NL1027735C2 - Cooling machine for lollipops and the like. - Google Patents

Description

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Cooling machine for lollipops and the like.

The invention relates to a device for cooling hot-produced lollipops. The invention furthermore relates to an installation for making, cooling and packaging lollipops.

The making of lollipops usually takes place in a drum forming machine provided with a drum, which drum is provided with a series of molds on the circumference. A strand of lollipop material is supplied to the drum and is supplied part by part to upright forms. After closing the molds filled with lollipop material, lollipop sticks are pressed into the molds and the lollipop material is pressed to the desired shape. Then the molds are opened and the lollipops are removed from the drum.

In the case of completely flat lollipops, it is known to feed the lollipops via a number of conveyors, for example starting from the drum with one or more transport discs placed in series, to a packaging machine and to feed therethrough. The conveyor 20 for carrying the lollipops to and through the packaging machine can be a circumferential chain conveyor with a series of lollipop clamps holding the lollipops horizontal thereon. Such a packaging-fitting package is possible with completely flat lollipops that are packaged between two layers of foil and are only subsequently cooled on connecting belt conveyors over which cooling air is blown. Namely, the completely flat lollipops can be wrapped in foil 5 in a still warm condition without much risk of loss of shape and then lie flat on the cooling belts. When producing and packaging lollipops with a more pronounced shape, three-dimensional lollipops, such as flat lollipops with a relief on a main surface, and lollipops with figurative lollipop heads, such in-line treatment with existing arrangements is not well possible. For this, it is usually necessary for the lollipop material to be largely cooled during packaging, because the (tight) foil could influence the shape. Furthermore, upon cooling on a belt, after packaging, the lollipops will be able to deform.

For round lollipops it is known to cool before packaging. For this purpose, a separate cooling device is used, to which the lollipops are supplied in bulk. The cooling device comprises a number of consecutive plates, which are arranged obliquely in the process direction and are made to vibrate to cause the lollipops to move over it, while an air stream moves over it. Because of their round cross-section, the lollipops will be able to move forward without having to lie on one side for too long. The lollipops are collected at the end in a container. The tray is then brought to a packaging machine, to which the lollipops are delivered in an irregular order. They can be singled in the packaging machine on a distribution disc and then transferred to a chain and / or one or more disc drives, in which the lollipops are transported in series to the actual packaging station.

A disadvantage of this is that the total process is interrupted twice: the lollipops obtained from forming are converted from a series to a bulk batch, cooled in bulk, and then converted again to a series for the packaging process. Damage to the lollipops 1027735 3 hereby occurs. A further disadvantage is that grit that remains on the cooling plates after treatment of a batch of lollipops has an adverse effect on the following batch of lollipops, when both batches are different in color. The cooling plates must be cleaned after the first batch, which leads to a loss of production time. More importantly, just like the perfectly flat lollipops, the aforementioned special shaped lollipops cannot move smoothly over the cooling plates and will lie long on one side, whereby the shape can be influenced.

It has therefore been tried in the past to keep the lollipops separate from each other throughout the entire path, for which purpose the lollipops in the cooling section were also held by clamps on a hanging conveyor. The lollipops were kept horizontal with the baton. A disadvantage of this, however, was that particularly with flat lollipops and lollipops with larger heads, the lollipop material could sag during transport through the cooling device. This problem occurred even more strongly during periods of standstill, which occur, for example, when a failure occurs in the packaging machine. As a result, the lollipop heads became crooked and / or lost their special, figurative shape to an unacceptable extent. In other words, the shape of the lollipop heads after cooling did not correspond to the intended one. As a result, not only was a product difficult to accept, but packaging malfunctions could also occur due to far-reaching, undesirable asymmetry of the lollipop heads relative to the stick being held.

An object of the invention is to improve on this.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cooling machine for lollipops obtained by forming, with which the lollipops retain their shape obtained during forming as much as possible.

A further object is to provide means with which so-called three-dimensional lollipops, such as flat lollipops with a relief on a main surface and round or unround lollipops, optionally in figure form, can be formed in-line, cooled and packaged.

From one aspect, the invention provides a device for cooling sticky lollipops, comprising a housing and a conveyor extending through the housing for the lollipops, the conveyor being provided with a series of holders mounted on the conveyor. arranged to hold the fungus during transport through the housing with the sticks substantially vertically.

By keeping the sticks substantially vertical, the lollipop mass in the head is substantially centered with respect to the stick, with regard to the direction of gravity. As a result, some deformation as a result of gravity sagging can be regularly distributed over the circumference of the head, as a result of which shape deviations as a result thereof can remain within acceptable limits. As a result, the failure of products will be less and moreover fewer failures will occur in the packaging machine. With such a cooling device, an in-line process with shaping and packaging can be set up for the aforementioned lollipops with special, three-dimensional lollipop heads. As well as with the 25 flat lollipops with main surface with relief. The cooling device can also be used advantageously with perfectly flat lollipops.

The holders are preferably adapted to hold the lollipops with the lollipop head on top. Hereby an adhesive influence of the lollipop stick on the lollipop material is optimally utilized: with some sagging further sagging along the stick is inhibited by the stick itself. Moreover, with some sagging, the total length of the lolly will not be able to increase, which may have a favorable effect on the packaging process.

In a possible embodiment, the holders comprise two clamping parts with clamping surfaces, wherein the clamping surfaces with their normally directed substantially horizontal, so that the sticks can be kept substantially vertical during cooling in a simple and reliable manner.

In a further embodiment thereof, the clamping parts are movable relative to each other about a hinge between an open position and a clamping position, wherein the hinge in the clamping position is oriented substantially vertically.

In a compact embodiment of the device according to the invention, the conveyor in the housing follows an ascending path and / or descending path, preferably zigzag paths.

In the case of an ascending and descending (zigzag) trajectory, the ascending (zigzag) trajectory in the process direction can be located in front of the descending (zigzag) trajectory, so that the input and output can be low, making construction and maintenance simple.

Preferably, the ascending (zigzag) path and the descending (zigzag) path connect to each other in the process direction.

The ascending and descending tracks 20 are preferably situated in vertical, parallel planes.

The housing can have an input for the lollipops, which input is located in a lower part of the housing. The housing can likewise have an outlet for the lollipops, which outlet is located in a lower part of the housing. For a smooth connection to the shaping process of the lollipops, in which the lollipops are oriented horizontally, the conveyor can extend from a location for receiving lollipops, where the lollipops are taken from a feed conveyor with an orientation with the stick horizontally with conversion to the substantially vertical orientation.

Similarly, for a smooth connection to the packaging process, in which the lollipops are often horizontally oriented, the conveyor can extend to a place of delivery of lollipops, where the lollipops are transferred in the substantially vertical orientation to a discharge conveyor in an orientation 1027735 6 with the baton horizontal.

The place of recording or the place of delivery are preferably located at the location of the input or output.

From a further aspect the invention provides an installation for making, cooling and packaging lollipops, comprising a device for forming lollipops by forming, a conveyor provided with lollipop holders for discharging the produced lollipops in series from the forming device. , a cooling device for cooling the lollipops supplied by the conveyor in series, the cooling device being provided with a conveyor for the lollipops, which conveyor is adapted to hold the lollipops substantially vertically, and a packaging device for keeping them in a vertical position. wrapping the lollipops.

In a first preferred embodiment, the cooling device is located between the forming device and the packaging device, and the installation comprises a conveyor 20 for discharging the cooled lollipops in series from the cooling device to the packaging device, whereby the lollipop material is cooled before it is surrounded by packaging film whereby the cooling can be highly effective.

The conveyor for the cooling device preferably has a conveyor with a circulation separate from the upstream thereof and the downstream thereof, so that freedom is obtained in the choice of the orientation of the lollipops outside the cooling device. The upstream conveyor can for instance be adapted to keep the lollipops horizontal, wherein a transfer device for the lollipops is placed between the upstream conveyor and the conveyor for the cooling device. Furthermore, the downstream conveyor 35 can be adapted to keep the lollipops horizontal, with a transfer device for the lollipops being placed between the downstream conveyor and the conveyor for the cooling device.

In an alternative set-up, the cooling device can be located downstream of the packaging device, in which case the lollipops can be transported in the same (horizontal) orientation from the forming device, through the packaging device, and then be converted at one location to the horizontal orientation for the cooling device, after which they can be collected in bulk.

The invention will be elucidated on the basis of a number of exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. Shown is:

Figure 1 shows a schematic front view of an installation according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, with a cooling device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the cooling device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic top view of the cooling device of Figure 1; and

Figures 4A and 4B schematic representations of a lolly container in the cooling device of Figure 1.

The installation 100 shown in Figure 1 comprises a cooling device 1, a lolly production machine 101 placed in the process direction in front of it, and a packaging machine 102 placed downstream thereof.

The lolly production machine 101 comprises a supply 9 of a strand of lolly material in the direction A, a molded rubbish 8 that rotates in the direction B, and a take-over disk 6 which rotates in the direction C, and the mold drum 8 made lollipops L brings to a transducer 10. With the transducer 10, the lollipops L can be converted from a horizontal orientation, on the transfer disc 6, to a vertical orientation. In that vertical orientation they can be covered by clamps 40 (see figures 4A and 4B) which are mounted horizontally oriented on a circulating conveyor chain 11. The conveying chain 11 runs 1027735 δ at the location of the transducer 10 around a circulating sprocket 12, the chain 11 is thereby rotated through 180 degrees in the direction of movement, as can also be seen in figure 3.

The chain 11 then moves in the direction D through an entrance 4 of cooling device 1.

The cooling device 1 comprises a housing 2 which defines an interior space and is supported on legs 3 on a fixed surface. As can be seen in figure 3, the housing 10 is provided with an inlet 30 and an outlet 31 for air with which the still warm lolly material of the lollipops L originating from the lolly production machine 101 is cooled.

In the housing 2 there is provided at location 5 an outlet, from which a further conveyor, for example 15 a chain conveyor 25, provided with stick clamps, for example according to figure 4A, moves in the direction J into the packaging machine 102, onto which the lollipops L on further can be transferred to a transfer wheel 7, not shown, for further treatment in the packaging machine 102. The chain conveyor 25 rotates in a vertical plane, and reverses 180 degrees in the running direction at the location of the chain sprocket 19 which (see Figs. 2) and 3) is arranged in the housing 2, on the inside of the outlet 5.

A transducer 18 is placed upstream of the sprocket 19, which transducer can correspond to the transducer 10. Herewith the lollipops held vertically on the chain conveyor 11 are converted into a horizontal orientation, suitable for transfer by the pole clamps to the chain conveyor 25 .

In the housing 2, four vertical shafts 13, 14, 15, 16 are arranged, each of which is provided at their upper end with a toothed belt pulley 17, which engages with drive means (not further shown), activated by a motor (not further shown).

As can be seen in figures 1 and 2, the vertical shafts 13-16 are provided with a series of chain engaging parts 26 spaced thereon 1027735 and which can engage the chain 11 for driving. the vertical shafts 13-16 are rotated and thereby drive the chain 11 via the engaging parts 26. It is possible to suffice with toothed belt discs on one or two shafts, such as 13 and 16 or 14 and 15, wherein the chain 11 ensures rotation of the other shafts. One or more shafts can be placed displaceable / adjustable in a vertical plane 10, for keeping the chain 11 tensioned.

Two main sections can be distinguished in the path of the chain 11, namely an ascending section 20, shown in Figure 1, in Figure 2 on the left-hand side and in Figure 3 on the underside (to be seen on the drawing), and a descending section 21, which is downstream thereof, adjacent.

Both the ascending trajectory 20 and the descending trajectory 21 are each formed by a zigzag trajectory (see Fig. 1), the chain 11 alternating around axes 14 and 13 in directions D. This continues until the chain 11 arrives at the highest engagement part 26 on shaft 13, where (G), as shown in Figure 3, crosses the chain transversely to shaft 16, and from there runs in the direction E to the shaft 15, and back again, again according to a 25 zigzag path E, down to axis 16, axis 15 etc. The tracks 20 and 21 lie in parallel vertical planes, whereby the width of the device can remain limited.

The transducer 18 is then positioned at the lower end of the shaft 15, as shown in Figs. 2, where the lollipops are released from the clamps 40 on the chain 11, and the chain 11 with empty clamps in the direction H overhangs to shaft 14, and from there returns in the direction I to bypass wheel 12, where a new lolly is placed in the relevant clamp.

With the described double zigzag path 20-21 of the chain 11, the cooling device 1 can be kept compact, with a higher cooling efficiency.

1027735 10

It will be understood that means known per se can be present at the location of the transducers 10 and 18 for operating the various stick holders present there, such as stick clamps 40 (in Figure 4A).

Figure 4A schematically shows the chain 11 with a stick clamp 40 mounted thereon. The stick clamp 40 comprises a clamp part 41 fixed with the chain and a clamp part 42 fixed thereon at the location of hinge 46, in a manner that can be rotated about said hinge. The clamping part 42 is provided at one end with an operating lever 43, which can be engaged for movement of the clamping part 42 by a fixedly arranged cam or the like.

The clamping part 41 is provided with a clamping jaw 47 and the clamping part 42 is provided with a clamping jaw 45. By means of spring 44 the clamping part 42 is biased to a closing position, in which stick S of the lollipop L is clamped between the clamping jaws 45 and 47 is becoming.

Thus the lollipop L is held in the orientation as shown in figure 4B, with the head K in this example being situated above. With means not further shown, such as fixed guide rails, it can be ensured that the chain 11 does not sag in the zigzag path, so that the orientation of the lollipops, in particular the lollipop sticks S, can remain constant in the zigzag trajectory. 25 to 20, 21.

As shown, the angle of the chain 11 in the zigzag paths is small (for example 2 to 3 degrees), so that the stick S will be kept substantially vertical. With the cooling device 1, the lollipops L to be handed over to the conveyor 30 will, despite any temporary standstill of the chain 11 in the event of malfunctions and the like, have substantially retained their shape, whereby the packaging process in packaging machine 102 can proceed more reliably. Moreover, the lollipops from forming until after cooling and packaging are always retained, so that the lollipops can be controlled throughout the entire process, so that their position is always known.

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Claims (23)

1. Device for cooling sticky lollipops, comprising a housing and a conveyor for the lollipops extending through the housing, wherein the conveyor is provided with a series of holders arranged on the conveyor for holding the lollipops during transport through the house with the sticks substantially vertical. 2. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holders are adapted to hold the lollipops with the lollipop head at the top. Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the holders comprise two clamping parts with clamping surfaces, wherein the clamping surfaces are normally oriented substantially horizontally. Device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the clamping parts are movable relative to each other about a hinge between an open position and a clamping position, wherein the hinge in the clamping position is directed substantially vertically. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the conveyor follows an ascending path in the housing, preferably zigzag path. 6. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the conveyor in the housing follows a descending path, preferably zig-zag path. Device as claimed in claims 5 and 6, wherein the ascending path in process direction is located in front of the descending path, wherein the ascending path and the descending path preferably connect to each other in process direction. Device as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the ascending path and the descending path are situated in parallel, vertical planes. Device as claimed in any of the claims 5-8, 1027735, wherein the housing has an entry for the lollipops, which entry is located in a lower part of the housing. Device as claimed in any of the claims 5-9, wherein the housing has an outlet for the lollipops, which outlet is located in a lower part of the housing. 11. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the conveyor extends from a location for receiving lollipops, where the lollipops are taken over from a supply conveyor with an orientation with the stick horizontal with conversion to the substantially vertical orientation. 12. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the conveyor extends to a place of delivery of lollipops, where the lollipops are transferred in the substantially vertical orientation to a discharge conveyor in an orientation with the stick horizontal. 13. Device as claimed in claims 9 and 11, wherein the location of recording is located at the location of the input. Device according to claims 10 and 12, wherein the delivery location is at the location of the output 15. Plant for making, cooling and packaging lollipops, comprising a lollipop forming device, a conveyor provided with lollipop holders for discharging the produced lollipops in series from the forming device, a cooling device for inserting into lollipops. series of cooling lollipops, wherein the cooling device is provided with a conveyor for the lollipops, which conveyor is adapted to hold the lollipops substantially vertically, as well as a packaging device for packaging the lollipops in an enclosure. 16. Installation as claimed in claim 15, wherein the cooling device is situated between the forming device and the packaging device, and the installation comprises a conveyor for discharging the 1027735 cooled lollipops in series from the cooling device to the packaging device. 17. Installation as claimed in claim 16, wherein the conveyor for the cooling device has a conveyor with a circulation separate from the upstream thereof and the downstream conveyors thereof. 18. Installation as claimed in claim 17, wherein the upstream conveyor is adapted to hold the lollipops horizontal, wherein a transfer device for the lollipops is placed between the upstream conveyor and the conveyor for the cooling device. 19. Installation as claimed in claim 17 or 18, wherein the downstream conveyor is adapted to hold the lollipops horizontal, wherein a transfer device for the lollipops is placed between the downstream conveyor and the conveyor for the cooling device. Installation according to claim 16, wherein the cooling device is located downstream of the packaging device 20 and the lollipops are transported in series in the same (horizontal) orientation from the forming device, through the packaging device, to the cooling device. 21. Device provided with one or more of the characterizing measures described in the attached description and / or shown in the attached drawings. 22. Installation provided with one or more of the characterizing measures described in the attached description and / or shown in the attached drawings. A method comprising one or more of the characterizing steps described in the accompanying description and / or shown in the accompanying drawings. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-> · 'j *: ί' 1027735