Molding plant for conveying molds for chocolate or similar products
AssigneeCarle & Montanari S.p.A.
InventorCerboni Renzo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A molding plant for conveying molds, preferably molds for chocolates or similar products. A drive shaft, which includes conveying screws mounted on a shaft, conveys the molds along a processing path through stations in the plant. The underside of each mold has downwardly projecting studs or projections that engage between threads of the conveying screws. The studs are arranged such that the molds can be conveyed along at least two different, transverse processing paths. Preferably, the studs are positioned such that the engagement between the studs and the screws is along a midline of the molds.
Claims20
A molding plant for molding a product such as chocolate, said plant comprising:
- a plurality of molds for holding the product to be molded, at least one of said molds having a lateral midline and a transverse midline and at least one lateral stud extending downwardly from the region of said lateral midline and at least one transverse stud extending downwardly from the region of said transverse midline;
- at least one processing station for processing the product in said molds;
- and
- a processing path;
- wherein:
- said processing path has:
- a first portion comprising a first set of parallel guides and a first drive shaft parallel to and positioned between said first set of parallel guides;
- a second portion transverse to said first portion, said second portion of said processing path comprising a second set of parallel guides and a second drive shaft positioned between and parallel to said second set of parallel guides and transverse to said first drive shaft;
- one of said first and second portions extends through said at least one processing station;
- said first drive shaft conveys said molds along said first portion of said processing path in a direction substantially parallel to said lateral midline when said at least one lateral stud engages said first drive shaft;
- said second drive shaft conveys said molds along said second portion of said processing path in a direction substantially parallel to said transverse midline when said at least one transverse stud engages said second drive shaft;
- said at least one lateral stud is positioned such that when said at least one lateral stud engages said first drive shaft said at least one transverse stud is spaced from said first drive shaft;
- and
- said at least one transverse stud is positioned such that when said at least one transverse stud engages said second drive shaft said at least one lateral stud is spaced from said second drive shaft.
A molding plant for molding a product including chocolate, said plant comprising:
- a plurality of molds, each mold having at least one well for holding the product to be molded, first and second opposed lateral sides, a lateral centerline substantially equidistant from said first and second lateral sides, third and fourth opposed transverse sides, a transverse centerline substantially equidistant from said third and fourth opposed transverse sides, and a bottom surface with at least one stud downwardly extending along at least one of said lateral centerline and said transverse centerline;
- at least one processing station for processing said molds;
- and
- a processing path extending through said at least one processing station, said processing path comprising parallel guides and a single drive shaft positioned between said parallel guides;
- wherein said at least one stud is shaped to engage said drive shaft such that said drive shaft conveys each said mold along said processing path in a direction substantially parallel to the centerline from which said stud engaging said drive shaft extends.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.