GB2245474A

GB2245474A - A machine for the production of ice cream and ice-lollies

Info

Publication number: GB2245474A
Application number: GB9014936A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gian Franco Bersellini
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-07-06
Filing date: 1990-07-06
Publication date: 1992-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 2010-07-06
Also published as: GB9014936D0; GB2245474B

Abstract

A continuous cycle automatic machine for the production of ice creams and ice-lollies comprises a disc 6 rotatable about an upright axis, moulds 7 in said disc for receiving product to be frozen to produce such ice creams or lollies, refrigeration means 9, 11, 11' for freezing said product as the disc is rotated, so that ice creams and ice-lollies with sticks may be produced, means for connecting to the drive of the first disc a second disc (21, Fig. 4 not shown) with moulds for receiving receptacle and product for producing lollies and ice creams without sticks and means (not shown) above the discs for on the one hand inserting sticks in the moulds in the first disc, and on the other hand applying lids to said receptacles after being filled with product on the other hand as said first or second disc is rotated as the case may be. A machine may include a volatile mould sliding ring track 12, means (14, Fig. 2 not shown) for superficial heating of moulds and means for moving the product from the machine. <IMAGE>

Description

A Machine for the Production of Ice Cream and Ice-Lollies The present invention regards an automatic continuous cycle machine, equipped with rotary circular plates, for the production of ice creams and ice-lollies having sticks, and for the production of ice-lollies without sticks to be frozen by the producer. The latter are given various names depending on the producer and in the following description they will be referred to as ice-lollies without sticks.

As is known, for the production of ice creams and ice-lollies with sticks there is usually an automatic machine equipped with a number of mobile moulds and equipment to fill such moulds, to introduce the sticks and to extract the ice creams and ice-lollies.

As is also known, for the production of ice creams or icelollies with sticks, first of all one must prepare the mixtures for the respective products; these mixtures are then poured in the moulds and the sticks are added. After the filling operation, the various moulds go on to the freezing area, where the products are hardened and then slightly heated on the surface in order to enable their extraction from the moulds; finally they are packaged by a bag-filling machine. In some cases, after extracting the ice creams or ice-lollies from the moulds, a coating of chocolate or other product can be added.

As mentioned, these automatic machines for the continuous production of ice creams or ice-lollies with sticks already exist, but for the support and transportation of moulds these machines use a system with an endless belt rotating on end rollers, one of which is motor-driven. Therefore the moulds undergo a rectilinear translation movement, where the top reach of the belt is used for production while the bottom reach just transfers empty moulds from the finished production area to the starting area. During this top transfer the above mentioned operations of mould filling, stick introduction, freezing, superficial heating and ice cream or ice-lolly extraction are performed.

The drawback of this automatic machine is that it is spaceconsuming, expensive and its production capacity is higher than usually required by small sized firms.

In addition to this, today the market has introduced products other than the regular ice creams or ice-lollies with sticks.

In parttcular, as mentioned previously, ice-lollies without sticks where the receptacle is cone or pyramid shaped, filled with a more or less dense pre-packaged liquid and closed with a special lid. This kind of ice-lolly without a stick undergoes a refrigerating treatment given by the producer and is frozen by the producer in a freezer.

The consumer takes the lid off and by pushing on the package gradually pulls out the ice-lolly.

This kind of ice-lolly without a stick is usually produced by means of special machines which fill and put the lid on every package.

The problem for ice cream producers is that they have to equip themselves with two different machines because the market demands both regular ice creams or ice-lollies with sticks and ice-lollies without sticks: this implies great costs and larger premises. The purpose of the present invention is to considerably reduce these drawbacks by introducing an automatic continuous cycle machine, with limited dimensions and capacity, that can be used for the production of ice creams and ice-lollies both with and without sticks. Therefore a single machine, adequately equipped, can meet the needs of production of ice creams and ice-lollies with sticks and ice-lollies without sticks.

Basically, according to the invention, this machine has a rotatable disc or table structure preferably cylindrical and the moulds are placed on concentrical circles thereon. The moulds moved by the rotating disc go through a ring shaped refrigerating zone and finally reach a superficial heating area where the ice creams and ice-lollies with sticks are extracted. This system eliminates the bottom inactive transfer reach of the rotating belt used in existing machines.

In addition to this, according to the invention, a rotating shaft of the mould plate, sticks out from above the plate so that another plate can be fitted to carry, on radial concentrical circles, the containers for ice-lollies without sticks.

Therefore, by simply fitting a special plate on the same machine, with the same motor and the same production accessories, one can produce all the different kinds of ice creams and ice-lollies generally demanded.

Furthermore, according to the invention in a preferred feature, the same filling equipment can be used for both lines, while the stick inserting equipment can serve to put the lids on the ice-lollies without sticks just by changing the operating head. Again, just by changing the operating head, the same extractor which pulls out the ice cream and ice-lollies with sticks can also extract the receptacles containing ice-lollies without sticks.

The operation and structure of an embodiment of the invention at issue is clearly explained in the enclosed drawings, where: - Fig. 1 shows the central vertical section of the machine for the production of ice creams and ice-lollies with sticks; Fig. 2 shows the side view of the machine in drawing 1 with partial exclusion of the external casing; Fig. 3 shows the top view of the machine of Fig. 1 with partial exclusion of the top mould plate; Fig. 4 shows the side view of the machine in Fig. 1 fitted with receptacle plate for ice-lollies without sticks; and Fig. 5 shows the top view of the machine in Fig. 4.

With reference to the figures mentioned, 1 indicates an external casing of a hollow cylinder shaped machine, divided almost in the centre by a horizontal baffle 2. This divides the machine into two zones: the top one (3) contains unfreezable refrigerating liquid and the bottom part (4) contains the operating equipment, as will be explained later on.

On the horizontal baffle (2), supported by a special bearing, stands a central rotating shaft (5) on top of which a rotating plate (6) is fitted. This plate has holes for the moulds (7) for ice creams or ice-lollies with sticks, placed in radial direction on two concentrical rows, for instance.

The moulds (7) can be made enbloc in (integral with) the disc.

This rotating disc (6) has a motor system (8) with a step-bystep movement which rotates the disc by a distance corresponding to the angular distance between adjacent pairs of moulds (7). This motor system can be of any kind; for instance endless screw on peripheral toothing, with fluidodynamic piston on teeth, etc.

The refrigerating liquid contained in the top zone (3) is cooled by a coil (9) fed by the refrigerating unit (11) and compressor (11'). The unfreezable refrigerating liquid is sent by means of a pump (10) into a mould sliding ring track (12) where the ice creams and ice-lollies with sticks are cooled. This track (12) is interrupted in the area of superficial heating of the moulds, and gaskets (13) have been included to prevent the refrigerating liquid from leaking. To achieve superficial heating of the moulds (7) for the release of ice creams and ice-lollies with stick, there are thawing nozzles (14) which by means of a pump (15) receive hot water that is stored in a compartment (16) heated by an electric resistance (17). It is also possible to have thawing by hot air. Heating of the water or air used for thawing can be obtained conveniently using the heat lost by the refrigerating unit (11).

The machine is completed by a proportioner/mould filler (18), a device (19) for the insertion of the stick into the mould and the extractor (20), as outlined in Fig. 4.

From what has been described it is easy to understand the operation of the machine for the production of ice creams and ice-lollies with sticks. In fact, assuming that the rotation of the mould disc (6) is in the direction of the arrow F, as shown in Fig. 3, the empty moulds are then filled and the sticks inserted starting from position A. After this the full moulds go along a wide circle in contact with the cooling liquid to achieve freezing of the ice cream or ice-lolly; then the moulds get to zone E, where superficial heating and release are performed.

Acording to the invention the same machine can produce icelollies without sticks, that is receptacles are filled with liquid and closed by a lid to be frozen by the producer.

In fact, the rotating shaft (5) sticks out from above the mould plate (6) and can be fitted with a second plate (21), made with holes for the receptacles (22) of the ice-lollies without sticks. This second plate (21) rotates together with the mould plate (6). With this operation, the same proportioner/filler (18) fills the receptacles. Likewise by replacing the operating head, the stick inserter (19) can place the lids and the extrtactor (20), again just by changing the operating head, can extract the receptacles of the ice-lollies without stick.

The second plate (21) for the production of ice-lollies without sticks is equipped with automatic systems (not shown in the drawings) to pick the ice-lolly receptacles from the stock and place them onto the disc.

Of course in the production of ice-lollies without sticks the refrigerating and heating equipment used for the production of ice creams and ice-lollies with sticks remain idle.

Therefore according to the invention the machine at issue is able to produce with limited costs and floor space ice creams and ice-lollies with sticks as well as ice-lollies without sticks as required.

Claims

1. Continuous cycle automatic machine for the production of ice creams and ice-lollies, characterised by: a disc rotatable about an upright axis; moulds in said disc for receiving product to be frozen to produce such ice creams or lollies; refrigeration means for freezing said product as the disc is rotated, so that ice creams and ice-lollies with sticks may be produced, and means for connecting to the drive of the first disc a second disc with moulds for receiving receptacle and product for producing lollies and ice creams without sticks can be produced, and including means above the discs for on the one hand inserting sticks in the moulds in the first disc, and on the other hand applying lids to said receptacles after being filled with product on the other hand as said first or second disc is rotated as the case may be.

2. Continuous cycle automatic machine for the production of ice creams and ice-lollies, characterised by the combination of any two or more of the following: a cylindrical hollow outer casing (1), a horizontal separating baffle (2) creating an upper part (3) that contains a cooling liquid and a bottom part (4) that contains operating equipment, a rotating vertical central shaft (5) supported, through bearing means, by the above mentioned baffle (2), a rotary mould plate (6) fitted on the above mentioned shaft (5) which sticks out from the plate, several moulds (7) positioned on the plate (6) preferably in radial direction on concentrical circles and used for the production of ice creams and ice-lollies with sticks, a motor unit (8) for the plate (6), producing an intermittent rotation with steps equal to the angular distance between adjacent radial moulds (7), a mould sliding ring track (12), fed by means of a pump (10), with unfreezable liquid in the upper part (3) cooled by a coil fed by a freezing unit (11, 11') the track being interrupted in the thawing area and having gaskets (13), nozzles (14) for superficial heating of moulds (7) fed with water and/or air heated by a resistance (17) and/or by the heat lost by the refrigerating unit (11), a second plate (21) fitted on the outer end of the shaft (5), revolving with it and with holes for the receptacles (22) of ice-lollies without sticks, proportioner and filler (18) to feed either the moulds (7) of ice creams and ice-lollies with sticks or the receptacles (22) of ice-lollies without sticks, equipment (19) with interchangeable operating head means, for the insertion of sticks in ice creams and ice-lollies with sticks, or for placing lids on the receptacles of icelollies without sticks, equipment (20) with interchangeable operating head means for the extraction of ice creams and ice-lollies without sticks from their moulds, or for the removal of the receptacles of ice-lollies without sticks, so that with the same machine, of limited cost and small dimensions, ice creams and ice-lollies of any type, either with or without sticks, can be produced.

3. A machine as described in either claim 1 or 2, characterised by an automatic system to pick up the receptacles for ice-lollies without sticks from stock piles and place them on the plate (21).