Machine and method for making hardened confections having complementary parts joined in a unit
AssigneeNestec S.A.
InventorDavid B. Heinrich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rotary machine and method for making unit confections of complementary parts which consist of different recipes, flavors, colors, textures and/or mix inclusions having concentric groups of complementary molds essentially radially aligned in or on annular sections of a rotating table, in which a group of first molds in a first annular section produces physical shapes which fit within and complementarily join all or part of the physical shapes produced in a group of second molds in a second annular section that is concentric with the first annular section.
Claims27
A machine for making hardened confections of complementary parts, comprising:
- at least two concentric groups of complementary molds, said groups including a group of first molds for producing a solidified physical shape which fits within the molds in a group of second molds;
- at least one solidifying section through which said concentric groups of first and second molds are each advanced by rotation;
- a first filling unit for introducing a first product into said first molds;
- a stick inserter for inserting a stick into the product molded in the first molds;
- a first withdrawing and transfer mechanism for withdrawing solidified product from said first molds and for transferring said withdrawn product, essentially radially with respect to said concentric groups, into said second molds;
- a second filling unit for introducing a second product into said second molds to fill the spaces in the second molds not occupied by the first molded products contained therein;
- a second withdrawing and transfer mechanism for withdrawing the confections from said second molds after the second product solidifies;
- and
- a drive mechanism for rotatably advancing the concentric groups of molds in a path about an axis.
A machine for making hardened confections of complementary parts, comprising:
- at least two concentric groups of complementary molds, said groups including a group of first molds for producing a physical shape which complementarily joins with all or part of the physical shape produced by molds in a group of second molds within which the shapes produced by the first molds fit;
- a substantially circular and flat unitized table that is horizontally disposed and operatively connected to a drive mechanism for rotatably advancing said concentric groups of molds about a central axis;
- a drive mechanism for rotating the unitized table;
- at least one solidifying section through which said concentric groups of first and second molds are each advanced by rotation;
- a first filling unit for introducing a first product into said first molds, said first filling unit being operationally disposed at or proximate to a position defining a beginning of one rotation cycle;
- a stick-inserting unit located above the advancement path of said first molds and positioned with respect to the rotational path of said first molds such that sticks are introduced therein during the hardening of the first product;
- a withdrawing and transfer mechanism for withdrawing solidified product from said first molds and for transferring said withdrawn molded product into said second molds;
- a second filling unit for introducing a second product differing from the first product into the second molds to fill the space therein not occupied by the first molded product contained therein;
- and
- a withdrawing unit for withdrawing product from said second molds after the second product solidifies.
A method of making hardened confections of complementary parts, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first group of molds within a first annular section of a unitized table;
- providing a second group of molds complementary in shape with the first molds, within which product molded in the first group of molds fits, within a second annular section of a unitized table;
- causing said first and second groups of molds to each advance by rotation through an environment in which product introduced into the molds is solidified;
- filling molds of the first group with a first product;
- withdrawing solidified product from said first molds and transferring said product into said second molds;
- filling the second molds with a second product to fill the volume of the second mold that is not occupied by the transferred solidified product from the first mold;
- and
- withdrawing the molded products from said second molds when the second product is solidified.
A rotary machine for making unit confections of complementary parts which consist of different recipes, flavors, colors, textures and/or mix inclusions comprising concentric groups of complementary molds essentially radially aligned in or on annular sections of a rotating table, in which a group of first molds in a first annular section produces physical shapes which fit within and complementarily join all or part of the physical shapes produced in a group of second molds in a second annular section that is concentric with the first annular section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.