US828397A - Butter-cutting machine. - Google Patents

Description

No. 828,397. K 121111111111511 1111111.- 14,1906,

i -s.1-fsl m1111111.

. BUTTE-RCUTIING "MACHINE,

APrLIoATIONfILED 1111.2. 1901's.

[Sill UUE SIUE! PATENTED AUG. 14, 1906.

-I v s. B. FRIDAY.

BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 2. 1906. l

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NI'IED STATES PATENT orrrcn.

lSOLOMON B. FRIDAY, OF BRANDON, WISCONSIN.' l

BUTTER-survive. mACHaNE.

' ability for ready cleaning are secured.

A further object is to provide an improved construction adapted to operate upon a mass of butter immediately after the removal of said mass from atub, so that the butter when it enters the machine and is ready to be operated upon is of the required vertical height topermit of a plurality of horizontal layers of equal thickness being cut therefrom.

A further object is the provision of meansafter `the butter has been vertically cut for regulating the horizontal cut of a mass, so that the butter may be divided into a series of square or rectangular prints 'or cakes of redetermined proportions and weight.

With the above and other incidental objects in view the invention consists of the lde'- vices and parts ortheir equivalents, as herewith depending legs or supports 8.

inafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation' of one side of the machine. 2 is a plan view, parts broken away. Fig. 3

-is a side elevation at right angles to Fig. 1'.

Figj4 is a sectional view through the gearwheel and fragmentof the operating-handle- Fig: 5 is a detail view of the removable guardboard. Fig. 6 is an under view of the horie zontal cutter, and Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line 7 7 -of Fig. 3. The frame of the table ofthe machine may be of any desirable construction adaptedfor supporting the several parts, and in the drawings I have illustrated a table 7, provided `A follower 9, provided on its top surface with kerfs 10, is arranged above the top ofthe table and when at the lowest limit of its A adjustment rests on said table-top. .Ver-

tical movement may bei-Inparted to the fol Specification of Letters Patent. i

Application filed January 2, 1906. Serial No. 294,076.

Fig.

Patented Aug. 14, 1906.

to employ the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings and which will now be explained. The follower is supported by a rack-'bar 11, whichl extends through a suitable guide-opening in the table-top and also through a suitable guide 12, integral with the frame and continuing in line with the guiderack-bar are engaged by a pinion `13`at the inner end of a shaft 14;, said shaft carrying' at its outer end a ratchet-wheel 15. This ratchet-wheel has its periphery iianged outwardly, andfratcheateeth 16 are arranged around the inner surface of this flange, while around the outer surface of the ange are arranged other teeth 17. The wheel is provided with an outwardly-extending hub 1 8, which surrounds the shaft 14 and is fast thereto. Y

The numeral 19 indicates an o eratinghandle. The lower end of this han leis ro vided 4with a circular bearing 20, W ich loosely surrounds the hub 18 and is prevented from working outwardly oif the said hub by reason of a stop-plate 21, secured to the outer end of the shaft 14. -The circular bearin 20 also has a slight play between the stopate hand operatingA metallic wheel is em loyed. This is opento objection in view oft e fact that it soils the hands of the operator and necessitates his washing his hands after each Byv the use of a wooden handle this is obviated. Where the wooden handle is employed, .the circular bearing 20 is formed at the lower end of arm 22, which is bolted to the lower portion of the f handle roper. From one edge of the lower portion of t e handle extends a lug 23, and to this lug is pivoted a pawl 24, said pawl adapted to engage edge of the handle and at a point slightly above the lug 23 extends a .projection 25, -said projection after the handle has beenvswung a vcertain distance in one direction adapted to en age under a shoulder 26, pro- Vjecting lateral y from a awl 27, said pawl pivoted to one of the si es of the top portion of the frame and adapted to engage-the teeth 17 Usually in this class of machines the table the ratchet-teeth 16. From the opposite opening of the table-top.` The teethof this I 21 and the outer face of the ratchet-Wheel 15. .z

The operating-handle is preferably of. Wood. In the most usual form of construction a operation before he can handle the butter.

IOO

has mounted thereon a casing or box of rec tangular form in which the follower works up which are required to be cleaned are readily accessible. Referring to this portion of my invention, the numerals 28 indicate four upright guide-posts which are shown as of rightangular form in crosssecton, although they maybe of curved form in cross-section or, in fact, of any other desired contour, so long as they receive the corners of the follower, and thereby serve as a guide for the follower 'n the movement thereof. connected near their lower ends by connecting-bars 29, and the lower ends of the upf rights rest on top of the table.l To the upper ends of the posts or uprights is riveted a rectangular cutting wire carrying frame 30.

This frame may be of any desirable construc? tion g but I refer to construct it of a ilat band of metal o rectangular form, having its top .and bottom edges provided with outwardlyextending flanges 31. 4This frame, with its rigid depending posts, is held tightly but re- V leasably to the table. This may be accomplished in a variety of different ways, and in the drawings I have shown a specificmechl nected thereto.

anism for obtaining the obj ect desired. Re-

ferring to this mechanism, the numerals 32 32 indicate lugs proje'ctin outwardly from two of\the opposite sldeso the tableftop. The lugs of each pair form bearingsfor a pin 33.

Between the lugs is fitted the furcate mem#` ber of the upper bifurcatedv endof a handle 34, the said furcate members being rigidly connected by means of a transverse rounded connecting member 35.y Each of the mem--L bers 35 is provided' longitudinally therethrough with an eccentric openin .through which one of the pins 33 passes free y, so that the member 35 is free to turn on `this in.

rThe pin also passes freely through almed.

openin s in the furcate arms. For each cam lis emp oyed a clamping-rod 36. The lower end of each clamping-rod is connected to one ,of theeccentrics or cams, preferably by being bentl therearound, and thereby ri idly ccny The upper en of each clamping-rod is turned inwardly, s'o as to adapt said rod to engage over the flangeBi of' the cutting-wire-carrying frame 30. When these clam inY -rods are turned upwardly and inward y, t eir inwardly-bent upper ends are caused to engage over the flange referred to. After so turning the clamping-rods the These uprights are'v handles 134 of each cam are turnedv down* wardly, and the skeleton frame is thereby tightly clamped to the table. 'Whenever it is desired to remove the skeleton frame, Iall that is necessary to be done is to push upwardly on the handles of the cams, and the clampingrods can then beturned out of engagementy with the upper liange 31, and the frame with its depending uprights or posts is free to be lifted out of engagement with the table.l

The crossed cutting-wires of the vwire-carrying frame are indicated by the numerals 37 37. The outer ends of thesewires are pref?v of said flanges and nuts being turned onto the threaded opposite ends of the bolts yand against the otherflanges,

In the use of the invention as thus far dis- I closed the skeleton frame is secured to the top of the table in the manner hereinbefore described. The follower 9 at the initial stage of the operation should be in its lowest position, and the vmass of butter is placed on said follower. The o erating handle or lever 19 is now grasped ancf) moved back and forth. This will cause the pawl 24 to successively engage the .teeth 16 of the ratchet-wheel 15. The ratchet-wheel is thereby rotated and its rotation communicated Kto the shaft 14, and the pinion' 13 on the inner end of said-shaft is necessarily rotated with the shaft. In' v'iew of the fact that the pinion 13- is in mesh with the-rack-bar 11 the said rackbar is caused to be raised and the follower 9,-supported by the upper end of said rack-bar, simultaneousl; raised. Thel mass of butter supported y on t e follower is thus brought into contact with the cutting-wires 37 and is thereby divided by a series of vertical cuts. After the :butter is forced upwardly a certain distance the operator ceases to move the handle back and forth, and the pawl 27,in engagement with the teeth -17 serves to hold the shaft 14 stationary, and hence the follower is 'maintained in its raised position. t When the follower is stopped-in the manner indicated, the

-butter which had been previously cut vertically Iis now cut horizontally, so as to form a number of rectangular prints or cakes.. The

-kerfs or grooves 10.in the upper side of the follower compensate for the bowed or archedform which the crossed cutting-wires assume in passing through the butter, and hence permit movement of the follower upwardly a suflicient distance to allow the bow to enter the grooves in order to complete the vertical cut. I

For the purpose of cutting the vertically-` cut butter horizontally into cakes or prints of IOO IIO

' 'predetermined size yand weight I employ an improved device consisting of an arched or bowed 'frame 39, which isadvisably made channeled or U-shaped in cross-section. The

ends of this frame are turned inwardly toward eachother for a vshort distance, as clearly shown, and extending from these turned-in ends to the top piece of the frame are threaded rods 40. These rods pass freely through openings in a gage-bar 4l Engaging the threads of the rods above the gagebar are nuts 42 42, and engaging the threads of the rods below the gage-bar are nuts 43 43;

clamped in such lower position by turning' the nuts 42 downwardly againstthe upper side thereof. A cutting-wire 44 is connected at its opposite ends to the inwardly-turned ends of the bowed frame at the points 45 45, and as a convenient means for guidingthe wire to the points of attachment I pass said wires into the grooves in the'heads of the A threaded rods 40.

In the use and application of the horizontal cutter the gage-bar is adjusted on the rods 40 the distance it is required that the height of the cakes of butter should be, it bev ing known that the cakes of butter of the transverse area, as determined by the wires .37, and o`f the height equal to the distance from the cutting-wire 44 to the adjusted position of the gage-bar will be lof ab given weight. After the mass of butter has been elevated a desired distance above the tabletop the horizontal cutter is adjusted to the mass of butter, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and i's Sti then'drawn across the mass, the wire 44 in this movement of the device entering the ,butter and serving to cut said butter horizontally. Of` course when the wire 44 is drawn completely through the mass of butter a number of prints or cakes of butter will have been com.-

letely cut of a given size and known weight. In thus drawing the cutting-wire 44 through the mass of butter there is a tendency ofthe butter as it is severed being drawn off the machine and falling to the floor. In order to revent this, I provide a removable stoplioard 46, said board provided with dependlegs 47, which are adapted to be removtted in suitable openings in the top ske eton frame 30, the legs being provided with shoulders 48, resting upon the. tops of the upper outstanding flanges' of the frame 30. This stop-board is only adjusted to the machine just before the operation of cutting the 'butter horizontally is commenced. The

legs fit freely in the openings in the frame 30, so that afterfeach horizontal cutting of the butter is completed the board may be removed.

In the forms of butter-cutters wherein the follower moves in a rectangular lcasing the butter is simply placed on top of the follower andv packed in the casing. Of course where the specific o en form ofguide-uprights for the follower erein shown and described is em loyed the butter cannot be packed, ask

is t e case when the casing form of construction is used. The openform of construction herein shown and described, therefore', is intended to be used in connection with a complete tapering cylinder of butter, this :being the formof the butter when first removed from a tub. In order to, provide aconvenient means for inserting this cylinder of butter into the open frame, I provide two L-shaped rails 49 49,\ which extend over thetable-top 4 and out laterally from said top for a desired distance. The rails are preferably removably secured, and forl this purpose Il bolt to the ends thereof opposite'to the outwardly-extending ends straps 50v 50, which are bent downwardly, said downwardly-bent portions provided, near their lower ends, with eyes, which are adapted to receive therein studs 51 51, projecting out from one side of the table. The follower 9 is initially placed upon the outwardly-extending portions of the rails 49, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. For the purpose of slidably holding the follower to the rails I provide on the under side of said follower strips 52 52, which areA pro- ICO vided with grooves 53 53,-adapted to fit the upper edges of the upright iianges of the L- rails. -The tapering cylinder of butter (indicated by dottedv .lines in Fig. 3 and designated by the numeral 54) is placed upon the follower, and the said follower is then pushedv inwardlyuntil the advancing edge thereof 'y strikes the guide posts or uprights toward which the said edge of the follower is moving,

and the follower is thereby properly positioned between the four uprights. It will be understood that the two uprights between which the follower is first moved has its flanges which face the advancing edge of the follower cutaway at their lower portions, so that said flanges offer no Aimpediment to the -advance between the two uprights in question of the advancing edge of the follower. This cut-away portion is clearly indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the follower is pushed intoflnal position, the upper lenlarged end or head of the rack-bar 1l will be beneath the central portion of the follower, so as to raise the said follower when the rackbar is moved upwardly.

The average height of contained 4in an ord three horizontal cuts or layers of equal thickness. It is obvious thatk when the height of a cylinder of buttery inary tub is too greatfor' IIO j ness than the other layers.

the cylinder of butter is thus in excess of a certainheight the last horizontal layer of butter after the final cut is thicker than the other layers. It will be understood that the cutting-Wire 44 of the horizontal cutter is'in! tended to make only two cuts horizontally through the butter, so that the butter remaining after the second cut represents the last layer, and if the cylinder of butter is too high this layer is necessarily of greater thick- It therefore follows that the 'height of the cylinder of butter should be just sufficient to provide for three i horizontal lagers of equal thickness. I 5' In order to secure this result, I employ a cutting- `wire 55, stretched from one of the uprights 28 to the opposite upright and located near the upper ends of said uprights. Agmeans for taking 'up slack in this wire is advantageously employed, and any desired means .for the purpose may be used 3 but I prefer the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

consisting of wrapping thel ends of they wire 55 around and securing the same to `bolts 56 56, said bolts passing freely through openings in lugs 57 57. One' end of each of these bolts is provided with a head bearing against one of the lugs, and the opposite end of each bolt is threaded to receive a nut 58, located above the other lug. When the wire becomes slack, it is obvious that all that is necessary to be done is to loosen one of the nuts 5S and fully completed it is ofcourse necessary to ported thereby. This is accompiished by lower the rack-bar 11 and the follower 9 supthrusting the operating-handle 19 toward the right of Fig. 1 sufficiently far to cause the projection 25 to engage under the lateral' shoulder 26 of thepawl 27. Thisl will have the elfect of raising thesaid pawl out of enf gagern'ent with the teeth 16 of the gear-'\vh`eel.

The support for the rack-bar and follower is thereby removed, and consequently they descend by gravity, the rack-barin' its downward movement operating uponv the pinion A13 and causing the shaft .14 and the gear-- wheel 15 to rotate in an opposite direction to `the direction of rotation ,for raising the rack- The rapidity of rotation may be reguv bar. lated by pressing the handle inwardly", so as to cause it to bear frictionally against the edge of the outstanding flange of the gearwheel 15. From Fig. 4 of the drawings and as hereinbefore previously pointed out', it

When the proper tension is sewill be seen that the bearing 20 at the lower end of the operating-handle has a loose fit around the hub 18 and a slight play longitudinally-on said hub, so that this frictional engagement may be readily accomplished.

While the present drawings illustrate the open frame, consisting of the guide-uprights 28 and the top rectangular frame 30, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting my-` self thereto, inasmuch as other. features of my invention possess novelty irrespective as to whether they are employed in connection with an open frame orA in connection with a closed casing. Vhen a'closed casing is employed,l however', the rails 49 and related parts are not necessary, and the follower may be rigidly connected to the upper end of the rack-bar. I also do not wish to be understood as limiting -myself to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, inas much as variations and changes may be -made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. g

While I- have throughout the specification and claims designated the invention as a butter-cutting machine, yet I do not intend to thereby limit myself to that special adaptation of the mechanism, inasmuch as saidI mechanism may be equally useful as a device for Cutting cheese and like articles.

What I claim `asvmy invention is 1. In a butter-cutting machine, the combination of a supportingstable, a frame for containing the butter, cutting mechanism atI the outer end of the butter-containing frame, a follower within the butter-containing frame and movable therein and adapted to support the butter, a rack-bar for imparting vertical movement to the follower, a shaft having a pinion on its -inner end engaging the rack-bar, and a gear-wheel on its outer end, said gearwheel having a iianged periphery with teeth around' the inner surface of the flange, and teeth around the outer surface of said flange,

`an operating-handle rotatablyiitted on the end o1' the shaft, and having a pawl pivoted thereto and engaging the teeth around the inner surface of the flange of the gear-wheel, and a pawl pivoted to the table and engaging the outer teeth of the gear-wheel, said pawl adapted to be engaged by the operating-handle and lifted out of engagement with the outer teeth .ofthe gear-wheel, when said handle is moved' a certain distance in one direction.

' 2. In a butter-cutting machine, the combination of a supporting-table, a framefor containing the butter, cutting mechanism at .the outer end of the butter-containing frame, a follower within the butter-containing frame and movable therein and adapted'to supportthe butter, a rack-baz' for imparting vertical movement to the follower, a shaft having a pinion on its inner end engaging the rack-bar,

' and a gear-wheel on its outer end, said gear-r wheel having a flanged periphery withteeth outer teeth of the gear-wheel, said pawl provided with a lateral shoulder, and a projec- .Io tion extending from the operating-handle,

' and adapted to 'engage thel shoulder of the said pawl when theI operating-handle is( moved a certain distance in one direction.

3. In a butter-cutting machine, the combination of a supporting-table, a framefor containing the butter, cutting mechanism at the outer end of the butter-containing frame, a follower within the' butter-containing frame and movable therein-and adapted to support 2o the butter, a rack-bar for imparting vertical movement to the follower, a shaft having a pinion on its inner' end engaging the rack-b ar, and a gear-wheel on its outer end, s aid gearwheel having a flanged periphery with teeth around the inner surface of the flange, and teeth around the outer surface of said flange, `a wooden operating-handle rotatably fittedon the end of the shaft, and having a pawl pivoted thereto and engaging the teeth around 3o the innersurface of the flange of tlfe gearwheel, and a pawl pivoted to the table and engaging the outer teeth of the'gear-wheel, said pawl adapted to be engaged by the operating-handle and lifted out of engagement with theouter teeth of the ear-wheel, when said handle is moved a certain distance in one direction; 4, In a butter-cutting machine, thecombination of a supporting-table, a frame for con- 40.taim'ng"`the butter, cutting mechanism `at the outer end of the butter-containing frame, a follower within the butter-containing frame and movable therein and adapted to supportl the butter,a rack-bar adapted when actuated to move the follower within the frame, a

shaft having on its inner end a pinion meshing with the rack-bar, and provided on its outer end with a flanged gear-wheel, the said iiange having teeth around its inner surface., and teeth around its outer surface, an operating-handle looselyfitted on the outer extremity of the shaft and adapted to have an inward play so as to be brought into frictional engagement-'with the gear-Wheel,and 5 5 thereby regulate the speed of the reverse ro- :Etation of said ear-Wheel, a pawl pivoted to u the handle an adapted to engage theinner. teeth of the gear-wheel, and a pawl pivoted y to f table and ,adapted to engage the `outer teeth of the gear-wheel, the said pawl adapted to be engaged by the operating-handle, and lifted out of engagement with the outer teeth of the gear-wheel, when said handle is moved a certain distance in one direction. 5. In a butter-cutting machine7 the combination of a supporting-table, a frame for containing the butter, cutting mechanism for dividing the butter into a number of subdivisions, means for bringing the butter Within the butter-containing frame into engagement with the cutting mechanism, and a combined .gage'and cutter, consisting of a frame having a longitudinal member and end members at angles to the longitudinal member, the extremities of said endmembers being bent inwardly for slight distances parallel with the longitudinal member, a cutting-wire connecting said inwardly-bent portionsof the end members, rods extending from the inwardlybent portions of the end members to the 1bngitudinal member, a gage-bar through which the rods pass and means for holding said; gage-bar at' adjusted position on the rods, said combined gage and cutter, after the gage-bar'thereof has been set a desired .dis-

drawn across the mass of butter so as to cause the wire to effect a cut through the subdivided butter at right angles tothe iirst-re- .ferred-to cuts, `to thereby divide the butter into cakes of predeterminedproportions and weight. f 6. A combined gage and cutter, consistin vof a frame having a longitudinal4 member an end members at angles 'to the longitudinal member, the extremities of said end members being bent inwardly for slight distances parallel with the longitudinal member, a cutting-wire connecting said inwardly-bent portions of the end members, rods extending from the inwardly-bent portions ofthe end members to the longitudinal member, a gagebar .through which the rods pass, and means for holding said gage-bar at adjusted position 1 on the rods.

7. lA combined gage and cutter, consistin bf a frame ahaving a longitudinal member an end members at angles to the longitudinal member, the extremities of said end members beingbent inwardly for slight distances parallel with the longitudinal member, a cutting-Wire connecting said inwardly-bent por- ICO IOS

tion of the end members, screw-rods extending from the inwardly-bent portions of the end members to the longitudinal member, a gage bar vthrough which the' screw rods freely pass, and nuts turnable on the screwrods above and below the gage-bar. y 8. vIn albutter-cutting machine, the combination of a supporting table, guideposts extending therefrom, cutting mechanism at the outer ends ofthe guide-posts, rails extending outwardlyfrom the supporting-table, a follower adapted to be supported by said rails and to be pushed inwardly thereon to a position between the guide-posts and means for moving the follower when so positioned-in a direction toward and away from the eutting mechanism. l

9. In al butter-cutting machine, the combi- 85 tance above the cutting-Wire, adapted to be 'nation of a supporting table guide posts i lower, when so positioned, in a direction to extending therefrom, cutting mechanism at ward and away from the cutting mechanism. 1o the outer ends of the guide-posts',` rails eX-' In testimony whereof I affix my signature tending 'outwardly and removable from the in presence of two witnesses.

supporting-table, a follower adapted to be SOLOMON-B. FRIDAY.

supported by said rails and to be pushed in'- Witnesses:

' wardly thereon to a position between the 1 J. W. FOSTER,

guideposts, and means for moving thefoly EDITH FOSTER.

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