US1092090A - Block-forming machine. - Google Patents

Description

T. L. 'BUGLER.

BLOGK FORMING MACHINE.

AP PLIOATION FILED MAY 16,1910.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914,

4 SHEETS-SHEET. 1.

.T. L. BUGLER. BLOCK FORMING MAOHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1910. 1 092 090 Patented Mar. 31, 1914, 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T. L. BUGLER. BLOCK FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16,1910.

Patented Mar. 31, 19%

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

T. L. BUGLE-R.

BLOCK FORMING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 16, 1910.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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THOMAS L. BUGLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BLOCK-FORMING MACHINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Application filed May 16, 1910. Serial No. 561,565.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS L. Ensure, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new an useful Improvements in Block-Forming Machines, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to machines for forming blocks or cakes from a sheet of stock. It is herein shown as embodied in a machine for making such cakes or blocks as are to be treated to form bon-bons, macaroons, and the like. I

The present invention is in the nature 01' an improvement upon the machine shown in my copending application Serial No. 171,006, filed January 6, 1909. In sa d machine the sheet of plastic material is fed to a punching mechanism which punches blocks from the sheet, thus forming apertures in the sheet, and the apertured sheet becoming scrap. The punchedeout blocks are received upon a conveyer, while the scrap is removed from anism by another conveyer.

It has been found that when the blocks are removed from the sheet there is danger that the blocks will become displaced with relation to one another. To place a quantity of sticky blocks in order after they have become disarranged is a vexatious and time-consuming operation.

The finished pieces of confectionery must be packed close together in the conta ners in which they are marketed, hence 1t is highly desirable that the blocks leave the cutting machine compactly grouped together so that it shall not be necessary to handle or rearrange the pieces.

When cakes of non-rectangular shape are formed from a sheet, the material between adjacent cakes becomes scrap. In the machine herein shown, instead of removing the cakes or blocks from the sheet, the scraps or waste pieces are removed, the blocks being left connected together by Webs of the candy material. By this means the blocks are formed in compact groups, the pieces not being liable to become disarranged or displaced.

A further advantage of the present arrangement is that a convcyer need not be provided'for the scraps or waste pieces, since the scraps may be discharged in a chute or receptacle.

the punching mech-.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation-of a machine embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical central section through said machine. Fig. 8 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the means for transmitting motion to the adjustable feed rolls. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing, in topplan, the operation of forming a sheet into blocks. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the stripper plate. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the die cylinder, showing also a cleaner for said cylinder. Fig. 8 is an elevation of said cylinder. Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view through the cutting mechanism. Fig. 10 is a fragmental perspective view of the cutter. Fig. 11 is a sectional view and Fig. 12 is a fragmental elevation of a water-spraying pipe.

The general arrangement of the present machine is clearly indicated in Fig. 2. As shown in said figure, the cutting mechanism is located centrally of the machine. At one side of the cutting mechanism is a conveyor for carrying a sheet a (Fig. 5) of the stock to the mechanism, while at the other side of said mechanism is a conveyer for removing the connected series of blocks 6. The scraps punched from the sheet are discharged upon a chute which delivers the scraps at the desired point.

The mechanisms of the machine are driven from a shaft 1 carrying a drive pulley 2 and a balance wheel 3. Fixed on the shaft 1 is a pinion 41 that meshes with a pinion 5 mounted on the frame, the latter pinion being in mesh with a spur gear wheel 6 rigidly mounted on a shaft 7. The shaft 7 is connected by means of eccentrics 8 and 9 and eccentric rods 10 and 11 with two cross-heads 12 and 13 slidably mounted upon guide posts 14: fixed in the supporting frame. The cross-head 13 carries a cutter or gang of cutters 15. As shown in Fig. 5, the cutter is so shaped as to define the cakes by cutting out the stock between them; in other words, the cutter consists of two halves 15 arranged to define one-half of one row of cakes and the adjacent half of the next row of cakes. The cutter herein shown is adapted to form elliptical cakes, but it will be understood that the precise shape of the cutter is no part of the invention, as the cutter may be made as to produce cakes of any desired outline.

The cutter 1s notched as at 16 and 17, and

of such cross-sectional form 71 the downward or cutting stroke of the cutter is so adjusted that the notched portions 16 17 do not quite pass through the sheet, thereby forming webs 0 (Z which unite the blocks and hold them in proper relative position. WVithin the cutter 15 is a plurality of ejectors 18 for clearing the cutter from the scraps e. In this instance each ejector consists of a socketed member having a block- 19 (Fig. 9) of felt or other suitable material fixed therein. The ejectors are provided with stems 20 which are attached to the cross-head 12.

Just above the path of movement of the sheet a is located a stripping means of suitable construction. In the present embodiment, the stripper consists of two plates 21 confining between them a layer 22 of felt or other absorbent material, the stripper being suitably secured in place in the frame of the machine. The plates 21 and the layer of felt are apertured for the passage of the cutter 15.

Directly below the plane of movement of the sheet there is located a suitable die to cooperate with the cutter 15 in severing the sheet a. Said die is preferably in the form of a cylinder 23, as herein shown, the cylinder being rotatably supported in the ma chine frame. In this instance, there are two diametrically opposite die openings 24 in the cylinder, the latter being moved through a series of half-revolutions during the intervals between the cutting actions of the cutter. The means herein shown for imtermittently rotating the die cylinder comprises a gear sector 25 (Fig. 1) fixed on the shaft 7 and arranged to mesh with a pinion 26 fast on one of the journals of the cylinder. Suitable means may be provided for locking the die cylinder in its operative position, as, for example, two spring detents 27 (Fig. 8) adapted to engage in recesses 28 in the cylinder. In the die cylinder are two diametrically opposite openings 23 through which the scraps forced into the cylinder by the ejectors 18 may drop I into a chute 1 said chute directing the scraps to a suitable receptacle 1.

The stock is fed to the cutting mechanism by means comprising an endless belt conveyer 29. The supporting roller 30 of the conveyer is mounted in stationary bearings, while the other roller 31, is mounted in adjustable bearings so that slack in the belt may be taken up by increasing the distance between the rollers 30 and 31. The adjustable support for the roller 31 is herein obtained by mounting the roller journals in boxes 32 which are slidable in ways in the machine frame, screws 33 being provided for moving the boxes.

The conveyer 29 may be driven by any suitable means, as, for instance, a ratchet wheel 34 fixed on one of the journals of the roller 31, an arm 35 loose on said journal, a

. pawl 36 carried by the arm 35 and engaging in Fig. 3. In this figure, the crank arm and the connecting link are designated by the characters 37 and 38, respectively. I

Between the cutting mechanism and the delivery end of the conveyer 29 is a pair of feed rolls 39 40. Said rolls are driven, in

this instance, from a gear wheel 41 (Fig.

4) fixed on the shaft of the roller 30. The gear 41 meshes with an intermediate pinion 42, which in turn engages a gear wheel 43 fixed to the feed roll 39. The feed roll 40 is adjustable toward and away from the roll 39, therefore the gear train connecting the roll 40 with the gear wheel 41 is preferably mounted for adjustment. As herein shown, an arm 44 is pivoted on the shaft of the roller 30 and carries two intermeshing gears 45 46, the gear 45 meshing with the gear 41, and the gear 46 meshing with a gear 47 fixed to the feed roller 40. The arm 44 has an operating handle 48, and is fixed in adjusted position by suitable means, such as a screw 49 ext-ending through an arcuate slot 50 in the handle into the frame of the machine. The feed roll 40 may be adjusted in position by any suitable means, as, for instance, that fully described in my said copending application. The means there shown comprises a pair, of threaded rods 4O" engaging the slidable bearings for the upper feed-roll, pinions 40 upon the upper ends of said rods, other pinions 40 meshing with the first mentioned pinions, and a rod connecting the lastmentioned pinions for moving them to adjust the bearings of the feed-roll.

The blocks 7) are removed from thecutting mechanism by suita'ble means, as, for

example, an endless belt conveyer 51, which may be similar in all substantial respects to the conveyer 29 and may be driven from the same shaft 7, as herein shown, by a pawl and ratchet mechanism similar to the device 34 35 36. The space between the cutting mechanism and the receiving end of the conveyer 51 may be bridged by a plate 52. A plate 53 supports the sheet a between V the feed rolls 39 40 and the cutting mechamsm.

At the discharge end of the conveyer 51 the sheet of blocks 7) is received in any suitable manner. In the case of macaroons, the sheet is transferred to a toasting machine, and after the blocks have been toasted the sheet, or sections thereof, are placed in boxes. It will be seen that the blocks issue from the cutting machine in a definite and compact arrangement, that the blocks being connected together cannot become displaced with relation to one another, and that because of the compact arrangement of the blocks as they come from the cutting machine the blocks need not be separately handled and packed close together when being boxed for the market.

Confectionery stock is very sticky, especially during warm Weather. I have therefore arranged the machine with particular reference to the necessity for preventing the material from adhering to the operating parts, to as great an extent as possible, and for removing from the operating parts the material that may unavoidably adhere thereto. Instead of using a stationary die, which could not well be cleaned without stopping the machine, I have provided a rotatable die, in order that its surface may be automatically cleaned during the operation of the machine. The cleaning means may be of any suitable character; I have herein shown a scraper blade 54 contacting the surface of the cylinder 23. Similar scrapers 55 56 may be provided for the feed rolls 39 40.

Adhesion between the material and the cutter, die, stripper and ejector is reduced to a minimum by moistening said operating parts. To this end, a water-spraying pipe 57 having perforations in one side is arranged at each side of the cutting mechanism and connected with a suitable supply of water by means of a pipe 58. In the pipe 58 is a valve 59. At suitable intervals the operator opens the valve 59 and sprays the cutter 15. The felt 22 in the stripper tends to retain moisture and thus assists to keep the surface of the cutter moist. When desirable, the felt 22 may be removed for renewal, cleaning or moistening.

The cutter 15 is removably secured in place in any suitable manner to permit of using different forms of cutters. As herein shown, the cutter is attached to the crosshead 13 by screws 60. The stripper is detachably secured in place by screws 61 (Fig. 6). The die cylinder 23 is mounted on with drawable pivots 62, so that the cylinder may be removed and another substituted when the cutter is changed.

In operation, a sheet a is placed on the conveyer 29, and is fed by said conveyer and the rolls 39 40 to the cutting mechanism. The latter cuts the sheet to form blocks 2) and punches from the sheet the material between the blocks. The connected series of blocks is removed from the cutting mechanism by the conveyer 51, while the scraps drop into the receptacle 1.

The invention is not limited to the details herein described, for various modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a block-forming machine, a cutter comprising a portion adapted to cut onehalf of a row of blocks and another portion adapted to cut the adjacent half of another row of blocks, said port-ions being notched to provide cutting edges of differing heights.

2. A block-forming machine comprising a reciprocatory cutter, a rotatory hollow cylinder having a peripheral die-opening therein, into which opening said cutter is arranged to pass, and means for ejecting scrap from the cutter and into said cylinder, the latter having another peripheral opening therein through which the scrap escapes in the rotation of the cylinder.

3. In a confectionery machine, in combination, a reciprocatory cutter adapted to cut the outlines of blocks in a sheet, said cutter comprising a portion adapted to cut onehalf of a row of blocks and another portion adapted to cut the adjacent half of another row of blocks, said portions being notched to provide cutting edges of differing heights; a rotatory cylinder having die openings and scrap-outlet openings therein; reciprocatory ejectors mounted in the cutter for punching from the sheet and into the die cylinder the pieces of material between the block outlines; means for feeding a sheet to the cutter; and means for removing the sheet of blocks from the cutter.

4. In a block-forming machine, means for feeding material, means for removing material, and means interposed between the two first-mentioned means for cutting the material into blocks, said cutting means comprising reciprocatory cutters, a rotary die arranged to cooperate with said cutters, a stripper cotiperating with said die, ejectors mounted within said cutters, and means for moistening said cutters.

5. In a block-forming machine, a cutter comprising a portion, adapted to form onehalf of the block and the adjacent half of the next block, a movable die coiiperating with said cutter, ejectors fitting within the cutter and arranged to punch out the material between said blocks, and means for stripping material from the outside of the cutter.

6. In a block-forming machine, a reciprocatory cutter, a die coiiperating therewith, an ejector slidable within said cutter and having a portion adapted to absorb moisture, forming the discharging end and a stripper surrounding said cutter and having a moisture absorbing portion for moistening said cutter.

THOMAS L. BUGLER. Witnesses:

PHILIP G. GonBEL, THOMAS W. BUGLER.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each,

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C.

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