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US 6,182,556 B2Granted
Device for making molded confectionery products
AssigneeNestec S.A.
InventorsRoy B. Nelson, David Howard Nelson
Life of this patent
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AssigneeNestec S.A.
InventorsRoy B. Nelson, David Howard Nelson
Estimating the term…
The invention relates to a method for making confectionery products and an apparatus for use in the method. The apparatus includes a hopper for mixing the ingredients of a confectionery mix with water to provide a confectionery-based slurry, a device to deliver the confectionery-based slurry from the hopper to a scrape evaporator, and a scrape evaporator. The scrape evaporator includes at least a substantially cylindrical upper cooking section having a first surface at a first temperature for receiving the slurry from the hopper and first scrapers. The first scrapers remove the slurry from the first surface and urge the slurry towards a substantially cylindrical lower cooking section having a second surface at a second temperature and second scrapers. The second scrapers remove the slurry from the second surface and urge the slurry to a lower section of the scrape evaporator wherein the lower section has a tapered configuration and a helical rotary device to urge the slurry out of an exit of the scrape evaporator. The apparatus also includes a device for controlling the temperature of the upper cooking section, and the lower cooking section. The scrapers are secured to a central shaft that extends along the height of the scrape evaporator.
An apparatus for manufacturing a concentrated confectionery slurry comprising a scraped-surface evaporator that has a height, substantially cylindrical upper and lower cooking sections, a tapered collection section and an outlet, with the upper cooking section having a first surface at a first temperature for receiving a confectionery-based slurry, first scrapers to remove the slurry from the first surface and urge the slurry towards the lower cooking section, the lower cooking section having a second surface at a second temperature, second scrapers to remove the slurry from the second surface and urge the slurry to the collection section, helical rotary means to urge the slurry out of the outlet, a central shaft that extends along the height of the scrape evaporator and to which the first and second scrapers are secured, and means for controlling the temperature of the upper and lower cooking sections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.