IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING DOUGH TO FORM LOAVES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GEORGE JOHNSTON, of Plantation Engine Works, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING DOUGH TO FORM LOAVES,"
to be as follows:-
<
The said Invention has for its object the dividing of dough into loaves in a
practically accurate manner by means of improved apparatus designed to be
convenient, expeditious, and cleanly in use, and to operate with less handling of
the dough than is ordinarily required.
In carrying out the Invention an open-topped rectangular metal box of suitable
depth is employed, and a weighed quantity of dough being placed in it, such dough
is first pressed by a flat surface parallel to the bottom of the box and fitting its
horizontal sectional area so that it may be brought to a uniform depth at every
part of the box. When the dough has thus been rendered uniform in depth
vertical dividing plates are forced down through it to divide it into portions to
form loaves. The dividing plates consist of two sets crossing each other at right
angles and forming a number of cell in each of which there is a ram or
spindle having on its bottom end a horizontal plate or piston of a square or
rectangular form fitting the cell, the several horizontal plates combining to form
the flat pressing surface when at the bottoms of the dividing plates. As soon as
the division is accomplished the dividing plates and pistons rise together lifting the
loaves out of the box which is then moved away to receive a fresh quantity of
dough, and in moving draws under the apparatus a tray to receive the loaves
these being pushed down out of the cells by the descent of the pistons whilst the
dividing plates remain raised up.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings & machine is shown which is
provisionally designed for carrying out the Invention, Figures, 1, and 2, being
elevations as at right angles to each other, and Figure, 3, being a sectional plan;
whilst Figures, 4, and 5, are an enlarged plan and vertical section explanatory of
the combination of dividing plates.
For receiving the dough to be divided there is provided a rectangular box, 6,
which is arranged to move horizontally on guides, 7, being acted on through
levers, 8, 9, and links, 10, 11, by levers or crank arms, 12, 13, on an overhead
rotating shaft, 14, which is driven by means of a wormwheel, 15, and a worm
from a first-motion shaft having on it fast and loose pulleys, 16, for a driving belt.

page_text: The shafts are carried by side frames, 17, which are also provided with guides for
a vertically moving plate or frame, 18, to which are fixed the upper ends of rams
or spindles having plates or pistons, 19, on their lower ends. The piston frame, 18,
is raised and lowered by means of a crank, 20, on the overhead shaft, 14, the
connecting rod, 21, being arranged with a spring to allow it to yield if excessive
resistance is met with. Below the piston frame, 18, there is a combination of
vertical dividing plates, 22, forming a series of cells and fixed to two bars, 23,
having fixed to or formed in the same pieces with them, vertical rods, 24, passing
up through holes in the piston frame, 18. The longitudinal and transverse
dividing plates, 22, are combined by being notched or slotted half through, one set
from above and the other set at right angles from below, and are strengthened by
small angled pieces being rivetted at some of the corners at the tops. The mode of
fixing the dividing plates to their holding bars, 23, will be understood from
Figure, 5. The dividing plates are raised and lowered by means of the rods, 24,
there being at the upper part of each a projecting pin, 25, seen in Figure, 2, to be
acted on at the proper periods by levers, 26, 27, on rocking shafts, 28, 29, which
have fast on them levers, 30, 31, arranged to be acted on by cams or wipers, 32, 33,
on the overhead shaft, 14.

page_text: I, GEORGE JOHNSTON, of Plantation Engine Works, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING DOUGH TO FORM
LOAVES," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement-that is to say:-
My said Invention bas for its object the dividing of dough into loaves in a
practically accurate manner by means of improved apparatus designed to be
convenient, expeditious, and cleanly in use, and to operate with less handling of
the dough than is ordinarily required.
In carrying out my Invention an open-topped rectangular metal box of suitable
depth is employed and a weighed quantity of dough being placed in it, such dough
is first pressed by a flat surface parallel to the bottom of the box and fitting ita
horizontal sectional area, so that it may be brought to a uniform depth at every
part of the box. When the dough has thus been rendered uniform in depth
vertical dividing plates are forced down through it to divide it into portions to
form loaves. The dividing plates consist of two sets crossing each other at right
angles and forming a number of cells in each of which there is a ram or spindle
having on its bottom end a horizontal plate or piston of a square or rectangular
form fitting the cell, the several horizontal plates combining to form the flat
pressing surface when at the bottoms of the dividing plates. As soon as the
division is accomplished the dividing plates and pistons rise together lifting the
loaves out of the box which is then moved away to receive a fresh quantity of
dough, and in moving draws under the apparatus a tray to receive the loaves these
being pushed down out of the cells by the descent of the pistons whilst tho
dividing plates remain raised up.
On the accompanying Sheet of explanatory Drawings a machine is shown for
carrying out the Invention, Figures, 1 and 2, being elevations as at right angles to
each other, and Figure, 3, being a sectional plan; whilst Figures, 4 and 5, are an
enlarged plan and vertical section explanatory of the combination of dividing
plates.
For receiving the dough to be divided there is provided a rectangular box, 6,
which is arranged to move horizontally on guides, 7, being acted on through
levers, 8, 9, and links, 10, 11, by levers or crank arms, 12, 13, on an overhead
rotating shaft, 14, which is driven by means of a worm wheel, 15, and a worm
from a first-motion shaft having on it fast and loose pulleys, 16, for a driving belt.
The shafts are carried by side frames, 17, which are also provided with guides for
a vertically moving plate or frame, 18, to which are fixed the upper ends of rams
or spindles having plates or pistons, 19, on their lower ends. The piston frame, 18,
is raised and lowered by means of a crank, 20, on the overhead shaft,. 14, the
connecting rod, 21, being arranged with a spring to allow it to yield if excessive
resistance is met with. Below the piston frame, 18, there is a combination of
vertical dividing plates, 22, forming a series of cells and fixed to two bars, 23,
having fixed to or formed in the same pieces with them, vertical rods, 24, passing
up through holes in the piston frame, 18. The longitudinal and transverse dividing
plates, 22, are combined by being notched or slotted half through, one set from
above and the other set at right angles from below, and are strengthened by small
angled pieces being rivetted at some of the corners at the tops. The mode of
fixing the dividing plates to their holding bars, 23, will be understood from
Figure, 5. The dividing plates are raised and lowered by means of the rods, 24,
there being at the upper part of each a projecting pin, 25, seen in Figure, 2, to be

page_text: acted on at the proper periods by levers, 26, 27, on rocking shafts, 28, 29, which
have fast on them levers, 30, 31, arranged to be acted on by cams or wipers, 32, 33,
on the overhead shaft, 14.
I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated
provided that the distinctive features of my Invention are retained, these being-
1, the system of putting a weighed quantity of dough into a rectangular box and
pressing it to a uniformly flat surface; 2, the combination with the first feature, of
the dividing plates and their pistons together with the mechanism whereby these
lift the dough out of the box; and 3, the combination of mechanism whereby the
several movements are effected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In apparatus for forming loaves, the use of a rectangular open-topped box for
receiving a weighed quantity of dough combined with a plate or equivalent for
pressing the dough to a uniformly flat surface, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. Combining with the subject-matter of the first claim dividing plates and
pistons together with mechanism whereby these lift the dough out of the box
substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combination of mechanism whereby the several movements are effected
substantially as hercin before described.
Dated this Twenty fifth day of Santambar 1981.