FR2605188A1 - PRESS FOR PRESSING COCOA PULP - Google Patents

Abstract

PRESS FOR PRESSING THE COCOA PULP, INCLUDING: - A PLURALITY OF V ALIGNED TRAYS, DEFINING RESPECTIVELY THE RECEPTION VOLUMES OF THE COCOA PATE TO BE PRESSED; - MEANS OF ACTION TO REDUCE THE SAID VOLUMES DURING A PRESSING PHASE WITH EXTRACTION OF COCOA BUTTER UNTIL COCOA "CAKES" ARE OBTAINED AND TO OPEN THE SAID BINS V DURING A SUCCESSIVE UNLOADING PHASE, WITH FALL SUCCESSIVE OF THE SAID CAKES SINCE THE SAID BACS V FOLLOWING A SENSITIVELY VERTICAL TRAJECTORY; - MEANS OF COLLECTION 9 OF THE SAID CAKES, LOCATED BELOW THE SAID BACS V; - AS WELL AS A PROTECTIVE SCREEN 10 LOCATED BELOW THE V BINS AND ABOVE THE COLLECTING MEANS 9 OF THE COCOA CAKES; THIS PROTECTIVE SCREEN 10 BEING AT LEAST PART 13 MOVABLE BETWEEN A POSITION OF ALIGNMENT WITH THE SAID SENSITIVELY VERTICAL TRACK, PROVIDED DURING THE SAID PRESSING PHASE, AND A RELEASING POSITION OF THE SAID TRAJECTORY SENSITIVELY VERTICAL, PREVIEWED IN THE SENSITIVELY VERTICAL, PHASE FROM THE SAID PRESSING PHASE. VIEW OF ALLOWING THE FALL OF COCOA CAKES FROM THE SAID BINS V ON THE SAID MEANS OF COLLECTION 9.

Description

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  The present invention relates to presses for pressing cocoa paste and relates in particular to a press comprising: - a plurality of aligned trays, respectively defining receiving volumes of the cocoa paste to be pressed, - actuating means to reduce said volumes during a pressing phase with extraction of the cocoa butter until cocoa "cakes" are obtained and to open said bins during a subsequent phase of unloading, with expulsion and subsequent dropping of said cakes from said bins in a substantially vertical path, and - means for collecting said cakes, located below

said bins.

  Presses of the type just described are commonly

  used to obtain cocoa cakes intended to be

  used as a basic component in the confectionery industry.

  Cocoa butter obtained by pressing cocoa paste is also a particularly valuable material which may, for example, be used in the pharmaceutical industry and in the pharmaceutical industry.

that of cosmetics.

  In general, the machines of the type just described have a network for the collection of cocoa butter comprising collection lines connected to said bins and at least one main collection channel, to which confluence said collection lines, which extends in the alignment direction

  bins, at a level generally lower compared to these.

  The pressing bins are provided with retaining means to prevent the cocoa butter from falling out of the container.

  collection network. However, this phenomenon, which usually manifests itself

  in the form of drops of cocoa butter that occasionally fall

  bins, can not be completely eliminated.

  Although of limited importance, this phenomenon has a negative impact on efficiency and functioning and, consequently,

on the performance of the press.

  In the first place, the drops of cocoa that leave the bins outside the collection network of cocoa butter fall on the means of collection of "cakes", usually made

  by a continuous conveyor which extends below said bins.

  This causes fouling of the carrier, hence the need to proceed, with a relatively high frequency of intervention, to

  maintenance operations of the carrier which inevitably involve

  stop the press. In addition, the cocoa cakes that fall on the carrier tend to absorb the drops of cocoa butter found on it. Finally, the fragments that have eventually detached from the cakes when they fall on the carrier tend to mix with drops of cocoa butter forming sludge that must be removed periodically by stopping the press. Another disadvantage is that the commercial value of cocoa butter lost in the form of drops, measured over long and continuous cycles of use, such as

  than those in the confectionery industry.

is rather considerable.

  In the past, attempts have already been made to remedy these

  by placing below the bins and above.

  carrier collecting cakes protective tiles forming a kind of comb with slots that allow the panels to

  fall freely at the end of the pressing operation.

  However, this solution has not proved entirely satisfactory, either because said slots are still a free zone that allows the fallout of cocoa butter drops on the cake collection conveyor, or because the cakes, at during their fall on the carrier, they may hit the protective tiles by disintegrating at their edges, which gives rise to scales that fall on the

  carrier with the disadvantages just described.

  The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a press for pressing cocoa paste, improved in terms of efficiency and convenience of application and use,

  and on the other hand free from the aforementioned drawbacks.

  This object is achieved by the press for pressing the cocoa mass according to the present invention, characterized in that it comprises a protective screen disposed below the bins and above said cocoa cake collection means. ; said shielding screen being at least partly movable between a first alignment position with said substantially vertical trajectory, provided during said pressing phase, and a clearance position of said substantially vertical trajectory, provided in said unloading phase in order to allow the fallout

  cakes from said bins on said collection means.

  In other words, in the press according to the invention there is provided a protective screen which completely covers the collection means cocoa cakes (carrier) during the pressing phase. In this way, the drops of cocoa butter that fall from the bins come to collect on said screen,

  so that they can no longer foul the carrier.

  Moreover, said screen is preferably inclined with respect to

  a horizontal plane so that the drops can be conveyed to the

  the main cocoa butter collection channel.

  Conversely, during the unloading phase the screen

  moves by disengaging from the fallout path of the cakes.

  Other features and benefits will come out more

  clearly from the description that follows, given here for

  nonlimiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a press

  for pressing the improved cocoa mass according to the invention.

while

  FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line II-

II of Figure 1.

  In accordance with Figure 1, reference 1 designates in

  together a press for pressing cocoa paste.

  It is a device which, with regard to its general principles of operation, must be considered quite familiar to any technician experienced in this sector, and therefore of

  not to require a detailed description for the comprehension

sion of the invention.

  In this respect, it will suffice to recall that the press 1 essentially comprises a frame having a general structure in the form of a bridge, with two pedestals or platforms 2 between which a plurality of rods or horizontal shafts 3 extend. These rods or shafts serve sliding supports to a plurality of profiled elements 4 which respectively define in pairs horizontal axis cylindrical containers aligned with each other. In each of these tanks it is possible to introduce, through a network of pipes 5, and from a source not shown, a fluid mass of

  cocoa paste that you want to squeeze.

  Actuating means, consisting essentially of a hydraulic unit 6, then make it possible to slide the elements 4 onto the rods or shafts 3 so as to reduce the axial dimensions of each tray V, by causing the pressing of

the cocoa paste it contains.

  By the effect of the pressing action thus produced, the dough expresses its content in cocoa butter. This butter flows as a slightly yellowish liquid inside the collection pipes 7 (Figure 2), each of which extends from the bottom portion of each pressing tank V, towards a channel main 8 of cocoa butter collection. This channel 8 is located on one side of the machine and extends in one direction

  parallel to the direction of alignment of the V containers, at a general level

  lower than these.

  At the end of the pressing phase, lasting for about 40 minutes, reversing the operating direction of the hydraulic unit 6 causes the elements 4 to

  to cause the opening of the bins.

  The cocoa cakes then fall downwards in a substantially vertical trajectory and are collected by a continuous belt conveyor 9 (FIG. 2) which extends below the pressing vats V. The conveyor 9, which is motorized, allows to advance the cakes to an unloading station located

  at one of the pedestals 2, where is a pickup trolley.

  Reference 10 designates as a whole a screen of

  protection which extends inside the frame of machine 1,

  below the bins V and above the conveyor 9.

  More specifically, the screen 10 is constituted by a first and a second sheet metal plate which together form an inclined plane having a lower edge 10a which gives on the chute

  or main collection channel 8 of cocoa butter.

  The first of these two parts constituting the screen 10, designated by the reference 11, is supported by a mounted chassis 12

  in a fixed position relative to the frame of the machine.

  The second part of the screen, the one designated

  13, is mounted with the possibility of sliding

  along two rails 13a located at both ends of the row of pressing bins V and which extend in a direction generally orthogonal to the alignment direction of the press bins V. The movable portion 13 of the screen 10 is mounted in a position slightly above the fixed part 11, so that it is able to slide on said fixed part 11

  by exerting on the upper face thereof a scraping action.

  The fixed portion 11 of the screen 10 is mounted in a position generally clear with respect to the vertical path. of fall

  cocoa cakes from bins V to carrier 9.

  By the effect of the movement on the rails 13a, the mobile part 13 can however be moved, under the action of motor means such as the hydraulic cylinders 14, between a first operating position, provided during the pressing operation, and a

  second operating position, provided during the discharge phase-

  The first operating position of the screen 10 is that which is illustrated in FIG. 2. In this condition, the movable portion 13 extends completely below the bins. V. pressing so as to protect the transporter 9 from falling drops

  cocoa butter overflowing with these.

  Indeed, the seals associated with these bins are not able to ensure that all the cocoa butter

  cocoa paste is conveyed inside the canalisa-

collection procedures 7.

  Thanks to the solution according to the invention, the drops which

  bins V can not fall on the transpor-

  9, but will instead be collected on the upper face of the movable portion 13 of the protective screen 10. Due to the generally inclined disposition of the screen 10, these drops tend to flow gradually towards the edge lower 10a of the screen and, therefore, to the channel or trough 8 which constitutes, for

  so to speak, a kind of gutter of the protection screen 10.

  Once the pressing operation has been completed and it is desired to unload the cocoa cakes on the conveyor 9, the cylinders 14 are actuated so as to cause the moving part 13 to move towards the position shown schematically in broken lines on the FIG. 2. This is an operating position in which the mobile part 13 of the screen 10 is practically superimposed on the fixed part 11 and consequently in a position released from the vertical drop trajectory of the cocoa cakes. falling from the vats V on the carrier 9. Under these conditions, the pressing vats V can be opened, so that the cocoa cakes can fall on the carrier without running the risk of hitting the fixed parts of

the machine.

  During its movement to move to the second operating position, the movable portion 13 slides (or, rather, slips) on the fixed portion 11 of the screen. by consequently exerting a scraping action on the upper face thereof, which of

  this fact is maintained in perfect cleanliness.

  According to a preferred solution, to prevent the part

  mobile 13 can not bend upwards during its slide.

  On the fixed part 11, it is possible to provide on the frame fixed guide elements 15 with feet or pressure pads 16 acting on the upper face of the movable part 13 of the screen 10 in order to maintain it. a reliable way and constantly in contact with

  the upper face of the fixed part 11.

  Naturally, the effects of the present invention extend

  also to devices that perform the same function on the basis of the same innovative concept, and in particular to devices in which the movement of a portion of the screen is obtained with actuating means other than cylinders described and illustrated

  as an example in the present application.

Claims (5)

  1. Press for pressing cocoa paste, comprising:   a plurality of aligned tanks (V), respectively defining   receiving volumes of the cocoa paste to be pressed; - actuating means (6) for reducing said volumes during a pressing phase with extraction of the cocoa butter until cocoa "cakes" are obtained; to open said bins (V) during a subsequent unloading phase, with fall   successive of said cakes from said bins (V) following a trajec-   substantially vertically, and - means for collecting (9) said cakes, located below said bins (V), characterized in that it comprises a protective screen (10) disposed below said bins (V) ) and above said collection means (9) cocoa cakes 3 said shield (10) being at least partly (13) movable between a first alignment position with said substantially vertical trajectory, provided during said phase pressing. and a position of clearance of said substantially vertical trajectory, provided in said unloading phase in order to allow the fallout of the cakes from   said bins (V) on said collection means (9).   2. Press according to claim 1, characterized in that said protective screen (10) has a substantially plate-shaped structure and comprises a fixed part (11) and a movable part (13) substantially coplanar with one another. in relation to each other; said moving part (13) being associated with motor means (14) which control its sliding relative to said fixed part (11), between said alignment position and said release position.   3. Press according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said screen (10) is oriented according to   a plane generally inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.   4. Device according to claim 3, characterized by   the fact that it includes a cocoa butter collection network   collecting ducts (7) connected to said trays (V) and at least one trough or main channel (8) extending in a direction parallel to that of alignment of the trays (V), at a level generally lower than to these, and to which confluence said collection ducts and in that said screen (10) has a lower edge (10a) overlooking said main channel (8), so that the same main channel is susceptible   to serve as gutter said screen (10).   5. Press according to claim 2, characterized in that said movable part (13) slides above said   fixed part (11) by exerting a scraping action on the latter.