US1558634A - Method of packaging ice cream - Google Patents

Description

v C. E. ROGERS METHOD OF PACKAGING ICE CREAM iled 60- 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet l i m ml INVENTOR.

BY Wz/A ATTORNEY.

Oct. 27, 1925. 1,558,634

C. E. ROGERS METHOD OF PACKAGING ICE CREAM Filed Dec. 5, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 V NTOR. l /a/Plasi GiX-S ATTORNEY.

Oct. 27 1925 1,558,634 C. E. ROGERS METHOD OF PACKAGING ICE CRBAII Filed Dec. 1921 4 Sheets-Shoot 4 y 2 I ira-5,5 I BY -W (sf/W ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES GHARLES E. ROGERS, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

METHOD 01-? PACKAGING ICE CREAM.

Application filed December To all whom it: may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. ltoenns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county oi WVayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usetul Improvements in Methods of Packaging Ice Cream, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to the packaging of ice cream, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a machine automatic in operation for the packaging of cream including a special form of package and the method of packaging ice cream. More particularly the invention involves a method and means for packaging ice cream in individual containers in which it is sold to consumers. Heretofore ice cream has been packaged in the form'of quart or pint bricks, and the machine herein shown and mechanism for making a brick of several layers or colors is described in a co-pending application, this invention more particularly relating to the package and the method of packaging cream in layers in which the brick is made up of a plurality of individual containers or receptacles each filled with ice cream in the layer form. Heretotore it has been the practice with manufacturers of ice cream to wrap small portions or slices of ice cream for individual consumption in waxed paper in which it is sold to the consumer but the slicing and wrapping of these portions is costly ordinarily involving an expense of about twenty cents per gallon, and the object of this invention is to provide a mechanism and a method of packaging whereby portions, corresponding to the individual portions heretofore made up by hand are automatically prepared by the machine herewith described without any hand operation being required. A further particular object of this invention is to provide a way and means for packaging individual portions of ice cream in layer form by auto matic mechanism thereby avoiding the handling of ice cream and possible contami nation thereof and permitting delivery of the same to the ultimate consumer in the original package and in wrapped portions of a size adapted for individual consump- 3, 1921. Serial No. 519,724.

tion. These several objects and general means and apparatus required to secure the objects of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which-- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an ice cream packaging machine.

Fig. 2 isa plan View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective showing the method of bringing the packages to the filling-device.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view'of one form ot'package or container. i

' Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section thereof showing the method of stacking the individual receptacles in relation for the filling operation.

Fig. 6 is a detail showing the discharge aperture through which the packages are filled.

Figs. 7,8 and 9 show other forms of package adaptable for use in my improved method of packaging.

Ice cream to be packaged with this machine must be in asemi-fluid or semi-frozen condition and packaged in such semi-frozen condition and then hardened in the original package previous to sale to the consumer. The machine, so far as the package and method of packaging is concerned, may be of varioustypes, an essential part of the machine for packaging ice cream in layers, however, being a series of containers each having'an aperture and the several apertures being inalignment through which the ice crea'm may flow into the package. The general operation of the machine is set forth in the said co pending application and the machine is herein shown in Fig. 1 in side elevation. The preferable machine consists generallyot a frame or base 1 and mounted thereabove are the containers which are preferably annular in form and in concentric relation as will be understood particularly from Figs. 3 and 6; These containers 2, 3 and 4 are preferably formed of sheet metal, the Walls of which are converging toward the lower end as shown in Fig. 6, and on diametrically opposite sides of the contain ers are groups of apertures 5, 6 and 7 in horizontal alignment and of rectangular form, the outline of the several apertures being approximately that of the rectangular receptacle 8 shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Mounted on the upper surface 1 of the base 1 are raceways 9 and 10 on the opposite sides as will be understood from'Fig. 2. A central iii shaft 11 is provided operated by a motor (not here ,ShoWnYjand this shaqttjextends upward centrally of the several containers and is provided with arms 12 n which are depending arms 13, lei'and 15 for the respective containers which are revolved therein to maintain the semi-solid ice 'creain in a state of uniform consistency also to carry the ice cream, as the containers be- Gome emptied, to the aligned apertures through .a'hichit is discharged by gravity into the receptacles. The boxes or receptacles to begfilled are of thensual paraifined cardboard type and are moved longitudinally of the raceways step by step bringing the receptacles toqfilling position consecutively. The boxes are moved consecutively to :fillingpositionby means of a cam 16 on the shaft 11 such as is described in .the said cozpending application and this cain sinnultaneously reciprocates a follower l? in the -raceway .9 and the follower 18 in the raceway'lO. The packages are placed forward of "this follower and each forward move ment (which is to the right of the position shown in Fig. 1-) moves exactly the length of the box and these boxesbetween the tollower and the box being fillel push the filled box from the aperture and positions the succeedingbox for filling, it being understood that the periphery of the rectangular box 8 is in sealed relation about the periphery oi the apertures as will be understood from Fig. 6f The filled boxes are moved out from the .machine onto a table 19 at the rear side thereof. It will be understood .from Fig. 6 that the ice cream iiows into the packages in inultiple layer form, in the device here shown there being three layers, but any number of layers may .be provided as may be found practicable depending upon the size of he package to be tilled. It is to be noted that these packages are fed longitudinally through .the machine, and on the opposite sides of the machine in the special form "of machine here shown, and the apertures extend longitudinally oi the boxes so that the layers of ice cream are placed in the package through the upper open side 0?: the box and the layers extend longitudinally of the box or receptacle.

TO package the ice in individual wrapped slices or portions for individual consumption 1 provide a special form of r ole which cent. a ing receptacle 8 in which are pla eda series. of 'ndividu'al receptacles, there being six or eight of these individual receptacles for use in a quart sic-o receptacle .8 corresponding to the usual size now wrapped in waxed paper by the manufacturers. These individual inserts are of the paraffin'ed paper or cardboard type and are held in close relationby the outer-box S as shown in Figs. a and 5 from which it will be understood thatthe inserts are held sufliciently close together as toprevent ice cream iro'in'fiowing therebetween. A particular feature of these open individual containers 20 is that they extend transversely of the box 8 and of the aligned aperturesb, 6 and 7 of the containers when in filling position and it is to be noted that as the ice cream flows downward each individual receptacle 20 receives the ice cream in layer form. In some devices for packaging ice crearnin layer iorrn astor instance in the device shown by ll. SJPatent toCuscaden et al., No. 682,243 oiSept. 10, .1901, dividing plates are utilized which are move-d downward into the ,receptacl'e to filled in order to provide the layer form of tlie ice cremi-in the package. l have found that particularly with .the package containing the individual receptacles, the iding plates ,may be dispensed with, perthe ice *h' v. preferably bout subieciion surcthrough the ral apertures which will deposit in these ,ividual receptacles (which are held in position by the outer box 8) in actically perfect layer form Without intnv of the colors or flavors discharged from the diterent containers and this is one of the features necess ry in the pertoi'ining of my new method o-tpackagingthat is, that the ice cream is discharged through the aligned apertures simultaneously into these individual receptacles which extend transversely of tee aligned apertures whereby each individual receptacle receives ice cream in the several layers.

Heretofore, int-he freaking of the slices or portions {or individual consumption, the slices are cut from the hardened brick and then wrapped by hand and then packed in acontain; The object of improved method is to avoid the hand Work and possible contamination as well as .thelabor and to d liver the ice cream in the individual peerage to the ultimate consumer and this is only possible by iny method herein de scribed in which the ice cream is deposited, in the semi-fluid orsezn. rosen condition in which it is discnarged Ii 7.11 the freezer, in the original package in which it ,is'to be sold to thepconsuraer andthen hardened previous to its sale. This is believed a new and important step in the art resulting in a lessened cost as before stated and the maintenance of the purity of the product sold.

lllaniiestly the individual containers 20 are not necessarily of the exact shape or structure shown in Fig. i or 5, an alternate form being shown in .1 .8 in when the individual container 30, of the same shape as the container 20, has one end theredi :31 termed with perforations 32-. This end 31 may be stripped or torn "from the body of 'th ka ge to permit the ready discharge e pac out the ice creai'n'contained or for holding in the hand by the remainder of the package permitting the ice cream to be carried in the hand and eaten as is sometimes done where the ice cream is used by picnicing parties or assemblages where the ordinary table service is not provided. The essential feature. however, of whatever form of individual containers is used is that it shall have an open end and adapted to be oositioned in an outer container of some character to support the individual containers in close relation during the filling operation and to hold them intact during the harden ing operation after which they may be separated from the outer container if de sired previous to sale. It is to be understood howeverthat after the hardening operation, the packages should be provided with some character of closure for covering the open ends of the individual packages.

lit is believed essential that the outer supporting box 8 shall have the edge thereof sealed to the periphery of the discharge aperture of the containers to prevent ice cream from flowing to the outside of the box for this purpose and, as described in said arc-pending application, the raceway is provided, at a point beneath the aperture of the containers, with an adjustable table which is adjusted by means of the bolts and nuts shown in side elevation in lo 1. This adjusts the vertical position of a portion of the bottom of the raceway to carry the box on the said portion to close contact with the bottom of the containers about the apertures and guides 4-1 are provided parallel with the raceway so that the box is positioned correctly relative to the apertures.

'lhe follower member is actuated by a rod 42 which is adjustable to vary the position of the follower 17 or 18 so that each forward movement thereof is or: ctly of the length required to move the, filled box from position and deposit an unfilled boa: for the filling operation.

lit is considered essential in the performance of this method of packaging that the ice cream shall be in a semi-frozen con dition as discharged from the ice cream freezer. the several containers being filled in any approved. way with ice cream of dif fcrent color or character so that the individual. package is formed of a number of layers of differently colored ice cream or ices of a different character.

The foregoing description particularly sets forth the filling of the packages in layers but it is evident that the method is applicable whether the ice cream is to be deposited in layers or in uniform color or charaL-ter. For this latter purpose, if the several concentric containers are to be used, the containers should all be filled with ice cream of the same character and color which will flow readily into the boxes as heretofore described, or if desired a single container may be used provided with a single aperture through which the ice cream is discharged, the aperture being practically of the same size as the outer box. Under this plan and arrangement the individual receptacles 20 or 30 will each be tilled with ice cream of the same color.

This .inethod is particularly applicable where the ice cream is to be wrapped in small parcels provid an amount for in dividual consumption as for instance with ice cream sodas and these lar in form shown Y or of any desired shape, it being essential, however, that in this method the several individual receptacles or boXes shall be held in close relation side by side and end to end in an outer receptacle of some nature for the illiag operation preterably are retained in this outer hinder or receptacle during. the linal harden. 9 shows a slightly different form of the inserted package which has the two open ends and 52. [is these individual receptacles may be used w v1h an outer box (which is provided with. a bottom), the indi 'dual containers may be of four sides only and the outer package will prevent the ice cream from flowing out of the bottom of the inserted package 50.

The inner individual packages, which are formed of a waterproof paper as before stated and of whatever shape, may be of lighter weight and thinner wall than the outer sustaining package, the purpose of the outer package being to hold the individual receptacles in close relationwith the walls in contact and prevent deformation of the Sll'llllGI" packages during the filling with ice cream and this outer box being of heavier character is used both to sustain the boxes while being filled and to prevent deformation previous to or during the final hardening.

Ice cream to be palatable and of desired texture should be filled with minute air cells which is accomplished by the comparatively rapid stirring of the material of which the ice cream is formed during the freezing and when in the semi-frozen condition is deposited in these containers 2, 3 and 4. W hen in the containers the semi-frozen ice cream is continuously agitated by the arms l3, l4 and 15 extending downward into the containers and rotated therein. These stirrers or agitators have the function of maintaining the ice cream in a state of uniform consistency which is essential to its flow by gravity into the packages. Without the stirrer-s or agitators the ice cream in the containers that lies in contact with the container wall would tend to melt to a greater or less extent leaving the body of ice cream between the walls in a harder condition than that in contact with the walls. By use of may be rectangucell structure may not be destroyed.

agitators the ice cream is maintained in uniform state and capable of flowing by gravity at all times and it preferable that ice cream be deposited in order that the sir i A limited amount of pressure coiiltl be ntilizecl however, if found desirable. Pressure, how'- ever, tends to compact the ice cream which is an undesirable feature making it hard and destroying its texture. Therefore 'tleposition by gravity or by very little pessr wherein the ice cream retains its cell structure is the better method.

The foregoing description refers ularly to the packaging ol ice cream in a semi-solid or semi-frozen condition. It is to be, ho r, understood t various new terials l y be packaged by my ii'nproverl Lietliocl as for instance, ices; which are prepared in a s xi i-frozen condition ancl t liarclenccl, gelatines for uQSilQlllS which may be packaged While in a semi-l Qtl condition and then allot-reel to harden in the package, C356 (rough or paste for fry, the ma terial for which is made u ,a semi-fluid form which, While in soon form may be packaged and then ibalrecl; All these (litferent materials and other materiel of the same genell characteristics may be readily packaged by this nethocleither in layers as may be desired or in the mass by using a container having only a single aperture through which :the material is discharged. The package in any case may be of the gen eral form herein disclosed or Without the in- (llVlClUtLl inserts" described herein and the appended claims are to be reacl with this miderstandiiig that various types of seniitiuicls may be paciaged by this method and then liarrleneil for sele to the ultimate consumer in the originalpackage.

H: wing thus fully described my invention whet claim itl. The method of filling receptacles with ditierent materials in strata which consists in spacing longitudinally of the receptacle within the se ne a series of material enclosures designed ultimately to encompass an inrlivirlnal portion of the material and flowing thestrats of materials into the enclosures. i i

vThe method of filling a receptacle with materiel consisting in spacing; longitudinally oi the same, c, serieso'f material enclosures de igned to ultimately encompass an indi- -r.al portion of the material, and flowing the material into the enclosures.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification. i i

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