Striped soap bars and method and apparatus for making the same

Cakes of soap or detergent contain at least one stripe of material differing from that forming the body of the cake, which extends from the surface of the cake to about the midplane thereof. As shown, in a preferred embodiment, a soap cake 10 contains four stripes in pairs 12 and 13 and 15 and 16 which are contained in opposite faces 11 and 14 of the cake but are offset. It is preferred that the grain of the body of the cake and of the stripe be substantially parallel, and that the stripes differ in colour from the cake. The stripes may contain a germicide such as 3: 41: 5-tribromo-salicy -anilide, a superfatting agent such as stearic acid, a synthetic detergent such as sodium N-tallow-acyl-N-methyl taurate, or a cosmetic cream, while the body of the cake suitably comprises a sodium soap from a mixture of 80% tallow and 20% coconut oil. An extrusion die for producing such tablets is described (see Division B5).