Apparatus for forming an edible product
AssigneeNabisco Brands, Inc.
InventorGary S. Kehoe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for forming an edible product. The apparatus includes an inside tube, an outside tube extending along and around the inside tube, and a plurality of deflector plates extending across the passageway between the tubes. A first edible material is conducted through the inside tube, and a second edible material is conducted through the passageway between the inside and outside tubes. The deflector plates guide that second material into longitudinally extending spaced apart strands, and also form longitudinally extending spaced apart zones substantially free of the second edible material. The first edible material expands into those zones to form a product having alternating outside strands of the edible materials.
Claims21
Apparatus for extruding an edible product of the type having an elongated, internal cylindrical core and an elongated annular sheath annularly extending completely around the cylindrical core and defining a longitudinally and annularly extending outside surface, the apparatus comprising:
- first supply means for holding a first extrudable edible material;
- second supply means for holding a second extrudable edible material;
- an inside extruder tube;
- an outside extruder tube extending along and around the inside tube, the inside and outside tubes forming an annular passageway continuously extending around the inside tube, between the inside and outside tubes, the outside tube including a forward portion projecting forward of the inside tube to engage and shape the outside surface of the edible product and to guide forward movement thereof;
- means connected to the second supply means and to the outside extruder tube to feed the second edible material from the second supply means, to and through the annular passageway, the second material moving through said annular passageway in the shape of an elongated ring;
- a plurality of deflector plates connected to at least a selected one of the inside and outside tubes and radially extending at least partially across the annular passageway at a front end thereof, to force the second edible material from said elongated ring and into a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart strands longitudinally extending forward from the annular passageway and radially extending outward from the core of the edible product to the outside surface thereof, and to form a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart zones, between said strands, substantially free of the second edible material and extending forward from the annular passageway;
- and
- means connected to the first supply means and to the inside extruder tube to feed the first edible material from the first supply means, to and through the inside extruder tube, and radially outwardly into said zones to form the first edible material into the core of the product and into a plurality of strands radially extending outward from the core of the edible product to the outside surface thereof, whereby the annular sheath of the edible product includes alternating longitudinally extending strands of the first and second edible materials.
An extruder nozzle for extruding first and second extrudable edible materials into an edible product of the type having an elongated, internal cylindrical core and an elongated annular sheath annularly extending completely around the cylindrical core and defining a longitudinally and annularly extending outside surface, the extruder nozzle comprising:
- an inside tube for receiving the first edible material and forming the first edible material into the core of the edible product;
- an outside tube extending along and around the inside tube, the inside and outside tubes forming an annular passageway continuously extending around the inside tube, between the inside and outside tubes, for receiving the second edible material and guiding the second edible material forward through the annular passageway in the shape of an elongated ring;
- and
- a plurality of deflector plates secured in the annular passageway adjacent a front end thereof to force the second edible material from said elongated ring and into a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart strands longitudinally extending forward from the annular passageway and radially extending outward from the core of the edible product to the outside surface thereof, and to form a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart zones, between said strands, substantially free of the second edible material, said zones longitudinally extending forward from the annular passageway and radially extending from the core of the edible product to the outside surface thereof;
- and
- the outside tube including a forward portion projecting forward of the inside tube, and forming an expansion section wherein the first edible material expands radially outwardly from the inside tube to fill said zones and form a plurality of strands radially extending outward from the core of the edible product to the outside surface thereof, whereby the annular sheath of the edible product includes alternating longitudinally extending, outside strands of the first and second edible materials.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.