Chain cutter for continuously forming center-filled gum pieces

A method of continuously forming a plurality of discrete pieces of a center-filled confectionery product from an elongate rope thereof comprising the steps of:

• feeding said rope between a first and second elongate rotating chains, each said chain defining a plurality of mutually engageable open die cavity portions simultaneously closing a plurality of said die cavity portions about said rope along an extended length to cut said rope into said discrete pieces, wherein said number of said closed die cavities is at least about 10, wherein said first and second chains are rotatable at a speed of from about 30 m/min to about 200 m/min, and wherein each of said first and second chains has a major diameter length and said chain defines a length of said plurality of simultaneously closed die cavity portions, and wherein the ratio of said length of said plurality of simultaneously closed die cavity portions to the major diameter length is from about 0.3-0.6 to 1.

A method of continuously forming a plurality of discrete pieces of a center-filled confectionery product from an elongate rope thereof comprising the steps of:

• feeding said rope between a first and second elongate rotating chains, each said chain defining a plurality of mutually engageable open die cavity portions simultaneously closing a plurality of said die cavity portions about said rope along an extended length to cut said rope into said discrete pieces;
• and urging one of said chains into said engagement with said other chain to maintain said plurality of said die cavity portions in said closed position, wherein said number of said closed die cavities is at least about 10, and wherein each of said first and second chains has a major diameter length and said chain defines a length of said plurality of simultaneously closed die cavity portions, and wherein the ratio of said length of said plurality of simultaneously closed die cavity portions to the major diameter length is from about 0.3-0.6 to 1.