Inventor Stephen Whitman’s (Yes, The CANDYMAN Whitman) 1875 Patent Model for Casting Confectionery. November 16, 1875 Stephen F. Whitman of Philadelphia, PA is awarded Patent# 169,935 for a Machine for Casting Confectionery.
(Excerpt from Inventing a Better Mousetrap: 200 Years of American History in the Amazing World of Patent Models by Alan and Ann Rothschild
Whitman’s Confectionery Machine
Whitman’s machine for manufacturing confectionery used a steam-filled box surrounding the body to heat the pre-molded batch which was to be poured into multiple vessels located on the top. The underside had funnel-shaped apertures where different types of molds could be attached to cast the confectionery. A lever controlled a sliding gate underneath to control several streams of material simultaneously.