US804565A - Butter-cutting machine. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED NOV. 14, 1905.

R. F. STEWART. BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 9. 1.905.

3 SHEETS--SHEET 1.

PATENTED NOV. 14. 1905.

R. F. STEWART.

BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wwmaooao PATENTED NOV. 14, 1905.

E. F. STEWART.

BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 9. 1905 3 SHEETSSHEBT 3.

8271 aflomiu RICHARD F. STEWART, OF POOANTICO HILLS, NEl V YORK.

BUTTER-CUTTING lVlACl-llNE.

Application filed March 9, 1905. Serial No. 249,170.

To an, whom (It may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD F. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residing at P0- cantico Hills, in the county of l/Vestchester and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Butter-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to butter-cutting machines, and is designed for use in cut ting up and forming into prints both tub or package butter, which is generally hard and close-packed, and also creamery butter, so that a single machine cheap in construction, simple in operation, and capable of use with both the tub and creamery butter is provided.

In some of its features the machine bears a general resemblance to, the well-known Stewart butter-cutting machines, illustrated in Patents Nos. 657,227 and 67 2, 136; but it possesses certain improvements and advantages over the constructions found in those patents, which will. be hereinafter described in detail, and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow 2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view of a portion of the machine, on a somewhat larger scale than Fig. 1, taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows adjacent the section-line 3 3. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the framework of the machine, showing the supports for the mold-box and the printingroller. Fig. 5 is a detail view, on a somewhat smaller scale than the other figures, of the vertical cutter-frame and its standards. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the long supporting post or standard for the vertical cutter and the driving-gear therefor. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the locking device which supports the vertical cutter in raised position. Fig. 8 is a detail view of one end of the print-conveyer frame, showing the driving-roller, the adjustment therefor, and the gears for operating said driving-roller. Figs. 9 to 12, inclusive, are detail views of the rackand-gear driving mechanism for operating the print-conveyer.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, like numbers indicating like parts in the several views, 1 denotes the supporting-table, which may be of any suitable form and of proper dimensions to support the mechanism. Mounted on the said table is the bed 2,.upon which the package of butter is placed, said bed 2 being Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1905.

provided with grooves or interstices to receive the cutting-wires of the vertical cutter it is drawn through the mass of butter, so that the butter will be completely divided into slabs or bars. Secured to said table 1, at opposite sides thereof, are guides 3, (see Figs. 1 and 6,) which are adapted to receive the supportingstandards t and 5 of the vertical cutter 6, said cutter being of any suitable or desired type and in the present instance consisting of a rectangular frame which is spanned by adjustablymounted cutting-wires 7. Said standards 4 and 5 are round in eross-section and slide freely through the guides 3, so that the frame 6 has a rising-and-falling movement relative to the bed 2. The standards4and5are provided with racks, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, which racks when the frame 6 is in cutting position above the bed 2 and the standards 4: and 5 are in their supports are engaged by gear wheels 8, mounted on a shaft 9, said shaft 9 being provided with an operating-handle 10, by which it may be rotated, and through the engagement of the gears 8 with the racks on the standards 4 and 5 the cutter 6, with its wires, may be drawn down and through the butter, so as to divide the same vertically. In order to lock the frame 6 in raised position above the bed 2, I preferably provide a lockinglatch 11, (see-Figs. 6 and 7,) which latch is shown in the present case pivoted to the guide 3 and adapted to be thrown into engagement with the teeth of the rack on the standard 5, so that descent of the cutter-frame 6 is prevented.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the cutter-frame 6 is supported by two standards 4 and 5, which slide freely in their guides 3, and in order that the frame 6 may be swung to one side and leave the bed 2 clear to facilitate placing thereon a package of butter I provide the following construction: The standard 5 is made slightly longer than the opposite standard 4, so that when the cutterframe 6 has been raised to the point where the standard 4 is clear of the guide3 the standard 5 will be in engagement with its guide 3 in the position shown in Fig. 6. In this position the frame6may be swung upon the guide 3 as a pivot from above the bed 2 and into the position shown in Fig. 1. The said standard 5 is provided at its lower end with circumferential grooves 12, which when the standard is in the position shown in Fig. 6 engage the teeth of the gear-wheel 8 and form there with a rotatable connection, which permits the frame 6 to be swung to the position shown in Fig. 1 without disengaging the standard 5 from its guide 3, the engagement of the gear 8 with the grooves 12 acting as a lock to prevent complete withdrawal of the standard 5, but permitting at the same time free rotary movement. It will thus be seen that means for dividing apackage or tub of butter vertically into slabs or bars is provided which is easily raised and lowered to perform its cutting movement and which may be readily swung out of the way to permit the placing of a tub of butter upon the bed in position for cutting.

In order that the tub of butter may be cut horizontally as well as vertically, if desired, the said frame 6 is preferably provided with an auxiliary horizontal cutter-frame 13 of inverted-U shape, as shown in Fig. 2, said frame 13 being removably secured to one side of the vertical cutter-frame 6 by means of suitable clamps 14., (see Figs. 1 and 2,) the lower end of one limb of the inverted-U-shaped frame being secured to the standard 5 by means of a suitable securing-bolt 15, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The said horizontal cutterframe 13 is provided with cutting-wires 16, which may be adjustably secured thereon in any suitable manner. The said horizontal cutter-frame 13, whicl1,asshownin Fig. 1, projects from one corner of the vertical frame 6 at right angles thereto, will when the cutterframe 6 is swung from its inactive or open position (shown in Fig. 1) to its cutting or closed position above the bed 2 sweep across the bed in an arc, and its cutting-wires 16 will divide the package of butter on the bed 2 horizontally, leaving the butter mass cut into superposed sections or blocks ready for division into bars or slabs by the vertical cutter. When the cutter-frame 6 has been brought to proper cutting position above the bed 2, the short standard a will be entered in the guide 3, the racks on the standards 1 and 5 will engage the gears 8, the latch 11 will be thrown out, and upon rotation of the shaft 9 the gears 8 will draw down the vertical cutter-frame 6 through the butter, severing the horizontallydivided mass by vertical cuts in the manner above described. The table 1 is provided with a slot 17, (see Fig. 1,) which receives and permits vertical play of the horizontal cutterframe 13 as the vertical cutter-frame 6 is given its reciprocating movement, so that no interference with the movement of the cutterframe 6 can occur.

Mounted on suitable legs 18 and adjacent the bed 2 is a mold-box 19, (see Fig. 3,) said mold-box having a reciprocating plunger 20 therein, which plunger is moved by means of a rack 21 engaging a gear 22 on a short shaft 23, journaled in rear of the mold-box and provided with any suitable driving means, as

crank 24:. Bearing-struts 25, secured abovethe rack 21, serve to keep said racks always in engagement with its gears 22. The said plunger 20 has a rearwardly-projecting apron 26, which acts as a cut-off for the mold-box feed, presently to be described, during the forward movement of the plunger 20. Above said mold -box 19 is a rectangular tray 27 of considerable size, which has at one corner an opening or feedway 28, leading to the moldboX 19. At its front the opening has a guardplate 29, which serves to direct and support the contents of the tray as it is fed down through thefeedway 28 into the mold-box, while just forward of the opening 28 and depending into the mold-box is a pivoted pressure and molding plate 30, adjusting-screws 31 being provided to secure the necessary adjustment of the plate 30 and regulate its pressure on the butter as it passes through the mold-box.

Adjustably journaled in suitable bearingbloeks 32 at the delivery end of the mold-box 19 is a printing-roller 33 of any suitable type, said blocks 32 sliding vertically on supports 34 and having temper-screws 35 for adjustment of the roller.

The operation of the mechanism thus far described is as follows: The package of butter having been placed on the bed 2, it is subjected to the action of one or both of the cutters 13 and 6. After this operation the butter is in the form of blocks if both the cutters have been used or in the form of slabs if only the vertical cutter 6 has been used,

for it will be understood that the horizontal cutter-frame 13 may be detached from the frame 6 if a vertical division only of the package of butter is desired. The slabs of butter are then taken and fed into the opening or feedway 28 in the tray 27, passing into the mold-box 19. hen the slab is in position, the plunger 20 is driven forward by its rackand-gear operating mechanism, cutting off a block of butter from the slab and sliding it forward through the mold-box and beneath the pressure and molding plate 30, which regulates the density and size of the block according to its position of adjustment in the mold-box. The guard-plate 29, above referred to, serves to support the slab of butter, and the apron 26, projecting rearwardly from the plunger, acts as a cut-off for the feedway 28, so that as the plunger 20 makes its cutting stroke it supports the slab of butter. Upon the return stroke of the plunger 20 and after it clears the feedway 28 the slab of butter will drop, and so will automatically feed until it has been completely out into blocks. The blocks thus formed are slid forward out of the mold-box upon a receiving-table made up of sections 36, (see Figs. 1. 2, and 3,) this sectional table being formed by slotting one side and the bottom of the table, the other side of the table being preferably deeply grooved, as at 37, Figs. 1 and 2, to form seats for the cutting-wires of the print-cutter, which will now be described.

The print-cutter, so called for the reason that it divides the printed blocks delivered from the mold-box into commercial prints ready for wrapping, consists of a substantially U-shaped yoke or bow 38, the open front of which is spanned by adjustable cutting-wires 39. The said print-cutter 38 has a relatively long supporting-leg 40, which is pivoted to the crossbeam 41 of the machine-table 1, so that the are described by the bow 38 is large, and in making its cutting movement the cutter approaches rather closely a horizontal line, thus securing a more effective cutting action on the printed block resting on the sectional receiving-table 36. As is apparent, the wires 39 traverse the slots between the table-sections and after making their forward cut lie within the grooves 37 in the side of the table 36, (see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) leaving the table clear and unobstructed for movement of the divided prints across it, for the print-cutter is designed to cut the blocks on its return stroke as well as its forward stroke, so that the necessity of returning the cutter to a starting position before making a cutting stroke is done away with. After the blocks are divided into prints by the action of the print -cutter just described they rest on the receiving-table until the succeeding blocks fed from the mold-box 19 by the action of the plunger 20 push them off ontoaconveyerbelt 42, preferably made of galvanized steel or German silver in order that it may not taint or become foul. The said belt 42 is mounted on pu'lleys 43 and 44, jour'naled in a suitable frame 45 at the end of the table 1, the pulley 44 (see Fig. 8) being the drivingpulley for the belt 42, and mounted, as shown, in open slots 46 in the side rails of the frame 45, so that a longitudinal adjustment of driving-pulley 44 may be secured by adjusting the same in the slots 46. A convenient construction for securing this adjustment is shown in Fig. 8, in which a sliding end yoke is provided, the arms 46 of which are channeled to engage the side rails of the frame 45, the shaft of the pulley 44 passing through the ends of the arms 46, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. It will be seen that movement of this end yoke will move the pulley 44 to tighten or slackcn the belt 42. The said end yoke has the adjustingscrews 47, which bear against the ends of the rails of frame 45, and for convenience in assembling the parts the end yoke is preferably made in two parts, (see Fig. 8,) which are held together by a bolt, as shown. The shaft 48 of pulley 44 isextended, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, and it has mounted at its end two gears 49 and 50, which are free to turn on the shaft 48. Between the gears 49 and 50 is a double-faced ratchet-wheel 51, said ratchetwheel being splined to the shaft 48, so as'to have a driving action thereon when rotated. The ratchet-wheel 51 has a longitudinal play between the gears 49 and 50, so that it may engage with either of the reversely-placed ratchet-rings 52, fixed to the inner faces of the gears 49 and 50. (See Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive.) It will be seen that with this con struction the gears 49 and 50 will each drive the. ratchet-wheel 51, shaft 48, pulley 44, and belt 42 when driven in one direction, but that when rotated in the opposite direction the ratchet-teethwill slip past one another idly, the gears 49 and 50 and intermediate ratchet-w heel 51 being so spaced as that the idle gear will wedge the splined ratchetwheel 51 into engagement with the active gear and insure driving connection between them. The driving of the ratehet-and-gear mechanism just described is effected by means of a frame 52, having relatively offset upper and lower racks 53 and 54, engaging, respectively, with gears 49 and 50, so that reciprocation of the rack-frame 52 will rotate the gears, and one or the other, dependent on the direction of rotation, will impart a step-by-step rotary movement to the ratchetwheel 51, the shaft 48, to which it is splined, the pulley 44, andconveyer-belt 42. The frame 52 is pivotally connected with the yoke or bow 38 of the print-cutter. (see Fig. 2,) so that as the cutter is swung back and forth the rack-frame 52 will be reciprocated and the necessary feed 8 be imparted to the conveyer 42. ln-order that the speed and travel of the conveyor 42 may be varied to some eX- tent, provision is made for adjusting the connection between the frame 5 and the swinging print-cutter 38 by means of a series of holes 53 in the cutter-yoke 38, in any one of which the pivot-pin 54 of the rack-frame 52 may be entered, it being obvious that movement of the rack-frame connection toward or from the center on which the print-cutter 38 swings will have the effect of varying the stroke of the same and the travel of the conveyer-belt.

It will be seen that with the conveyer or mechanism just described the prints pushed from the table 36 are moved directly onto the conveyer-belt 42, carried out of the way, and delivered to a wrapper, who may stand at the end of the table 1 ready to receive the finished product of the machine.

In the description hereinbefore the action of the machine has been set forth in connection with tub or package butter. In handling creainery butter, which is more soft and less dense in character, or in shaping the irregular fragments left froindivided tub or package butter the preliminary cutting operations by means of the horizontal and vertical cutters 13 and 6 are of course eliminated and the butter is put directly into the tray 27. The mass of butter is worked or paddled by the operator toward the feed way 28 and passes through the same into the mold-box 19, after which it is subjected to the same action of the succeeding devices as has been hereinbefore described in connection with package or tub butter.

It has been found that the machine constructed in accordance with my invention is adaptable to the work of putting up both tub and creamery butter without destroying the grain or expressing the juice to any extent, so that loss from shrinkage during cutting and printing is entirely eliminated. It will be seen, furthermore, that in the present machine the butter is handled by the operator but once during the work of cutting, it being necessary only for him to transfer the butter slabs from the bed 2 to the feedway 28, after which the machine handles the butter and delivers it to the wrapper.

While I have shown and described a particular construction and that the best now known to me, it is clear that mechanical constructions and expedients other than those shown and described may be adopted in carrying my invention into effect, and all such equivalentdevices, involving as they do mere exercise of mechanical skill, I deem to be within the scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a buttencutting machine and in combination, a bed to receive the package of butter, a cutter-frame movable toward and from the bed, and supporting and guiding standards for said frame; one of said standards being extended to form a pivot on which the cutter-frame may be swung when in raised position.

2. In a butter-cutting machine and in combination, a bed to receive the package of butter; avertically-movable cutter-frame; guiding and supporting racks for said frame, one of which racks is extended to form a vertical pivot on which said cutter-frame may swing horizontally, driving gears engaging said racks to move said frame vertically, and a locking-latch to engage one of said racks and hold the cutter-frame in elevated position.

3. In a butter-cutting machine and in combination, a bed to receive the package of butter; a vertically-movable cutter-frame; guiding and supporting racks for said frame, one of which racks is extended to form a vertical pivot on which said cutter-frame may swing horizontally; drivinggears engaging said racks to move said frame vertically; and connections between said extended guiding and supporting rack and its driving-gear which form a bearing for the cutter-frame during its horizontal movement.

4:. In a buttercutting machine and in combination, a bed to receive the package of butter; a vertically-movablecutter-frame; guiding and supporting racks for said frame, one of which racks is extended to form a vertical pivot on which said cutter-frame may swing horizontally; driving-gears engaging said racks to move said frame vertically; and circumferential ribs on said extended guiding and supporting rack to engage its drivinggear and form a bearing for the cutter-frame during its horizontal movement.

5. In a butter-cutter and in combination, a bed to receive the package of butter; cutting instrumentalities comprising a horizontal cutter-frame, and a vertical cutter-frame; a guiding and supporting standard for said frames; and a guide in which said standard is slidably and rotatably mounted.

6. In a butter-cutting machine and in combination, a bed to receive the package of butter; cutting instrumentalities comprising a horizontal cutter-frame and a vertical cutterframe; guiding and supporting standards for said frames, one of which standards is extended to form a rotatable bearing for said frames; and guides in which said standards slide and in one of which said extended standard is rotatable.

7. A cutter for butter-cutting machines comprising two frames at right angles to each other, a slidable and rotatable guiding and supporting standard for said frames, and cuttingwires spanning said frames.

8. A cutter for butter-cutting machines comprising a horizontal cutter-frame, a vertical cutter-frame detachably connected to said horizontal cutter-frame, a slidable and rotatable supporting and guiding standard for said frames, and cutting wires spanning said frames.

9. A cutter for butter-cutting machines comprising a horizontal cutter-frame, a vertical cutter-frame of inverted-U shape at right angles to said horizontal cutter-frame, a slidable and rotatable supporting-standard for said frames, and cutting-wires spanning said frames.

10. A cutter for butter-cutting machines comprising a horizontal cutter-frame, a vertical cutter-frame of inverted-U shape detachably secured to said horizontal cutter-frame, a slidable and rotatable supporting-standard for said frames, and cutting-wires spanning said frames.

11. In a butter-cutting machine, and in combination, atable, a butter-receiving bed, a cutter-frame parallel to said bed, a cutter-frame perpendicular to said bed, and a slidable and rotatable supporting-standard for said frames, said table being slotted to receive the perpendicular cutter-frame during rising-and-falling movements of the parallel cutter-frame.

12. In an organized machine for cutting and molding butter, the combination with a bed for the package of butter, a cutter for dividing the package into slabs, a mold-box having a feedway to receive the slabs, aplunger reciprocable within said box to sever blocks from the slabs inserted in said feed way, a receivingtable for the blocks, and a transversely-movable cutter to divide the blocks into prints.

13. In an organized machine for cutting and molding butter, the combination with a bed for the package of butter, a cutter f r dividing the package into slabs, a mold-box having a feedway to receive the slabs, a plunger reci procable within said box to sever blocks from the slabs inserted in said feedway, a receivingtable for the blocks, a transversely-movable cutter to divide the blocks into prints, and a conveyer to which the prints are fed fromtthe receiving-table.

14. In a butter-cutting machine, the combination with a receiving-table for butter blocks, of a cutter for dividing the blocks into prints, a traveling conveyer for the prints adjacent said receiving-table, and means for giving a step-by-step movement to said conveyer.

15. In a butter-cutting machine, the combination with a receiving-table for butter blocks, a cutter movable relative to said table to divide the blocks into prints, a traveling printconveyer adjacent said table, and connections between said cutter and conveyer whereby movement of the cutter will impart step-bystep movements to said conveyer.

16. In a butter-cutting machine, the combination withaslotted receiving-table for butter blocks, a swinging cutter movable across said slotted table, a traveling print-conveyer adjacent said table, and adjustable connections between said swinging cutter and conveyer whereby movement of the cutter will impart step-by-step movements to the conveyer.

17. In a butter-cutting machine, the combination with a slotted receiving-table for the butterblocks, of a swinging cutter movable across said table to divide the blocks into prints, a traveling print-conveyer adjacent said table, gear-and-ratchet mechanism on one of the conveyer-supporting shafts, and a driving-rack pivotally connected with said swinging cutter and engaging said. gear-and-ratchet mechanism, whereby movement of the swinging cutter will impart step-by-step movements to said conveyer.

18. In a butter-cutting machine, the combination with a slotted receiving-table for the butter blocks, of a swinging cutter movable across said table to divide the blocks into prints,. a traveling print-conveyer adjacent said table, double gear-and-ratchet mechanism on one of the conveyer-supporting shafts, and a double driving-rack pivotally connected with said swinging cutter and engaging said gear-and-ratchet mechanism, whereby movement of the swinging cutter in either direction will impart step-by-step movements to said conveyer.

19. A receiving-table for butter-cutting mechanism comprising a substantially rectangular box having its bottom and one side slotted for the passage of cutting-wires of a cutting implement, the otherside of the box having seats for the reception of the cuttingwires.

20. In a butter-cutting machine, thecombination with a mold-box to receive the butter, a reciprocating plunger to feed the butter through the mold-box, a receiving-table to which said plunger delivers having its bottom and one side slotted and provided with wirereceiving seats in its other side, and a doublestroke cutter movable across said table and adapted to divide the butter into prints during its forward and backward movements.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD F. STEWART.

Witnesses:

BENEDICT S. VVIsE, JAMES LASKER.

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