Improvements in Machines for Making Crackers or similar Cakes or Biscuits.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JAMES WALLACE RUGER, of No. 220, Chicago
Street, in the City of Buffalo, County of Eric and State of New York,
United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Machines for Making Crackers or similar Cakes or
Biscuits.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
This invention relates to that class of cracker-machines in which the sheet of
dough is conveyed from the dough press or feed rollers beneath a reciprocating
cutter by an endless apron, the crackers or cakes being deposited into pans while
the scrap-dough passes onward in a different direction.
Prior to my invention the scrap-dough was conducted from the feed-apron to an
elevating apron, whereby it was deposited upon a table from which it was removed
from time to time by an attendant and returned to the feed hopper.
One of the objects of my invention is to automatically return the scrap dough to
the feed hopper, so as to save the time and labour of such attendant.
The invention further has for its objects to facilitate the manipulation of the feed
rollers of the dough press in cleaning them, and to so construct the machine that
the same can be readily adapted for making snaps and similar goods as well as soft
or hard dough goods.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my improved cracker-machine.
Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the dough-press.
Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section thereof.
Figure 4 is a front view of the dough-press.
Figure 5 is a rear view of the lower portion thereof.
Figure 6 is a top plan view of the rollers supports or tables arranged underneath
the feed-rollers of the dough press.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the return scrap carrier and co-operative
parts, on an enlarged scale.
Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of the front apron of said carrier.
Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts in the several figures.
A A represent the side frames of the machine, which are connected by cross-
stays. B is the dough-press consisting of a hopper or trough into which the dough
is placed a pair of feed rollers B₁, arranged in the lower portion of the hopper, and
a restricted throat or receptacle B³, arranged below the feed-rollers, and to the
lower end of which is applied the die through which the dough is forced in a
continuous sheet by the feed-rollers. As more clearly shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4,
the feed rollers are journalled in bearings arranged on the side frames of the
press and having removable caps 62 which permit the rollers to be taken out of
the bearings for cleaning them when necessary or preparatory to changing the
dough.
CC₁ are tables or roller-supports arranged respectively, on the front and rear
sides of the press, underneath the feed-rollers, and projecting outwardly therefrom.
These tables form supports for the rollers in cleaning the same and permit them to
be rolled outward to a convenient and accessible position after removing the caps
of their bearings, without the necessity of carrying the rollers or lifting them, which
is a laborious operation. After cleaning the rollers they are again rolled into their

page_text: proper position and the caps of their bearings replaced. The tables C C¹ also
serve to catch any scraps escaping from the press before reaching the die and
prevent the same from falling upon the sheet of dough below and rendering it
uneven or lumpy. The rear table C' is preferably formed integrally with the plate
to which the die is secured, and the front table C is secured between the side
frames of the press.
D represents a preliminary carrier or endless feed-apron arranged underneath the
dough press and upon which the sheet of dough is deposited as it comes from the
press. This apron runs around guide rollers d d.
E is the main carrier or apron having its receiving end arranged underneath the
delivery end of the feed apron D and running around guide rollers e e journalled
near opposite ends of the machine.
F represents a pair of gauging or compressing rollers arranged over the head of
the main apron E, behind the delivery end of the preliminary feed-apron. These
compressing rollers receive the sheet of dough from the preliminary apron and
reduce it to the desired thickness, one of the rollers being preferably mounted in
adjustable bearings, so that the thickness of the sheet of dough may be varied at
pleasure. The delivery end of the preliminary apron is separated from the com-
pressing rollers by a small space as shown at f, in Figure 1, through which the
sheet of dough may be allowed to pass directly upon the main apron without passing.
through the compressing-rollers.
G is the brush whereby the flour sprinkled upon the advancing sheet of dough is
dusted backwardly in a well known manner, and H is the reciprocating cutter,
which may be of any ordinary construction.
I is the carrier or apron arranged below the delivery end of the main apron E
and upon which the pans are placed which receive the cakes or crackers.
The return carrier, whereby the perforated sheet of scrap-dough is returned to
the feed hopper, is for convenience composed of two endless aprons, an elevating or
rear apron J, which receives the scrap-dough from the main apron, and a return or
front apron K, which takes the scrap-dough from the front end of the elevating
apron and conveys it to the feed hopper and which forms practically a continuation
of the elevating-apron.
j is a holder or transverse bar extending across the upper side of the elevating
apron J near its receiving end and which presses the end of the sheet of scrap
against the apron to prevent slipping thereof. This holder is pivoted to a
standard by arms, and holds the sheet of dough against the apron by gravity.
The return apron K extends from the delivery end of the elevating-apron to the
hopper of the dough press B and runs around guide-rollers & journalled in a frame L.
The latter consists of longitudinal side pieces or flanges and connecting plate l,
which supports the upper portion of the apron between the guide rollers K. The
supporting frame L is preferably pivoted at its delivery end to standards L', secured
to the main frame A, so that the receiving end of the apron can be adjusted
vertically or raised out of the way for changing the reciprocating cutters.
free end of the return apron is counterbalanced by a weight M, which is connected
with the apron by a chain m, running around a pulley in suspended from the ceiling
or other support. This counter-balance holds the apron at any desired elevation.
The preliminary feed apron D has a continuous movement, while the receiving
aprons are operated intermittently in a well-known manner by any approved
mechanism.
The
When the advancing sheet of scrap-dough on the main apron reaches the lower
end of the elevating-apron J, the operator doubles or folds the end thereof over the
adjacent end of the elevating apron and holds it against the apron until it passes
under the holder j, after which the sheet of scrap is carried onward by the elevating-
apron and delivered to the return-apron K, which latter conveys it into the feed
hopper of the dough-press, where it is mixed with the fresh dough supplied to the
hopper. The dough press being constantly supplied with scrap-dough by the
return apron and with fresh dough by the attendant, the new and scrap doughs are

page_text: mixed together in about equal quantities, and a uniform sheet composed of such
mixture is continuously discharged from the dough-press upon the preliminary feed-
apron below. By returning the scrap-dough to the feed-press or feed-roller by
automatic means, instead of employing manual labor for the purpose, the cost of
such labor is saved and the scrap-dough is delivered into the dough-press in uniform
quantities and in a more reliable manner than by an attendant, thereby producing
better and more uniform goods.
When the machine is used for making goods of soft dough the sheet of dough is
allowed to pass over the delivery end of the preliminary feed-apron D directly upon
the main apron E without being passed through the compressing-rollers F. The
sheet is then carried by the main apron under the cutters and the cakes are
deposited into the pans upon the apron I and the scrap is returned to the dough-
press, as before described. When it is desired to make snaps or similar goods
which require a close-grained dough, the sheet of dough as it comes from the pre-
liminary apron is directed by hand between the compressing-rollers F and then
allowed to pass upon the main feed-apron below, whence it passes under the cutters.
In making goods of hard dough, the dough, after passing through the required
number of brakes, is fed directly to the compressing-rollers by an inclined feed-
board N without passing through the dough press and over the preliminary feed-
apron, the sheet of dough descending upon the main feed-apron from the
compressing-rollers. The inclined feed-board N is made detachable, as shown, so
that it can be readily removed when the machine is used for making snaps or soft-
dough goods.
The preliminary feed-apron and the compressing rollers F co-operating therewith,
constitute an important feature of my invention as they render the machine useful
for making snaps as well as soft and hard-dough goods without adding materially to
its cost. It is obvious, however, that the devices by which the scrap is returned to
the feed-hopper can be applied to a machine which does not contain the preliminary
feed-apron and the compressing-rollers and in which the sheet of dough passes
directly from the dough-press upon the feed-apron, which presents it to the
cutters.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a cracker-machine, the combination with a dough-press, of a preliminary
feed-apron or carrier arranged underneath the dough-press, compressing-rollers
arranged at the delivery end of the preliminary apron, and a main feed-apron or
carrier arranged underneath the delivery end of the preliminary apron and said com-
pressing-rollers, substantially as set forth.
2. In a cracker-machine, the combination with a dough-press, of a preliminary
feed apron or carrier arranged underneath the dough-press, compressing rollers
arranged at the delivery end of the preliminary apron and separated from said
delivery end by a space through which the sheet of dough may pass, and a main
feed-apron or carrier arranged underneath the delivery end of the preliminary apron
and said compressing-rollers, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination, with the feed-hopper and feed-rollers, the cutter mechanism,
and the feed-apron which presents the sheet of dough to the cutter mechanism,
of a return carrier which receives the scrap-dough after it has passed the
cutter mechanism and returns it to the feed-hopper substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with the feed-hopper and feed-rollers the cutter mechanism,
and the feed-apron which presents the sheet of dough to the cutter mechanism, of
an elevating apron arranged in rear of the cutter mechanism and receiving the
scrap-dough from the feed apron,
return apron which receives the
scrap from the elevating apron and conveys it to the feed-hopper, substantially as
set forth.
and a
5. The combination, with the feed-hopper, the feed rollers, the cutter mechanism,

page_text: and the feed-apron which presents the sheet of dough to the cutter mechanism, of
an elevating apron arranged in rear of the cutter mechanism and receiving the
scrap-dough from the feed-apron, and a return apron which receives the scrap from
the elevating apron and which is vertically movable at its rear end, substantially as
set forth.
.
6. In a dough-press, the combination with the hopper having a restricted throat
or discharge opening and feed-rollers arranged in the hopper above its restricted
throat and journalled removably in their bearings, of a table or support arranged
underneath the feed-rollers, substantially as set forth.
7. In a cracker-machine, the combination with a feed-apron, of a dough-press
arranged over said feed-apron and having feed-rollers, and outwardly extending
tables arranged underneath said feed-rollers, which catch the scraps from the feed-
rollers and prevent the same from falling upon the feed apron below, substantially
as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of March 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.