US1953520A - Quick-freezing of comestibles - Google Patents

Description

April 3, 1934. c. w. VOGT QUICK FREEZING O F COMESTIBLES 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, 1951 5% W945 m ww W m ZMW mm m @7 GYM April 3, 1 934. c, w, vow 1,953,520

QUICK FREEZING OF COMESTIBLES Filed May 6, 1931 I 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR (Vane/we 71 Fi i BY ATTORNEYS April c. w. VOGT 1,953,520

QUICK FREEZING O FCOMESTIBLES Filed Ma 6, 1931 I 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR v Clare/we II. 7056 BY Y '2 WMAM" ATTORNEYS A ril 3, 1934, c. w. VOGT QUICK FREEZING OF COMESTIBLES 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 6, 1931 INVENTOR U/are/zce I1 V093 BY ATTORN EYS April 3, 1934. c. w. VOGT QUICK FREEZING 0F COMESTIBLES Filed May 6, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 i R Y E mW MN 2 m v Nn H CY B April 3; 1934.

c. w. VOGT QUICK FREEZING OF COMESTIBLES 7 Sheets- 6 Filed May 1931 mm Mm CY M a n Apnl 3, 1934. c. w. VOGT QUICK FREEZING 0F COMESTIBLES 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed May 6, 1931 IINVENTOR Ulaflence IV. Vb d BY v ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 3, 1934 1,953,520 I f QUICK-FREEZING or cosms'rmnss Clarence W. Volt, llouisville, Ky, no: to Voxt Instant rs, incorporated, Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Delaware Application May c, 11931, Serial No. more i it claims. (or. tz-no This invention relates to the rapid freezing or hardening of comestiloles or other analogous products into bricks, bars or other shaped hodies or packages.

s In order that the desired hardening he accomplished within a reasonably short time, it is important that the material he esposedin comparatively thin layers or bodies. In order that the required amount of heat he removed to elm iect the hardening or solidification, the reiriger sting agent is most effectively employed when caused to flow in a comparatively rapid stream into and out oi thermal relationship to. the material being treated. The'use oi hrine or other liquid refrigerant orrily requires that chective means be employed for preventing any contamination or soiling oi the material by direct contact with the refrigerant, and also to prevent soiling the surface of the container or wrapping go for the material, in case the latter he in wrappers,

cartons or other packages.

Air or other pas cooled to very low temperature for instance, in the neighborhood of h avoids any objection which arises from the use of 25 a liquid refrigerant because it may directly contact with the mawriai or the wrapper thereof without wetting, soiling or sticking thereto and without contamination. Such air or other gases have a comparatively low specific heat and therego fore a comparatively large volume of the refrigerated gas must he circulated in respect to the mass of the mamrial to he irosen or hardened in order to remove the required amount at heat.

it is not satisfactory to provide such large vol- 5 nine by making the hardening room or tunnel of large diameter in respect to the cross-scction of the mass stored therein or being moved therethrough because only the in close contact with the material or the wrapper thereof is utilized, and thus a large portion oi air is not rendered ei' fective. w

In order to get ellective action oi va gas, it is important that there he a turbulent flow; and in order that the i'reeziung or hardening operation he produced in the minimum time, it is necessary that there he a comparatively rapid 'iiovv oil the gas in close relationship to the mamrial heing treated.

its important features of my invention. ii efiect the freezing or hardening of the material by a comparatively thin stream oil low temperature gas having a very rapid how in direct contact with a thin wrapper or casing for the material; I secure turbulence of. the stream of gas; it so support or retain the material that there is no danger of displacing the material by the action of the gas stream; 1 provide the minimum insulating effect hetween the material and the gas stream; and 1 preferably make the process continuous by advancine the material into, through and out of the zone where it is subjected to the action of the stream.

in order to secure these objects I provide an air duct or tunnel which is comparatively small in cross-section and provide a conveyor movable lengthwise through the duct for positively advanclns the material in such a way that the gas may flow along the top, bottom and lateral sides of the material and with the maximum area exposed to the action oi the gas stream.

More, specifically, I have discovered that it is advantageousto make the conveyor in the form of a plurality of parallel runs of separate reticu iated helts which support and engage the sides of the advancing material so as; to hold it in the desired form during the advancing movement and at the same time permit intimate contact of the gas with the material or the wrapper or the casins enclosing such material.

The belts engage they may he maintained at substantially the tem- The belts are preieralily of metal in order that pcrature oi the gas, and due to their high rate of heat transfer, permit the chilling oi the portions of the material directly in contact with or supported by the solid portions of the belt substantially as effectively as those portions which are exposed at the openings in the belt.

A satisfactory form oi belt is a wire cause of an open mesh giving the maximum size or openinss in respect to the necessary amount of wire strands or intervening metal portions to satisiactorily support the material.

The helts may extend into, through and out of chloer within which the gas ducts are positioned so that the material may he led to and received from the conveyors outside of the low temperature sona'wherehy the workmen are not exposed to the low temperature required for the freezing or hardening of the material, and whereby the refrigerating eflect is conserved to the best advantage.

My invention may be utilized for the freezing analogous products, such as ice cream, margarin, lard compounds, fruits, fruit juices, fish, meat, whites and yolks of eggs, etc." All such materials contain a substantial quantity of water or other crystallizable ingredients, and are either in a liquid or plastic condition or present av moist surface.

As an important feature of my invention I provide means for preventing contact of the material with the conveyor mechanism, and for this purpose employ thin flexible sheet material. Such material does not retard to any substantial extent the rate of heat transfer, and the conveyor belts serve to give to the thin flexible walls an efiective support so that the material, even when liquid, plastic or very soft, is retained in the predetermined and desired cross-sectional form and is solidified in such form. The thin wrapping or encasing sheets not only prevent contamination of the material, but also prevent the material from adhering to or freezing on the conveyors.

Depending upon the character of the material to be hardened or frozen and the desired character of the final product, the material may be packed in separate containers having such thin flexible walls, whereby the final product is delivered as separate solid blocks or bricks, or the material may be delivered in a channel shaped continuous strip of material engaging with and advanced by the conveyors, and may be separated into separate sections by partitions or spacers to facilitate separation at the delivery end, or may be frozen or solidified as a solid continuous bar or column in such channel shaped strip and the strip and material simultaneously subdivided into successive sections of the desired length at the delivery end of the apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated an apparatusembodying my invention and adapted for carryingout my improved process,- and certain parts of such apparatus are illustrated in alternative forms.

In these drawings:

Fig.1 is a side elevation of the receiving end portion of an apparatus embodying my invention, the enclosing casing and certain of the parts being shown in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1', but showing the delivery end portion.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view ofthe portion of the apparatus shown in Fig 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, showing a section of a refrigerating duct with refrigerating pipes associated therewith.

Fig. 6 isa verticallongitudinal section corresponding toa portion of Fig. 1, but showing a differen form of feeding and packaging means. Fig. '7 is a vertical section on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view sirnilar to a portion of Fig. 6, but showing another feeding and packaging means.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the parts shown section on the in Fig. 8.

or hardening of a wide variety of comestibles or Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a paper container with the frame shown in Fig. 10- therein and partially closed, and

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the container after being closed.

In the specific construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, I provide a duct 10 for the refrigerant gas, which is of somewhat larger size than the cross-section of the material and conveying means movable therethrough. If the material is tobe frozenor solidified in packages or bricks of approximately one pint size which would be approximately one pound in weight if a solid material without overrun, the dimensions of such a package or brick might be approximately 7 inches x 3 inches x 11 g inches. The duct may be proportioned to receive packages of such dimensions or a bar which might be. cut into bricks of such dimensions. For such a product, the duct may be of such size as to give approximately a three or four inch clearance on the sides and top of the moving material. The duct is arranged in' a substantially horizontal position in a chamber 11 and means is provided for withdrawing air from one end of the duct, refrigerating it and returning it to theopposite end. Such means is illustrated as a pair of branch conduits 12 leading from opposite sides of the duct 10 adjacent the inlet end of the latter and connecting to a manifold 13 leading to a refrigerating chamber 14. Within this chamber is mounted any suitable means for lowering the gas to the desired temperature, such means being somewhat conventionally illustrated as refrigerant coils 15. The opposite end of the chamber 14 is connected to the intake of a fan or blower 16 which delivers through a manifold 1'7 to a pair of branch conduits 18 communicating with the opposite sides of the duct 10 at the delivery end of the latter.

I have referred only to a single duct 10, but it will be obvious that there may be a plurality of these ducts, all receiving air from-the same chamber 14 and returning the air thereto, and

that such plurality of ducts may be arranged parobviously the ducts 10 may be arranged one above the other or in any other suitable relative-elevations.'

Extending through the duct 10 are a plurality of belts constituting a conveyor. and arranged to support and advance the material to be frozen or hardened, and to define a passage of approximately the desired cross-section of the final prod-- not. As shown there are employed a pair of side belts 20 having parallel runs in spaced vertical planes, 9. bottom belt 21 and a top belt 22.

These are preferably of metal and are reticulated so as to form an open mesh permitting access of the air in the duct 10 to the packages and arti- I cles supported and advanced by the belts and to hold such packages or articles in the predetermlned cross-sectional form.

The side belts pass around pulleys 23 and idlers 24 at opposite ends of the duct 10 and return runs of these belts are outside of the duct. The return runs of the side belts may be 5 supported by suitable guide pulleys 25 at the upper and lower edges thereof, while the return run of the upper belt may be supported by guide pulleys. The return run of the lower belt may be supported by idlers 27. The supports for the bottom belt and the side belts may be entirely within the chamber 11 or any extensions thereof, while the bottom belt 21 extends outsideof the chamber 11 to receive and deliver the material, articlesor packages to be refrigerated. The bottom belt 21 may be supported on pulleys 28 and idlers 29 and the top belts 22 by pulleys 30 and idlers 31. The pulleys of all four belts at one end of the apparatus may be geared together and driven from'a common source of power so as to have the same rate of linear travel.

I have shown a motor 32 with reduction gearing 33 and suitable chain and bevel gear drive to the various belt driving pulleys. The details of the gearing 33 are not shown, but it will be understood that this is preferably of a type which permits ready variation of the speed of travel of the several belts which, as above noted, have their driving pulleys geared together for simultaneous and equal linear speed. The belts at one end or the idlers may be adjustable to put the belts under the desired tension and to take up any slack.

The material to be refrigerated is delivered to the bottom belt and if desired, between the two side belts outside of the chamber 11, and is advanced into the duct and lengthwise of the latter.

The gas refrigerated by the coils 15 is circulated through the duct countercurrent to the movement of the material. The refrigerated gas may be air, although the material itself, as distinguished from the wrapper or carton, is exposed to contact with the gas, the latter may be and preferably is a non-oxidizing gas.

Helium is particularly desirable for this purpose The dispersion of heat from the material to helium is greater than it is to air, and the gas is lighter and therefore less friction is encountered in effecting the forced circulation of the gas. Even though the specific heat of helium is lower than that of air, still this is in whole or in part compensated by the lower resistance to flow and the ability to circulate a larger volume of the gas per unit of time with the same amount of power at the blower. Hydrogen maybe used with many of the advantages of helium, but has the disadvantage of being combustible.

3 The gas is circulated at a very high rate of speed. so as to give a turbulent fiow and this turbulence is increased by the apertured or reticulated character of the supporting and conveying means for the material. in respect to its temperature and specific heat, the size and length of the duct and the speed of travel of the conveyor, that the material is effectively frozen or solidified by the time it reaches the delivery end of the apparatus.

Merely as an example, and assuming the di mensions of the package, above. set forth, and the volume of which is substantially one pint, and assuming that the material to be hardened is ice cream which has been aerated and partially frozen in a continuous type of freezer, such as shown in my prior Patents 1,783,864, 1,783,865, 1,783,866 and 1,783,867, the duct may be approximately thirty feet long, the speed of travel of the conveyor may be two to three feet per minute, the temperature of the gas may be --30 F., and the speed of the gas in the neighborhood of sixty miles per hour. I The material to be frozen'may be enclosed in separate complete cartons, wrappers or casings of thin flexible material, or it may be a continuous stream progressively frozen into a bar during the endwise flow of the stream within a tubular casing or wrapper moving therewith and by the may, if desired, be interengaged with slot in the The speed of flow of the gas is such conveyors, or it may be in a continuous wrapper or casing with suitable partition to facilitate separation of the peripheral wrapper into sections containing bricks or blocks of predetermined length.

In the specific construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 the material A may be pre-packaged or pre-cartoned and with at least the two sides of largest area formed of thin flexible sheet material having a very low resistance to heat flow. Such pre-packaged material may be fillets of fish, meat, fruit, or other comestible which it is desired to rapidly freeze and which is solid at body or room temperatures, although, of course, the apparatus is not limited in any way to the specific character of the material to be frozen.

Such cartons may bemade substantially as shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 13. The narrower peripheral walls are formed of astrip of comparatively thin cardboard or other such inexpensive fairly stiff material. Such a strip may be bent to form a frame B including end walls a, and b, a bottom wall 0, and a top wall (I integral with one end wall and having a flap e at one endwhich end wall a. This frame may be slipped into a container folded froma sheet of thin material so as to retain the latter in predetermined form. Such a container C as shown in Fig. 12 may have thin flexible side walls 1, a bottom wall and end walls or formed by folding the edges of the side and bottom. The side walls f may extend above the end walls so that when the frame B is inserted therein and the carton filled the top it of the frame may be closed and the upper edges of lift the side walls ,1 folded over to seal the top as shown in Fig. 13. The packages of the material in the form of a carton or container above described, or in any other suitable form of container or carton, are 1115 placed end to end on the belt 21 and are advanced with the latter until engaged by the side belts 26 and the top belt 22 and are advanced by these belts and held in proper position in respect to the conveying means while moving through the duct 12o and against the high velocity gas stream.

In some cases the receptacle or container C may be entirely'omitted and a series of frames B used as spacers within a continuous endwise moving strip of substantially channel shape. An" apparatus of this character is shown in Fig. 6; The conveying mechanism as well as the hardening mechanism may be substantially the same as that shown inl igs. 1 to d inclusive.

A strip of paper is delivered from a roll D into a stationary forming. and supporting device having side walls 35 and a bottom wall 36. Thepaper as it moves endwise into this device is bent to form achannel shaped strip E having side and bottom walls engaging the inner surfaces of the side walls 35 and the bottom wall 36. v

The forming mechanism may include a roller 37 supported on a suitable, yieldably mounted frame 38 and of a length substantially equal to the widthof the desiredchan'nel shaped strip.

The frames, suc as-shown in Fig. it are placed in the channel shaped strip, filled with any suitable material A which may be fillets of fish or other normally solid 'comestible and the top wait if of the frame pressed down to closed position. The apparatus is so positioned that the material may be readily packed into the frame B during the continuous advancement of the channel shaped strip..

The side edges of the channel shaped stripE hesive reaching the side edges of the strip 11 and coming into contact with the material to be frozen.

The side edges of the channel E then move beneath a guide 44 which'folds them down onto the top d and they may be pressed down by a yieldingly mounted pressure roller 45.

It will, of course, be understood that during the operations of filling, closing and sealing the package, there is a continuous endwise movement of the material between the side walls by reason of the fact that the belt 21 moves in this supporting device and above the bottom 36 of the latter.

Upon leaving the sealing roller the packages which are integrally connected by the walls of the strip E, move beneath the roller 30 and the upper belt 22 and between the rollers 23 and the side belts 20 and are advanced and supported while moving through the refrigerating duct.

For the freezing of ice cream or other semi; liquid or plastic maierials, the strip E may form the sole wrapping or encasing means for a continuous bar of the material as it is progressively advanced and frozen.- Such a bar when delivered from the machinemay be cut transversely into sections by cutting directly through the wrapping material. K

In Figs. 8 and 9 I haveillustrated somewhat diagrammatically an apparatus for the continuous delivery of plastic or semi-liquid material to be frozen. This may be ice cream which has been previously aerated and partially frozen or may be the whites or yolks of eggs, margari'n', lard compounds. fruit juices, etc.

The conveying and refrigera'ing mechanism employed may be. substantially the sameas that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. Va

A delivery receptacle projects into the chan nel shaped strip E and has a conduit 51 for the continuous delivery of the material thereto. The

receptacle has a flange or wall 52 cooperating with the strip to define an outlet of the desired cross-sectional area for the block, brick or bar of material to be frozen, and facing in the direction of movement of the strip E. The side walls of the strip are folded over this flange and are pressed onto the top of the material by the roller 30 or any other suitable means so that the material may be delivered from the pipe 51 under pressure and this pressure maintained at least in part during the freezing operation. Furthermore, the closingof the side edges of the strip E over the flange 52 prevens any contact. of the material with the atmosphere from the time it is delivered through the conduit 51 until it is completely enclosed in the wrapping material.

For taking care of variations in the relative roles of delivery of the material and the advancing of such material into or through the refrigmatically or manually controlled in accordance with the position of the rod 54. Obviously the piston 53 may impart a certain pressure to the I material, and the pump or other delivering means will be such as to equal or exceed such pressure.

' In Figs. 8 and 9 the roller D is illustrated very close to the receptacle 50, but it will be obvious that to facilitate the proper folding of the channel shaped strip E from the sheet delivered from the roller, the latter should be spaced some little distance away.

Where there are a plurality of the freezing ducts mounted comparatively close together, the supply rollers may be at different distances from the receptacles as indicated in Fig. 9. so that one does not interfere with the adjacent one.

In the manufacture of brick ice cream, it is often desirable to incorporate two or more flavors or kinds of ice cream in successive layers in the brick. This may be readily accomplished by means of my invention as a plurality of kinds of ice cream may be delivered from the different sources of supply. In Fig. 10 I have illustrated an apparatus for delivering two different kinds of superposed layers, but obviously three or more layers may be formed by suitable duplication of the parts. The apparatus shown in Fig. 10 is similar to that shown in Fig. 8, except that there is an additional receptacle 50a with its corresponding weighted piston 53a and supply conduit 51a. Between the two receptacles is a partition wall 56 which has a shoe or base portion 57 spaced at the desired distance above the bottom of the channel shaped strip E. The material delivered from the receptacle 50a will form a bottom layer A in the strip A and of a depth equal to the height of the shoe 57, whilethe material delivcred from the receptacle 50 will form an upper' crating effect may be supplemented by coils arranged within the duct 10 or outside thereof and in heat transferring relationship thereto.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated the duct 10 as provided with four refrigerating pipes 60 within the duct 10 and extending lengthwise thereof in the four longitudinally extending corners. When so positioned they do not materially reduce the cross-sectional area of the duct, but do aid in keeping the gas at the desired low temperature to eifect the rapid freezing action.

Having thus described my invention, .what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz 7 1. An apparatus for solidifying a comestible, including means for continuously delivering the comestible in plastic form. means for contiriuously delivering wrapping material and forming the same into a continuous tube around the plastic-material tobe solidifiud, a plurality of end less conveyors having parallel runs for engaging said tube and advancing the latter endwise with said material therein, a refrigerating chamber having refrigerating coils therein, a duct within said chamber through which said-parallel runs of said conveyors pass, and means for forcing an air circulation over said coils and lengthwise of said duct.

2. An apparatus for solidifying a comestible, including means for continuously delivering the comestible in plastic'form, means for continuously delivering wrapping material and forming the same into a continuous tube around the plastic material to be solidified, a plurality of endless conveyors having parallel runs for engaging said tube and advancing the latter endwise with said material therein, a duct through which saidparallel runs extend, and a blower foriorcing air at low temperature through said duct lengthwise of said runs. 1 a

3. An apparatus for solidifying a comestible,

including means for continuously delivering wrapping material and progressively forming the same into a. continuous tube, means for continuously delivering the comestible in plastic form into said tube as the latter is progressively formed, a pair of conveyors having parallel runs for engaging said tube and advancing the latter endwise with said material, a duct through which said parallel runs extend, the return runs of said conveyors being disposed outside of said duct, and a blower for forcing air at low temperature through said duct lengthwise of said runs.

t. An apparatus for chilling or solidifying an encased comestible, including a duct, means for forcing a gas at low temperature through said duct, an endless reticulated conveyor having a run extending lengthwise through said duct and serving to support and advance the comestible, the reticulations of the conveyor permitting contact of said gas therethroughwith the casing oi the comestible, and means for preventing displacement of the encased coinestible'in respect to said conveyor under the action of the flow of said gas.

5. An apparatus for chilling or solidifying an encased comestible, including a duct, means for forcing a. gas at low temperature through said duct, and a pair of reticulated endless belts having parallel spaced runs extending lengthwise through said duct for confining the encased comestible therebetween and advancing the latter endwise of said duct, the reticulations of said belts permitting contact of said gas therethrough with the casing of the comestible.

d. An apparatus for chilling or solidifying an encased comestible, including a duct, means for forcing a gas at low temperature through said duct, anda pair of reticulated endless belts or heat conducting material, having parallel spaced runs extending lengthwise through said duct for confining the encased comestible therebetween and advancing the latter endwise of said duct, the reticulations of saidbelts permitting contact of said gas therethrough with the casing of the comestible.

7. An apparatus for chilling or'solidifying an encased comestible, including a duct, means for delivering a gas at low temperature therethrough, and a plurality of endless reticulated belts having parallel runs extending lengthwise through said duct and juxtaposed to form a channel to engage and support the bottom and lateral sides of the encased comestible and to advance the material through said duct.

8. An apparatus for chilling or solidifying a comestible, including a duct, means for circulat- -ing low temperature gas lengthwise therethrough,

.vanced lengthwise of said duct by said trough.

9. An apparatus for chilling or solidifying a comestible, including a duct, means for circulating low temperature gas lengthwise therethrough, a plurality oii belts having parallel runs extending lengthwise of said duct within the latter and juxtaposed to form a trough, means for delivering a channel shaped, comestible receiving wrapper to said trough endwise oi the latter and counter to the direction of the flow of said gas, whereby the sides and bottom of said wrapper are supported by the sides and bottom of said trough, and whereby the wrapper and comestible are advanced lengthwise of said duct by said trough, means for folding over the top edges of the sides of said channel to form a tubular casing, and a belt having a run withinsaid duct engaging with the top of said tubular casing.

10. An apparatus for chilling or solidifying a comestible, including a duct, means for circulating low temperature gas lengthwise therethrough, a plurality of belts having parallel runs extending lengthwise of said duct within the latter and juxtaposed to form a trough, and means for de-= livering a channel shaped, comestible receiving wrapper to said trough endwise of the latter and counter to the direction of the flow of said gas, whereby the sides and bottom of said wrapper are supported by the sides and bottom of said trough, and whereby the wrapper and comestible are advanced lengthwise of said duct by said trough, said belts being reticulated whereby free cc tact of the low temperature gas with the surface of said wrapper is permitted.

11. An apparatus for chilling or solidifying a comestible encased by thin flexible side walls of sheet material, including a duct, means for delivering therethrough and lengthwise thereof a low temperature, gaseous, refrigerating medium, and conveyor mechanism including reticulated belts having parallel spaced runs for engaging with and supporting said side walls, said belts extending lengthwise through said duct, and

the reticulations thereof permitting free access of said gaseous medium to said side walls.

ing an encased material, including a pair of reticulated belts having spaced parallel runs for receiving therebetween, supporting and advancing the encased material, and means for delivering a rapidly moving stream of refrigerating fluid lengthwise of said runs and counter to the direction of movement or the latter, the reticulations or said belts permitting free contact of said fluid with. the casing of said material.

13. An apparatus for chilling or solidifying a material, including conveying means substantially in the form of a trough and adapted to support the bottom and lateral sides of a casing for said material and advance the latter, means for delivering the material to said casing in said) trough, and means for delivering a high velocity stream of'refrigerating gaseous medium in contact with said conveying means, the conveying means being reticulated to permit free contact or the refrigerating medium with the casing of said material.

14. An apparatus for chilling or solidifying a Mil gaseous medium in contact with said conveying means, said conveying. means being reticulated to permit free contact of said refrigerating medium with said strip.

15., The method of hardening or chilling and packing a comestible, including delivering a channel shaped strip of encasing material to a conveyor, delivering the comestible to the channel shaped strip, supporting the bottom and side walls of said strip during the advancing movement to maintain predetermined and substantially uniform cross-sectional area of the material and prevent bulging of the side walls of said strip, and circulating a high velocity stream of refrigerated gaseous medium in contact with the walls of said strip during the advancing movement.

16. The method of hardening or chilling and packing a comestible, including continuously delivering a channel shaped endless strip of encasing material to a conveyor, delivering two separate comestibles in separate superposed layers to said strip during the endwise movement of the latter,

and applying refrigerating action to solidify the comestible within the strip.

17. An apparatus for solidifying or chilling and encasing a comestible liquid at body temperature, including means for delivering a channel shaped strip endwise, a transverse partition mounted to project into said strip and spaced from the bottom thereof, means for delivering one comestible at one side of said partition, and means for delivering a separate comestible to the opposite side of said partition, whereby two superposed layers of said comestible are formed within said strip.

18. An apparatus for solidifying or chilling and encasing a comestible-liquid at body temperature, including means for delivering a channel shaped strip endwise, a transverse partition mounted to project into said strip and spaced from the bottom thereof, means for delivering one comestible at one side of said partition, means for delivering a separate comestible to the opposite side of said partition, whereby two superposed layers of said comestible are formed within said strip, and means for solidifying said layers within said strip.

19. An apparatus for encasing and chilling a comestible, including means for delivering a channel shaped strip of thin flexible wrapping material, a pair, of supply chambers extending into the strip, one of said chambers opening into the lower portion of the channel and the other into the upper portion of the channel, and means for delivering separate comestibles to said supply chambers.

, CLARENCE W. VOGT.

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