US1478866A - Candy-making apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 25 1923.

A. L. BAUSMAN CANDY MAKING APPARATUS 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet x Filed Dec. 2

INVENTOR JZWWMM,

ATTORNEYS.

| llll I I ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 25, 1923. 1,478,866

A. L." BAUSMAN CANDY MAKING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 2, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS.

atented Dec.- 25, 1923.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO LINTON BAUSHAN, O]? CHIGOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 NATIONAL EQUIPMENT comm, or massacnusnr'rs.

SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF.

CANDY-MAKING APPARATUS.

Application illedllecember 2, 1920. Serial No. 427,781.

To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I AIDNZO L g'mn BAUsiAN, citizen of the llnited State's, residin at Chicopee, in the county of Hampden an State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in'Candy-Making Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. j

This invention relates to an apparatus which is particularly designed for use in candy making to facilitate the packingof the coated confections and cool them prior to packing. An example of an apparatus ofthis class is shown in U. S. Letters Patent 1,123,934 granted-January. '5, 1915, c

hrafit, Blake/and Lorentzen.

An object of the invention is to improve apparatus of the general type shown in said patent b the utilization oiispace formerly galsllzed, t ereby rendering the apparatus less Another object of the invention is to pro.- vide an apparatus of the type described, wherein the candy trays are carried in a substantially rectangular-path and eventually along a packing table, characterized in that the trays are carried along the latter by.

the upper of the rectangular system of conveyers, whereby the apparatus may largely be located below the packing table and thus reatly reduced in height over that shown in the above-mentioned atent. a

Another object of t e invention is to utilize the space within the-borders of the rectangularly arranged conveyors, b providing other conveyers therein, thus ength ening the path of travel of the trays with relation to the cubic space occupied'by the ap aratus. l

nother'object of the invention is to pi ovide an improved arrangement of the cool-.

ing means in an apparatus of the class dc scribed.

Another object of the'invention is to pro- 1 vide in'an apparatus of the type defined,

tray conve lng means operable step by step am h gether with cooling means including directing devices to direct the cooling medium be tween the trays when at rest.

Other objects and advantages will app J.

the next, and so on, so t ouse within a suitable enclosure, to

in the following description and in the illustrative'embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings, in which F 1 and 1 are elevational views each showing half the a paratus. These views should be magine to he 'oined together along the line a-b to pro uce a complete elevatlonal view of the apparatus. In both these figures the closure members which encase the major portion of the apparatus have been largely, broken away in order to reveal the interior mechanism;

l rg. 2 is a conventionalplan-view of the driv ng mechanism shown in Fi Q 1;

' F1 3 is an elevatioiial view 0 a portion of t e driving mechanism, showing the means for intermittently operating certain conveyers while others are at rest and vice verse; 1

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical view'illustratmg the circuitous path along which trays he carried byt e several conveyers;

i 1g. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on of which arose arranged that a tray placed transferred to t the tray is eventually carried back to its starting point in one will be automaticall after having travelled in a comparatively.

long circuitous path. Thus as diagrammatically shown in F i 4,-the trays t are first carried downward y by one conveyer,

"then horizontally into a second vertical conveyer, thence upwardly and. then horizontal ly into a third vertical conveyor, thence ownwardly and then horizontally into a fourth conveyer which carries the trays up; wardl until they can be removed by a horizonta con'veyer, which returns them to the first vertical conveyor.

' The apparatus is, intended to accomplish. similar results to those accomplished bythe apparatus shown ,in the above-mentioned,

patent and .is characterized by improve-' ments designed to render the apparatus more compact than that of said patent.- Instead of merely carrying the trays in a rectangular path, they arealso caused to move. back and forth within the borders of the rectangular path by conveyers which are'located intermediate the end conveyers.

' ples of two. The two intermediate convey,-

ers shown will amply suffice to illustrate.

the principle involved.

Referring to Figs. 1 and-1 the end vertical conveyers are represented generally by V and V andthe intermediate vertical conveyers by v and '0. The horizontal conveyers are shown at H and H, the conveyer H including a section h which is made separate for reasons hereinafter to be explained. A third horizontal conveyer 71. serves to transfer trays from conveyer o to conveyer o.

All the vertical conveyers are of like construction and .a detailed description -of one, as conveyer '0, will suflice for all. The conveyer r (Fig. 5) consists of two spaced pairs of endless chains 10 and 10, the inner and adjacent laps of which travel in parallel paths. A series ofjangles 11 connect the two chains 10 together at suitably spaced intervals and like angles 11" connect the chains '10. The angles 11 and 11 are so mounted on their respective chains that each angle 11 lies opposite, and in the same horizontal plane with an angle 11. The chains .10 are supported by suitable sprockets from upper and lower shafts 12 and 13, the upper being an idler shaft and the lower a driven shaft. The chains 10 are similarl supported by similar shafts 12 and 13. he shafts 13 and 13 are driven, by means to be "described simultaneously, at the same speed and in opposite directions and so that the inner lap of the chains 10 and 10 ascend.

A tray 6 is moved horizontally, as will a pear, between the chains 10 and 10 whi e the latter are at rest and is left with one edge resting on an angle 11 and the oppo site edge on the corresponding angle 11'. I

' The conveyer V is of exactlysimilar construction and one section is driven by a shaft 14, which aligns with the described shaft 13, theother section being driven by a similar shaft on the opposite side of the .machine which'shaft aligns with the shaft 13. The shafts 13 and 14 extend along the frame A of the machine into close proximity (Fig. l) and each is provided with a bevel gear 15. Both these gears are driven by a common bevel gear 16. whereby shaft 14" rotates in a direction opposite to shaft 13. It is to be understood that similar bevel gears are provided on the oppositeside of the-machine for a like purpose. In fact, all the driving mechanism shown on the front side of the machine in Figs. 1 and 1 is duplicated on the back side and need not therefore be described in detail. Such parts of the driving mechanism on the rear side of the machine as are shown have been given the same reference numerals as the corresponding parts on the front of the machine site to that of shaft 13 and shaft 14 in a direction opposite to that of its correspond in shaft (not shown).

he chains 21 for conveyer Q) are carried by upper and lower sprockets 22 and 23 respectively, the sprockets 23 being free to turn on the drive shaft 13 While sprockets 22 are fixed -to a shaft 24. The latter is .driven from shaft 13 bya vertical shaft 25,

which is supported at its ends by brackets 26 and 27 from shafts 13 and 24, respectively, and is connected to shafts 13 and 24 by the bevel gears shown. This arrangement causes the conveyer 'v to travel downwardly while conveyer 1) travels upwardly.

Conveyer V is driven directly from shafts 13 and 13 .in a manner exactly like conveyer o. All the vertical conveyers are therefore driven from the one shaft 20 heretofore described.

The horizontal conveyers are likewise driven from a single hollow shaft 28 mounted on a shaft- 29 parallel to shaft 20. The conveyer H consists of a single chain. having lugs 30, said chain being carried by suitable sprockets 31 on cross shafts 32 and 33. Shaft 32 is directly driven from shaft 28 by means of a chain 34 which is driven by a sprocket 35 thereon. The conveyer h also consists of a single chain which carries lugs 37 and is supported by suitable sprockets from two cross shafts 38 and 39. Shaft 39 is driven from shaft 33 by the spur gears 40. The conveyorH likewise consists of a driven by a chain 49 from a sprocket 50 on shaft 28. Thus, all the horizontal conveyers move simultaneously and the connecting gearing between conveyers H and h, and between conveyers h and H, are such that all three conveyers move at substantially the same speed. Conveyers H and h likewise travel in thesame direction which is opposite from the direction of travel of conveyers H and h, by reason of the gears 40. v

The driving mechanism for the conveyers will now be described with reference to Figs. 1*, 2 and 3. The shaft 20, heretofore de-. scribed as driving all the vertical conveyers, is driven by spur gears 51 from a shaft 52. The latter has fixed thereto a gear 53 and a like gear'54 is fixed to the shaft 28, which drives all the horizontal conveyers; Between shafts 47 and 49 is a shaft 55, which has fixed thereto anintermittent gear 56,, The latter, during one-half of its. rotation, drives gear 52 and, during the other half, drives gear 53 while gear 52 remains stationary. Thus, all the horizontal conveyers move simultaneously while the vertical conveyers are at rest and vice versa. Shaft 55 may be driven in any suitable manner but, preferably, at relatively low speeds. To this end, speed reduction gearing is provided to connect shaft 55 to the-source of power, which, for example, may be an electric motor M. Shaft 55 has fixed thereto a gear 57, which meshes with a gear 58, fixed on a shaft 59. Also fixed on shaft 59 is a gear 60,

. Y which drives a gear 61, loosely mounted on shaft 55. Fixed to gear 61 is a gear 62,

' which drivesv a gear 63, fixed on shaft 29.

Shaft 29 carries a pulley64, which is driven a b a belt 65 from a pulley 66 on a jack shaft 6 and the latter is driven by a belt68 from motor M. The driving connections described are such as to afford a substantial speed reduction between motor M and shaft'55.

All the shafts, heretofore described, are suitably mounted in a frame A,' which, as indicated, consists of a series of uprights suitably tied together by horizontal longitudinal and transverse members, the whole .aflording an openwork frame'to receive the several conveyors described. This frame is, preferably, higher at each endthan in the middle and, between the ends, supports two packingtables T, one on each side of the horizontal conveyer H. These tables consist merely of shelves (Fig. 5) placed at a convenient height for the packers, who are located alongside the shelves and select candies from the'trays t as they pass on conveyer H and pick them in suitable boxes. The conveyer is arranged in a plane parallel to but slightly above the tables T and upright boards 69, one on each side of conveyer H, extend upwardly from the shelves with their upper edges substantially flush with the top of the trays t which pass closely therebetween. These boards 69 form side guides for the trays t.

Runways 70 suitably supported from I boards 69 -.-(Fig. 5) are-provided, one on each side-of conveyer H to support trays t and the upper lap of conveyer H travels shown in Fig. 1. One of the end plates 7 6.

is provided with a vertical series of horizontally disposed louvers 77 (Fig. 6)-- and these louvers are encompassed by a housing 78, to which'the temperature controlling medium, such for example as cooling air, is admitted by a pipe 79, to which it is suitably supplied, as by a blower B (Fig. 1) driven by a belt 80 from motor M. 4

The conveyers v, o and V arelikewise located in an enclosureformed by side plates 81 and end plates 82. One end .plate 82 is provided with a housing 83, similar to the housing 78, to which-the temperature controlling medium is supplied by a pipe 84 from blower B. Louvers (not shown) are provided in this'end plate 82 in a manner similar to that shown .in connection with plate 75. These louvers and the louvers 77 serve to effectively distribute the cooling medium in the conveyer enclosures and are preferably so arranged as to direct the incoming medium between the trays t, when the latter are at rest, as clearly shown in Suitably supported above the packin tables are shelves S, upon which the packe boxes of confections may'b'e' .placed. Mounted between these shelyes S, and between side guide plates 85, is a conveyer C, consisting of a belt mounted on and extending between pulleys 86 and 87. Conveyer 'C, in its upper lap of travel, is held against sagging a support 88. The conveyer C is intende to travel in the direction of'the arrow and its delivery end is preferably adjustable so that the aclred boxes may be delivered at various leve s, as desired. For example, the boxes may be delivered to a table orto a conveyer mounted thereabove. To this end the conveyer is deflected downwardly by a roll 89 and passes to and around a roll 90 and thence upwardly over a roll 91 The delivery end of the conveyer C is mounted in a frame, consisting of a support'92' for the upper lap of travel of the conveyer and side uides 93. The described roll 87 is mounted in this frame and the latteris. pivoted about the axis of roll 91. .Arms 94 capable of being secured at their lower en s in various positions of adjustment to frame A, sup-- port the delivery end of the conveyer and permit it to be adjusted to various levels as desired. The conveyer C is driven by a chain 96 from a sprocket 97, fixed on the described shaft 59 which turns continuously,

and chain 96- extends over suitable idlers' 98 ton. sprocket on roll 90. v Preferably, in orderto provide for convenient access to the interior of the machine, the various housing plates described are mounted for convenient; removal, as clearly shown in Fig. 1" in connection with the plate 81. Preferably also, at least one section of each vertical conveyer is mounted so as to be readily movable to allow access to the trays to permit their removal, whenever necessary or desired, or for other ur oses.

This latter feature is illustrated in ig. 5 in connection with one section of conveyer 'v and, as there shown, the upper 'and idler shaft 12' is mounted in a frame F, which is ing to rest in alignment with t fulcrumed on the lower and driving shaft 13'. The frame F may be releasably held in its normal position'by any suitable means,

such as a latch arm 99 pivoted to frame A and depending therefrom with its lower end forked to fit over shaft 12' andprevent it from displacement in either direction. By swinging arm 99 upwardly on its pivot 100,

the forked end is disengaged from shaft 12' ing machine, and sliding the pla ues (waxed papers on which the coated can ice are delivered) from said belt into the tray. The loaded tray is then placed in conveyer V near the -upper end thereof and travels slowly downward step-by-step finally comlle lower runwa s 64.

s the tray thus comes to rest, conveyer His set in motion and a lug 42 thereon engages this tray andmoves it one step toward conveyer o. This step is slightly greater than the length of tray t. A-second similar step of movement of conveyer H carries tray t forwardly to a position beneath the driving mechanism and a third step carries tra t into the conveyer 4), while i it is at rest wit two of its angles 11 and 11' aligned with the runways Z4. The tray "then travels slowly upwardly in conveyor 12 and, while it moves one-step upward-1y, that lug 42, which moved it lnto conveyer 4:, travels to a position adjacent conveyer '0', so that in a succeeding step of movement it removes a tray from conveyer 4; into conveyer" V. All the vertical conveyers come. to rest with their angle pieces in alignment.

The transfer of trays from the upper part of conveyer 'v to the conveyer of. is effected by the lugs 45 on the conveyer h during its lower lap of travel.

The tray t is carried upwardly step-bystep in conveyer V and eventually comes to rest in alignment with the upper runways and below the conveyer h. At this time, a lug 37 of conveyer It moves to the left (as viewed in Fig. 1") during the lower lap of travel of the conveyer and moves the tray out of conveyer V and upon the runways. The tray is left on the runways in position to be engaged by a lug 30 of conveyer H on a succeeding. step of movement. The conve er H carries the tray step-by-step to the le t, finally leaving it upon the runways about a trays length to'the right of the conveyer V, in such position that when later moved by abutment with a suoceedin tray, it will be carried, correctly positione into conveyer V. Empty trays deposited in the latter are withdrawn, either partially or entirely, through opemn o for the purpose of filling them with fres ly coated candies.

Thus, I have provided an apparatus through which freshly coated candies, or-

other articles, may be carried and cooled, or otherwise Sub ected to a temperature changing medium, and then conveyed along packing tables in position for the packers to conveniently select and remove them for packing.

The apparatus is particularly characterized by its compactness and low height, the.

uppermost conveyer serving to distribute the candies .to the packers and being only slightly higher than the acking table, The provision of means, w ere'by the cooling mediumis evenly distributed in a systematic manner in the several enclosures for the conveyers, is also important inasmuch as it permits effective cooling.

In this connection, the cool air blown into the machine finally escapes into the room in which the apparatus is located. Candy coating machines are usually arranged to deliver the coated candies into socalled cold rooms and, instead of employin separate cooling means therefor, the cold air may be first supplied to, and utilized in, the described apparatus and having cooled the candies, allowed to escape from the apparatus to reduce the temperature'of the The invention has been disclosed herein in an embodiment at present preferred,-for.

the purposes of illustrat on, but the scope carry trays upwardly and downwardly and assist in their transition" from the first to the second named vertical conveyers, horizontally operable transferring means to transfer trays from one conveyer to another and complete said transition of the trays, and driving mechanism to operate all said conveyers and said transferring means.

2. 1n apparatus of the class described, a frame, a packing table mounted thereon, a tray conveyer movable along said table, a vertical conveyer to carry trays upwardly to. the level of the first named conveyer but beyond one endof the latter, and transferring means operable to engage a tray in the vertical conveyer flrom above and move it out of the vertical conveyer into the first named conveyer.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame, two endless conveyers mounted in "spaced relation therein, means provided at table on said frame,

spaced intervals on said conveyers to 'su port the endsof trays disposed between e adjacent laps of said conveyers a packing a third conveyer for moving trays along. the table and engageable with the tra conveyer movab e in the space between the first two conveyers and engageable with the uppermost tray therein from above for transferring said tray from the first two conveyers to said third conveyer.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a series of vertical conveyers arranged side by side in horizontally spaced relation and including two end and at least one pair of intermediate conveyers, intermittently operable driving means for the vertical conveyers arranged to move adjacent conveyers of the series in opposite directions, transferring means operable while the vertical conveyers are at rest to carry a tray from one end of one end vertical conveyer into the corresponding end of the adjacent intermediate conveyer and to carry a tray from the corresponding end of another intermediate conveyer into the corresponding end of the other end conveyer, transferring means operable simultaneously with the first named transferring means to caring a tray from the opposite end of the rst named intermediate conveyer into the corresponding end of the adjacent intermediate rather than by; the foregoing escrip-- s from below, and a fourthconveyer, and a delivery conveying means to receive the trays from the opposite end of the second named end conveyer;

5. In apparatus of the class described, a series of vertical conveyers arranged side by side in horizontallyspaced relation and including two end and at least one pair of intermediate conveyers, intermittently operable driving means for the vertical conveyers arranged to move adjacent conveyers of the series in opposite directions,

transferring means operable while the vertical conveyers are at rest'to carry a tray from one end of one end vertical conveyer into the corresponding end'of the adjacent intermediate conveyer and to carry a tray from the corresponding end of another intermediate conveyer into the corresponding end of the other end conveyer, and transferring means operable simultaneously with the first named transferring means to carry a tray from the opposite end of the first named intermediate conveyer into the corresponding end of the adjacent intermediate conveyer.

6."In apparatus of the class described, a series of vertical conveyers arranged side by side in horizontally'spaced relation and including two end and at least one pair of intermediate conveyers, intermittently operable driving means for the vertical conveyers arranged to move adjacent conveyers of the series in opposite" directions, horizontally movable conveying means operable while the vertical conveyers are at rest to carry a tray, from one end of one end verti cal conveyer into the corresponding end of the adjacent intermediate conveyer and to carry a tray from the corresponding end of another intermediate conveyer into the corresponding end of the other endconveyer, and transferring means operable simultaneously with the horizontally movable conveying means to carry a tray from the opposite end of the first named'intermediate conveyer into the corresponding end of the adjacent intermediate conveyer.

7 In apparatus of the class described, a series of vertical conveyers arranged side by side in horizontally spaced relation and including two end and at least one pair of intermediate conveyers intermittently operable driving means for the vertical conve ers arran ed to move ad'a-cent conve .ers of the series in opposite directions, horizontally movable conveying means operable while the vertical conveyers are at rest to carry a tray from one end of one end vertical conveyer into the corresponding end of the adjacent intermediate conveyer and to carry a tray from the corresponding end of another intermediate conveyer into the corresponding end of the other end conveyer, and horizontally movable conveying means operable simultaneously with the are "6 v "1,478,868: r a I first named horizontally movable conveying to support the ends of trays disposed be- 10 means to carry a tray'from the opposite end tween the adjacent laps of said conveyers, of the first named intermediate conveyer into one of said conveyers being mounted in said the corresponding end of the adjacent interframe for movement bodily away from the 6 mediate conveyer. other conveyer to permit access to the space 8. In "apparatus of the class described, therebetween. 15.

a frame, two endless conveyers mounted In testimony'whereof I have aflixedmy in spaced parallel relation, and means proslgnature;

vided at spaced intel vals on said conveyers v ALONZO LINTON BAUSMAN.

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