US1462602A - Chocolate mixing and melting machine - Google Patents

Description

July 24, 1923. l4l-62,62

- v o. A. LABUS ET Al.

CHOCOLATE MIXING AND MELTING MACHINE A f' 4. 7"' ,w

ATTORNEY July 24, 1923.

www@ O.A.LABUS ETAL CHOCOLATE MIXING AND MELTING MACHINE Filed June 50, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR OOH'LCLEPHRS Q WITNESSES @hawks MP@ 25? waa/w( BY ATTORNEY .my 24, w23.

O. A. LABUS ET AL CHOCOLATE MIXING AND MELTING MACHINE 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 30 WITNESSES ATTOR N EY Patented July 2d, i923.

Silla-kwil OTTO A. LAB'S, OF WISCONSIN RAPIDS, AND CHARLES H. PETH, OF WAUSAU, WIS- CONSIN; SAID LABUS ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CARBONIO MACHINERY COMPANY,

OF VISCONSIN RAPIDS, WISCONSIN.

CHOCOLATE MIXING AND MELTING MACHINE.

Application le. .Tune 30, 1921. Serial No. 481,550.

To all whom may concern.'

Be it known that we, OTTO A. LABUS and CHARLES H. Parri, citizens of the United States, residing at llVisconsin Rapids and llausau, respectively, in the counties of lWood and Marathon and State of lWisconsin, have invented a new and useful Chocolate Mixing and Melting Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for the treatment of chocolate in candy factories.

Heretofore, devices of this kind have been constructed whereby sections may be added for enlarging a single compartment and jackets have been employed. for heating the device as asingle compartment. Furthermore, devices have been employed in which a common source of power has been provided for the operation of a plurality of independent devices.

The object of thisinvention is to provide a device for thoroughly mixing chocolates and at the same time cooling or heating the mixture, and as such, comprehends further the use of a plurality of individual mixers, all portions of which are surrounded by a water jacket except the cover. The mixers are assembled from anumber of such similar and interchangeable parts that the water jacket will be common to all the mixers and form the partitions between consecutive mixers A feature of the device is its knocl -down characteristic whereby one or more devices may be readily assembled upon a single shaft and provided with a common water jacket, but each mixer forms a complete and independent unit for the treatment of a distinct chocolate preparation while presenting` in appearance a single device.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing in the drawing, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from` the salient features of the vinvention as expressed in the appended claims.

ln the drawings Fig. l is a longitudinal section of a unitar f structure comprising a plurality of mixers.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 3 is another end view of the mixer.

Fig. lis a transverse section through one of the mixers along the line l-t of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the mixers.

The device comprises generally a supporting base formed from a plurality of standards; a plurality of individual mixers per se; a casing common to the plurality of mixers and forming with the exterior surface of the mixers a water jacket, and an operating mechanism which is common to the plurality of mixers and passes centrally thereof for operating individual paddles located on the shaft and within the confines of each mixer. Each mixer is provided with an individual inlet, and likewise an individual outlet, by reason of the fact that these varous mixers may be employed at one and the same time for the treatment of as many different kinds of chocolate as there are mixers on the common shaft.

Referring to the drawings, the supporting base or table is formed of a plurality of standards l, connected together through outwardly extending brackets 2 by means of perforated flanges 3 and bolts Ll. The upper edge of each of the brackets 2 is provided with a perforated flange 5, the purpose of which will bc explained later. Between the flanged ends 3 of the brackets 2 may be placed flanged extension plates 6 for progressively increasing the length of the table where the weight of the machine does not necessarily require a supporting standard l. These plates are connected in a manner similar to the connection between the hanged ends 3 of the standards l. Bars 7 connect pairs of the standards l near their lower ends and transversely of the device to form a bracing means for the standards l and likewise a supporting means for a table 8.

Upon the flanged brackets 2 of the standards l. is secured an cutercasing 9 formed of a plurality of semi-cylindrical sections l() which are flanged at their outer pe 1ipheries as shown at l1. rlhe flanges are secured together by means of bolts 12. Near the bottom of each sec-tion of the casing l() are flanges 13 projecting outwardly from the flanges l1 and laterally of the casing and connected to the flange 5 of the bracket 2, by means of bolts. In this manner. the whole outer sectional casing is secured to the supporting structure or table. The upper ends of the casings 10 are provided with horizontal flanges 1li which are in alinement d and provide a support for the inner casings.

The ends o-f the casing 9 are closed by two plates or heads 16 and 17. The head 17 shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is secured to the flange 11 of an end section 10 of the casing 9 by means of a plurality of bolts passing through perforations extending through the head and the flange `11. The other end of the casing i-s similarly closed by the plate or head 16. An inner plate 13, spaced from the head 16, is provided with a boss 19 in which is located a packing 20 and glands 21 and 22, said` boss being inserted through a perforation centrally disposed in the head A boss 23 surrounds the opening in the head 16 and is provided with packing 24C and a gland 25.

The boss 19 provides a bearing for a shaft 26 which extends longitudinally of the axis of the device. A bearing in a similar boss 19 for the shaft 26 is located on the head 17. The construction just described relative to the packing and the glands in reference to head 16 is duplicated in a similar construction on the head 17. The plate 1S is provided with a flange 18l adapted to engage the upper horizontal edge of the end head 16- to aid in supporting the plate 18. A series of paddles 27 are connected to the shaft 26 through semi-circular sleeves 23 and 29 integrally formed on the inner ends of the paddles by drawing together flanges 30 and 31 that project outwardly from the semi-circular sleeves 28 and 29.

Encasing the paddles are inner casings 32 provided with the flanged portions 33, 3e and 34?. The outwardly projecting flanges 34a engage the flanges 14 for supporting the innei1 casings 32. Between the inner casings are spaced hollow sections 35 of the water jacket forming a common partition between consecutive mixers. These sections comprise two plates 36 and 37, and a horizontal member 33 connecting the plates near their upper ends in such a manner that the flanges 39 are provided which will cooperate with the member 38 to hold the cover 15 from displacement.

The plates 36 and 37 are centrally connected by a perforated boss 40 in which is secured a bushing l1 providing a bearing for the shaft 26. At the outer peripheries and located between the outer edges of the plates 36 and 37 are spaced a series of bosses 43 integrally formed with the plates 36 and 37 and perforated for the insertion of bolts 4t2. The flanges 34; of the inner casings 32 are likewise perforated and adapted to receive the bolts 42 as shown in Fig. 1 for connecting the water jacket formed by the plates 36 and 37 to the two adjacent inner casings. Nuts draw the flanges 33 and 311 of the casings 32 firmly against'tlie water jackets 35 in order to form a water-tight seal in these connections.

Any number' of units or independent mire ers may thus be assembledy by adding to the end of each water jacket a set of paddles 27 secured firmly to the shaft 26 an inner casing 32 bolted to the preceding water jacket an finally closing the last section by the end plates 16 and 13, as: shown on the left of the construction disclosed by Fig. 1.

A section of the water jacket 35 always forms a common partition between twoof the mixers, while the ends of the whole mixer are closed by the plates 16 and 17 especially constructed for this purpose.

The common shaft 26 is operated through a worm gear speed reducing unit 113 secured upon the bracket 441, which bracket is in turn secured to lugs/l5 projecting outwardly from the end plate 17. Upon the end of a sha-ft 46 are mounted drive wheels e7 vhich are adapted to be operated by means of a belt or directly connected to an electric motor or other d 'iving means.

later is admitted to the jacket formed by means of the outer and inner casings and the hollow sections 35 through an inlet pipe i8 which leads tol the to-p of the device and enters through the plate 17. A valve 49 controls the flow of hot or cold water to this pipe. An overflow 50 is secured in the upper end of the end plate 16, while valve-controlled drains 51 are connected to the end plate- s 16 and 17 for dischargingthe water from the jacket.

Steam may be admitted to both ends of the water jacket through pipes 52 and 53 connected to the lower ends of the plates 16 and 17, respectively, and adapted to discharge steam into the water for heating the same. The pipes connect the steam pipes 52 with the upper end of the water jacket at both ends of the mixers.

The table 3 is adapted to provide a means for holding drip pans 54C which are placed beneath the quick-acting' valves A pipe 56 passing through a lgland 57 and packing 58 located in a boss59 formed at the lower portion of each o-f the outer casings 10 is connected at its inner end with the inner Casing at 60` and is adapted to drain the contents of the inner casings 32 when the valve is operated by means of a rod 61. The valve 55 is closed upon the release of the rod 61 by means of a spring 62.

The covers 15 are pivoted at one end to the flange 34 of the inner casing 32 and are provided with the handles 63 and index card holders. j

The general operation of our device will ,now be described. Since the purpose or i nections for the admission object of this `invention is to provide a plurality of individual units for separately mii;- ingr differently flavored or different kinds o t chocolate and all operated by a common shai'ft` and heatedv by a common `water jacket, the description vwill be applied more strictly to the ready assembling or dismantling1 oi" the different units when necessity requires such a proceeding'. lt only one mixer were required, a construction would appear made up of the following elements. Referring); to Fig. 1, the head 16 and plate 18 would be set up as illustrated, the shaft 26 passing` through the glands and packing` in the boss 19 formed in the plates .18; the paddles 27 will be secured upon the shaft 26 ,the outer casing 10 will be bolted at its outer edges to the heads 16 and 17, while the inner casing 32 will have its flanged edges secured to the end plates 18.

ot steam and water will not be disturbed, and by means of their connection to the heads 16 and 17 will permit circulation ot steam and water in the jacket which is formed by the inner and outer casing-s and the plates 16, 17 and 18. rlhe outer casings are assembled upon and connected by means of their outwardly projecting' flanges to two pairs ofstandards 1.

It will also be noted that the standards are so constructed that they likewise partake of a sectional nature in which any number may be employed corresponding; to the number ot mixers required or any number may be eliminated accordingly as the number of mixers are limited.

ln assembling two or more mixers, the necessary number of standards will be joined by the bolting together the flanges 3 oli' the brackets .2 and bracing the legs of the standards by the transverse bars 7. A corresponding number ot outer casing 10 are set up and bolted to the standards; the shattinr; 26 and the head 17 with its assembled water and steam connections and driving; gear, and the4 plate 18 are then fixed in place. A series of paddles 27 and hollow sections 35 are next alternately placed on the shaittingT until the end of the nal outer casing' 10 is reached, when the plates 16 and 18 are bolted to the outer and inY er casingrs respectively. As is shown in Fig. 1, each section 35 is bolted to the adjacent flanges 33 and or" the inner casings 82. The end plate 16 carries with it the steam and water connections. The covers 15 andthe outlet pipes 56 to each mixer are then placed in position. The device is now ready for mininga number of different kinds ot chocolates and each cover may be labeled accordingly. i

From an inspection ot' all the figures, it will -be seen that in this particular machine there are no driving` gears, pulleys or shatt- ,coe

The pipe coning directly over the top ot the machine or in any exposed position where it would be dangerous to workmen since the shattingr passes through the device and is enclosed therein.

lt will be also noted that each unit of the device is made up ot an inner casing,y 32, forming the bottom and sides ci' what may be termed a tub within which the paddles revolve, and that the wall between any two adjacent tubs is formed by the spaced plates 36 and 87, the space between these plates being' lilled with water which is in free communication with the water between the set of tubs and the outer jacket, which is also made up ot sections as shown at 10, and the end plates 16 and 17.

The tubs are vertically disposed so that the `paddles will be rotated in a vertical plane. The purpose oi' such a construction is to prevent the cocoa butter, which is a part ot the chocolate, from separating?,` from the chocolate itself and floating upon the surface. The cocoa butter, which always tends to work its way to the surface of the molten fluid, will be beaten downward into the mass 'ot the chocolate and thoroughly mixed therewith. This is not possible with horizontal tub machines, since the paddles work in a horizontal plane and tend to drive the cocoa butter towards the surface of thetluid.

life further wish it to be understood that we are the first to produce a chocolate mir;- ing` device, whereby a plurality of tubs or independent mixers presenting; in appearance a single mixer have a common water jacket t'or ieating` all parts of the mixers, except the top, with portions of the said water jacket termine1 a common partition between the consecutive tubs or mixers.

lllhat is claimed is:`l

l. ln a mixingmachine, a plurality of standards provided with connecting' means, a plurality ot inner casinrg's` a plurality of hollow sections of a water jacket having connestingi means for joining consecutive inner casings, and a plurality ot outer casine's provided with connecting; means tor joining the casings together and to the standards, said connecting; means in eachcase being,- adapted tor sectionally assembling the parts to provide a unitary structure comprising; a plurality oi independent mixers and a common water jacket.

2. ln a mixing machine, a spaced hollow sections: ot a shatt journaled cent 'ally of said sections, paddles mounted. on said shatt and located between consecutive. sections, inner casings enclosing` the paddles and secured to consecutive sections ot the water jacket, thereby forming` individual and independent ers, outer casings secured together and cooperating with the inner casings and secplurality ot water jacket, a

tions to form a common water jacket for the plurality of mixers, and heads closing the ends of the outer casings.

3. In a mixing machine, a plurality of tubs, each tub comprising an inner casing forming the base and sides of the tub, interchangeable sections of a water jacket forming the'two ends of the tubs, a shaft extending through the tubs, paddles mounted on the shaft between the sections of .the water jacket, and a plurality of outer casings joined together'and cooperating with the inner casings and sections of the water jacket to form a common water jacket for one or more of the tubs.

t. In a mixing machine, a plurality of spaced hollow sections of a water jacket, inner casings alternately connected with the yspaced sections to form a plurality of tubs,

and outer casings joined together land forming with the inner casings and the sections of the water jack-t a common jacket for the plurality of tubs.

5. ln a mixing machine, a plurality of spaced hollow sections of a water jacket, a shaft journaled centrally of said sections, paddles mounted on the shaft between said sections,` inner casings secured to and between consecutive sections of the water jacket, outer casings secured together and surrounding the inner casing to form with the inner casingand the sections of the water jacket a-jacket common to the whole device, the inner casings and alternate sectionsof the jacket forming individual mixers.` i

6. In a mixing machine, a plurality of spaced sections of a water jacket, a shaft journaled in said sections, paddles mounted on the shaft between said sections, inner casings secured to and between consecutive sections of the water jacket, outer casings secured together and surrounding the inner casings to form with the inner casings and the sections of the water jacket a water jacket `common to the whole device,l the inner casing and consecutive jackets forming individual mixers, each mixer being provided with an outlet passing through the outer casings.

7. ln a mixing machine, a plurality of spaced sections of a water jacket, a shaft journaled in said sections, a paddle mounted on the shaft between said sections, an inner casing secured to and between consecutive sections of the water jacket, outer casings secured together and surrounding the inner casing to form with the inner casing and the sections of the water jacket a jacket common to the whole device, the inner casing andV consecutive jackets forming individual mixers, means for admitting water to the jackets, and means for passing steam through said water jacket. i

8. In a mixing machine, a plurality of mixers, a common shaft j ournaled centrally of said mixers, paddles secured to the shaft in each mixer, a water jacket surrounding all portions of each mixer except the top, the portion of the water jacket located between two consecutive mixers comprising two walls integrally connected andhaving a space therebetween forming a common water jacket for said consecutive mixers.

9. ln a mixing machine, ya plurality of tubs, a shaft journaled centrally of said tubs, paddles secured to the shaft in each tub, a casing surrounding said tubs, hollow sections of av water jacketv common to consecutive tubs and in communication with the space between the exterior of the tubs and the outer casing, and means for admitting water to said casino'.

l0. In a mixing machine, a plurality of vertical mixers, in longitudinal alinement, a plurality of spaced hollow sections of a water jacket each forming a common partition for consecutive mixers, inner casings connected to said sections of the jacket, an outer casing enclosing the inner casings, and pairs of connected supports, there being one pair for 'each mixer.

ll. In a mixing machine, a plurality of nixers presenting in appearance a single structure provided with a common shaft and water jacket, and comprising vertical hollow portions ofthe water jacket spaced .between the ends of the device and forming partitions for consecutive mixers, an outer casing enclosing the mixers, plates closing the mixers disposed at opposite ends of the device, and heads connected to said plates and likewise to the outer casing for completing the water jacket.

l2. In a mixing machine, a plurality of mixers presenting in appearance a single structure provided with a common shaft and water jacket, and comprising in combination, an inner casing, an outer casing enclosing the same, vertical hollow portions of the water jacket spaced along the shaft and connected to the inner casing and provided with openings communicating with the space between the inner and outer casings, platesv closing the ends of the inner casing, an heads connected to said plates and likewise to the outer casing for completing the water jacket, the space between the adj acentpla-tes and heads being in communication withthe space between the inner and outer casings.

13. In a mixing machine, an outer casing, heads secured to the ends of the casing for closing the same, an inner casing spaced at all points from and also suspended from the outer casing, plates closing the ends of the inner casing and engaging the upper portions of the heads, bosses on the end plates extending through perforations in the heads, a shaft journaled in said bosses, and aplurality of hollow vertical partitions connected to the inner casing, dividing said casing into a plurality of mixers, a water jacket formed between the inner and outer casings for the circulation ot water, each of the hollo-w Vertical partitions being provided with a passageway to admit water from the jacket to said hollow partitions.

lil. ln a mixing machine, a. plurality of tubs in longitudinal alinement, a common shaft for said tubs, paddles located within each tub and secured to the shaft, an outer casing enclosing the tubs, and a wat-er jacket permitting circulation of water between consecutive tubs and opening into thevspace between the end tubs and outer casing, the

`sections of the jacket between the tubs each comprising a pair or' spaced walls integrally connected and forming the adjacent end walls of the respective tubs each of said tubs being provided with an outlet passing through the water jacket.

ln a miningy machine,` comprising in combination spaced apart heads, a. sectional outer casing, 'the' sections being assembled endwise, the outer ends'ot which are connected to the spaced heads, plates spaced from the heads and provided with bosses projecting through perforations in the heads, a plurality of hollow sections of a water jacketspaced between the said plates, an inner casing spaced from the outer casing to form a water jacket therebetween and consisting of separable sections connected to and between the hollow sections, the water jacket having communication with the hollow sections and the spaces between the said plates and the adjacent heads.

16. In a mixing machine, a plurality of spaced hollow interchangeable sections of a water jacket, interchangeable inner casings alternately connected with the spaced sections to forni a plurality of tubs, and interchangeable outer casings joined together and forming with the inner casings and the sections of the jacket, a common jacket for the plurality of tubs.

In testiinonygthat we claim the foregoing asV our own, we have hereto affixed our signatures. i

OTTO A. LABUS. CHARLES H. PETE-l.

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