Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 16th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1888
I, JOHN O'CONNOR of 23 Kildare Street in the City of Dublin Solicitor do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention has for its object the devision and measurement of dough into equal
portions whereby the necessity for handling the same is reduced.
It consists of a hopper or receiver having a movable top which fits into the same
and presses down the dough, the lowest side of the receiver forms a trough. A
horizontal knife extends longitudinally over the trough and immediately within at
each side of the trough are cutters placed vertically. A vertical plate (doubled)
extends through the trough from end to end. The capacity of the trough is capable
of being enlarged or diminished. Knife, plate, and the sides of trough, are all capable
of motion from side to side.
The dough being by suitable appliances placed in the hopper the cover is put on and
is pressed down by steam or screw or other convenient power. The dough is forced
into and fills the trough, the knife is then moved say to the left over the trough
separating the contents from those of the hopper. When the knife arrives near the
side the left hand side of the trough commences to move away in the same direction
leaving that side of the trough open; the plate then commences to move, pressing
the dough before it through the open side and between the cutters which divide it into
equal portions which fall clear.
The knife then commences to return bringing the left side of the trough with it
which side is caught and held by suitable catches in its place at the side of the trough
where it remains until again carried back by the repeating motion of the machine.
While the plate was being carried to the left, the part of the trough behind was
being again filled with dough from above, and in its return to the right the knife is
moved in connection with the plate and right side of trough and the operation above
described is performed at the right side of the trough and so on alternately at each
side until the dough in the hopper is worked out.
Motion is imparted to the plate knife and sides of trough by a frame provided with
catches or stops so arranged as to take up each of those moving parts at the proper

page_text: moment to which frame however the knife may be permanently fixed the frame being
moved to and fro by wheel or crank arrangement or any suitable power.
A modification of the foregoing consists of a similar hopper and press cover.
Along the bottom of the hopper an apparatus (which for distinction I shall for the
present term the triangle being of a section somewhat like the letter V) is hinged
and is made to oscillate on the apex, the bottom of the hopper is hinged along the
centre and oscillates with the triangle between which and the bottom are cutters set
in a frame one on each side. These cutters are also capable of motion inside the
chamber formed at each side of the triangle, the lower part of the hopper is arched
partially so as, in combination with the triangle, to form two chambers into which
the dough is pressed from the hopper above. On one of the chambers say the right
being filled with dough the interior apparatus is deflected to the right, the right side
of the bottom also descends and the dough is pressed out from the right side chamber,
through the openings thus made the cutters dividing it into equal portions as it passes.
The left hand chamber is meantime being filled and the same operation takes place at
the other side on the return of the triangle. On the triangle being moved towards
the left the right side of the bottom rises and closes the chamber for a fresh charge.
The capacity of the interior chamber can be increased or diminished by an arrange-
ment for increasing or diminishing the splay of the triangle, motion may be imparted
by a lever worked by a crank or by other means.
Dated this 15th day of Murah 1887

page_text: be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to improved machinery or apparatus for measuring and
dividing dough, and it comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved apparatus.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a view of the right-hand end of the apparatus as far as the line X, X
figure 1, and
Figure 4 ii a view of the left-hand end of the apparatus as far as the said line.
Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line X, X figure 1, looking in the direction of
the arrow on the latter figure, and
Figure 6 is a horizontal section on the line Y, Y figure 5.
a is a receiver into which the dough to be measured and divided is placed and
which may be provided with a hopper if desired; and b, bare troughs or frames
having vertical backs which are adapted to be alternately moved into the receiver to
be filled with dough and to be drawn outwards to deliver their contents, the said
troughs being arranged to move relatively to each other in such a manner that while
one is being filled the other is being emptied and vice-versa.
..
ان
The movement of the said troughs is effected through the medium of the bars
sliding in guides d in the ends of the receiver and having spring catches e, el adapted
to engage with lngs on the frames b. A respectively. The movement of the
catches e, el is produced by the cam-surfaces, against which rollers on the free
ends of the said catches are adapted to impinge during the to-and-fro motion of the
bars g, c'. The said bars are operated by the rotation of the handle mounted upon
the shaft and having a crank to which is attached one end of a connecting rod k.
The other end of the said rod is jointed to one arm of a double-armed lever secured
to a shaft m. The other arm of the said double-armed lever is connected to one
end of a link the other end of which works upon a pin o secured to the bar c. The
shaft m also carries a single-armed lever 2, which is connected by a link n³, similar
to the link n, to the bar c'.
The operation of the catches to move the frames b, b' is as follows:-
Assume the frame to be within the receptacle a and the frame b¹ to be drawn out
of the same, as shown in the drawings, the catches e' being in engagement with the
lugs If now the handle his rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow,
figure 3. the frame will be drawn backwards until the rollers of the catches e' have
reached the point g' of the cam-surface y, at which point the said catches e' are moved
out of engagement with the lugs f, the said frame having been moved to its inner-
most position. Simultaneously with the release of the catches e' the ends c² of the
bars, strike the lugs of the frame b and push the same outwards, the catches e at
the same time engaging with the lugs f
During the reverse motion of the bars c, c' the catches e draw the frame & inwards
and are released when their rollers reach the points g² of the cam-surfaces, the ends **
of the bars c, c' then pushing the frame b¹ outwards; these operations being repeated
at each rotation of the handle h.

page_text: The filling of the frames b, bis effected by means of the presser p extending through
the whole length of the interior of the receiver, and mounted upon a shaft p operated
from the shaft through the medium of the crank 7, the rod 7' and the lever q² to
cause the oscillation of the said presser. In order that the said presser shall act with
a yielding pressure upon the dough, the lever q is not fixed to the shaft p¹ but acts
thereon through the springs located in the box keyed to the shaft p¹, the said
springs enabling the presser to yield without moving the lever 2.
2°
The presser is preferably somewhat of the form shown in figure 5 with an end
portion of triangular shape as when in this form the dough is more readily caught by
the presser and filled into the frames. The advantage of using this oscillating presser
is that a continuous feed can be obtained.
In order to be enabled to adjust the throw or oscillation of the presser I can slot
the crank g and connect the rod q' thereto by a pin adapted to be moved in the said
slot as required.
s, are two knives secured to the rear sides of the frames b, b¹ respectively and
moving one above the other, the knife s being attached to its frame at the ends only,
so as to leave a space through which the knife s¹ can pass.
The severance of the dough in the frames b, from that in the receiver is offected
by the knives s, & respectively, that is to say, if the frame is in the position shown
in figure 5, the dough therein will be severed from that above it by the knife s during
the inward motion of the frame, the said knife moving to the position shown in
dotted lines in figure 5. In a similar manner the dough in the frame b¹ will be
severed from that above it by the knife s during the inward motion of the frame b.
In order that the quantity of dough in the frames b, b shall be the same, notwith-
standing that the knives s, scut in different planes, the surface upon which the
frame moves, is placed below that on which the frame moves, a distance
corresponding to the thickness of one knife.
t, are cutters or scrapers which when the frames are moved to their outermost
position, scrape the inner rear sides of the latter to remove any adhering dough
therefrom. These scrapers are operated by the cams and respectively mounted
upon the shaft i, the cam w acting upon the knife through the medium of the
lever w², the rod w³, the arms 1, mounted upon the shaft 06, and the rods w°.-The
spring w returns the knife to its normal position after the action of the cam w upon
the lever o ceases.
The cam te acts upon the scraper t through the medium of the lever, the link w
the arms upon the shaft c, and the rods w¹¹.
As shown in figure 5 the scraper is represented as having scraped the back of
the frame b. The said scrapers also serve to close the openings in the receiver
(through which the frames move) during the time that the said frames are being
filled, the knife t shown in figure 5 being represented in the position for this purpose.
By employing the said scrapers for this latter purpose the necessity for scraping the
inner front side of the said frames is avoided which operation would be necessary if
the dough came in contact therewith. The scrapers themselves are cleaned during
their upward movement. It will be understood that the said scrapers move within
the frames b, b¹.
The sides of the frames are cleaned by means of wires u placed in close contact
therewith and stretched across the openings for the frames as shown in figures 5
and 6.
I sometimes place other similar wires across the said openings at equal distances
apart, as indicated in figure 6, to sub-divide the dough contained in the frames during
the outward movement of the latter. In this case small grooves to receive the wires
may be made in the backs of the frames to allow the latter to move close up to the
scrapers.
For the purpose of regulating the capacity of the frames b, I provide the latter
with false backs,, respectively. These false backs carry pins y, y' extending
through the true backs and having springs thereon by means of which the said false
backs are held in their normal positions. In a space between the frames are located

page_text: two bars y jointed at their centres, and adapted to be more or less separated at their
ends by the toggle-bars y³, y³ connected one to each bar and also to a rod y' moved
longitudinally by a screw y from the exterior of the inachine. When the bars y² are
closed together they have no effect upon the pins y, y', when however they are more
or less separated, as indicated by dotted lines in figure 6, the pins y, y¹ impinge
against them during the rearward motion of the frames and prematurely stop the
motion of the bars, a¹, the frames continuing to move backwards whereby their
internal breadth is correspondingly reduced.
2 is a handle which is, in some cases, attached to the crank 7 to assist in operating
the machine or it may be operated by steam or other power.
The operation of my apparatus as a whole is as follows: Suppose dough to have
been introduced into the machine and the frame to be moving outwardly. During
this outward movement the presser p oscillates to the position shown in figure 5 and
forces dough into the frame b. During the inward motion of the frame 6 the dough
in the frame is severed from that above it and when the frame reaches its innermost
position the frame b commences to move outwardly to deliver the dough, at the same
time the presser p, figure 5, moves to the left and forces dough into the frame b'.
During the inward movement of the frame the dough in the frame b' is severed from
that above it and, when so severed, the frame & commences to move outwardly to
deliver the dough. The operations before described are then repeated.
I wish it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein before
described, as it is obvious, that I can modify the same without departing from the
nature of my invention, for instance, the presser p may be of any other suitable shape
than that shown, or it may be made in the form of a piston, moved downwardly by a
screw or other device, also the mechanism for communicating motion to the various
parts of the apparatus may be modified in any convenient manner.
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 in respect of my improvements in machinery or apparatus for measuring and
dividing dough is :-
1. The combination with a receiver of troughs or frames adapted to be moved
alternately into and out of the said receiver to be filled with dough and to deliver
their contents, substantially as described.
2. The combination with the said troughs or frames of horizontal knives adapted to
sever the dough filled into the said troughs from that in the receiver, substantially as
described.
3. The combination with the receiver having the troughs or frames for measuring
the dough and the knives for dividing the same, of a presser adapted to force the
dough from the receiver into the said troughs or frames, substantially as described.
4. A presser of the kind substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawing, whereby a continuous feed is obtained.
5. The combination with the troughs or frames of the scrapers placed vertically
therein, substantially as, and for the purposes, described.
6. The combination with the troughs or frames of the means for regulating the
capacity of the same, substantially as herein before described.
7. The combination with the presser of the means for ensuring a yielding pressure
thereof upon the dough, substantially as described.
S. The construction and combination of parts substantially as herein before described
with reference to the accompanying drawing and for the purposes specified.
Daid il 10th day of T1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.