US1765037A

US1765037A - Cocoa cooling apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1765037A
Application number: US179384A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wain Walter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1927-03-29
Filing date: 1927-03-29
Publication date: 1930-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 1947-06-17

Description

June 17, 1930. w. WAIN cocoA cooLING APPARATUS Filed Ma'rch 29, 1927 2 Shets-Sheet l June `17, 1930. W WNN lfffsss? COCOA COOLING APPARATUS- Filed March 29, 1927 ZSheets-Sheet 2 A I mi? W s Patented June 17, 1930 r'Waxxriaxa WAIN, or FULTON, :NEW You.

C'COA COOLING APPARATUS applicati@ med Maren 29, 1927. serial No. 179,384.

This invention relates to a metho'd of and apparatus for cooling cocoa powder and analagous materialsv preparatory to the use of such powder in the manufacture of Syrups in a more or less plastic state' such as chocolate coatiiigs and chocolatefillings for confections and pastry and the like.

' The main object is to effect a more thorough and expeditious. cooling of the powder than has heretofore been practised b causing the same to pass continuously through tortuous paths in a suitable 'cooling chamber whereby thev temperature is materially reduced in transit from the inlet to the outlet of the apparatus so as to greatly reduce its affinity for moisture, all of which contributes to the production of a better quality I of the commercialproduct in' which the powder is used and greatly facilitates the manuvfacture of such powder into the commercial product.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the invention will'be brought out in the following description.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of an apparatus embodying various features of the invention in which portions of the conducting tubes for the powdered material are shown in section.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken in the plane of line 2-2, Figure 1.

As illustrated, this apparatus comprises a substantially air-tight rectangular box or housing -l--having a bottom portion, upright side andl end portions and a top portion, all bolted or otherwise secured together at their junctions ne with the other to form a rigid structure which is reinforced by corner posts -2, intermediate posts -3- and upper cross bars -'4.-, the lower ends of the posts -2- and -3- being secured to the bottom of the case by angle irons -5-.

The bottom portion of the case or housing is preferably made of similar laminated sections -6- arranged end to end in the same horizontal plane and preferably extending from side to side of the case with their meeting ends directly 'under the intermediate posts sections extended beyond the adjacent crossl bars `-4- a-suiiicient distance to overlap upon the upper edges of the upright side and end portions.

The upright sides of the case may also be made of laminated sections -8 arranged edge to edge with their meeting edges overlapping upon the intermediate posts 3 and end osts 2- and secured thereto by any suita le fastenin means so as to extend from top to bottom o the case an-'d from end to end thereof.

The upright-ends of the case are also composed of laminated sections -9- arranged edge to edge one upon the other vertically and havin j their meeting edges beveled or loverlappe one upon the other to form substantially air-tight joints anfd also to facilitate the securement of the sections-S)- to each other. y

As illustrated, all of these laminated sections -for the bottom, top, sides and ends are made up of inner and outerlayers -10- ofi wood and an intermediate layer -11- of cork or equivalent heat-insulating material to reduce the transmission of heat from the exterior to the interior of the case and thereby to facilitate the maintenance of a relatively lower temperature within the case.

Each laminated section is also provided4 with a marginal edge l2- of wood or equivalent material surrounding the marginal edges of the adjacent cork filler -11- to firmly retain. the latter inplace and also to provide means wherelgl the sections of the bottom, top, sides an lends may be more rmly secured to each other by lnails, .screws or other fastening devices.

A pair lof cross bars -13-. are mounted vupon and secured to the upperface of Ithe bottom of the case orhousing -lto extend transversely thereof in parallel spaced relation to eachother and to the ends of the case2 but preferably nearer the ends for receivm and supporting separate pairs of upright ars 14-, those of each pair being arran eddirectly over its corresponding cross iai* -13- but in transversely spaced relationl to each other'and to the side walls of the case as shown more clearly in Figi are disposed in the vertical planes of their respective pairs of upright bars 14.- as shown more clearly in Figure 1, it being understood thatl the lower end of the upright bars -14-A are also firmly secured'to the lower cross bars -18-. l

The upper cross bars -18- are therefore supported by their respective upright bars 14e- Aand extend laterally some distance beyond said uprightbars for receiving and supporting separate 1 sets 0f straps 19- carrying the refrigerator'coils -l6', said straps having their upper ends rigidly secured to the underside of the upper` cross bars 1S- Additional cross bars -20- are mounted upon the upper edges of the cross bars 18- for receiving and supporting a horizontal plate or shelf -21- which extends lengthwise of and withinthe case -1- across the .ing equal spaces between the ends of the.

intervening space between the cross bars,

-18- and -20- and also from side to side between the intermediate posts -3-, leavplate and upright ends of the case and also open spaces betweenopposite edges of the plate and inner. faces of the side walls of the case between the posts, said plate being also located some distance below the top wall of the case and in a plane above the uppermost conduit l5- and uppermost pipes of the refrigerator coils 16.y

The interior ofthe case forms an air chamber 22- inwhich the conduits -15- and refrigerating pipes -16- are located so as to allow free circulation of air around the refrigerator coils and also around the conduits --15-. v

The means for circulating the air comprises,in this instance, a fan or blower -23- directly connected to the armature shaft of an electric motor Q4- which, together with memos? y the fan or blower 23- is mounted uponthe shelf or plate -21- within the air space between said shelf and top of the case as shown' more clearly in Figure 1. c y

This :fan or blower 23- is arranged to take air fromy the interior case at one side and to deliver it to the interior case from the opposite side.thereby establishing a circulation of the air within the case from the fan around one end of the plate --21 downwardly around the conduits -15- and refrigerator pipes -16- and return around the other end of the plate to the other end of .the blower. l The tubular conduits --15-- are arranged in a vertical plane one ov'ertbe other -lengthwise of and midway between the opposite upright sides of the case and are successively inclined in reverse directions from top to bottom lengthwise of the case to assist in feeding the material therethrough by g'ravity.

a vertical inlet pipe Q5- through which the cocoa powder is fed by any suitable means so as to enter the higher end of lthe uppermost conduit.

The lower side of the lower end of the'uppermost conduit is connected by a nipple -26- to the upper side of the higher end of the next lower conduit which, in turn, has

The uppermost conduit 15 is provided in its upper side near its highest end with the lower side of its other end connected by 'a similar nipple -26- to the upper side of the higher end of the next adjacent conduit and soI on through the successive conduits having the lowerside of their lower ends connected to the upper side of the lhigher ends of the next adjacent conduit by similar nipples -26- as shown more clearly in Figure 1.

The lower side of the lower end of the lowest conduit is provided with an outlet pipe 27 which may be connected to any repository for lthe dried and cooler material as it emerges from the cooling apparatus.

The upper conduit is provided with an ing from the top thereof near its lower end to the atmosphere through suitable openings in the plate -21- and top of the case and 'serving to permit the escape of air from the interiors of allA of the conduits While thepowdered material is being fed therethrough.

These several conduits -15- are closed at both `ends -by end heads -29--, each of which is provided with diametrically opposite lugs -30- bolted or otherwise secured to the adjacent portions of the'upright bars 14 for holding the conduits in fixed relation at the desired angle of inclination.

Each conduit l5- contains a rotary agitator 3l extending lengthwise lthereof from end to end co-axial therewith and therefore at the same angle of inclination thereof.

Each agitator comprises a central lengthwise shaft 33 carrying a plurality of axially spaced spiders B4- to which are secured diametrically opposite lengthwiseblades -35- extending from end to end of ure 1, said shafts ha'ving their opposite ends journaled in suitable bearings in the vend heads of their respective conduits 15.

A main driving shaft -36- is journaled in suitable bearings in one end of the case 'y other end of the upper shaft -33 to the corresponding end of the next adjacent lower shaft by means of gears 4D- similar gears 4land -42- being provided fortransmitting rotary motion in sequence from the secondnamed shafts to the remaining shafts -33- as shown more clearly in Figure l.

The blades -35- of each agitator are arranged somewhat spirally with reference to the axes of their corresponding shafts so that the end of each blade adjacent the higher end of the corresponding conduit moves l slightly in advance of the remaining portions of the blades to assist in feeding the powdered ma'terial from the higher to the lower endsof the conduits but at a relatively low rate of speed to permit the rotation of the agitators to effect a thorough agitation of the powder in transit througl" the tubes.

It is now evident that as the material is introduced into the inlet conduit M25- it will be successively conveyed through the several conduits 15- in zigzag tortuous paths and will finally emerge through the outlet conduit -27-- The refrigerator coils -16- are'arranged in vertical rows of, in this instance three, in each row, at opposite sides of the conveyor vtubes 1.5-, the lowermost pipe of each coil being provided with an inlet -43- which may be connected to any available source of supply for a refrigerant liquid such as ammonia, the upper pipe of each coil being provided with an outlet -44-.

Any suitable means may be employed for maintaining a circulation of the refrigerant liquid through the coils for the purpose of cooling said coils and the air which surrounds them and for transmitting the lowered temperatures to the conduits .15- and powdered material passing therethrough.

Suitable drip pans -45- are supported upon the cross bars 1S- within the vat' directly below the opposite sets of refrigerating coils -16- for receiving any moisture which may accumulate upon the coils and are provided with drainage outlet plpe 4G- leading to any suitable soil or Waste pipe, not shown.

Operation Thecocoa powder or other material to be cooled is fed into the inlet pipe -25- at a temperature of, say 115 degrees F., and thence passes through the successive conduits -15- in which the material is thoroughly agitated and its temperature greatly reduced by the refrigerating coils -16- until it is finally discharged from the lowermost tube into a sifter o r other receptacle at a temperature of, say 50 degrees F.

The thorough agitation of the powdered cocoa and gradual lowering of the temperature thereof in transit through the successive tubesgreatly accelerates the cooling of the powder to a uniformftemperature and dryness required for its manufacture into cholocate and analagous products.

It will be evident, however, that the number of conveyer tubes and agitators and also the number of refrigerating coils may be varied at will according to the production required and that the means for circulating the air around the tubes and refrigerating coils may also be modified without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, a housing having therein a pair of chambers arranged oneA above the other, said chambers being in communication with each other at their outer edges, a plurality of tubular conduits connected in series and disposed in sequence in the lower chamber, rotary agitators disposed in the conduits, a plurality of cooling coils for the reception of a refrigerant disposed in the lower chamber in spaced relation to said conduits and means comprising a fan positioned in the upper chamber for circulating the air within the housing around the conduits and refrigerating coils.

2. In a device of the class described, a housing having therein a pair of chambers arranged one above the other, said chambers being in communication with each other at their outer edges, a plurality of tubular conduits connected in, series and disposed in sequence in the lower chamber, the disconnected ends of the uppermost and lowermost conduits being provided respectively with an inlet and an outlet conduit, rotary agitators disposed in the conduits, a plurality of cooling coils for the reception of a refrigerant disposed in the lower chamber in spaced relation to said conduits, means comprising a fan positioned inthe upper chamber for oirculating the air within the housing around the conduits and refrigerating coils and means for rotating said agitators.

yso

3. In a device of the class described a housing having therein a pair of cham ers arranged one abovethe other, said chambers being in communication with each other at their outer edges, the upper chamber beingv provided with a partition extending transversely of the "housing, substantially midway between the ends thereof, a plurality of tubular conduits connected in series and disposed in sequence in the lower chamber one above the other, rotary agitators disposed in the conduits, a plurality of cooling coils for the reception of a refrigerant disposed in the lower chamber in spaced relation to said conduits and means comprising a fan positioned in the partition intermediate 'the ends thereof for circulating the air within' the housing around the conduits and refrigerating coils.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of March 1927.

WALTER WAIN.