GB2119626A

GB2119626A - Process and apparatus for production of sweets

Info

Publication number: GB2119626A
Application number: GB08311838A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Albert Ruttenberg
Original assignee: KATJES FASSIN GmbH AND CO KG
Current assignee: KATJES FASSIN GmbH AND CO KG
Priority date: 1982-05-08
Filing date: 1983-04-29
Publication date: 1983-11-23
Also published as: DE3217402A1; GB8311838D0

Abstract

In a process for the production of gum-like sweets a pasty mixture is introduced into or formed in a worm extrusion press (1) and gelatinised into a syrup by pressure and heat applied in a first section (3), while in a second section (4) the pressure is released, so that evaporation takes place, the syrup being cooled in this second section or a further section following it, and the resulting plastic mass being extruded to form continuous strands of sweets. The extrusion press cylinder has a valve seating flange (9) between the two sections (3, 4), with which is associated a valve cone formation (10) on the (or each) wormshaft (2), a valve seating (11) and the valve cone (10) functioning together as an automatic pressure control valve for the pressure in the first section of the worm extrusion press, thereby ensuring gelatinisation, for which purpose the wormshaft (2) and the cylinder (3, 4) are mutually displaceable in the axial direction against a pressure regulator (12). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Process and apparatus for production of sweets This invention relates to a process for the production of gum-like sweets (such as wine gums, fruit gums and liquorice confectionery), in which the raw materials are made into a pasty mixture with water, the pasty mixture is gelatinised into a syrup by the application of pressure and heat and the syrup is moulded into sweets. The invention further relates to apparatus for carrying out such a process.

In known means for the production of gum-like sweets (DE-PE 19 54321 and DE-PS 21 20 859), the pasty mixture is made in a first vessel and boiled in a second vessel to gelatinise it into a syrup: this procedure is quite time-consuming. The castable syrup is poured into suitable moulds. This procedure is intrinsically sound, but does not lend itself to the production of sweets in continuous strands. For the production of sweets in continuous strands, it is known to condition the syrup so that it becomes plastic and shape retaining, i.e., to evaporate it down to a plastic mass, to introduce this plastic mass into an extrusion press and there extrude the sweets in a continuous strand from a nozzle.This is costly, since, as before, the raw materials must be gelatinised into a syrup in a separate vessel, by the application of pressure and heat; moreover, this procedure is time-consuming.

Against this background, the object of the invention is to provide a process and apparatus whereby the pasty mixture can be continuously moulded into continuous strands of sweets, and moreover time-consuming boiling in a separate vessel is eliminated.

According to the present invention, there is provided a process for the production of gum-like sweets in which the raw materials are made into a pasty mixture with water the pasty mixture is introduced into or produced inside a worm extrusion press, gelatinised into a syrup by pressure and heat applied in a first section of the worm extrusion press and then depressurised in a second section of the same worm extrusion press so as to effect its evaporation, the syrup being cooled to a plastic mass in the second section or a further section of the worm extrusion press, and the plastic mass being moulded into continuous strands of sweets by extrusion through a nozzle head on the worm extrusion press. The pasty mixture can be made in a preceding mixturing extruder or in other separate vessels.However, the pasty mixture can also be made in the worm extrusion press itself, for which purpose finely granulated raw materials and water are introduced into the worm extrusion press. The worm extrusion press is heated over the first section and cooled over the second section, using the conventional monitoring and controlling equipment as commonly applied, for example, to synthetic plastics extruders. However, specific problems unknown in synthetic plastics technology arise in the production of gum-like sweets with the aid of a worm extrusion press. In fact it may be found, depending on the origin of the raw materials, that gelatinisation does not take place in the first section of the worm extrusion press, even through the temperature is precisely controlled.In this case, the pasty or fluid mixture shoots through the entire worm extrusion press and is not mouldable into continuous strands of sweets. The production process is seriously disturbed. It is within the scope of the process of the invention to avoid such disturbances, since the raw materials used are first subjected to an appropriate gelatinisation test.

However, a preferred embodiment of the invention renders this type of initial testing unnecessary. It is possible to ensure that the processing conditions are adjusted completely autogenously and automatically, so that gelatinisation invariably takes place. For this purpose, the pasty mass or syrup is automatically held at the gelatinisation pressure in the first section of the worm extrusion press by means of a pressure control valve disposed between the first and second sections of the worm extrusion press. In this case, the rotary speed of the wormshaft is usually kept constant.

When gelatinisation has taken place, the pressure control valve opens relatively widely under the influence of the pressure buildup in the first section of the worm extrusion press, so that the pressure and temperature in the first section are high enough the bring about gelatinisation within the dwell period of the pasty mixture in this first section. If, contrary to expectation, gelatinisation does not take place or remains incomplete, the material reaching the pressure control valve has a different viscosity, with the result that the pressure control valve closes, preventing a loss of pressure in the first section of the worm extrusion press and extending the dwell period for the mixture; thus the required gelatinisation is always brought about. The pressure control valve is correspondingly adjusted or regulated.

It is also within the scope of the process of the invention to add natural and synthetic colouring agents and again natural and synthetic flavouring agents. For this purpose, the invention teaches that colouring agents are introduced into the syrup in the first section of the worm extrusion press, through ducts in the cylinder of the worm extrusion press. Furthermore, the invention teaches that flavouring agents are introduced into the plastic mass in the second section or in the further section of the worm extrusion press.

The invention also provides apparatus for carrying out the process as described, comprising a worm extrusion press having at least one wormshaft and a surrounding worm extrusion press cylinder with heating and cooling means, the extrusion press cylinder having a feeder for the pasty mixture at one end and a nozzle head at the other, the extrusion press cylinder being divided into two sections, the first on the feeder side being equipped with heating means and the second with cooling means, a valve seating flange being disposed between the two sections and being associated with a valve cone formation on the wormshaft, and a valve seating within the flange functioning together with the valve cone as a pressure control valve for the pressure in the first section of the worm extrusion press, for which purpose the wormshaft and the extrusion press cylinder are mutually displaceable in the axial direction against a pressure regulator. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the second section of the extrusion press cylinder is provided, near the pressure control valve, with a pressure-relieving vapour escape orifice, so adapted that an extrusion pressure can thereafter be redeveloped in the plastic mass in the second section.

The accruing advantages are to be seen in that within the scope of the invention a pasty mixture is first "boiled" in a worm extrusion press and can then be moulded into continuous strands of sweets. These continuous strands of sweets are superior in the sense of having an improved quality by virtue of their outstanding consistency, beyond what can be attained by boiling the mixture in a separate vessel and then pouring the syrup into moulds, or if a worm extrusion press is used merely to extrude the syrup or a plastic mass formed therefrom into continuous strands of sweets.

An embodiment of apparatus in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example, only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a partially sectioned diagrammatic view of a worm extrusion press; and Figure 2 shows, on a larger scale, the pressure control valve of Figure 1.

The worm extrusion press 1 shown in the Figures is intended for the production of gum-like sweets (such as wine gums, fruit gums and liquorice confectionery) and consists of two wormshafts 2 and a surrounding extrusion press cylinder 3, 4 (like a synthetic plastics extruder) having heating means 5 and cooling means 6. It is self-evident that the wormshafts 2 are connected to a conventional driving system comprising a motor and a transmission (not shown). The extrusion press cylinder 3, 4 has a feeder 7 for the pasty mixture at one end and a nozzle head 8 at the other. It will be seen from Figure 1 that the extrusion press cylinder is divided into two sections 3 and 4, the first section 3 at the feeder end being equipped with the heating means 5 and the second section 4 with the cooling means 6.It will be seen more particularly from both Figures 1 and 2 that between the two sections 3, 4 there is a valve seating flange 9, with which is associated valve cone formations 10 on the wormshafts 2.

Valve seatings 11 in the flange 9 and the valve cones 10 function together as a pressure control valve for the pressure in the first section 3 of the worm extrusion press 1. For this purpose, the extrusion press cylinder 3, 4 can be displaced (with the flange 9) in the axial direction against a pressure regulator 12. If the extrusion press cylinder 3, 4 moves to the left, the pressure control valve 10, 11 opens, while if it moves to the right the pressure control valve 10, 11 closes.This displacement is dependent on the pressure in the first section 3 of the extrusion press cylinder 3, 4, and also on the viscosity of the material passing through the pressure control valve 10, 1 This automatically ensures that the processing conditions in the first section 3 of the worm extrusion press 1 are adjusted so that adequate gelatinisation invariably takes place. As a result, the pasty mixture is gelatinised into a syrup in the first section 3 of the worm extrusion press 1, and then the pressure is released in the second section 4 of the same worm extrusion press 1, so that evaporation is brought about. In the second section 4 the syrup is cooled down to a plastic mass and the plastic mass is moulded into continuous strands of sweets by extrusion through the nozzle head 8. Colouring agents are introduced through ducts 13 (only one shown) in the first section 3 of the extrusion press cylinder, and flavouring agents corresponding through ducts 14 in the second section 4, in which, near the pressure control valve 1 0, 11 , there is also a pressure-relieving vapour escape orifice 15, so adapted that an extrusion pressure can thereafter be redeveloped in the plastic mass in the second section.

Claims

1. A process for the production of gum-like sweets in which the raw materials are made into a pasty mixture with water, the pasty mixture is introduced into or produced inside a worm extrusion press, gelatinised into a syrup by pressure and heat applied in a first section of the worm extrusion press, and then depressurised in a second section of the same worm extrusion press so as to effect its evaporation, the syrup being cooled to a plastic mass in the second section or a further section of the worm extrusion press, and the plastic mass being moulded into continuous strands of sweets by extrusion through a nozzle head on the worm extrusion press.

2. A process as in Claim 1, wherein the pasty mass or syrup is automatically held at the gelatinisation pressure in the first section of the worm extrusion press by means of a pressure control valve disposed between the first and second sections of the worm extrusion press and controlled by the pressure in the first section.

3. A process as in either of Claims 1 and 2, wherein colouring agents are introduced into the syrup through ducts in the first section of the cylinder of the worm extrusion press.

4. A process as in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein flavouring agents are introduced into the plastic mass through ducts in the second section or the further section of the cylinder of the worm extrusion press.

5. Apparatus for carrying out the process as in any one of Claims 1 to 4 comprising a worm extrusion press having at least one worm-shaft and a surrounding extrusion press cylinder with heating and cooling means, the extrusion press cylinder having a feeder for the pasty mass at the one end and a nozzle head at the other, the extrusion press cylinder being divided into two sections, the first on the feeder side being equipped with heating means and the second with cooling means, a valve seating flange being disposed between the two sections and being associated with a valve cone formation on the wormshaft, and a valve seating within the flange functioning together with the valve cone as a pressure control valve for the pressure in the first section of the worm extrusion press, for which purpose the wormshaft and the extrusion press cylinder are mutually displaceable in the axial direction against a pressure regulator.

6. Apparatus as in Claim 5, wherein the second section of the extrusion press cylinder is provided, near the pressure control valve with a pressurerelieving vapour escape orifice, so adapted that an extrusion pressure can thereafter be redeveloped in the plastic mass in the second section.

7. Apparatus as in Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein the worm extrusion press has two worm-shafts within one extrusion press cylinder, and the valve seating flange has two seatings associated with a valve cone formation on each worm-shaft.

8. Apparatus as in any one of Claims 5 to 7, wherein the extrusion press cylinder and the valve seating flange are displaceable axially against the pressure regulator.

9. A process for the production of gum-like sweets substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. Apparatus for the production of gum-like sweets substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.