GB719520A - Apparatus for tempering liquid chocolate and for feeding a depositor or like machine - Google Patents

Abstract

719,520. Tempering chocolate. GODDARD, Ltd., J. A., and STEPHENS, SMITH & CO Ltd. Oct. 26, 1953 [Oct. 31, 1952], No. 27444/52. Class 86 [Also in Group VI] Chocolate to be tempered is put in a hopper 1 provided with stirrer blades 6, 8 and 9 and a water jacket 2, and drops through openings 86 to a jacketed, cooling system 18 with feed worms 19 and 21 from which it is discharged into the receiver of an enrobing or other using machine (not shown). This initial tempering is done at 84-94‹F. When the enrober receiver is fully charged the apparatus of Fig. 5 is readjusted to vary and control the temperatures of the various jackets and of the rate of feed and discharge of the chocolate, so that the chocolate ceases to be tempered but is only cooled to 95-105‹F. and fed in drips to the large volume of tempered chocolate in the enrober hopper whereby it becomes tempered by contact with the large bulk of tempered chocolate. The cooled chocolate surplus to the drip feed is returned to the hopper 1. The circulating and control apparatus, Fig. 6, is operated as follows: The apparatus is first heated up by passing steam warmed water through the various jackets, 2. 26, 29 &c. as follows. The thermostat switch 63 is set high so that electromagnetic valve 50 is open for heating and valve 49 is closed to prevent cold water from inlet 38 passing to the jacket 26. Valve 47 is opened and the steam and water mixing valve 41 is adjusted so that warmed water can circulate through jacket 26, steam being supplied at 42. Pump 51 is then started and forces warmed water into the jacket 2 and at the same time a known type of thermo circulator 55 draws water through pipe 57, heats it and returns it to the jacket 2. When jackets 26 and 2 are warm valve 47 is closed and the hopper 1 is charged with a batch of heated chocolate when the whole system becomes thermostatically controlled from thermometer 64, Fig. 5. If the chocolate at 64 is too hot, the thermostat switch 63 allows current to open magnetic valve 50, so that cold water passes by pipe 48 to jacket 26. The starting circuit for pump motor 52 is also connected to motor 11 so that the stirrer cannot be started until the pump 51 is started. The chocolate is circulated between the hopper 1 and the cooler 18 until the batch in the hopper 1 is tempered. The valve 30 is then adjusted to allow the chocolate to be rapidly discharged at 28 into the receiver of an enrober or other using machine. The hopper 1 is then recharged and valve 30 is set as in Fig. 8 (not shown) so that the apparatus acts as a pre-cooler only, which delivers sufficient drips of pre-cooled chocolate by pipe 31 continuously to the enrober receiver to maintain by drip a full charge therein of now tempered chocolate while the surplus is diverted and returned by pipe 32 to the hopper 1.