The sweetmeats are next dipped into liquified chocolate (covering stuff) to coat them with a layer of that material. The mass employed for this purpose must contain up to 15 % more butter than that used for ordinary chocolate, so that it may be kept soft long enough for continuous working.[121] This is performed in the machine fig. 75. On a bed-plate coming into contact with steam or cold water, as required, occur rake-like stirrers, and a small ventilator introduced above assists in cooling off the material. For the purpose of discharging, there is an outlet on the rim of the pan. For storage of the tempered coverings and also for occasional alleviations with cacao butter, a machine illustrated in fig. 76 is utilised. [Illustration: Fig. 74.] [Illustration: Fig. 75.] [Illustration: Fig. 76.] The dipping of pralinés for the purpose of coating them was formerly carried out by means of a fork, the nucleus masses being dropped into the coating material, taken out with a fork, and placed upon metal plates. Various kinds of ornamentation were designed by the same instrument. In the preparation of the higher priced coated fondants, a similar method of procedure is still in vogue, although such manipulation presupposes a high degree of skill on the part of the mechanics are at the machine. For articles of more general consumption, whether ornamented or not, machines have been introduced for the purpose by divers manufacturers, some of which function excellently. Two of that kind which in every way respond to the calls made on them are here described, but we shall not waste time and labour over the more complicated and expensive machines. [Illustration: Fig. 77.] [Illustration: Fig. 78.] The first method of coating fondants, patented by A. Reiche of Dresden-Plauen, is not based on mechanical principles, but rather relies on a series of small appliances, represented in fig. 77. The jacketed casing _a_, fig. 77 contains water, and into it the pan containing coating material can be placed: that is kept in a liquid condition by heating the water in the jacket by spirit lamps or gas jets underneath. The adjoining vessel _b_ is closed on all sides, filled with water, and also kept warm in the same manner; it serves for the preparatory warming of the objects to be coated, which are spread upon a wire network, and for that purpose two of these wire frames can be hung upon the hooks inside the box. The mass dropping from the wire frame is conveyed into the covering box _a_, by means of a sheet of metal placed above it; _c_ serves as an apparatus for turning, and we give it on a larger scale in fig. 78. [Illustration: Fig. 79.] The tracings _h_ and _i_ in fig. 79 show the cross section and top view of the wire gratings, on which cylindrical and ball-shaped sugar goods are deposited. The other two kinds of grating are illustrated at _L_ and _M_ (fig. 80).