IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR IMPRESSING AND BAKING ALTAR BREADS, AND FOR IMPRESSING AND BAKING WAFERS, AND BISCUITS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES OF FOOD
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Austin Francis Hill at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th February 1878.
AUSTIN FRANCIS HILL, of Harborne, in the County of Stafford, Ornamental
Ironworker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR IMPRESSING AND BAKING ALTAR
BREADS, AND FOR IMPRESSING AND BAKING WAFERS, AND BISCUITS, AND OTHER
LIKE ARTICLES OF FOOD."
My Invention consists of apparatus constructed as herein-after described, to be
used in place of the ordinary tongs for impressing and baking altar breads, and
wafers, and biscuits, and other like articles of food.
The said Invention consists of a portable oven or baking apparatus heated by
gas, in which the batter or paste from which the altar breads, wafers, biscuits, and
other like articles of food are to be made is baked; and also of apparatus to be
used for supporting and impressing the said articles during the baking of the
same.
The body of the oven, which is by preference rectangular in figure, is made of
sheet iron, and in the said body a baking chamber or oven proper is constructed.
This baking chamber is open at one end, and through the said open end the heated
plates herein-after described, between which the altar bread, wafers, or other articles
are impressed and baked, are introduced into and removed from the baking
chamber. Within the body of the oven, and under the baking chamber, two or
more gas burners, burning a mixture of gas and air, are arranged for heating the
Baid baking chamber.
The heated air and products of combustion from the gas burners described cir-
culate around the bottom, sides, and top of the baking chamber, and heat the said
chamber, the products of combustion escaping by a pipe or flue at the rear end of
the body of the oven. In order to prevent the overheating of the bottom of the
baking chamber and injury to the compressing plates, a slab or block of fire-clay is
supported underneath, and nearly in contact with the bottom of the baking
chamber.
Fixed along opposite sides of the baking chamber are guides on which the com-
pressing apparatus is supported, and on which it is capable of sliding. These guides

page_text: pass out of the open end of the baking chamber and project some distance in front
of the said chamber. The said compressing apparatus consists of two parallel metal
plates, an under plate, and a top plate, the top plate being hinged or jointed to the
rear end of the under plate, so that the said top plate may be turned from off or
folded up the said under plate. The under plate works in the guides fixed at
the sides of the baking chamber, and by means of a handle jointed to the front end
of the said under plate the compressing apparatus may be drawn from out or
pushed into the baking chamber.
The upper plate carries a detachable engraved plate, the said engraved plate
having on its under side a cross, or such other device, inscription, or design, as it is
wished to impress upon the article being baked. This engraved plate is so connected
to the upper plate carrying it that it may be readily removed from the said upper
plate when worn, or replaced by another having a different device, inscription, or
design upon it.
For the purpose of compressing the batter or paste between the plates described
during the baking of the article, two or more pressing rods are made to work
through the top of the baking chamber and bear upon blocks on the top of the
upper plate. These pressing rods are carried by a weighted lever jointed to an
upright on the outside of the body of the oven. By pressing upon the handle end
of this lever the pressing rods bear forcibly upon the top plate and compress the
batter or paste between the two plates, and thereby impress upon the article being
baked the device, inscription, or design, upon the engraved part of the said top
compressing plate. When the pressure is removed from the handle end of the lever
the weight at the opposite end raises the said lever and lifts the pressing rods from
the top plate.
For the purpose of separating the two compressing plates after the wafer or
article has been impressed and baked, and for turning back the top plate from off
the bottom plate, a lifting lever is jointed to the front end of the top plate. Near
the joint of the lifting lever is a small roller which bears upon the under plate.
By pressing upon the lever the small roller acts as a fulcrum to the lever and starts
or separates the two plates. After the top plate has been thus slightly lifted it may
be turned back or from off the bottom plate by the lifting lever.
When the two compressing plates have been thus separated after they have been
withdrawn from the baking chamber, the wafer or article is removed from the lower
plate and another quantity of batter or paste is placed on the said lower plate. The
top plate is turned upon the bottom plate, and the two plates are pushed by the
handle described into the baking chamber, the top plate working in the guidos at
the sides of the said chamber. The top and engraved plate is then pressed by the
rods described, and the altar bread or article impressed and baked hetween the
heated plates. After the baking operation the pressure is removed from the com- 4
pressing lever, the plates are withdrawn from the baking chamber and opened, and
the altar bread or other article removed.