Method of forming bar soap with an insert embedded in the bar

Abstract

A method and apparatus for embedding a washer or other perforated plate or body in the body of a cake of soap without leaving a penetration cut in the soap billet which might crack open on, for example, future soap bar moisture changes. The relatively insoluable washer or soap plate has a central hole which is aligned with a hole at least partially through the soap cake in the finished state. The soap cake is fabricated from a soap extrusion having an oversized hole centrally located and longitudinally extending along the extrusion, or the oversized hole can be otherwise provided in a soap extrusion. The extrusion is cut off into soap billets and conveyed to a machine location where a shaft inserts the washer into the central portion of the soap billet through the oversized extruded hole in the billet. This shaft or post in cooperation with a shaft from the opposite side of the billet of soap, holds the washer in proper position in the billet hole while a pair of surfaces squeeze the soap to reduce the oversized billet hole to the diameter of the holding shafts and thus embed the washer in the soap, and produce a hole through the soap, and align the hole in the washer with the hole in the soap. The word soap is here taken to include other cake materials including detergents, etc.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.