GB2192778A - Cleaning device for wafer baking machines - Google Patents

Description

GB2192778A 1 SPECIFICATION wafer block. The wafer block filled with cream

is cut into individual small handy pieces of Cleaning device equal size, and these are then put on the mar ket packaged, usually air-tight, individually or The invention relates to a cleaning device for 70 several at a time.

the dough treatment surfaces of wafer-baking The various types of wafer products can be machines for making edible wafers from liquid filled with different fillings, such as, for wafer dough, with waferbaking tongs which example, ice cream, various creams, choco rotate from a dough pour-on station through a lates, etc., depending on the product, and, baking space to a wafer extraction station and 75 filled or unfilled, can be covered with various which can be swung open and shut, each with coatings, for example of sugar or chocolate.

two tong halves which can be swung towards A distinction must be made between these and away from one another and each possess crunchy and brittle wafer products just de a dough treatment surface arranged, if appro- scribed and those soft wafers which are usu priate on its own baking plate, at least one of 80 ally baked in wafer- irons by the house-wife the tong halves in each pair of baking tongs and which are a soft suety pancake-like baking being equipped with a lateral closing strip pro- product with a residual moisture of more than jecting beyond the dough treatment surface 8%. These soft wafers made, for example, by and laterally limiting at least part of the dough the housewife bear no resemblance as regards treatment surface. 85 their consistency and use to the abovedes In the confectionery industry, wafer-baking cribed crunchy and brittle wafer products of machines, also known as wafer-baking ovens the wafer industry.

or automatic wafer bakers, serve to produce Known wafer-baking machines are equipped wafer sheets, flat wafers, thin hollow wafers, with several baking tongs which are arranged poured hollow wafers, rolled hollow wafers 90 in a row next to one another and which rotate and the like. These wafer products are some past a dough pour-on station, through a of the mechanically produced wafer products heated baking space, past a wafer extraction known from the foodstuffs and semi-luxury station and back to the dough pour-on station.

foods industry, which come onto the market During their rotation, the baking tongs are either filled or unfilled and are generally known 95 swung open at the wafer extraction station, as semi-luxury foods. These products of the swung closed after the dough pour-on station wafer industry include rolled wafer cones, and guided through the baking space in the wafer cups, wafer plates, flat wafer slices, closed state. To make the wafers, liquid wafer thin hollow wafers, hollow rolls, ice cream dough is introduced at the pour-on station into cornets, filled wafers, ice cream wafers, small 100 the wafer-baking moulds of the baking tongs filled wafer sticks and the like. when these are open or is coated on their These wafer products are baking products dough treatment surfaces, the baking tongs made from wafer dough and of crunchy, brit- are then closed, the wafer dough spreading in tie, crisp and easily breakable consistency, the particular wafer-baking mould, and the which are baked as dry as possible and which 105 closed baking tongs are guided through the have a very low moisture content of at most oven baking space, the dwell time in the bak 1 to 4%. To make sweet wafer products, the ing space and the transit time through the wafer dough used can have a relatively high baking space corresponding to the baking time sugar content of up to 30% and above. Such of the particular wafers.

wafer doughs produce wafer products which 110 At the wafer extraction station, the baking can be shaped when warm from baking. This tongs are opened a ain and the baked wafers property is utilized in the production of hollow are taken out of the opened baking tongs.

rolls, sugared ice cream cornets, sugared Wafer-baking machines or waferbaking wafer rolls and the like, individual wafer ovens are known in which the baking tongs sheets or wafer cakes or an endless wafer 115 run in a horizontal plane through an annular band first being baked in each -case and then baking space along a circular path.

being shaped into t6eir final form when shapa- In other wafer-baking ovens or automatic ble or soft from baking, and being allowed to wafer bakers, the baking tongs are connected cool to the crunchy, brittle, crisp and easily to one another to form an endless baking-tong breakable consistency. 120 chain which, in two horizontal planes arranged Other wafer prodqcts are baked in wafer- one above the other, runs in opposite direc baking ovens or machines, when already in tions through an elongate cuboid baking space their final form, as occurs, for example, with and travels outside the baking space in the poured wafer cones wafer cups, wafer slices, region of the wafer extraction station and the thin hollow wafers nd the like. 125 dough pour-on station. The wafer extraction For the. production of further wafer pro- station and the dough pour-on station are usu ducts, liquid wafer dough is baked into a large ally located in the region of the front part of number of crunchy, brittle wafer sheets which the automatic wafer baker.

are subsequently cooled, coated with cream On wafer-baking machines for making rec and stacked one on, top of another to form a 130 tangular, crunchy and brittle wafer sheets from 2 GB2192778A liquid wafer doughs with a very low sugar acquire their characteristic crunchy brittle con content or none at all, the wafer-baking sistency. On such a wafer-baking machine, in moulds in the baking tongs are in the form of that region of the path of the baking tongs a- baking plate which is essentially plane with assigned to the opened baking tongs, there is the exception of the engraving, for example 70 provided a device for pressing the wafer for the wafer pattern, and which has a rectan- sheets against that baking plate of the baking gular dough treatment surface. These baking tongs from which the particular wafer sheet is plates can be self-supporting and therefore an to be removed. This pressing device is integral component of the baking tongs or equipped with a pressure roller which is paral- baking-tong halves and can carry stiffening 75 lel to the plane dough treatment surface of the ribs on their rear side. But the baking tongs or particular baking plate and is mounted on one baking-tong halves can also be equipped with side only, and which can be replaced by a a supporting structure, in which usually less brush for the purpose of cleaning these dough rigid baking plates are received. When the treatment surfaces. This brush cleans only baking tongs are closed and swung together, 80 that baking plate or dough treatment surface the rectangular dough treatment surfaces of from which the particular wafer cake is re the two baking plates of a pair of baking moved and which therefore does not carry tongs form a very low cuboid baking space any closing strip or the like projecting beyond for a wafer sheet, this baking space being the dough treatment surface and forming the closed laterally on the sides of the rectangle 85 laterally sharply limited edge region of the by means of closing strips. Closing strips lo- wafer cake. For cleaning dough treatment sur cated opposite one another and usually pro- faces of this type, it is also known to arrange vided with steam outlet ducts are fastened to a brush, directed parallel to these, at a speci the upper and lower baking plates respec- ally provided location of the wafer-baking tively. The baking space enclosed by the bak- 90 oven for making rolled wafer cones.

ing plates and intended for a wafer sheet is, The object of the present invention is to for example, 290 mm long, 460 mm wide, provide a cleaning device for the dough treat 0.5 to 3 mm high excluding the depth of enment surface of wafer-baking machines with graving and 2 to 6 mm high including the rotating baking tongs, which makes it possible engraving. 95 to clean easily and simply the dough treat Automatic wafer bakers are conventionally ment surfaces limited by lateral closing strips.

equipped with 36 to 250 identical baking Starting from a cleaning device of the type plates in 18 to 125 identical baking tongs. mentioned in the introduction, this is achieved,

After relatively long periods of operation, en- according to the invention., in that, in that re crustations forming in the course of time are 100 gion of the path of the baking tongs assigned cleared from the dough treatment sides of the to the swung-open baking tongs, a mount is baking plates of the automatic wafer bakers. provided which is arranged in a stationary Hitherto, for this purpose, after the entire manner relative to the supporting frame of the wafer-baking machine has been cooled and wafer-baking machine and is preferably mov shut down, either the baking plates have been 105 able out of a position of rest into a working removed in succession, cleaned and reinstalled position located in the path of the swung or the baking machine has been opened on open baking tongs, and which carries, on a one end face and the baking tongs have been slide movable transversely relative to the di conveyed to this end face one after the other, rection of movement of the baking tongs, a swung open there and the dough treatment 110 cleaning head which is rotatable, by means of sides brushed or washed, for example by a drive arranged on the slide, about an axis hand. This method of cleaning the dough lying, in the working position, perpendicularly treatment sides of the baking plates is labori- to the dough treatment surface to be cleaned ous and very time-consuming and leads to and which carries, on its end face, at least long shut down times of the automatic wafer- 115 one cleaning element engageable with the baking machines which otherwise run fully dough treatment surface to be cleaned.

automatically over the entire operating period. This design according to the invention On automatic wafer bakers for making rolled makes it possible to clean even the dough hollow wafers, for example wafer cones, it is treatment surfaces limited by projecting clos known to bake liquid wafer dough with a high 120 ing strips, as early as during the cooling phase sugar content between the baking plates of of a wafer-baking machine, during which the the baking tongs of an endless baking-tong baki g tongs are allowed to rotate for cooling chain, to form wafer sheets or wafer cakes purposes. For cleaning, the mount which, dur shapable in the warm state and usually limited ing baking, is in its position of rest located sharply only along part of their edge, and to 125 outside the path of the baking tongs merely remove the baked wafer sheets or wafer needs to be moved into the working position, cakes from one of the baking plates, with the in which the cleaning head is arranged pith its baking tongs open, and, still in the warm end cleaning element perpendicular to the state, roll them into hollow wafers, for dough treatment surface of the upper baking example cones, which then, during cooling, 130 plate or perpendicular to the dough treatment 3 GB2192778A 3 surface of the lower baking plate. In this slide can be movable parallel to the dough working position, the cleaning element of the treatment surface of the upper tong halves cleaning head is brought into engagement with and transversely relative to the direction of the particular dough treatment surface. So that movement of the baking tongs.

the entire dough treatment surface is covered 70 In a further feature of the invention, in the by the cleaning head, on the one hand the working position the cleaning head can be baking tongs are moved farther by means of raised and lowered relative to the slide per the drive of the wafer-baking machine and the pendicularly to the dough treatment surface to cleaning head is moved to and fro be cleaned.

transversely thereto by means of the slide. 75 In a further embodiment of the invention, The procedure can be such that, when the the cleaning head can carry at least one clean slide is in any position, a strip of the dough ing brush rotating about an axis parallel to the treatment surfaces of all the baking tongs is axis of rotation of the cleaning head and treated, after a rotation of the baking tongs equipped with axial bristles.

the slide is shifted and the next strip of the 80 According to a further invention, a rotating dough treatment surfaces of all the baking cleaning head can be provided, carrying at tongs is treated, and after a further rotation of least one rotary cleaning brush which rotates the baking tongs the slide is shifted a further with it and is arranged eccentrically and which amount, and so on, until the entire particular is equipped with axial bristles and can be dough treatment surface has been treated. 85 driven, together with the cleaning head, by the If the dough treatment surfaces are limited drive provided on the slide. This design is by closing strips projecting beyond them and especially advantageous for dough treatment extending transversely relative to the direction surfaces which are limited, on one side, by a of movement of the baking tongs, on each projecting curved closing strip, along which baking plate the cleaning head is moved over 90 the rotating cleaning brush is to be moved.

the dough treatment surface along the front According to the invention, in order to de closing strip by means of the slide, the baking termine the path of the cleaning element or of tongs are moved a step farther, a transverse the cleaning brush over the particular dough strip of the dough treatment surface is then treatment surface, especially along the particu cleaned again by the cleaning head as a result 95 lar closing strip, a cam control can be pro of the movement of the slide, the baking vided attached to the cleaning head or to the tongs are then moved a step farther once mount and controlling the movement of the again to the next transverse strip, and so on, slide as a function of the rotary position of until the rear closing strip has been reached. the cleaning head. As a result, for example After the transverse strip adjacent to this this 100 when the baking-tong chain is moved farther has also been cleaned, the cleaning head is in steps, one dough treatment surface after lifted off from the dough treatment surface the other can be cleaned completely, the path and lowered again to the next one. of the lateral closing strips being taken into According to a further feature of the inven- account by the cam control at the same time.

tion, the mount can be mounted on the sup- 105 The invention is explained in detail below by porting frame of the wafer-baking machine so means of exemplary embodiments with refer as to be pivotable about an axle parallel to the ence to the drawings.

direction of movement of the baking tongs, FIGURE 1 shows a side view of a wafer between the position of rest and the working baking machine; position assigned to the dough treatment sur- 110 FIGURES 2 to 4 each show a diagrammatic faces of the lower tong halves. cross-section through a wafer-baking machine Also, according to the invention, the mount with a first embodiment of a cleaning device can be movable trarlsversely relative to the in different positions; direction of movement of the baking tongs FIGURES 5 to 7 each show a diagrammatic between the position of rest and the working 115 cross-section through another wafer-baking position assigned to. the dough treatment sur- oven with a second embodiment of the clean faces of the lower tong halves. ing device in different positions; A further feature of the invention lie in the FIGURES 8 and 9 show diagrammatically a fact that the cleaning head is pivotable about third embodiment of a cleaning device in a an axis parallel to the direction of movement 120 cross-section through a wafer-baking machine; of the baking tongs, between a first position FIGURE 10 shows a fourth embodiment of a perpendicular to the dough treatment surfaces cleaning device from the side; of the lower tong halves and a second posi- FIGURE 11 shows a plan view of the clean tion perpendicular to the dough treatment sur- ing device of Figure 10.

faces of the upper tong halves. 125 Figure 1 shows a side view of an automatic For the movement of the cleaning head wafer-baking machine 1 with a front section which, in the working position, is necessary 2, in which the dough pour- on station 2a and for the dough treatment surfaces of the upper the wafer extraction station 2b-are accommo tong halves, according to a further feature of dated, with an elongate baking space 3 fol- the invention, in the working position, the 130 lowing the front section 2 and equipped with 4 GB2192778A 4 heating elements (not shown), and with pairs is lifted, by means of the slide 13, over and of baking tongs 4 which are connected to one beyond lateral closing strips arranged another to form an endless chain and which transversely relative to the direction of move run in the closed state through the baking ment of the baking tongs.

space 3 in two horizontal planes lying one 70 Figures 5 to 7 illustrate an automatic wafer above the other, are swung apart in the wafer baker in which the upper baking-tong half is extraction station and are swung together swung open through 180'. The cleaning de again after the dough pour-on station. vice 10 is tilted from a first pivoting position Arranged laterally on the front section is a S, (Figure 5) corresponding to the position of cleaning device 10, shown in elevation in Fig- 75 rest into a second pivoting position S2 (Fig- c ure 1, for the dough treatment surfaces of the ures 6 and 7) corresponding to the two work baking tongs. ing positions, and the cleaning head 14 is Each pair of baking tongs 4 has an upper moved into the two working positions A, A2 tong half 5 and a lower tong half 7 connected transversely relative to the direction of move- to the latter via a hinge 6. The two tong 80 ment of the baking tongs by means of the halves 5, 7, on their sides facing one another, slide 13.

have upper and lower dough treatment sur- Figures 8 and 9 show a cleaning device 10, faces 8 and 9, between which the wafers are the mount 12 of which is moved out of a baked. position of rest (Figure 8) into a working posi- Figures 2 to 10 each show part of that 85 tion (Figure 9) transversely relative to the di region of the particular wafer-baking machine rection of movement of the baking tongs. The assigned to the swung-open baking tongs. cleaning head 14 is pushed by the slide 13 on Figures 2 to 4 show a cleaning device 10 the mount 12 into the particular working posi which is equipped with a frame 10a sus- tion above the upper or lower tong half 5 and pended on the waferbaking machine 1 and 90 7 respectively.

which, on a mount slide 12a raisable and low- Figures 10 and 11 show in detail a slide erable transversely relative to the direction of 13, together with cleaning head, movable on movement of the baking tongs, carries a slide the mount 12, this embodiment of the clean 13 which is movable horizontally into a work- ing head device being assigned to the lower ing position located in the path of the swung- 95 dough treatment surface only. The mount 12 open baking tongs and on whose front end carries two guide blocks 18, 19, in which two facing the path of the baking tongs is ar- guide rods 20, 21 of the slide 13 are guided.

ranged a cleaning head 14 which is pivotable Fastened to the front end of the guide rods about a horizontal axis and,-on its end face 20, 21 is a bearing block 22 which carries the turned away from the pivot axis, carries a 100 pivot pin 17 of the cleaning head 14, this cleaning element 16, for example a brush, and pivot pin being vertical in the working posi which can be rotated about an axis of rotation tion. Fastened to the rear end of the guide 17 by means of a drive 15 located in the rods 20, 21 is a drive motor 24 which, via slide 13. one chain mechanism 25, drives a rotary - In order to clean the dough treatment sur- 105 cleaning brush 26 arranged eccentrically in the faces 9 of the lower tong halves 7, the clean- cleaning head 14 and, via a second chain ing head 14 is moved, with the slide 13, out mechanism 27, rotates the cleaning head 14 of a retracted position (Figure 4) into the itself. The cleaning brush 26 is equipped with working position and is pivoted with the axis axial bristles 28 and is connected to the pivot of rotation 17 perpendicular to the dough 110 pin 17 of the cleaning head 14 via a gear 29.

treatment surfaces 9 of the lower tong halves Fastened to the mount 12 are a horizontal 7 (figure 2). During the cleaning operation, the control cam 30 and a vertical control cam 31 cleaning head 14 is:moved back and forth which, in order to control the movement of transversely to the direction of movement of the slide or the lifting. movement of the clean the baking tongs 4 by means of the slide 13 115 ing head 14, interact with follow-up rollers 32 and is lifted, by means of the mount slide and 33 respectively, connected to the latter.

12a, over and beyond lateral closing strips The slide movement caused by the follow-up arranged transversely relative to the direction roller 32 and the horizontal control cam 30 of movement of the baking tongs. during the rotation of the cleaning head 14 via In order to clean the dough treatment sur- 120 the drive 15, 27 is assisted by a restoring faces 8 of the upper tong halves 5, the clean- spring 34 arranged parallel to the guide rods ing head 14 is moved, with the slide 13, out 20, 21 and supported on the guide block 18.

of the retracted position (Figure 4) into the Figure 10 shows a pair of baking tongs 4, working position and is pivoted with the axis in which the lower dough treatment surface 9' of rotation 17 perpendicular to the dough 125 is limited by a lateral closing strip 35 in the treatment surfaces 8 of the upper tong halves form of an arc of a circle, along which the 5. During the cleaning operation, the cleaning rotating brush 26 is guided during the rotary head 14 is moved up and down transversely movement of the cleaning head.

to the direction of movement of the baking

Claims (5)

1. tongs 4 by means of the mount slide 12a. and 130 CLAIMS

   GB2192778A 5 1. Cleaning device for the dough treatment movement of the baking tongs (4) (Figures
2. 2 surfaces of wafer-baking machines for making to 4).

   edible wafers from liquid wafer dough, with 6. Cleaning device according to one of wafer-baking tongs which rotate from a dough Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, in the pour-on station through a baking space to a 70 working position, the cleaning head (14) can wafer extraction station and which can be be raised and lowered relative to the slide swung open and shut, each with two tong (13) perpendicularly to the dough treatment halves which can be swung towards and surface (8, 9) to be cleaned.

   away from one another and each possess a 7. Cleaning device according to one of dough treatment surface arranged, if appropri- 75 Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the clean ate, on its own baking plate, at least one of ing head (14) carries at least one cleaning the tong halves in each pair of baking tongs brush (24) rotating about an axis parallel to being equipped with a lateral closing strip pro- the axis of rotation (17) of the cleaning head jecting beyond the dough treatment surface (14) and equipped with axial bristles (28).

   and laterally limiting at least part of the dough 80 8. Cleaning device according to one of treatment surface, characterized in that, in that Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a rotating region of the path of the baking tongs (4) cleaning head (14) is provided, carrying at assigned to the swung-open baking, tongs (4), least one rotary cleaning brush (26) which ro a mount (10a, 12) is provided which is ar- tates with it and is arranged eccentrically and ranged in a stationary manner relative to the 85 which is equipped with axial bristles (28) and supporting frame of the wafer-baking machine can be driven, together with the cleaning head (1) and is preferably movable out of a position (14), by the drive (15) provided on the slide of rest into a working position located in the (13). - path of the swung-open baking tongs (4), and 9. Cleaning device according to one of which carries, on a slide (13) movable 90 Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, in order transversely relative to the direction of move- to determine the path of the cleaning element ment of the baking tongs (4), a cleaning head (16) or of the cleaning brush (26) over the (14) which is rotatable, by means of a drive particular dough treatment surface (8, 9), (15) arranged on the slide (13), about an axis especially along the particular closing strip, a (17) lying, in the working position, perpendicu- 95 cam control (30, 32) is provided, attached to larly to the dough treatment surface (8, 9) to the cleaning head (14) or to the mount (12) be cleaned and which carries, on its end face, and controlling the movement of the slide as a at least one cleaning element (16, 26) engagefunction of the rotary position of the cleaning able with the dough treatment surface (8, 9) head (14).

   to be cleaned. 100 10. Cleaning device according to Claim 7 or 2. Cleaning device according to Claim 1, 8, characterized in that the cleaning brush (26) characterized in that the mount (12) is is spring-loaded axially so as to be pressed mounted on the supporting frame of the against the dough treatment surface (8, 9) to wafer-baking machine (1) so as to be pivotabe cleaned.

   ble about an axle (11) parallel to the direction 105 11. Cleaning device according to one of of movement of the baking tongs (4), be- Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, in order tween the position of rest and the working to engage the cleaning element with and di position assigned to the dough treatment sur- sengage it from the particular dough treatment faces (9) of the lower tong halves (7). surfaces (8,9), in the working position the
3. 3. Cleaning device according to Claim 1, 110 slide (13) can be raised and lowered perpen characterized in that the mount (12) is movdicularly to the particular dough treatment sur able transversely relative to the diredion of face.

   movement of the bqking tongs (4) between 12. A cleaning device for the dough treat the position of rest and the working position ment surfaces of wafer- baking machines sub- assigned to the dough treatment surfaces (9) 115 stantially as described with reference to the of the lower tong halves (7). accompanying drawings.
4. 4. Cleaning devicq according to Claim 2 or Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 66171 High Holborn, 3, characterized in that the cleaning head (14) London WC 1 R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from is pivotable about ap axis parallel to the direc- The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary rray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD.

   tion of movement of the baking tongs (4), Printed by Burgess & Son (Abingdon) Ltd. Con. 1187.

   between a first position perpendicular to the dough treatment surfaces (9) of the lower tong halves (7) into a second position perpendicular to the dough treatment surfaces (8) of the upper tong halvps (5).
5. 5. Cleaning device according to Claim 4, characterized in that, in the working position, the slide (13) is movable parallel to the dough treatment surface (8) of the upper tong half (5) and transversely relative to the direction of