GB1599027A - Manufacture of confectionery products - Google Patents

Description

(54) MANUFACTURE OF CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTS (71) We, METAL BOX LIMITED, of Queens House, Forbury Road, Reading RG1 3JH, Berkshire, a British Company, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to the manufacture of confectionery products, in particular (but no exclusively) the product having a central core of ice cream with sponge and/ or pastry surround and often referred to as "Artic Roll".

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for manufacturing a generally cylindrical confectionery product having a centre comprising at least one extruded component within a surround comprising at least one further component, the apparatus comprising an extruder means for said at least one extruded component, a supply means for said at least one further component, and a flexible belt conveyor having a generally horizontal upper run, anl drive means to circulate the belt conveyor around an endless path, the belt conveyor being adapted and arranged for continuously receiving upon the upstream end of its upper run said at least one extruded component superimposed upon a continuous strip of the said at least one further component, the apparatus further comprising a plurality of ploughs operable upon marginal edge regions along the sides of the upper run of the conveyor or directly upon marginal edge regions along the sides of the strip so as with movement of the strip and the said at least one extruded component on the conveyor upper run to plough the marginal edge regions of the strip progressively upwardly and inwardly towards one another to form the strip into encircling relation with the said at least one extruded component and thereby form the said generally cylindrical confectioner) product.

A machine embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing. In the drawing: Fig. 1 shows the machine in simplified form and generally in perspective view; and Fig, 2(a) to (f) illustrate the machine in operation by showing successive stages in the formation of the product.

Referring now to the drawings, the machine has a flexible belt 9 arranged to circulate about horizontally mounted upstream and downstream end rollers 10, 11 to provide horizontal upper and lower runs 12, 13. One or both of the rollers 10, 11 is driven so that the upper run 12 moves from left to right of the drawing, as indicated by the arrow A. The lower run 13 is suitably supported by idler rollers or the like (not shown).

Beyond the upstream end of the belt, that is, to the left of the drawing, are provided means (not shown) for continuously providing to the machine a supply of backing paper 14, sponge 15, and ice cream 16.

Of these, the paper 14 and sponge 15 are in horizontal strip form, and the ice cream 16 is of circular cross-section. Typically the backing paper is drawn from a reel on a mandrel, the sponge, mixed but uncooked, is extruded onto a further conveyor belt (or series of belts) which carries it through a heated tunnel for cooking and then superimposes it onto the backing paper, and the ice cream after manufacture is extruded through a circular orifice onto the centre of the sponge strip. The sponge is slightly narrower than the backing paper and located on the backing paper so that the latter has an uncovered margin 17 down one side of the sponge for the purpose shortly to become apparent.

In addition to the belt 9 and its supports, the machine includes a knife assembly 18 which is synchronised with the belt and intermittently operable upon the product emerging from the machine. Other devices included in the machine but omitted from the drawings in the interests of clarity will become apparent from the following description of the machine in operation.

Referring now to Fig. 2 in conjunction with Fig. 1, the backing paper 14, sponge 15 and ice cream 16 enter the machine from the left in the superimposed relationship described above, and pass onto the upper run 12 of the belt 9, which moves at the same speed. The first operation which takes place as soon as the backing paper moves onto the belt, is the application to the upper surface of the margin 17 of a non-toxic glue of the type which degrades at reduced temperatures. The application of this glue may be any conventional means for example a glueing jet head or wheel.

After passing the glue applicator the paper/sponge/ice cream combination in the form shown in Figs. 2(a) enters a section of the belt 9 in which marginal edge regions 19 on either side of the belt run 12 are ploughed upwardly and symmetrically about the longitudinal axis of the belt, so that the paper/sponge combination is progressively formed up about the ice cream. This forming-up operation is achieved by ploughs which are mounted one on either side of the belt. The ploughs (not shown) are contoured so as to achieve the desired deformation of edge regions 19 of the belt as the later moves slidingly across low-friction, inner surfaces which they provide.

Figs. 2(b) and 2(c) illustrate the formingup of the paper/sponge combination by means of the ploughs. As depicted in Fig.

2(c), the forming-up is such that the edge regions 18 are approximately vertical at approximately the midpoint of the deformed section of the belt. After this the belt acts passively to support and laterally restrain the product while further ploughs 20,21 (Fig. 2) mounted above the belt turn in the two free marginal edge regions of the paper/sponge combination successively and respectively against the ice cream.

The width of the sponge 15 is equal to, or slightly greater than, the circumferential length of the ice cream 15, so that these successive turning-in operations bring the free terminal edges of the sponge into abutment to form a longitudinal seam, with the sponge tightly enveloping the ice cream (see Fig. 2(e).

As can clearly be seen from Fig. 2(e), the last of the ploughs 20,21 to operate is the plough 21 which is effective upon the side of the paper/sponge combination including the glued paper margin 17. The plough 21 thus brings this margin into overlying relationship with the paper on the other side of the sponge seam, so that a later plough 22 (Fig. 2(f)) mounted centrally above the belt can apply downward pressure on the margin 17 and thereby form an adhesive bond between the marginal edges of the pauper.

It will therefore be understood that the product emerging on the belt 9 from beneath the plough 22 is formed of a central circular core of ice cream surrounded by a concentric ring of sponge which in turn is enveloped by a paper sheath. From the belt 9 this product enters the knife assembly 18 which severs it into equal lengths each containing a substantial number (e.g.

20) of the portions to be marketed. These product lengths are then deep frozen, the low temperatures involved degrading the glue applied by the glue jet head or wheel as described so that the encircling sheath formed by the backing paper 14 opens. To form the Arctic Rolls it is then merely required for an operative to remove the lengths from the low temperature storage and sever them, whilst still frozen and therefore rigid, into the desired portions.

This severance may be achieved automatically or manually as desired.

Because of the degradable nature of the glue used there is no need for the operative to strip the paper sheath from the product lengths before cutting them into portions.

If desired, however, the glue wheel (where provided) of the described machine may be arranged to puncture the paper margin 17 so that two parallel lines of perforations are formed along the paper sheath. These lines define a tear strip which the operator may tear away to open the sheath for severance of the product length into the desired portions as described above.

The arrangement of the knife assembly 18 is in view of the squashable nature of the product to be cut, and the consequent need to restrain the product against deformation while cutting is taking place. As shown in simplified form in Fig. 1, the assembly comprises a sleeve member 24 having a central bore aligned to receive the free end of the product from the downstream end of the belt 9 and having a diameter which is slightly greater than the nominal overall diameter of the product. The sleeve member is in two parts 24a, 24b spaced by a small gap 25. A knife 26 is pivotally mounted and actuable by means not shown to move downwardly across the gap and so sever the product within the bore of the sleeve member at predetermined intervals.

The sleeve member 24 and knife 18 are mounted for sliding movement along a fixed shaft 27 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the belt 9. Drive means (not shown) are provided for driving the sleeve member and knife to reciprocate along the shaft 27 with their forward stroke (i.e. in the downstream direction of the product) at the same speed as the product. The return stroke, however, is at high speed.

The knife is operated to cut the product at a predetermined moment in each forward stroke. Since the knife is moving with the product when each cut is made, the plane on which the cut occurs can be accurate and transverse to the product as desired. The close adjacency of the sleeve member 24 with the product exterior on either side of the cut prevents any substantial deformation of the latter during cutting.

After cutting into equal product lengths in this manner, the product lengths are deep frozen and then individually cut to form the portions of Arctic Roll to be marketed, as prevously described.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for manufacturing a generally cylindrical confectionery product having a centre comprising at least one extruded component within a surround comprising at least one further component, the apparatus comprising an extruder means for said at least one extruded component, a supply means for said at least one further component, and a flexible belt conveyor having a generally horizontal upper run, and drive means to circulate the belt conveyor around an endless path, the belt conveyor being adapted and arranged for continuously receiving upon the upstream end of its upper run said at least one extruded component superimposed upon a continuous strip of the said at least one further component, the apparatus further comprising a plurality of ploughs operable upon marginal edge regions along the sides of the upper run of the conveyor or directly upon marginal edge regions along the sides of the strip so as with movement of the strip and the said at least one extruded component on the conveyor upper run to plough the marginal edge regions of the strip progressively upwardly and inwardly towards one another to form the strip into encircling relation with the said at least one extruded component and thereby form the said generally cylindrical confectionery product.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein some of the said plurality of ploughs are disposed for operation upon the marginal edge regions of the conveyor upper run to plough the marginal edge regions of the strip to a generally vertical disposition, the remainder of the ploughs being disposed for operation directly upon the marginal edge regions of the strip to subsequently plough the marginal edge regions of the strip from said generally vertical disposition and into encircling relation with the said at least one extruded component.

3. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, which further includes a knife assembly disposed at the downstream end of the conveyor and arranged for intermittent operation upon the confectionery product to cut the same into lengths, the knife assembly comprising a tubular sleeve member arranged to receive the downstream end of the confectionery product in close encircling relationship therewith, and a knife mounted for operative movement through a transverse gap in the sleeve member so as to sever the confectionery product within the gap, the sleeve member and knife being reciprocable together longitudinally of the conveyor, and means being provided for effecting such reciprocation and for operating the knife once during each movement of the sleeve member and knife in the downstream direction, at a predtermined time instant when the knife and confectionery product are otherwise stationary in relation to one another.

4. Apparatus for manufacturing a generally cylindrical confectionery product, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the product when each cut is made, the plane on which the cut occurs can be accurate and transverse to the product as desired. The close adjacency of the sleeve member 24 with the product exterior on either side of the cut prevents any substantial deformation of the latter during cutting. After cutting into equal product lengths in this manner, the product lengths are deep frozen and then individually cut to form the portions of Arctic Roll to be marketed, as prevously described. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Apparatus for manufacturing a generally cylindrical confectionery product having a centre comprising at least one extruded component within a surround comprising at least one further component, the apparatus comprising an extruder means for said at least one extruded component, a supply means for said at least one further component, and a flexible belt conveyor having a generally horizontal upper run, and drive means to circulate the belt conveyor around an endless path, the belt conveyor being adapted and arranged for continuously receiving upon the upstream end of its upper run said at least one extruded component superimposed upon a continuous strip of the said at least one further component, the apparatus further comprising a plurality of ploughs operable upon marginal edge regions along the sides of the upper run of the conveyor or directly upon marginal edge regions along the sides of the strip so as with movement of the strip and the said at least one extruded component on the conveyor upper run to plough the marginal edge regions of the strip progressively upwardly and inwardly towards one another to form the strip into encircling relation with the said at least one extruded component and thereby form the said generally cylindrical confectionery product.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein some of the said plurality of ploughs are disposed for operation upon the marginal edge regions of the conveyor upper run to plough the marginal edge regions of the strip to a generally vertical disposition, the remainder of the ploughs being disposed for operation directly upon the marginal edge regions of the strip to subsequently plough the marginal edge regions of the strip from said generally vertical disposition and into encircling relation with the said at least one extruded component.

3. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, which further includes a knife assembly disposed at the downstream end of the conveyor and arranged for intermittent operation upon the confectionery product to cut the same into lengths, the knife assembly comprising a tubular sleeve member arranged to receive the downstream end of the confectionery product in close encircling relationship therewith, and a knife mounted for operative movement through a transverse gap in the sleeve member so as to sever the confectionery product within the gap, the sleeve member and knife being reciprocable together longitudinally of the conveyor, and means being provided for effecting such reciprocation and for operating the knife once during each movement of the sleeve member and knife in the downstream direction, at a predtermined time instant when the knife and confectionery product are otherwise stationary in relation to one another.

4. Apparatus for manufacturing a generally cylindrical confectionery product, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.