants and the like with
chocolate or other fluid or semi-fluid material; ornamentally or otherwise, its
object being the improvement of apparatus of this class to enable it to operate
more economically and produce a better product than can be turned out by
machines of this kind as hitherto usually constructed.
One of the important features of this invention is the provision in such a
machine of a dipper which not only dips the fondants into a bath of chocolate
or the like but imparts a rotary movement to them while they are actually in
the bath, preferably during their descent or their ascent or both; by this rotation,
bubbles are beaten out of the mass of semi-fluid material and an appearance of
hand finish" is imparted to the goods. Moreover the construction and opera-
tion of the dipper are such that it enables the fondants to be discharged therefrom
right side up" if desired.
Another feature of importance is that a portion of the bath is occupied by a
stirrer or beater, which aids in beating out any bubbles or irregularities in the
contents of the bath; conveniently the apparatus is so arranged that just sufficient
space beyond that occupied by the beater is allowed in the bath for the descent
of the rotary dipping apparatus, and it is found that the employment of the
beater and the rotation of the dipper co-operate to produce the equivalent of a
hand-finish on the goods. The beater may conveniently be one with left-hand
and right-hand spiral vanes upon it, built up of wire or otherwise or it may be a
rotary brush.
The cover to the bath should be arranged to give a minimum opening for air
which would tend to cool the surface of the contents; it may support a sliding
discharging device for pushing the coated fondants out of the dipper. There
may also be, beneath the cover, a pipe in which a heating medium is circulated
to aid in keeping the exposed metallic parts that come in contact with the semi-
fluid mass from chilling. The devices by which the dipping apparatus is operated
are actuated by cam mechanism so formed that the dipping mechanism may be
made to pause at any desired point between the lowest and highest point of move-
ment and so set in relation to the mechanism by which the ornamenting spindles
are operated that immediately after the fondants have been pushed on to a receiving
band or discharger above referred to, the fingers or prongs of the dipper from
which the discharger removes them are raised up above the fondants in such a
manner that the small excess of chocolate extended between the fondants and
the fingers is lined upon or laid up against the sides of the goods so that the
chocolate is not wasted and the goods acquire a finished appearance.

page_text: The dipping apparatus pauses whilst the fondants are pushed off by the dis-
charger just before the final raising of the dipper to dispose as just described of
the little string or tail" of chocolate extending from each fondant; it may pause
at other times if desired.
.
The gearing by which the decorating devices are driven being carried by a
rising and falling frame is connected to a gearing on the stationary portion of
the apparatus by telescopic shaiting or by other means which whilst maintaining
a positive connection between the two sets of gearing do not prevent the rising
and falling of the frame.
The rising and falling frame supports a shaft carrying a hammering device
to cause the frame to vibrate and the surplus chocolate to drop from the forms
carried by it; the shaft operating the hammering device is provided with a
clutch fork or controlling gear made sufficiently long or otherwise so constructed
as to maintain, engagement with the clutch on that shaft in the rise and fall of
the latter with the frame, in order that the hammer shaft may be thrown into or
out of gear at any desired time.
With further reference to the dipping apparatus, the supports for the fondants
and the devices by which they are retained on those supports during dipping should
preferably be of open or skeleton form. Rotation of the dipping apparatus may
conveniently be obtained by causing pinions at its ends to traverse, during the
dipping movement of the apparatus, a stationary rack or its equivalent; the rack
may conveniently be formed on guides in which the ends of the dipper travel.
These guides are caused to oscillate by means of cam driven gear, to bring the
fondants, just before discharge, into the desired proximity to a band or the like
on which they are finally received.
Conveniently the rotary dippers may be provided with cranks working in guide.
slots so disposed that the cranks shall engage with them immediately the pinions
before referred to pass clear of the rack; by this means the dipping apparatus
is kept steady and prevented from rotation while the fondants are placed on or
removed from it. The retaining devices by which the fondants are held on the
dipper may be caused to have a movement relatively thereto, to free the fondants,
by being brought into engagement at the conclusion of the upward movement of
the dipper, with hooks pendant from a frame and controlled by bell-cranks levers
carried on the rising and falling frame; these in turn are operated in their move-
ment relatively to stationary projections which cause them to lift the retaining
device to free the fondants which are thus thrust out on a receiving band by
the discharger.
A sifter or hopper may be fitted to apparatus of the kind hereinbefore described
placed above the receiving band and fitted with a sliding valve and discharging
ports, the movement of the valve or the capacity of the openings therein being so
arranged that the sifter will drop on to the individual members of a row of fondants
a predetermined amount of sugar or other material.
Dated this 4th dox of Antahan 190
Improvements in or relating to Machines for Coating Fondants
and the like.
I, DANIEL MOREY HOLMES, of 17, Craven Park, Willesden, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what 5

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to machines for coating fondants and the like with
chocolate or other fluid or semi-fluid material ornamentally or otherwise, its
object being the improvement of apparatus of this class to enable it to operate
more económically and produce a better product than can be turned out by
machines of this kind as hitherto usually constructed.
One of the important features of this invention is the provision in such a
machine of a dipper which not only dips the fondants into a bath of chocolate
or the like but imparts a rotary movement to them while they are actually in
the bath, preferably during their descent or their ascent or both; by this rotation
bubbles are beaten out of the mass of semi-fluid material and an appearance of
"hand finish" is imparted to the goods. Moreover the construction and opera-
tion of the dipper are such that it enables the fondants to be discharged therefrom
right side up" if desired.
66
Another feature of importance is that a portion of the bath is occupied by a
stirrer or beater, which aids in beating out any bubbles or irregularities in the
contents of the bath; conveniently the apparatus is so arranged that just sufficient
space beyond that occupied by the beater is allowed in the bath for the descent
of the rotary dipping annaratus, and it is found that the employment of the
beater and the rotation of the dipper co-operate to produce the equivalent of a
hand-finish on the goods. The beater may conveniently be one with left-hand
and right-hand spiral vanes upon it, built up of wire or otherwise or it may be a
rotary brush.
This invention comprises further details as will hereinafter appear.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of as much
of a fondant coating machine as is necessary for the purposes of this specification:
Figure 2 is a central section on a plane parallel with the side frames A of the
machine shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rotatable dipper hereinafter referred to,
together with a portion of the apparatus by which it is operated;
Figure 4 is an elevation of part of Figure 3 in section on the line 4-4 of
that figure:
Figure 5 is a plan in section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 of a portion of the
decorating apparatus hereinafter referred to.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The machine is provided with longitudinal side frames A, between which,
at one end of the machine, is supported a transverse steam-jacketted bath B in
which the chocolate for coating the fondants is received.
In the bath B is a beater C carried on a shaft C', which latter extends through
one end of the bath and is operatively connected with any convenient rotating
portion of the machine, so that it may be continuously revolved in the contents
of the bath and beat out any bubbles, lumps, or irregularities therein.
Above the bath is a transverse feed table D (Fig. 2) upon which the fondants
are placed in the manner hereinafter described for mechanical delivery on to the
dipper. It will be seen from the drawings that the table D does not entirely close
the top of the bath B there being an open space in proximity to its edge of such
size as just to afford passage for the descent of the dipper. Above this opening
is a part of the mechanism by which the dipper is operated, another part being
immersed in the bath.
The construction and mode of operation of the dipper will be hereinafter fully
explained, as they constitute important features of this invention.
On the farther side of the hath B from the table D is an endless band E led
over the usual rollers on to which band is led a delivery band F of paper which
passes from a paper roll F¹ around a blade or angular support A¹ situated close
to the edge of the bath and secured at its ends to the frame A:

page_text: after passing this angular support the
con-
paper F extends on to the
upper surface of the endless band E by which it is drawn along
intermittently by any convenient mechanism forming an operative
nection between the band E and the driving shaft of the machine. The blade
or angular support A¹ is provided in order that when the dipper arrives at the same
level there may be no such channel or space between the end of the dipper over
which the fondants are delivered and the portion of the paper strip, which,
resting on the top of the blade, receives them, as would exist if the paper instead
of passing round a blade passed around a roller at that point. Thus there is
no danger of fondants delivered from the dipper dropping down between it and
the
paper band.
With reference now to the dipper and the mechanism for operating it, the body
of the dipper comprises two bars G G so connected as to form a rectangular
frame, the opposite ends of which are provided with trunnions G2 journalled in
sliding blocks G³ which are adapted to travel up and down vertically in guide
frames in the bath. On each trunnion G2 is secured a pinion G which during
the movement of the dipper through the lower portion of its travel, engages
with pins Hadjacent in the guide frames H so that the dipper in this portion
of its vertical reciprocatory movement receives also a rotary movement in its
bearings in the blocks G³. In the example illustrated the dipper receives a
complete rotation during its descent and another complete rotation in a reverse
direction, during its ascent, so that it returns always to its original position after
its rotary movements in the bath.
The blocks G supporting the dipper are given vertical movement by means of
rods J which depend from a cross-head K, the ends of which are reciprocated
in slots A2 in the frame A by means of connecting rods K₁ operated by rocking
levers K which are worked by cams L on a shaft L' operatively connected with
the driving shaft M.
The cam L is so shaped that upon rotation in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 2)
it will permit the cross head K and the suspended dipper G G¹ to descend from
the position in which it is shown in Figure 2, that is to say, from the position
in which the feeding of the fondants on to the dipper is effected, into the bath
of chocolate or the like in which the rotation of the dipper occurs, afterwards
causing the dipper to rise to the level of the delivery band F, and blade A¹,
which is a little lower than that of the feed table D to which after a pause for a
hammering device of known construction to jar the superfluous chocolate off
the fondants, and their discharge on to the paper F, the dipper is finally raised to
receive a fresh charge. When the dipper arrives in its upward journey at the
level of the paper delivery band F it is drawn just over the edge of the blade A¹
around which the paper band turns, by the action of connecting rods H³.
connecting rod is connected at one end to one of the guide frames H and at its
opposite end to a lever H turning on a fulcrum H5 and operated by a cam such
as H6 secured upon a shaft H7, Figures 2 and 4, journalled in the main framing
of the machine and operatively connected with the shaft L', so that both these
shafts have the same angular velocity.
Each
The guide frames H preferably connected together by bars H" are provided with
flanges H8 (Fig. 3), which slide upon guides A5 (Fig. 1) placed in convenient
proximity to the upper edge of the bath B. In order that there may be no
hindrance to the sliding movement of the guide frames H with the dipper, the
connecting rods J are pivotally connected both with the blocks G and with the 5
cross head K. As the medium in which the dipper is to work is a sticky one,
the fondants, one of which is shown in position at N (Fig. 2), instead of being
supported upon a flat surface are supported on a grid, composed of a series of
parallel wires G5 fixed in the bars GG¹.
To move the fondants off the table D on to the dipper G G¹ when it arrives at 5
the level of that table, a pusher-bar is provided with a number of pockets or
recesses, preferably formed by bending a wire secured upon the edve

page_text: of the bar. Into these pockets or recesses the attendant places the
fondants which when thus placed rest upon the table. The pockets
or recesses are not shown 111 the feed-pusher bar O but they are
similar to those P₁ in the discharge bar P hereinafter referred to.
When the
parallel wires G of the dipper arrive at the level of the feed table they pause
sufficiently long to enable connecting rods O connected at 02 to the feed bar
to push the latter into the position in which it is shown in Figure 2, by which
operation the fondants are pushed off the table D on to the dipper wires G³ into
the position indicated in Figure 2; the connecting rods 01 are operated by
levers 03 pivotted loosely upon a shaft O and operated by cams 04 on the shaft H7.
Immediately after this operation the cam O permits the lever 02 to return the
feed bar sharply, under the action of a spring 05 secured to the frame A, to
a position upon the table 1 in which it is in readiness to be supplied with a
further charge of fondants.
After the dipper has been thus loaded a light frame consisting of three wires (7
supporting a number of rings G8 descends upon the fondants to hold them by
means of the rings, one of which encircles the top of each fondant, in place
during the subsequent descent and rotation of the dipper; the means by which
this frame G7 G8 is controlled will presently be described.
Next the dipper dips the fondants into the bath rotating during its descent
and ascent at the end of which latter it arrives at the level of the blade A¹ and
delivery band F at which the cam L permits it to stop whilst the portion L² of
the cam, struck from the centre of the shaft L', passes the contiguous end of the
lever K2; during this pause, which is of long duration as compared with the other
pauses in the operation of the dipper, a hammering device of known construction
operates upon the cross head K to jar the superfluous chocolate off the fondants
carried by the dipper and a discharge bar P operating in guide slots A³ at a lower
plane than that in which the feed bar O operates, pushes the fondants, after
moving them under the decorating spindles T, off the dipper on to the nearest
portion of the paper band F.
The raising of the wires G5 of the dipper causes a small excess of chocolate
extending between the fondants and the tips of those wires to be lined upon or
laid up against the sides of the goods, so that it is not wasted and the goods acquire
a finished appearance. The band F now advances slightly to leave a clear width
of paper for the next lot of fondants. Finally the dipper comes opposite the
edge of the feed table D as aforesaid, and the operation re-commences.
The gearing by which the decorating devices T are driven, that is to say the
spindles T, being carried by a rising and falling cross head K has to be connected
to the related gearing on the stationary portion of the apparatus by the telescopic
shafts T, the pairs of shafts T T being made always to rotate in company by
feather keys engaging one with the other; or other means may be employed for
a like purpose so that whilst a positive connection between the driving and driven
parts is maintained, the rising and falling of the cross head is not impeded.
U is a shaft by which the hammering devices are operated; upon it is a clutch
of known construction controlled by a fork V pivotted at V₁ to some stationary
portion of the frame A; as the shaft U carried on the cross head K rises and
falls in company with the latter the fork V is elongated so that it always
embraces the clutch on the shaft U wherever the latter may happen to be in its
movement with the cross-head, so that the hammer may be thrown into or out of
gear at any desired time.
The bars G and rings G8 constituting the light frame for holding the fondants
on the dipper are secured at their opposite ends in small blocks Qadapted to slide
upon pins G (Fig. 3) projecting from the ends of the dipper; these blocks are
linked by links Q1 (Fig. 4) to the constraining springs Q2 which normally keep
them down close to the gripper in the position in which the rings Gs bear upon
the fondants on the wires G³. Just before the arrival of the dipper wires G³ at.

page_text: the level of the delivery band F the dippers in concluding their rotary movement
on their trunnions G2, bring the uppermost of the three wires G7 above the ends
of hooks R pendant from a bar R¹ from which rods R2 with projections R³ upon
them extend upward through a flange K³ on the cross-head K, being engaged by
bell-crank levers S S₁ pivotted on the cross-head. The manner in which the
engagement of the rods R with the uppermost of the three wires G7 is effected
is shown by the chain-lined hook R in Fig. 3. From a stationary cross-bar A³
(Fig. 1) adjoining the side frames A, two projections A4 extend downward and
into contact with these the short arms S₁ of the bell crank levers can come just
before the dipper arrives in its upward movement at the level of the delivery
band ; these projections move the bell-crank levers S S₁ and cause them to
lift the rods R2, the hooks R and the light frame G7 G8 relatively to the dipper,
and to keep that frame clear of the fondants on the dipper during discharge of
the coated series, the ascent of the dipper to the level of the feed table D
to receive a further charge, and during its return with that charge down to
the point at which the loaded dipper in its descent begins to rotate.
The guide frames H for the rotary dippers are provided with projections H³
between which is a slot H; this slot is so disposed that a crank G¹ on one of
the trunnions G2 of the dipper, engages with it immediately the pinions G* before
referred to pass clear of the rack of pins H¹; by this means the dipping apparatus
is kept steady and prevented from rotating while the fondants are being placed on
or removed from it.
The cover B¹ of the bath should be arranged to give a minimum opening for
air, which would tend to cool the surface of the contents; the cover B¹ should
either be jacketted or should have a heating pipe beneath it, in which a heating
medium is circulated to aid in keeping the metallic parts from chilling.
A shaker or a sifter or hopper W may be fitted to apparatus of the kind herein-
before described; it will be situated above the receiving band F as shown, and
provided with two sliding valves W1 W2 coupled to the opposite ends of a rocking
lever W which may be automatically operated by any convenient kind of tappet
or cam gear, the movement of the valve or the capacity of the openings therein
being so arranged that the sifter will drop on the individual members of a row
of fondants, a predetermined amount of sugar or other material or other equivalent
sifting or depositing device may be used for a like purpose.
Various modifications may be made in this apparatus without departure from
the nature of this invention; for instance, although I have described the guide
frames H as sliding to and fro in their movement towards and away from the
blade A they might oscillate towards and away from that blade about pivots
suitably disposed say in a bath.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
-
1. In a fondant-coating machine a dipper rotatable in the bath for the purpose
described.
2. In a fondant-coating machine the combination of a dipper and a beater both
rotatable in the bath for the purpose described.
3. In a fondant-coating machine the combination with a dipper of gear which
rotates it when the dipper reciprocates in relation thereto.
4. In a fondant-coating machine the combination with a dipper of gear which
rotates it during a part of its reciprocatory motion relatively thereto and auto-
matically locks it during the remainder of that motion.
5. In a fondant-coating machine a dipper rotatable in the bath and also movable
in the plane of the grid G³ towards the delivery band for the purpose described.
6. In a fondant-coating machine the combination of a rotary dipper racks such
as H and a reciprocating frame such as H for the purpose described.
7. In a fondant-coating machine the combination with a rotary support such as

page_text: Go of a spring constrained retainer such as G7 G and means for lifting the latter
from the support for the purpose described.
8. In a fondant-coating machine the combination with a rotary support such
as G, of a spring constrained retainer such as G7 Gs and means for lifting the
latter, operated in their movement relatively to a stationary part of the machine
substantially as described.
9. In a fondant-coating machine hooks such as k so disposed that the dipper
rotates the ends of a retainer such as G7 Gs into engagement with them for the
purpose described.
10. In a fondant-coating machine the combination of a dipper with feed devices
at one level and discharging devices at another operatively connected and acting
automatically substantially as and for the purpose described.
11. In a fondant-coating machine raising the fingers or prongs of the dipper
upward past the discharged fondants for the purpose described.
12. In a fondant-coating machine a sifter or hopper of the kind described
above the delivery band for the purpose specified.
13. In a fondant-coating machine telescopic shafting operatively connecting
the decorating devices with their driving gear.
14. In a fondant-coating machine the combination with the hammer-shaft
clutch of an elongated fork such as V substantially as and for the purpose
described.
La fondant coating machine a steam heated cover R1 for the bath it
Ր
1000
Dated
4th day of August
1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.