System and method for cooling of gum base
AssigneeLife Savers, Inc.
InventorsOwen Carlin, John E. Beam, Robert Vermesh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method are provided for cooling gum base slabs used in the manufacture of chewing gum wherein hot liquid (190.degree.-280.degree. F) gum base is deposited in self-releasing polycarbonate trays, and cooled by chilled air forced in contact with the gum base and the plastic tray until the gum base slab is cooled sufficiently for depanning.
Claims4
A method for rapidly cooling hot gum base, which comprises disposing hot gum base at a temperature of over 150.degree. F in a plastic tray formed of high heat resistant, high impact strength self-releasing polycarbonate polymer or copolymer and substantially free of release agent or partitioning agent so that direct heat transfer may be effected from the hot gum base through the polycarbonate tray to facilitate cooling, and contacting the hot gum base with forced chilled air at a temperature of below 70.degree. F flowing at a velocity of from 200 to 2000 ft/min, for a period of at least 1 hour and less than 3 hours, and after the gum base has cooled ejecting the cooled gum base slab from the plastic tray by relatively gentle mechanical working.
In a method for cooling a hot gum base including the steps of disposing the hot gum base in a steel tray lined with calcium carbonate or talc partitioning agent, and subjecting the hot gum base to the cooling effect of ambient air, the improvement which comprises replacing the steel tray lined with calcium carbonate or talc with self-releasing polycarbonate trays free of release or partitioning agent to facilitate removal of cooled gum base from the polycarbonate trays.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.