GB2024764A

GB2024764A - Wrapping of articles

Info

Publication number: GB2024764A
Application number: GB7922318A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Aquarius C H
Current assignee: Aquarius C H
Priority date: 1978-06-27
Filing date: 1979-06-27
Publication date: 1980-01-16
Also published as: GB2024764B; NL7808099A; DE2925735A1

Abstract

Confectionary articles 2, are covered with a thin coating (7) of liquid material which hardens to provide a protective layer. A weakening in the coating which may be of gelatine, or an underlying thread may assist removal of the coating before consumption of the article. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wrapping of Articles This invention pertains to a method of wrapping separately confectionery pieces in solid condition, particularly lollies.

In known methods of this kind, the confectionery piece is wrapped by means of a sheet usually from paper, which is wound about the confectionery piece or which is shaped as a small bag about said confectionery piece. The hand-wrapping is very time-consuming and consequently costly. Generally the wrapping according to said known method is also machine-made which is however still quite intricate and requires expensive machines.

The invention has for object to obviate said drawback and to provide a method for separately wrapping solid confectionery pieces, which is very simple and requires but a very simple machine for a mechanical embodiment, while the wrapping is still quite hygienic and also pleasing to the eye.

For this purpose each convectional piece is covered with a thin coating from liquid hardenable material which is thereafter left to harden.

In particular embodiment of the invention, each confectionery piece is covered with a thin layer from a material which becomes liquid under the action of heat but which is left to solidify by cooling.

In particuiar embodiment of the invention, each confectionery piece is coated with a thin layer from a material which is translucent after hardening.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention each convectionery piece is coated with a thin layer from a material ofthat kind used for making pharmeceutical capsules.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each confectionery piece is coated by dipping same into the liquid hardenable material.

The invention also pertains to a confectionery piece coated by the above-described method.

Other details and features of the invention will stand out from the description given below by way of non-limitative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic showing of a device for the working of the method for separately wrapping confectionery pieces according to the invention.

figure2 is a cross-section through a confectionery piece wrapped according to the invention.

In both figures the same reference numerals pertain to similar elements.

For wrapping lollies comprised of a stick 1 and a confectionery piece 2 at the end thereof, said lollies are fastened with the stick 1 thereby by means of clamps 3, to an endless chain 4; said chain 4 is led by means of guides 5 over a bath 6 which is filled with coating material 7, in such a way that the confectionery piece 2 is thereby dipped temporarily into coating material.7.

Said coating material 7 is of a kind which becomes liquid by heating and thereafter solidified again by cooling. Said material should of course be suitable for wrapping food products and thus cannot release dangerous products to the confectionery piece. It is even preferred to use a coating material 7 which is edible per se. Said coating material is preferably so selected as to be translucent or even transparent after solidifying to allow observing from the outside the kind and colour of the lolly confectionery piece 2.

A suitable coating material 7 is a material of the kind used for preparing capsules from antibiotics or other medical powders. Such a material is among others gelatine. Said material is flowable at 18000 and coating material 7 is heated to such a temperature inside bath 6. The hardening usually occurs by the cooling.

As it appears from figure 2 there is obtained in this way a lolly the confectionery piece 2 of which and a very small portion from the stick 1 are completely surrounded by a thin layer of hardened coating material 7. Opposite the stick said thin layer is provided with an overthickness which results from the drippng when the lolly is removed from the coating material 7 in bath 6. The wrapping of lolly 1, 2 can be performed in an extremely simple way and by means of a very simple equipment. The wrapping occurs very rapidly. Moveover said wrapping is quite hygienic and has a nice appearance.

Even if the thin layer from coating material 7 is edible per se the intention is not to eat such layer but to throw it away. Indeed said thin layer has been used as outer wrapping and may have been in contact with dirt.

To make it easier to remove the thin layer from the coating material 7, it is further possible to provide suitable means therefor, not shown in the drawings, as for instance a local weakening in the thin layer. It is for example also possible to embed a small thread into the thin layer said thread projecting with the one end thereof outside the thin layer. By pulling said thread end the layer of coating material 7 will be cut through and it will be easier to remove same from the confectionery piece 2. It is clear that the arrangement of such means requires an additional operation either before or after dipping the lolly into the coating material 7 in bath 6.

The invention is is no way limited to the above embodiment and many changes may be brought therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

For instance the coating material does not necessarily have to be a material which becomes liquid under the influence of heat. It is also possible to use a material which hardens by itself after some time or which solidifies after adding some additive thereto.

The coating with a coating material does not have either to be made by dipping. The coating material may also be sprinkled in liquid form on the confectionery piece of the lolly The above-described method is also not exclusively limited to the wrapping of lollies. Other confectionery goods in solid condition, such as toffees of candies might be wrapped in this way.

By solid confectionery piece there is meant here a piece of confectionery which is not in powder form nor in liquid form. The notion of solid form does however only pertain to the outer portion or envelope, in such a way that the inner porton can be filled with liquid or powder; Even if the method is used to wrap separately the confectionery pieces, it is clear that a plurality of wrappings from a pluraiity of confectionery pieces can be joined into a unit, for example in the shape of a strip. In such a case the coating of the confectionery pieces should be made in another way than by dipping.

Claims

1. Method for separately wrapping confectionery pieces in solid condition, particularly lollies, in which each confectionery piece is covered with a thin coating from liquid hardenable material which is thereafter left to harden.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1, in which each confectionery piece is covered with a thin layer from a material which becomes liquid under the action of heat but which is left to solidify by cooling.

3. Method as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 2, in which each confectionery piece is coated with a thin layer from a material which is translucent after hardening.

4. Method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which each confectionery piece is coated with a thin layer from a material of that kind used for making pharmaceutical capsules.

5. Method as claimed in claims 2 and 4 in which each confectionery piece is coated with a thin layer from a material which is mainly comprised of gelatine.

6. Method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which each confectionery piece is coated by dipping same into the liquid hardenable material.

7. Method for separately wrapping confectionery pieces in solid condition as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. Confectionery piece wrapped by a method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

9. Confectionery piece as claimed in claim 8, in which said piece is a lolly and the confectionery head thereof is completely surrounded with a thin layer from hardened material.

10. Confectionery piece wrapped by a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings.