GB605752A - Improvements in guillotine machines intended primarily for use in the manufacture of confectionery - Google Patents

Abstract

605,752. Cutting sweetmeats &c. HOUNSELL (ENGINEERS), Ltd., J., and HOUNSELL, F. Jan. 3, 1946, No. 310. [Class 87 (ii)] A machine for cutting sheets or slabs of sweetmeats &c., into rectangular pieces has traversing means for the work capable of two-way feed motion and a pair of guillotine blades, one of which is brought into operation for one direction of traverse and the other for the reverse direction of traverse. The means for operating the blade 11 and for traversing the work from left to right, Fig. 1 (i.e. from front to rear of the machine) are driven from the shaft 8, and the means for operating the blade 11a, and traversing the work from right to left are driven from the shaft 8a. The main drive shaft 6 carries a pinion in mesh with the pinion 7 which is freely mounted on the shaft 8, and is in mesh with the pinion 7a freely mounted on the shaft 8a. Either of these pinions may be coupled to its shaft by a clutch which is controlled by a spring-loaded lever; normally both clutches are disengaged, the slidable parts thereof engaging with the machine frame positively to prevent the shafts from turning. The slab of sweetmeat, on a board, is placed in a frame which slides in guides 3 in the sides of the machine, the frame being provided with a rack engageable by a hand-operated pinion to feed the frame into the machine until the rack engages the automatic traversing means. When the frame is fed in from the left a cam thereon moves the appropriate clutch-controlling lever and couples the pinion 7 to the shaft 8. This lever also operates a clutch to couple a traversing pinion 23 to its shaft 24. Another cam on the frame engages the other clutch-controlling lever to prevent it from moving. The shaft 8 is now turned by the pinion 7 and reciprocates the blade 11 on the guides 16 by means of crank discs 12 and rods 10, which have slotted strap portions 14 co-operating with crank pins 13. The blade is slidably mounted in a block 15 and carries a pin 50 working in a slot 51 in the fixed bracket 52. The slot may be vertical or inclined; in the latter case the blade has a lateral as well as a vertical movement. The blade operates between felt wiper strips 46 which may be impregnated with lubricant. The traversing pinion 23, which engages the above mentioned rack on the work frame, is driven intermittently by a free wheel device operated by the rack 22, lever 19, and spring-loaded rod 18. During the upstroke of the rod 10 the bracket 17 rides up the rod 18 and after the knife 11 has cleared the work the strap porttion 14 engages and raises the rod so as to operate the lever and rack 19, 22, and impart a feeding motion to the work frame. During the downstroke the bracket 17 slides down the rod 18 until it engages the block 31 so as positively to return the lever 19 and rack 22 to their initial positions. The rack 22 is adjustably connected to the lever 19 by the slot 20 and stud 21. to allow the extent of the traversing motion to be altered. The work is delivered at the right of the machine with a series of parallel cuts made by the blade 11. The operator now turns the board carrying the work through 90 degrees and feeds the work frame back into the machine from right to left, and the cams on the work frame operate the clutches for coupling the rear-to-front traversing mechanism, and the mechanism for operating the blade 11a, to the shaft 8a, these mechanisms being similar to those described above. The work is thus delivered at the left of the machine cut into rectangular pieces, the shape of which is determined by the setting of the studs 21. During its passage through the machine the work is held down on the board by the spring-mounted rollers 45.