GB1600536A - Apparatus for applying thermally-liquefiable sugar-based matter to confectionery cakes biscuits and the like - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR APPLYING THERMALLY LIQUEFIABLE SUGAR-BASED COATING MATTER TO CONFECTIONERY, CAKES, BISCUITS AND THE LIKE (71) We, SOLLICH KG SPEZIALMASCHIN- ENFABRIK, a Federal German company of Siemenstrasse 4, 4902 Bad Salzuflen Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patant 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 a machine for coating edible matter, such as confectionery, cakes and biscuits, with thermally-liquefiable sugarbased coating matter and to a method of coating edible matter with thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter by operation of such a machine.

The coating of edible matter such as confectionery, gingerbread and biscuits, with sugar icing is a well known and conventional practice.

This icing is made from a powdered sugar which is dissolved cold in water and which is formed into a flowable substance, if required by means of additives such as egg white, gelatine, colorants or flavours. Technically there are no specific problems in processing a cold sugar icing of this kind containing 20 to 30% water, and processing can be carried out mechanically without any difficulty. The disadvantage of such an icing is that it becomes brittle, is not very attractive in appearance, and therefore does not satisfy relatively high requirements.

A coating of fondant substance, however, does satisfy relatively high requirements. This fondant is a hot icing containing about 8 - 12% water. Sugar crystals are boiled with the addition of water and glucose. The fondant is produced by movement on cooling. For processing the fondant is liquefied by supplying heat until it can be processed like the cold sugar icing. Hence it is a thermally-liquefiable sugarbased coating matter.

Unlike cold sugar icing, however, a problem arising in using thermally-liquefiable sugar based coating matter such as, fondant-like hot icing containing or made from boiled sugar materials is that the heat must not only be supplied to make the material workable but must also be maintained during the entire working process unless there is a relatively high processing temperature, the material solidifies and can no longer be used.

A constant temperature supply to maintain a working temperature is not of itself a particular problem. The problem that does arise is that due to the continuous temperautre supply and the high working temperature liquid continuously evaporates and the material becomes increasingly tougher until finally, and relatively rapidly, it can no longer be worked.

If the fondant is applied manually, the liquefied fondant being in a heated vessel and the products for coating being dipped by hand into the fondant material, it is possible to counteract thickening of the fondant icing to prevent it becoming unusable, if heated water is poured into the vessel from time to time. This is no difficult problem if staff are adequately trained.

However, where fondant icing is applied mechanically, the problem cannot be solved in this way. Although fondant icing kept in readiness for processing in a vessel can be kept in the processable state by subsequent addition of water, those parts of a coating machine which come into contact with the fondant icing during its application very rapidly become caked with solidifying fondant icing and operations must be discontinued until the machine has been thoroughly cleaned. Under the conventional conditions applicable to coating machines, this state is reached after as little as half-anhour operating time. In practice, therefore, it is impossible to coat or decorate edible matter such as confectionery with fondant icing. Fondant icing was hitherto applied exclusively by hand as described above.In large concerns, a considerable number of hand-workers are engaged in applying fondant icing.

In recognition of these conditions, it is now proposed to enclose that part of the coating machine or, generally, a machine for applying thermally- liquefiable sugar-based coating materials, such as fondant or caramel which come into contact with the thermally-liquified sugar-based coating material, the enclosure being such that no evaporated moisture can escape from that part of the machine, A moisture saturated atmosphere then very rapidly forms in the enclosed part of the machine and prevents or makes it impossible for liquid to escape further from thermally-liquefield sugarbased material employed in the process. The machine will not cake with solidifying sugarbased material and remains serviceable over a practically unlimited period.

Hence, according to one aspect of this invention there is provided a thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine including apparatus for preventing sugar-based coating matter from solidifying on parts of the machine, the apparatus comprising enclosing means which are substantially impermeable to moisture and which substantially enclose a zone which surrounds those parts of the machine that thermally-liquefied coating matter reaches when the machine is operated to apply a coating of said coating matter whereby a watersaturated atmosphere is established within said zone whilst the machine is operated to apply a coating of said coating matter.

Although this solution obviates the existing difficulties, it has the disadvantage that there are difficulties in enclosing certain parts of the machine in the processing of confectionery, because the pieces of confectionery that must be passed through the enclosed part of the machine are often of very different contours and, in addition, are frequently so soft and pressure-sensitive that sealing means can be applied to them only with considerable difficulty, if at all.

As a preferred solution of the principle according to the invention, therefore, it is proposed that those parts of the processing machine which come into contact with the fondant icing or other thermally-liquefiable sugarbased material should be enclosed only to such an extent as to create a zone in which a watersaturated atmosphere which prevents the sugarbased material from solidifying, is stablized by an appropriate supply of moisture, e.g. in the form of water vapour, to replace the moisture escaping from the sugar-based material.In this way, the disadvantages referred to above in connection with the mechanical processing of fondant icing or other thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating material are obviated in a technically simply and absolutely reliable manner and for the first time it is possible mechanically to apply thermally-liquefied sugar-based coating matter to confectionery.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a method of coating edible matter with thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter by operation of a thermallyliquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine wherein a water-saturated atmosphere is established in a zone which surrounds parts of the machine which are reached by thermallyliquefied sugar-based coating matter during operation of the machine whereby to inhibit solidification of sugar-based coating matter on said machine parts.

One form of apparatus in which this invention is embodied will be described now by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing.

The apparatus comprises a vat 1 in which boiled sugar material 2 which is to be supplied is held in readiness in a processable state. For processing, the material 2 is required to be in a thinly liquid state and this is maintained by heating the vat 1, the latter being enclosed, for example, by ajacket 3, heating water 4 flowing between it and the wall of the vat, said water entering the jacket at 5 and leaving at 6. A continuously moving endless conveyor belt 7 in the form of a grid is disposed above the vat 1 and runs around a spaced pair of rollers 8 and 10. The pieces 9 of confectionery for coating are fed onto the belt 7 at the end which runs around the roller 8 and are removed from the other end of the conveyor belt 7, which runs around the roller 10, the pieces 9 being removed from the belt 7 in some suitable manner after the coating operation.The fondant material is applied to the pieces 9 of confectionery through outlet nozzles 12 of a distributor pipe 11 disposed above the conveyor belt 7. The distributor pipe 11 is fed from the vat 1 and the surplus material returns to the vat 1.

This area of the machine is covered by a transparent hood 13 in such a manner as to leave gaps 14 and 15 in the region of the conveyor belt feed and discharge ends, the gap width being such that pieces 9 of confectionery of very different contours can pass through the gaps 14 and 15. Othenvise the hood 13 closes off the machine area so that it is relatively sealing-tight. The term "relatively sealing-tight" means that gaps are prevented as far as possible but no special technical provision is made to avoid such gaps at all costs. During the working process, moisture initially escapes from the fondant material held at processing temperature.

Some of this moisture escapes through the gaps 14 and 15 and the other gaps referred to above.

To make up this escaping moisture, vapour is introduced through an intake device 16 into the area covered by the hood 13. In this way, an atmosphere fully saturated with moisture forms beneath the hood 13 and prevents the escape of any further moisture from the fondant material. The machine remains clean and ready for operation for as long as required.

A machine which embodies this invention has been satisfactorily operated. If the hood 13 is removed, the grid conveyor belt 7 together with its bearings and drive mechanism, becomes so clogged with solidified fondant after an operating time of as little as half-anhour that further operation is impossible. If the machine is operated for some time without its hood until the fondant material has set to some degree, and if the hood is then fitted, those parts which are situated in the covered area and are coated with solidified fondant material are soon washed clean, since the water vapour fed beneath the hood is precipitated on the colder parts of the machine, washes them clean and then forms a film of water which prevents any renewed deposition of fondant material.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine including apparatus for preventing sugar-based coating matter from solidifying on parts of the machine, the apparatus comprising enclosing means which are substantially impermeable to moisture and which substantially enclose a zone which surrounds those parts of the machine that thermally-liquefied coating matter reaches when the machine is operated to apply a coating of said coating matter whereby a water-saturated atmosphere is established within said zone whilst the machine is operated to apply a coating of said coating matter.

2. A thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine according to Claim 1, wherein said enclosing means enclose that area of the machine which contains the parts of the machine that are exposed to thermally-liquefied sugar-based coating matter when the machine is operated to apply a coating of said coating matter.

3. A thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said enclosing means incompletely enclose said zone and the apparatus includes water vapour supply means, adapted to supply water vapour to said zone such that, whilst the machine is operated to supply a coating of said coating matter, said zone is continuously supplied with water-vapour to substantially the same extent as moisture escapes from said zone.

4. A thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine according to Claim 3, wherein said enclosing means comprise a transparent hood.

5. A thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

6. A method of coating edible matter with thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter by operation of a thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine wherein a water-saturated atmosphere is established in a zone which surrounds parts of the machine which are reached by thermallyliquefied sugar-based coating matter during operation of the machine whereby to inhibit solidification of sugar-based coating matter on said machine parts.

7. A method of coating edible matter with thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to the accompanying drawing.

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

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. clean and then forms a film of water which prevents any renewed deposition of fondant material. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine including apparatus for preventing sugar-based coating matter from solidifying on parts of the machine, the apparatus comprising enclosing means which are substantially impermeable to moisture and which substantially enclose a zone which surrounds those parts of the machine that thermally-liquefied coating matter reaches when the machine is operated to apply a coating of said coating matter whereby a water-saturated atmosphere is established within said zone whilst the machine is operated to apply a coating of said coating matter.

2. A thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine according to Claim 1, wherein said enclosing means enclose that area of the machine which contains the parts of the machine that are exposed to thermally-liquefied sugar-based coating matter when the machine is operated to apply a coating of said coating matter.

3. A thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said enclosing means incompletely enclose said zone and the apparatus includes water vapour supply means, adapted to supply water vapour to said zone such that, whilst the machine is operated to supply a coating of said coating matter, said zone is continuously supplied with water-vapour to substantially the same extent as moisture escapes from said zone.

4. A thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine according to Claim 3, wherein said enclosing means comprise a transparent hood.

5. A thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

6. A method of coating edible matter with thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter by operation of a thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter applying machine wherein a water-saturated atmosphere is established in a zone which surrounds parts of the machine which are reached by thermallyliquefied sugar-based coating matter during operation of the machine whereby to inhibit solidification of sugar-based coating matter on said machine parts.

7. A method of coating edible matter with thermally-liquefiable sugar-based coating matter substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to the accompanying drawing.