System for continuously forming center filled gum

A method of continuously producing pieces of liquid-filled gum material comprising the steps of:

• supplying a rope of liquid filled gum material to a sizing member;
• sizing said gum material;
• introducing said sized gum material into die cavities formed between a rotating drum mechanism and a rotating cutting ring mechanism;
• forming said gum material into separate pieces of sealed gum material in said die cavities by cam and plunger mechanisms;
• cooling said die cavities by forming a chamber adjacent a portion of said die cavities and directing a cooling gas into said chamber;
• maintaining said cam and plunger mechanism at temperatures above said die cavities by directing air at substantially ambient temperature at said cam and plunger mechanism;
• and
• removing said formed separate pieces of gum material from said cavities.

An apparatus for continuously producing pieces of liquid-filled gum material from a rope of liquid-filled gum material comprising:

• a rotating drum mechanism, said drum mechanism comprising a first plurality of die members positioned around the periphery of said drum mechanism, a plurality of plunger members positioned adjacent said first plurality of die members, and cam members for directing said plunger members into said die members for compressing said pieces of gum material;
• and
• a rotating cutter ring mechanism, said cutter ring mechanism comprising a second plurality of die members;
• said drum mechanism and said cutter ring mechanism being positioned adjacent one another such that said first plurality of die members and said second plurality of die members mate to form product shaped die cavities;
• said second plurality of die members having product engaging surfaces which are slanted at an angle to the longitudinal direction of said die cavities;
• wherein formation of chips of gum material from said pieces of gum material during compression is minimized.