Rotary machine and method for making hardened confections of complementary parts
AssigneeNestec S.A.
InventorDavid B. Heinrich
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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 paired groups of complementary molds arranged radially, adjacent to each other in or on sectors of a rotating table, in which a group of first molds radially arranged in a first sector produces physical shapes which fit within and complementarily join all or part of the physical shapes produced in a group of second molds radially arranged in a second sector.
Claims34
A machine for making hardened confections of complementary parts, comprising:
- at least two groups of complementary molds provided as a paired group, said paired group 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 paired 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- a first withdrawing mechanism for withdrawing solidified product from said first molds and for introducing said withdrawn product into said second molds;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;
- and
- a second withdrawing mechanism for withdrawing the confections from said second molds after the second product solidifies.
A machine for making hardened confections of complementary parts, comprising:
- a unitized table that is horizontally disposed and operatively connected to a drive mechanism for rotatably advancing said paired groups of molds about a central axis;
- at least two groups of complementary molds provided as a paired group within a sector of said unitized table, said paired group 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, said first and second groups of molds being further arranged radially with respect to a central axis of said table;
- a drive mechanism for rotating the unitized table;
- at least one solidifying section through which said paired 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 first withdrawing mechanism for withdrawing solidified product from said first molds and for introducing 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 second withdrawing mechanism for withdrawing product from said second molds after the second product solidifies.
A rotary machine for making unit confections of complementary parts which consist of different recipes, flavors, colors, textures and/or mix inclusions comprising paired groups of complementary molds arranged radially, adjacent to each other in or on sectors of a rotating table, in which a group of first molds radially arranged in a first sector produces physical shapes which fit within and complementarily join all or part of the physical shapes produced in a group of second molds radially arranged in a second sector.
A method of making hardened confections of complementary parts, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first group of molds within a first sector 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 sector of a unitized table, said first and second groups of molds being a paired group;
- 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 the first group of molds with a first product;
- withdrawing solidified product from said first molds and introducing said product into said second molds;
- filling the second group of 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 product from said second molds when the molded product is solidified.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.