US 5,450,786 AGranted

Conching device

AssigneeRichard Frisse GmbH Maschinenfabrik

InventorKurt Muntener

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Abstract

A conching device comprising at least one rotor shaft (4) having conching tools (5) is subdivided by partition walls (10, 11, 12) into compartments (13-16), so that in these compartments (13-16) different formulations can be conched simultaneously. The through holes for the rotor shaft (17) across the partition walls (10, 11, 12) between the compartments (13-16) are sealed by means of Belleville spring washers (18) such that no transport of chocolate paste can take place from one compartment (13-16) to another. Since the conching device comprises only one driving mechanism 8 and only two bearing units (6, 7) for each rotor shaft (4), there results a cost- and space-saving device, which can be employed in a manifold way. Thus, different formulations can be conched in the different compartments, which formulations can be processed parallely or at different times, by way of example.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A conching machine for treating chocolate paste by kneading and mixing comprising

wall means forming a trough for containing chocolate paste and comprising inner wall means as well as end wall means extending in substantially vertical plane, said trough extending along a longitudinal axis surrounded by said inner wall means;
partition means for diving said trough into at least two adjacent compartments in axial direction of said longitudinal axis, said compartments being separated from one another as to be able to treat chocolate pastes of different characteristics simultaneously within each of said compartments;
at least one rotor means extending along said longitudinal axis and including wiper elements extending in radial direction from said rotor means up about to said inner wall means said rotor means extending through said compartment and being common to them;
drive means for said rotor means so as to be common to said compartments;
sealing and bearing means including a seal between said partition means and said rotor means to prevent exchange of said chocolate pastes of different characteristics in said adjacent compartments;
at least two input opening means being assigned to one of said compartments for inputting one of said chocolate pastes into the respective compartment;
at least two discharge means each being assigned to one of said compartments for discharging one of said chocolate pastes out of the respective compartment.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.