US 4,537,121 A · Apparatus for the manufacture of ice cream sandwiches

Abstract

A generally imperforate conveyor belt of articulated design carries a plurality of longitudinally spaced confection carrier assemblies. Each assembly includes an outer table having peripheral guide surfaces for receiving and supporting the sandwich. The table is connected via a rotatable shaft which extends through the belt to an inner sprocket. The sprocket engages a fixed rack as the conveyor passes through a coating station to thereby rotate the sandwich, which is in the path of sprayed chips. The chips are fed from a supply hopper onto a horizontal conveyor and hence to a chute which feeds the chips into a whirling brush which sprays the chips onto the edge of the sandwich. A sandwich squeezing device is positioned upstream of the chip spray, while an air jet disposed downstream of the spray removes unwanted chips from the top cookie surface of the sandwich. The unused chips lying on the conveyor finally drop off the conveyor end and are recycled back to the supply hopper.

Claims17

Dependent claims

In a machine for manufacturing ice cream sandwiches, the initial components of which include a layer of ice cream or the like sandwiched between upper and lower cookies or the like, the combination comprising:

(a) a conveyor belt having an upstream portion and a downstream portion,
(b) motive means to drive said belt along a path,
(c) a plurality of carrier assemblies disposed along and carried by said belt and with said assemblies being adapted to receive in succession the individual components of said sandwiches at said upstream belt portion,
(d) drive means disposed downstream of said upstream portion of said belt to rotate said assemblies and the sandwiches thereon about a vertical axis,
(e) spraying means disposed adjacent said belt to spray chips onto the rotating sandwiches so that chips adhere thereto,
(f) and means disposed downstream of said chip spraying means to remove stray chips from the upper cookie of said the sprayed sandwiches.

3 more elements

(a) a conveyor belt having an upstream portion and a downstream portion,
(b) motive means to drive said belt along a path,
(c) a plurality of carrier assemblies disposed along and carried by said belt and with said assemblies being adapted to receive in succession the individual components of said sandwiches at said upstream belt portion, each of said assemblies including:
(1) a sandwich receiving table disposed on the outer side of said belt,
(2) an elongated shaft having one end fixed to said table and with said shaft extending through said belt and rotatable on a vertical axis,
(3) and a sprocket fixed to the other end of said shaft and forming part of said drive means,
(d) drive means disposed downstream of said upstream portion of said belt to rotate said assemblies and the sandwiches thereon about a vertical axis, said drive means comprising:
(1) said sprocket,
(2) and a rack extending adjacent and along said belt and said chip spraying means and engageable by successive sprockets of said assemblies as they are carried downstream by said belt,
(e) spraying means disposed adjacent said belt to spray chips onto said rotating sandwiches so that chips adhere thereto, said spraying means comprising:
(1) a chip holding hopper disposed above said belt,
(2) a motively driven horizontal chip conveyor disposed beneath said hopper,
(3) a chute extending from the discharge of said chip conveyor and downwardly to adjacent one side of said belt,
(4) and a motively driven elongated rotatable roller brush disposed at the bottom of said chute for whirlingly spraying chips received from said chute onto the conveyed rotating sandwiches,
(f) and means disposed downstream of said chip spraying means to remove stray chips from the upper cookie of said sprayed sandwiches, said stray chip removing means comprising a pressurized air nozzle disposed downstream of said chip spraying means and aimed so that a jet of air impinges on the said upper cookie.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for the manufacture of ice cream sandwiches

Life of this patent

Apparatus for the manufacture of ice cream sandwiches

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17