GB2101066A - Improvements in or relating methods of and apparatus for manufacturing wafer sandwiches - Google Patents

Abstract

For the manufacture of wafer sandwiches, apparatus 14 is provided for transferring wafer sheets between spaced apart, aligned first and second zones. The apparatus 14 comprises means (41) enabling a wafer sheet to pass from the first to the second zone without reversal means (40) for collecting a wafer sheet from the first zone, reversing the sheet and depositing it at the second zone, and drive means (42) operable to arrange the sequence of operations (i.e. reversal and non- reversal). A sensor unit 43 is disposed adjacent conveyor 35 to detect the presence (or absence) of wafer sheets. The apparatus 14 is of starwheel- like form and comprises a pair of stub shafts 15 mounted for rotation and attached to axially-spaced octagonal end support plates 16 which are interconnected by four substantially equi-spaced elongated blade- support plates 17 mounted on alternate "flats" of the plates 16; the gaps between adjacent plates 17 allow a wafer sheet to pass freely through the "hollow" shaft-like structure (41). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to methods of and apparatus for manufacturing wafer sandwiches This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for manufacturing wafer sandwiches.

The invention is particularly concerned with the manufacture of multi-wafer, (for example two, three, four or five) sandwiches with cream fillings.

Wafer sheets for such sandwiches are typically manufactured in sizes 470mm X 295mm and 470mm X 350mm approximately X 2.5 to 5mm thick. To enhance sales appeal, baking plates used to produce the sheets are formed so as to produce an attractive reeded pattern on the sheets. Alternatively, or in addition, they are engraved so that the sheets display a trade or manufacture's name.

Engraving of the baking plates is expensive.

Furthermore, the required pattern on the wafer sheet may lead to production difficulties in that the wafer sheets may not part freely from the plates when they need to be discharged. To reduce such expense and to alleviate wafer sheet release problems, it is common practice to engrave only one baking plate of each double plate or tong unit; the other baking plate of the unit having a reeded surface with a simple pattern suitable for easy wafer sheet release.

In a typical in-line wafer plant, for manufacturing multi-wafer sandwiches with cream fillings, the wafer sheets are transferred from a wafer baking oven to a conveyor system which includes brush cleaning of vent waste, and a cooling unit in the form of a starwheel mounted for rotary movement, which holds the wafer sheets exposed to ambient air on both sides for a duration of one to three minutes. Additionally, there may be provided a unit for automatically checking the quality of the wafer sheets whereby inferior sheets are rejected. Wafer sheets are then fed to a wafer creamer and thereafter to a sandwiching unit in such a manner that cream is spread on all but the upper wafer sheet of the sandwich.

However, with present plant and equipment, all the wafer sheets are the same way up with the engraved side uppermost and the resulting sandwich has therefore only one engraved face visible.

The object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for manufacturing multiwafer sandwiches with cream fillings wherein the upper and lower visible faces of a sandwich are engraved faces.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing multiwafer sandwiches with cream fillings comprises the steps of providing wafer sheets engraved on one face only, providing creaming means, delivering a first wafer sheet to said creaming means with its engraved face downwards, depositing cream on the upper surface of the said first wafer sheet, delivering further wafer sheets (if desired), and then delivering a second wafer sheet with its engraved face upwards so as to complete the sandwich.

The invention also comprises sandwiches made by the method.

According to another aspect of the present invention, apparatus for transferring wafer sheets between spaced apart first and second stations comprises means for enabling a wafer sheet to pass from the first station to the second station without reversal of said wafer sheet, means for collecting a wafer sheet from the first station, reversing the sheet and then depositing it at the second station, and means for arranging the sequence of the operations.

The invention also comprises the combination of the apparatus and a wafer plant.

The various aspects of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of a typical in-line wafer plant modified so as to incorporate apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the plant, Figure 3 is a side view of the apparatus (with plant sideframe removed), Figure 4 is a plan view of the apparatus, Figures 5, 6 and 7 are an enlarged sectional end views of the apparatus in different positions, and Figure 8 is a side view of the apparatus, with associated parts.

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 together illustrate an operating sequence.

With reference first to Figs. 1 and 2, an inline wafer plant 30 for manufacturing multiwafer sandwiches with cream fillings is illustrated. Wafer sheets are produced in a baking oven 1 provided with double plate or tong units 31, wherein the wafer sheets are given engraved or reeded surfaces on one side only, (hereinafter referred to as the engraved side).

The wafer sheets are discharged from the baking oven 1 to a cord conveyor 2, brushed clean of vent waste by cleaning brushes 3 and then transferred to a rotary wafer cooler 4.

The cooler 4 comprises a plurality of radiallydisposed grids between which the hot wafer sheets are held for a short time in ambient air.

A delivery cord conveyor 5 extracts the wafer sheets from the grids of the cooler 4 and delivers the sheets to either a wafer collecting box 6 or to a creaming conveyor 7. A wafer checking/reject unit 32 is disposed at the discharge end of the cord conveyor 5.

The wafer sheets are transferred from the unit 32 to creamer depositing means comprising a creamer spreader or dispenser 8 by way of apparatus 14 described in detail below.

The spreader 8 has a contact creamer head which can be raised to allow a wafer sheet to pass beneath without being creamed. Thus, for a three wafer sandwich, it is necessary to ensure that every third wafer is not creamed.

The wafer sheets are then fed individually to a wafer sandwich builder 9 having extractable supporting members (not shown) which position the wafer sheets so as to build a sandwich. Thereafter, the sandwich is deposited on a stationary cord conveyor 10 for subsequent light compression, using pressing rolls 11 to ensure adhesion and a consistent sandwich thickness. Refrigerated air cooling may be provided at 12, followed by stacking and cutting at station 1 3 before packaging.

With reference now to Figs. 3 and 4, apparatus 14 is provided for transferring wafer sheets between spaced apart and aligned first and second position, zones or stations, namely cord conveyors 35 and 36 respectively. As explained in more detail hereinafter, apparatus 14 comprises means (41) enabling a wafer sheet to pass from the conveyor 35 to the conveyor 36 without reversal of the sheet, means (40) for collecting a wafer sheet from the conveyor 35, reversing the sheet and then depositing it at the conveyor 36, and drive means (42) operable to arrange the sequence of the two, (i.e. reversal and non-reversal), operations.

Wafer sheet sensing means comprising a wafer sheet sensor unit 43 is disposed adjacent conveyor 35 so as to detect the presence (or absence) of sheets thereon. The unit 43 makes use of a photo-electric cell. Proximity switches, sonic beams or air jets are alternative wafer sheets sensing means.

The apparatus 14 is of starwheel-like form and comprises structure rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis. The apparatus 14 is provided with a pair of stub shafts 1 5 mounted for rotation about the axis and attached to axially-spaced end support plates 1 6 of octagonal shape. The end plates 1 6 are interconnected by four substantially equispaced blade-support plates 1 7 of elongated form mounted on alternate "flats" of the end plates 16, so that the gaps between adjacent plates 1 7 allow a wafer sheet to pass freely through the "hollow" shaft-like structure formed by the components 15, 1 6 and 1 7.

This structure forms the means 41 referred to above.

The means 40, also referred to above, comprise a plurality of alternately-disposed blades or plates 50, 50a mounted on the plates 1 7 so as to extend outwards therefrom, in a paddle-like manner. Plates 50 have turned-up extremities; plates 50a do not.

Plates 50a extend substantially radially relative to the common (substantially horizontal) axis of stub shafts 1 5. Plates 50, in effect, extend substantially tangentially from the peripheries of the shafts 1 5. The plates 50, 50a are sized so that, as they rotate in the direction of arrow 60, they pass between the cords by the conveyors 35 and 36.

The shafts 1 5 are mounted for intermittent rotation in bearings 51 and are driven by drive means 42 which includes a pneumatic cylinder/ratchet unit 54. (As an alternative drive means, for example, a geared clutch/ brake motor unit or solenoid operatod ratchet unit may be used). A cam 53, which is carried by and is rotatable with the apparatus 14, has a profile which operates a switch 55 as the cam rotates, the switch 55 being arranged to operate an electronic counter (not shown) whereby the apparatus 14 is held for a two, three or four wafer count as described hereinafter.

The switch 55 is also arranged to co-operate with the sandwich builder 9 so as to ensure that the builder operates in sequence with the apparatus 14.

The manufacture of a two wafer sandwich will now be described.

With reference to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, wafer sheets are transported by conveyor 35 with their engraved faces downwards.

After intermittent rotation of the apparatus 14, the timing (dictated by cam 53), is such that a wafer sheet (a), which is to be the bottom sheet of the sandwich and which is transported on the cords of the conveyor 35, is enabled to enter a gap between adjacent plates 17, and pass through the apparatus 14, emerging through a similar gap on the opposite side, (Fig. 5), on to the cords of conveyor 36.

Wafer sheet (a) is then transported by the conveyor 36 to the creamer spreader 8 (Fig.

1) to receive cream on its upper or nonengraved face.

Sensor 43 (Fig. 3) is used to count wafer sheets passing along the cords of conveyor 35 and dictates whether or not a wafer sheet is to be creamed, being connected to the creamer 8 so as to control the operation thereof. In this example, every other wafer sheet is creamed.

With reference to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, further (timed) rotation of the apparatus 14 results in the next wafer sheet (b) in line being collected from the cords of the conveyor 35 by a pair of upwardly-moving plates 50a (Fig. 6), carried around by the apparatus (Fig. 7) and deposited on the cords of conveyor 36. The timing is dictated by the sensor 43.

To improve entry to the apparatus 14 of those wafers which are subsequently inverted, the extremities of the plates 50 are preferably sight by inclined, see Fig. 3.

As the wafer sheet (b) is being carried around, it is reversed so that it is deposited engraved-face upwards on the conveyor 36.

(Fig. 8).

The wafer sheet (b) then passes to the sandwich builder 9 (Fig. 1), in a dry condi tion, i.e. without being creamed.

Meanwhile, the process continues as before.

The operation results in a two-wafer sandwich wherein only the visible (upper and lower) faces are engraved.

To produce a three wafer sandwich, the timing is changed so that the first two wafer sheets being transported by conveyor 35 are allowed to pass through the apparatus 14, by way of the means 41, prior to the pickup/reversal/deposit operation by the apparatus 14, applied to the third sheet in line. In this case, the first and second wafer sheets will be creamed; the third will not.

To produce a four wafer sandwich, the first three wafer sheets are allowed to pass through the apparatus 14, the pick-up/reversal/deposit operation being applied to the fourth wafer. In this case only the first three wafer sheets will be creamed.

To produce a five wafer sandwich, the first four wafer sheets are allowed to pass through the apparatus 14, the pick-up/reversal/deposit operation being applied to the fifth and last wafer in line. Only the first four wafer sheets will be creamed.

Claims (16)

1. Apparatus for transferring wafer sheets between spaced apart first and second stations, comprising means for enabling a wafer sheet to pass from the first station to the second station without reversal of said wafer sheet, means for collecting a wafer sheet form the first station, reversing the sheet and then depositing it at the second station, and means for arranging the sequence of the operations.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, comprising structure rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, and having a plurality of blades extending outwardly away from said axis.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the structure is formed so as to allow a wafer sheet to pass freely therethrough.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, comprising a pair of laterally-spaced support members mounted for rotation about the substantially horizontal axis, and interspaced elongated support members extending between and connected to the first-mentioned support members, said elongated support members providing support for said blades, with the spaces between adjacent elongated support members allowing a wafer sheet to pass through said structure.

5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the extremities of alternate blades are turned-up.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the means for arranging the sequence of the two operations comprise drive means for rotating said structure about said substantially horizontal axis.

7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the drive means is controlled by cam means carried by and rotatable with said structure.

8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the means for arranging the sequence of the two operations also comprises wafer sheet sensing means.

9. The combination of apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, and a wafer plant.

10. The combination claimed in Claim 9, wherein the first and second stations each comprise conveyor means.

11. The combination of Claims 9 or 10, provided with cream depositing means.

1 2. A method of manufacturing multiwafer sandwiches with cream fillings comprising the steps of providing wafer sheets engraved on one face only, providing creaming means, delivering a first wafer to said creaming means with its engraved face downwards, depositing cream on the upper surface of the said first wafer, delivering further wafers (if desired), depositing cream on the upper surfaces of the further wafers, (if delivered), and then delivering a second wafer with its engraved face upwards so as to complete the sandwich.

1 3. The method claimed in Claim 12, comprising the further steps of compressing, stacking and cutting the multi-wafer sandwiches.

1 4. Multi-wafer sandwiches made by the method claimed in Claim 12 or 1 3.

1 5. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A wafer plant substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 7. A method of manufacturing multiwafer sandwiches substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.