GB2174056A - Rotary transfer apparatus for placing precut wafer pieces into casting moulds, particularly for chocolate slabs - Google Patents
Rotary transfer apparatus for placing precut wafer pieces into casting moulds, particularly for chocolate slabs Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2174056A GB2174056A GB08607534A GB8607534A GB2174056A GB 2174056 A GB2174056 A GB 2174056A GB 08607534 A GB08607534 A GB 08607534A GB 8607534 A GB8607534 A GB 8607534A GB 2174056 A GB2174056 A GB 2174056A
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- Prior art keywords
- drum
- wafer
- vacuum
- casting moulds
- pieces
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
- B65G47/74—Feeding, transfer, or discharging devices of particular kinds or types
- B65G47/84—Star-shaped wheels or devices having endless travelling belts or chains, the wheels or devices being equipped with article-engaging elements
- B65G47/846—Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements
- B65G47/848—Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements the article-engaging elements being suction or magnetic means
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Container, Conveyance, Adherence, Positioning, Of Wafer (AREA)
- Confectionery (AREA)
Abstract
The apparatus comprises a drum (5) provided with retaining means for retaining the wafer pieces (1) and adjacent to the upper apex of the drum comprises a supporting plate (6) and an arresting device (9) for supporting and arresting, respectively, the wafer pieces on the supporting plate. A conveyor (4) for the casting moulds (3) is provided adjacent to the lower apex of the drum (5). That apparatus is proposed to be simplified in that the retaining means define wafer piece bearing surfaces (23) formed with vacuum orifices (22), and stops (24), which succeed respective wafer piece bearing surfaces and are engageable by the leading end faces of the wafer pieces. The drum consists of a vacuum drum. The vacuum orifices (22) communicate with a vacuum source through vacuum ports (28), which extend inwardly through the shell (27) of the drum (5). The action of the vacuum retaining the wafer pieces (1) on the wafer piece bearing surfaces (23) can be assisted by a preferably driven roll (31), which is disposed adjacent to the upper apex of the drum (5) and cooperates with the wafer piece bearing surfaces (23). <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Transfer apparatus for placing precut wafer pieces into depressions arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows in casting moulds, particularly in moulds for casting chocolate slabs.
This invention relates to transfer apparatus for placing precut wafer pieces into depressions arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows in casting moulds, particularly in moulds for casting chocolate slabs, which apparatus comprises a drum, which on its outside surface carries retaining means for retaining the wafer pieces, also comprising a supporting plate disposed adjacent to the upper apex of the drum, an arresting device, which cooperates with said supporting plate and serves to arrest the wafer pieces which are fed to the drum in consecutive transverse rows, and a conveyor, which is disposed adjacent to the lower apex of and extends tangentially relative to the drum and serves to convey the casting moulds in a direction which is opposite to the direction of movement of the wafer pieces on the supporting plate, wherein the retaining means are adapted to retain the wafer pieces of each of the consecutive transverse rows, the arresting device is adapted to arrest on the supporting plate the wafer pieces of that transverse row which immediately succeeds the retained transverse row, and the wafer pieces are adapted to be released adjacent to the lower apex of the drum so that the released wafer pieces drop into the depression of the casting moulds.
In a known apparatus of that kind the wafer pieces being fed to the drum on the supporting plate are pushed against a stop, which is pivotally movable out of the path of the wafer pieces and which is so coupled to the arresting device that when the stop has been pivotally raised the wafer pieces of the next following transverse row are simultaneously arrested on the supporting plate by spikes which are provided in the arresting device and are caused to penetrate the wafer pieces.Before the stop is raised, spikes which are secured to the outside surface of the drum or spikes which are secured to sliders, which are slidable in peripheral grooves of the drum, are caused to penetrate into the wafer pieces from below, the wafer pieces are forced down by a pressure-applying plate during the penetration of the spikes, and said pressure-applying plate is pivotally raised at the same time as the stop. The wafer pieces fixed on the spikes cannot be moved away from the supporting plate unless the movements of the stop and of the pressure-applying plate are exactly controlled; such a control involves a high expenditure. The motion of the arresting device must also be exactly controlled if a premature or belated penetration of the spikes into the wafer pieces is to be prevented.
It is an object of the invention to simplify such a transfer apparatus. In accordance with the invention this is accomplished in that the retaining means define wafer piece bearing surfaces, which are formed with vacuum orifices, and stops, which succeed said bearing surfaces in the direction of travel of the wafer pieces and are engageable by the leading end faces of the wafer pieces, the drum constitutes a vacuum drum having an interior space which at least in part communicates with a vacuum source and also communicates with the vacuum orifices through vacuum ports extending through the shell of the drum, and a preferably driven pressure-applying roll is optionally provided, which is disposed adjacent to the upper apex of the drum and adapted to cooperate with the wafer piece bearing surfaces and adapted to be moved away from them.
Owing to the design proposed by the invention, the wafer pieces which are fed on the supporting plate while the vacuum drum is in a suitable position will be pushed onto the wafer sheet bearing surfaces and along said surfaces into engagement with the stops so that the wafer pieces will be positively aligned on the wafer sheet bearing surfaces and that alignment will not depend on an exact timing of the motion of a common stop for engaging all wafer pieces and of the motion of a pivoted pressureapplying plate because said two parts and the expensive control means associated with them are no longer required. As a result, the transfer apparatus can be highly simplified so that it is less susceptible to trouble.Each wafer piece is retained by a vacuum on the associated wafer piece bearing surface and will drop into the associated depression in the casting mould because the vacuum is not maintained at the inserting location.
The action of the vacuum retaining the wafer pieces on the wafer piece bearing surfaces may be assisted in accordance with the invention by a pressure-applying roll, which is disposed adjacent to the upper apex of the drum and cooperates with the wafer piece bearing surfaces. To ensure that the wafer piece will not be damaged as they move under the pressure-applying roll, the latter is adapted to be moved away from the wafer piece bearing surfaces.
The pressure-applying roll provided adjacent to the upper apex of the drum may also be used to assist the pushing of the wafer pieces against the stop in that the pressure-applying roll is operated at a surface speed which slightly exceeds the speed of travel of the wafer pieces on the supporting plate.
The design in accordance with the invention may be adopted to advantage in a transfer apparatus in which the drum rotates in the direction of movement of the casting moulds and receives wafer pieces which are moved on the supporting plate with a lateral spacing which corresponds to the lateral spacing of the depressions of the casting moulds.
In that case it is proposed in accordance with a further feature of the invention that the wafer piece bearing surfaces consist of flats formed on the shell of the drum and each of said flats is succeeded by a projection, which is provided with a stop surface extending at right angles to the associated wafer piece bearing surface.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention each wafer piece bearing surface formed with a facuum orifice and the succeeding stop are mounted on a separate wafer piece carrier element, which is secured to the drum and is formed with at least one passage, which extends from at least one vacuum orifice and communicates with a vacuum port of the drum, and the wafer piece carrier elements mounted on the drum have the same lateral spacing as the depressions of the casting moulds and have a peripheral spacing which is equal to the longitudinal spacing of the depressions of the casting moulds.
In a transfer apparatus in which the drum rotates in the direction of movement of the casting moulds and receives wafer pieces which are moved on the supporting plate with a lateral spacing which corresponds to the lateral spacing of the depressions of the casting moulds it is within the scope of the invention to provide the drum with track grooves, which have the same lateral spacing as the depressions in the casting moulds and in which the openings of the vacuum ports extending through the drum shell are disposed, and to provide wafer piece carrier elements, which are disposed in said grooves and have a peripheral spacing that is equal to the longitudinal spacing of the depressions of the casting moulds, wherein said wafer piece carrier elements are secured to the drum preferably by means of spacers, each wafer piece bearing surface formed with a vacuum orifice and the stop succeeding said surface are formed on one of said wafer piece carrier elements on portions thereof which protrude from the track grooves, and each wafer piece carrier element is formed with at least one passage, which extends from at least one vacuum orifice and communicates with a vacuum port of the drum.
The design in accordance with the invention may also be used in a transfer apparatus which comprises a stationary drum, which at its periphery is formed with track grooves, and retaining members, which consist of wafer piece carrier elements and are disposed in the track grooves and have a peripheral spacing that is equal to the longitudinal spacing of the depressions of the casting moulds, wherein said retaining members are adapted to be displaced by means of a cage, which surrounds the drum and is adapted to revolve in the direction of movement of the casting moulds, the lateral spacing ofthetrackgrooves adjacentto the upper apex of the drum equals the lateral spacing of the wafer pieces on the supporting plate, and the lateral spacing of the track grooves adjacent to the lower apex of the drum equals the lateral spacing of the depressions of the casting moulds.
It is also proposed in accordance with the invention that each of the wafer piece bearing surfaces formed with a vacuum orifice and the succeeding stop are formed on a wafer piece carrier element on a portion thereof which protrudes from the track grooves and each wafer piece carrier element is formed with at least one passage, which extends from at least one vacuum orifice and communicates with a vacuum port of the drum, the vacuum ports are provided only adjacent to the upper and lower apices of the drum and in that portion which extends opposite to the direction of movement of the casting moulds from the upper apex of the vacuum drum to its lower apex and said vacuum ports open into the track grooves.
in accordance with a further feature of the invention, a slider is provided adjacent to the lower apex of the drum and is disposed on the inside of the drum and adapted to cover the outlet openings of the suction passages and is adjustable around the periphery of the drum. In that case the location at which the vacuum is eliminated so that the wafer pieces can drop into the casting mou Ids can be adjusted around the periphery of the vacuum drum.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention the vacuum drum is provided in its interior with a partition, cover or the like, which is rotatable about the axis of the drum and by which the region in which the vacuum ports extending through the shell of the drum communicate with the vacuum source can be varied. In that case, the action of the vacuum may be restricted to that region of the vacuum drum in which wafer pieces are provided on the drum during the starting-up of the transfer apparatus in accordance with the invention so that the wafer pieces will reliably be retained without a need for increasing the vacuum in the drum because part of the vacuum ports are not yet covered.
Illustrative embodiments of the invention will now be explained more in detail with reference to the drawings, in which
Figure I is a diagrammatic side elevation showing a first embodiment of the transfer apparatus, partly broken away;
Figure 2 is a front elevation showing the apparatus of Figure 1 partly broken away;
Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line
A-A in Figure 1,
Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line
IV-IV in Figure 1,
Figure 5 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the transfer apparatus and taken on a line extending at right angles to the axis of the drum;
Figure 6 is a sectional view showing a third embodiment of the transfer apparatus and taken on a line extending through the axis of the drum;
Figure 7is a sectional view taken on line B-B in
Figure 6;;
Figure 8 is a sectional view showing a drum shell of a fourth embodiment of the transfer apparatus;
Figures 9a to 9d show the region adjacent to the upper apex of the drum in Figure 1 in different phases of motion of the several parts;
Figure 70 is a side elevation showing a wafer piece carrier element;
Figure 7 7 is a sectional view showing the top portion of the wafer piece carrier element of Figure 10; and
Figure 12 is a sectional view which is similar to
Figure 11 but shows a different embodiment.
The transfer apparatus in accordance with the invention serves to place wafer pieces 1 into depressions 2 of casting moulds 3, in which the wafer pieces 1 are embedded in a cast composition consisting, e.g., of chocolate. In the casting moulds 3, the depressions 2 are spaced apart in longitudinal and transverse rows, e.g., like the ribs of a chocolate slab.
On a conveyor 4 the casting moulds 3 are conveyed along a straight line under the lower apex of a drum 5, the axis of which extends transversely to the direction of travel of the conveyor 4. On a supporting plate 6 disposed adjacent to the upper apex of the drum, the wafer pieces 1 arranged in consecutive transverse rows are fed to the drum 5 in a direction (arrow 8) which is opposite to the direction of movement of the casting moulds 3 (arrow 7). An arresting device 9 for arresting the wafer pieces 1 is disposed above the supporting plate 6 and comprises a crossbeam 10, which is adapted to be raised and lowered relative to the supporting plate. An elastic bar 11 is secured to the underside ofthe crossbeam 10 and when the crossbeam 10 has been lowered rests on the top of the wafer pieces 1 and arrests the wafer pieces 1 on the supporting plate 6.The crossbeam 10 is mounted on a plurality of laterally spaced apart, vertical guide rods 12, which are vertically displaceable in suitable guides. The crossbeam 10 is held on each of said rods between two compression springs 13, 14, which tend to hold the crossbeam 10 in its lower position. Cam follower rollers 15 are mounted at the lower ends of the guide rods 12 and cooperate with cams (not shown), which revolve with the drum 5. As the guide rods 12 are raised by the cam follower rollers 15, the crossbeam 10 is raised too and the upper springs 12 are compressed (Figure 9a). The arresting device 9 also comprises a pneumatic cylinder 16, which is disposed above the crossbeam 10 and is operable to engage the top of the crossbeam 10 and to depress the crossbeam 10 against the force of the lower springs 14 and with the aid of the force of the upper springs 13.In that case the lower springs 14will be compressed and the crossbeam 10 will not be raised from the wafer pieces 1 when the guide rods 12 are raised by the cam follower rollers 15 so that the feeding of wafer pieces 1 to the drum 5 will then be discontinued. (Figure 9d).
In the embodiment of the transfer apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 4 the drum 5 consists of a stationary vacuum drum having an interior space 17 which communicates with a vacuum source, not shown. The drum 5 is formed in its periphery with track grooves 18 for guiding wafer piece carrier elements 19. The lateral spacing of the track grooves 18 at the upper apex of the drum equals the lateral spacing of the wafer pieces 1 lying on the supporting plate 6. The track grooves 18 diverge as they extend on the forward side of the drum 5 toward the lower apex of the drum so that their lateral spacing increases to a spacing which equals the lateral spacing of the depressions 2 of the casting moulds 3.
On the rear side of the drum 5 the track grooves 18 converge to a lateral spacing which is equal to the lateral spacing of the wafer pieces 1 lying on the supporting plate 6. If the lateral spacing of the wafer pieces on the supporting plate exceeds the lateral spacing of the depressions 2 of the casting moulds, the track grooves may converge on the front side of the drum and may diverge on the rear side of the drum.
The wafer piece carrier elements 19 extending in the track grooves 18 are arranged in transverse rows, each of which is disposed between bars 20 of a cage 21, which revolves about the stationary drum 5.
The peripheral spacing of said transverse rows of wafer piece carrier elements equals the longitudinal spacing of the depressions 2 of the casting moulds 3.
The cage 21 is driven in synchronism with the conveyor 4. As the cage 21 revolves, it displaces the wafer piece carrier elements 19 along the track grooves 18. Each wafer piece carrier element 19 is formed on that side which protrudes from the associated track groove 18 with a wafer piece bearing surface 23, which is formed with a vacuum orifice 22. Adjacent to the wafer piece bearing surface 23 each wafer piece carrier element 19 is provided on its top with a stop 24 for engaging the leading end face of a wafer piece 1. Each wafer piece carrier element 19 is formed with a passage 25, which extends from the vacuum orifice 22 in the wafer piece bearing surface 23 and opens on the underside of the wafer piece carrier element 19.Each wafer piece carrier element 19 may be formed on its top on opposite sides of its vacuum orifice 22 with longitudinally extending knife edges 26, which protrude above the wafer piece bearing surface 23 to an extent which equals the depth of the engraving on the underside of the wafer piece 1. Said knife edges 26 may be constituted by knives, which protrude from the otherwise planar wafer piece bearing surface 23 and which are slightly spaced apart from the vacuum orifice 22 (Figure 11). Alternatively, the knife edges 26 may laterally define the vacuum orifice 22 (Figure 12).
In the forward portion of the drum, which extends opposite to the direction of movement of the drum (arrow 7) from the upper apex of the drum to the lower apex of the drum, the drum is formed with vacuum ports 28, which extend through the shell 27 of the drum and open atthe bottom of each track groove 18 and on the inside of the drum. The vacuum ports 28 communicate with a vacuum source via a vacuum pipe 29, which axially extends through one end wall of the drum 5.
When the wafer piece carrier elements 19 are moved by the revolving cage 21 along the forward portion of the drum, the passages 25 of the wafer piece carrier elements 19 communicate through the vacuum ports 28 with the vacuum pipe 29 so that the wafer pieces 1 lying on the wafer piece bearing surfaces 23 are retained on the latter by the vacuum.
The wafer pieces 1 are released by the wafer piece carrier elements 19 only when they are disposed adjacent to the lower apex of the drum over associated casting moulds 3 because no vacuum ports 28 open into the track grooves 18 in that region so that the vacuum retaining the wafer pieces 1 is eliminated there. Adjacent to the lower apex of the drum a rake 30 is disposed above the path of the casting moulds 3 and is formed with slots for guiding the wafer pieces 1, which are moved through said slots before they drop into the depressions 2 of the casting moulds 3 because the vacuum has been eliminated.By said rake 30 the wafer pieces 1 still retained on the wafer piece carrier elements 19 are exactly aligned with the depressions 2 of the casting moulds 3 so that any wafer pieces which may have slightly been displaced on the wafer piece bearing surfaces 23 will be moved to the correct positions. A holding-down member consisting, e.g., of a roller, which is not shown, may be provided above the path of the casting moulds 3 and may be used to force the wafer pieces 1 into the depressions 2 of the casting moulds 3.
A pressure-applying roll 31 is suitably provided adjacent to the upper apex of the drum and may be driven by gears or the like. The pressure-applying roll 31 is rotatably mounted in pivoted arms 32, which are pivotally moved away from the periphery of the drum by cams 33, which are carried by the cage 21. The pressure-applying roll 31 comprises elastic discs 34, which are associated with respective wafer pieces 1 and each of which engages the associated wafer piece 1 as the latter is transferred to the associated wafer piece carrier element 19. As a result, the discs 34 urge the wafer pieces 1 of each transverse row against the wafer piece bearing surfaces 23 of the wafer piece carrier elements 19 of a transverse row.If the wafer piece carrier elements 19 are provided with knife edges 26 extending laterally of the associated vacuum orifice 22, the wafer pieces will be pushed onto the knife edges 26 so that the latter penetrate into the wafer piece 1 on its underside to the depth of the engraving of the wafer piece and the seal between the wafer piece 1 and the wafer piece bearing surface 23 is thus improved. The gears for driving the pressureapplying roll 30 may be so selected that said roll is driven at a surface speed which slightly exceeds the peripheral speed of the wafer piece carrier elements 19 so that the wafer pieces 1 will be pushed on the wafer piece bearing surfaces 23 against the stops 24 and will reliably be separated from the succeeding wafer pieces.As the drum 5 revolves, the pressureapplying roll 30 is raised so that the rear ends of the wafer pieces can move freely under the roll 30 (Figure 9c).
The illustrative embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4will be particularly desirable if the wafer pieces 1 laterally adjoin each other on the supporting plate 6.
It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention comprising a stationary vacuum drum may also be used to handle wafer pieces 1 which have on the supporting plate 6 a lateral spacing that is equal to the lateral spacing of the depressions 2 of the casting moulds 3. Such an apparatus will differ from the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 only in that the track grooves for guiding the wafer piece carrier elements are parallel and have a lateral spacing that is equal to the lateral spacing of the depressions 2 of the casting moulds 3.
For a handling of wafer pieces which are fed on the supporting plate 6 with a lateral spacing which is equal to the lateral spacing of the depressions 2 of the casting moulds 3 the invention also provides a vacuum drum 5 which revolves in the direction of movement of the casting moulds (arrow 7).
Illustrative embodiments of a transfer apparatus in accordance with the invention which comprises a revolving drum 5 are shown in Figures 5 to 8, wherein the design of the holding device 9 is the same as in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4.
In the drum 5 shown in Figure 5 the wafer sheet bearing surfaces 23 are constituted by flats formed on the drum shell 27 and are succeeded by respective projections 36, which are formed with stop faces 35 extending at right angles to the wafer piece bearing surfaces 23. The drum contains in its interior 17 a stationary partition 37, which disconnects the vacuum source from the vacuum ports 28 in that portion of the drum which in the direction of movement of the casting moulds 3 (arrow 7) extends from the upper apex of the drum to its lower apex.
By that partition 37 the interior 17 of the drum is divided into two compartments. Only that compartmenu which adjoins the forward portion of the shell of the drum communicates with the vacuum pipe 29.
The partition 37 may be replaced by a covering member, which extends in a peripheral direction on the inside of the rear portion of the shell of the drum.
In the illustrative embodiment shown in Figures 6 and 7 the drum is formed with grooves 38, which have the same lateral spacing as the depressions 2 of the casting moulds, and with vacuum ports 28, which extend through the shell 27 of the drum and open into said grooves. Said grooves contain wafer piece carrier elements 19, which have a peripheral spacing that equals the longitudinal spacing of the depressions 2 of the casting moulds 3 and are secured to the drum 5 preferably by means of spacing elements 39 screw-connected to the drum.
Those portions of the wafer piece carrier elements 19 which protrude from the grooves 38 are formed with the wafer piece bearing surfaces 23, which are provided with the vacuum orifices 22, and are also formed with the stops 24 succeeding said surfaces 23. Each wafer piece carrier element 19 is formed with a passage 25, which extends from a vacuum orifice and communicates with a vacuum port 28 of the drum 5.
In the illustrative embodiment shown in Figure 8, each wafer piece bearing surface 23, provided with a vacuum orifice 22, and the succeeding stop 24 are formed on a separate wafer piece carrier element 19, which is secured to the drum 5 and is formed with a passage 25, which extends from the vacuum orifice 22 and communicates with a vacuum port 28 of the drum 5. The wafer piece carrier elements 19 are arranged on the drum 5 with a lateral spacing which equals the lateral spacing of the depressions 2 of the casting moulds 3 and with a peripheral spacing which equals the longitudinal spacing of the recesses 2 of the casting moulds 3.
To permit an adjustment of that location at which the wafer pieces 1 are released from the wafer piece bearing surfaces 23 at the lower apex of the drum to fall into the depressions 2 of the casting moulds 3, the drum may be provided on the inside of the drum shell 27 with a peripherally adjustable slider 40, which covers the adjacent openings of the suction ports 28 on the inside of the shell 27 of the drum (Figures 5,7).
If the air is sucked at a volume rate which is sufficient to produce a vacuum by which even a single wafer piece 1 can be retained on a wafer piece bearing surface 19 whereas all other wafer piece bearing surfaces 19 are unoccupied, it will not be required to provide special means for use when the operation of the apparatus is to be initiated and discontinued.
If air is sucked at a lower volume rate, movable partitions may be provided in the interior of the drum in order to ensure that a vacuum will be applied on the inside of the drum only to those vacuum ports which communicate with vacuum orifices 22 in wafer piece bearing surfaces 19 occupied by a wafer piece 1.
When the operation of the apparatus has been initiated or is about to be discontinued, the vacuum applied to retain the wafer pieces 1 may be limited in the illustrative embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 in that the interior 17 of the drum 5 contains a partition 41, which is rotatable about the axis of the drum and divides the interior into two compartments. By means of said partition 41 the vacuum applied by means of the vacuum pipe 29 may be shut off from the forward side of the drum in that portion thereof on which wafer pieces 1 are not yet disposed. As a result, no vacuum will be applied to the vacuum orifices 22 of the wafer piece bearing surfaces 23 which are not yet occupied by wafer pieces. The vacuum will not be applied until the partition 41, particularly that edge of the partition which slides on the inside surface of the drum, exposes the vacuum ports 28. When the operation of the apparatus has fully been initiated, the partition 41 will remain at rest adjacent to the lower apex of the drum so that the partition will then be ineffective (Figure 1), orthe partition may perform the same function as the adjustable slider 40 to define the time at which the wafer pieces 1 are released by the wafer piece bearing surfaces 23.
When the operation of the apparatus is to be discontinued, the rotation of the partition 41 from the position assumed at the end of the starting-up operation is resumed so that no vacuum will be applied at those wafer piece bearing surfaces 23 which are no longer occupied by wafer pieces 1.
The partition 41 may be replaced by a cover, which is peripherally slidable on the inside surface of the shell 27 of the drum.
Claims (11)
1. Transfer apparatus for placing precut wafer pieces into depressions arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows in casting moulds, particularly in moulds for casting chocolate slabs, which apparatus comprises a drum, which on its outside surface carries retaining means for retaining the wafer pieces, also comprising a supporting plate disposed adjacent to the upper apex of the drum, an arresting device, which cooperates with said supporting plate and serves to arrest the wafer pieces which are fed to the drum in consecutive transverse rows, and a conveyor, which is disposed adjacent to the lower apex of and extends tangentially relative to the drum and serves to convey the casting moulds in a direction which is opposite to the direction of movement of the wafer pieces on the supporting plate, wherein the retaining means are adapted to retain the wafer pieces of each of the consecutive transverse rows, the arresting device is adapted to arrest on the supporting plate the wafer pieces of that transverse row which immediately succeeds the retained transverse row, and the wafer pieces are adapted to be released adjacent to the lower apex of the drum so that the released wafer pieces drop into the depressions of the casting moulds, characterized in that the retaining means define wafer piece bearing surfaces, which are formed with vacuum orifices, and stops, which succeed said bearing surfaces in the direction of travel of the wafer pieces and are engageable by the leading end faces of the wafer pieces, the drum constitutes a vacuum drum having an interior space which at least in part communicates with a vacuum source and also communicates with the vacuum orifices through vacuum ports extending through the shell of the drum, and a preferably driven pressure-applying roll is optionally provided, which is disposed adjacent to the upper apex of the drum and adapted to cooperate with the wafer piece bearing surfaces and adapted to be moved away from them.
2. Transfer apparatus according to claim 1, in which the drum rotates in the direction of movement of the casting moulds and receives wafer pieces which are moved on the supporting plate with a lateral spacing which corresponds to the lateral spacing of the depressions of the casting moulds, characterized in that the wafer piece bearing surfaces consist of flats formed on the shell of the drum and each of said flats is succeeded by a projection, which is provided with a stop surface extending at right angles to the associated wafer piece bearing surface.
3. Transfer apparatus according to claim 1, in which the drum rotates in the direction of movement of the casting moulds and receives wafer pieces which are moved on the supporting plate with a lateral spacing which corresponds to the lateral spacing of the depressions of the casting moulds, characterized in that each wafer piece bearing surface formed with a vacuum orifice and the succeeding stop are mounted on a separate wafer piece carrier element, which is secured to the drum and is formed with at least one passage, which extends from at least one vacuum orifice and communicates with a vacuum port of the drum, and the wafer piece carrier elements mounted on the drum have the same lateral spacing as the depressions of the casting moulds and have a peripheral spacing which is equal to the longitudinal spacing of the depressions of the casting moulds.
4. Transfer apparatus according to claim 1, in which the drum rotates in the direction of movement of the casting moulds and receives wafer pieces which are moved on the supporting plate with a lateral spacing which corresponds to the lateral spacing of the depressions of the casting moulds, characterized in that the drum is provided with track grooves, which have the same lateral spacing as the depressions in the casting moulds and in which the openings of the vacuum ports extending through the drum shell are disposed, and that wafer piece carrier elements are provided, which are disposed in said grooves and have a peripheral spacing that is equal to the longitudinal spacing of the depressions of the casting moulds, wherein said wafer piece carrier elements are secured to the drum preferably by means of spacers, each wafer piece bearing surface formed with a vacuum orifice and the stop succeeding said surface are formed on one of said wafer piece carrier elements on portions thereof which protrude from the track grooves, and each wafer piece carrier element is formed with at least one passage, which extends from at least one vacuum orifice and communicates with a vacuum port of the drum.
5. Transfer apparatus according to claim 1, parti cularlyfor handling wafer pieces which laterally adjoin each other on the supporting plate, which apparatus comprises a stationary drum, which at its periphery is formed with track grooves, and retaining members, which consist of wafer piece carrier elements and are disposed in the track grooves and have a peripheral spacing that is equal to the longitudinal spacing of the depressions of the casting moulds, wherein said retaining members are adapted to be displaced by means of a cage, which surrounds the drum and is adapted to revolve in the direction of movement of the casting moulds, the lateral spacing of the track grooves adjacent to the upper apex of the drum equals the lateral spacing of the wafer pieces on the supporting plate, and the lateral spacing of the track grooves adjacent to the lower apex of the drum equals the lateral spacing of the depressions of the casting moulds, characterized in that each of the wafer piece bearing surfaces formed with a vacuum orifice and the succeeding stop are formed on a wafer piece carrier element on a portion thereof which protrudes from the track grooves and each wafer piece carrier element is formed with at least one passage, which extends from at least one vacuum orifice and communicates with a vacuum port of the drum, the vacuum ports are provided only adjacent to the upper and lower apices of the drum and in that portion which extend opposite to the direction of movement of the casting moulds from the upper apex of the vacuum drum to its lower apex and said vacuum ports open into the track grooves.
6. Transfer apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a slider is provided adjacent to the lower apex of the drum and is disposed on the inside of the drum and adapted to cover the outlet openings of the suction passages and is adjustable around the periphery of the drum.
7. Transfer apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the vacuum drum contains in its interior a stationary covering orthe like, which seals the vacuum source from the vacuum ports in that portion ofthe drum which extends in the direction of movement of the casting moulds from the upper apex of the drum to its lower apex.
8. Transfer apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the vacuum drum is provided in its interior with a partition, cover or the like, which is rotatable about the axis of the drum and by which the region in which the vacuum ports extending through the shell ofthe drum communicate with the vacuum source can be varied.
9. Transfer apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the partition, cover or the like is rotatable in the direction of movement of the wafer pieces only between the upper and lower apices of the drum.
10. Transfer apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that each wafer piece bearing surface is provided with knife edges, which are disposed on opposite sides of the vacuum orifice and extend along the same and protrude above the wafer sheet bearing surface.
11. Transfer apparatus for placing precut wafer pieces into depressions arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows in casting moulds, substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to and as shown on the drawings.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT101585A AT391244B (en) | 1985-04-03 | 1985-04-03 | DEVICE FOR INSERTING WAFFLE PIECES IN THE RECESSES OF CASTING MOLDS, ESPECIALLY CHOCOLATE TABLE CASTING MOLDS |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8607534D0 GB8607534D0 (en) | 1986-04-30 |
| GB2174056A true GB2174056A (en) | 1986-10-29 |
| GB2174056B GB2174056B (en) | 1989-11-08 |
Family
ID=3504952
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8607534A Expired GB2174056B (en) | 1985-04-03 | 1986-03-26 | Transfer apparatus for placing precut wafer pieces into depressions arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows in casting moulds |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AT (1) | AT391244B (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3610953A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2174056B (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT201600130731A1 (en) * | 2016-12-23 | 2018-06-23 | Xpack S R L Uninominale | DEVICE FOR THE TRANSFER OF SWEET PRODUCTS |
| CN113383801A (en) * | 2021-07-12 | 2021-09-14 | 张秀环 | Quick baking equipment for egg rolling |
| BE1030051B1 (en) * | 2021-12-21 | 2023-07-17 | Crumbel | METHOD FOR FORMING DESSERT PASTRY |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CH672293A5 (en) * | 1987-03-23 | 1989-11-15 | Sig Schweiz Industrieges | |
| PL153479B1 (en) * | 1988-06-17 | 1991-04-30 | Wojewodzki Zwiazek Spoldzielni | Apparatus for making multi-layer wafer blocks |
| BR0304431A (en) | 2003-10-16 | 2005-05-31 | Orlei Da Silva Choai | Vacuum feeder for grading scale |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB236221A (en) * | 1924-06-26 | 1925-10-01 | August Klein | Improvements in feeding devices for elevators |
| GB689612A (en) * | 1951-04-24 | 1953-04-01 | Peter Paul Inc | Machine for depositing nuts on candy bars |
| GB971828A (en) * | 1961-12-13 | 1964-10-07 | Frederick Southcott | Improvements in or relating to suction apparatus for feeding articles |
Family Cites Families (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE1288895B (en) * | 1964-06-23 | 1969-02-06 | Bahlsen Werner | Device for the production of pastries provided with a filling layer |
| IT1064030B (en) * | 1976-06-11 | 1985-02-18 | Carle & Montanari Spa | MECHANISM FOR THE WITHDRAWAL AS WELL AS THE STORAGE OF SWEET ITEMS |
| AT377682B (en) * | 1980-10-27 | 1985-04-25 | Haas Franz Waffelmasch | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR LOADING CHOCOLATE TABLE CASTING MOLDS WITH PRE-CUTTED WAFFLE PIECES |
-
1985
- 1985-04-03 AT AT101585A patent/AT391244B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
-
1986
- 1986-03-26 GB GB8607534A patent/GB2174056B/en not_active Expired
- 1986-04-02 DE DE19863610953 patent/DE3610953A1/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB236221A (en) * | 1924-06-26 | 1925-10-01 | August Klein | Improvements in feeding devices for elevators |
| GB689612A (en) * | 1951-04-24 | 1953-04-01 | Peter Paul Inc | Machine for depositing nuts on candy bars |
| GB971828A (en) * | 1961-12-13 | 1964-10-07 | Frederick Southcott | Improvements in or relating to suction apparatus for feeding articles |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT201600130731A1 (en) * | 2016-12-23 | 2018-06-23 | Xpack S R L Uninominale | DEVICE FOR THE TRANSFER OF SWEET PRODUCTS |
| CN113383801A (en) * | 2021-07-12 | 2021-09-14 | 张秀环 | Quick baking equipment for egg rolling |
| BE1030051B1 (en) * | 2021-12-21 | 2023-07-17 | Crumbel | METHOD FOR FORMING DESSERT PASTRY |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| ATA101585A (en) | 1990-03-15 |
| AT391244B (en) | 1990-09-10 |
| GB8607534D0 (en) | 1986-04-30 |
| DE3610953A1 (en) | 1986-10-09 |
| GB2174056B (en) | 1989-11-08 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 19960326 |