US3690372A

US3690372A - Apparatus for continuous melting of sugar

Info

Publication number: US3690372A
Application number: US831679A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gunter Niebisch
Original assignee: Kloeckner Haensel GmbH
Current assignee: Kloeckner Haensel GmbH; Otto Hansel GmbH
Priority date: 1969-06-09
Filing date: 1969-06-09
Publication date: 1972-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-12

Abstract

An apparatus for continuous melting of sugar of the sweet manufacturing, whereby sugar is fed continuously in a thin layer between heated faces maintained at a distance determining the thickness of the layer, which comprises two closed members formed as cylinders or cones defining two cylinder- or cone-jacket faces and disposed spaced apart from each other. Means are provided for rotating at least one of the members about its longitudinal axis and driver means extend from the faces into the space defined therebetween and are adapted to feed the sugar during its melting process from the entrance to the exit.

Description

United States Patent Niebisch [451 Sept. 12, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS MELTING OF SUGAR [72] Inventor: Gunter Niebisch, Hannover- Bemerode, Germany [73] Assignee: Otto Hansel GmbH, Hannover,

Germany [22] Filed: June 9, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 831,679

[52] U.S. Cl. ..165/64, 165/86, 165/141 [51] Int. Cl ..F25b 29/00 [58] Field of Search ..165/86, 87, 141, 64; 127/22 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,445,115 7/1948 Hanrahan ..165/156 1,949,374 2/ 1934 Johnson. ..165/87 2,066,480 l/1937 McKernall ..165/87 Primary Examiner-Charles Sukalo Att0rney-Ernest G. Montague [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for continuous melting of sugar of the sweet manufacturing, whereby sugar is fed continuously in a thin layer between heated faces maintained at a distance determining the thickness of the layer, which comprises two closed members formed as cylinders or cones defining two cylinderor cone-jacket faces and disposed spaced apart from each other. Means are provided for rotating at least one of the members about its longitudinal axis and driver means extend from the faces into the space defined therebetween and are adapted to feed the sugar during its melting process from the entrance to the exit.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS MELTING OF SUGAR The present invention relates to an apparatus for continuous melting of sugar, in particular of crystal sugar, which is to be used for the production of sugar melts, which are used in the sweets manufacturing for instance for fk'rokant masses, caramelized masses, and others. 7

It is already known to melt continuously sugar and to work the same to spun formations or to bands. Likewise it is known to feed through sugar continuously in a thin layer between two heated faces maintained at a distance determining the thickness of this layer. The heated faces define thereby a vertically disposed passing split, therebetween which is fed from a storage container with sugar. At the other end the faces form a nozzle like mouthpiece, through which the molten sugar mass is fed away in a thin fleece on a conveyor belt and moved away thereon.

All these known devices have the drawback of a bad control possibility. Furthermore they are only applicable for a limited output and particularly subject to disturbances, because the sugar can clog up easily the thin passing split between the faces.

It is one object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for continuous melting of sugar which avoids the drawbacks of the known devices.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method of .continuous melting of sugar which permits a continuous melting of sugar in the permanent operation, without occurring clogging and other disturbances.

. It is furthermore another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for continuous melting of sugar, wherein the faces between which the sugar is passed assume the form of a member consisting of a closed cylinderor conejacket face and wherein at least one member turns about the cylinderor coneaxis, however, into the intermediate spaces between the two faces drivers are arranged extending between the two faces, which feed the sugar during its melting process from its entrance to its exit. In this manner the totally fed sugar quantities are forced through the melting apparatus.

Preferably the heated coneor 'cyIinder-- jacket faces form therebetween a passage split inclined towards the exit of the mass. In order to prevent already at the entrance side any stoppage, the jacket of the filling funnel is equipped with cooling elements or inserted in a cooling means circuit.

Suitably the apparatus comprises a cone or conus, which is surrounded by a corresponding conical outer jacket spaced apart from each other, whereby the jacket faces pointing towards each other are heatable. In order to variate the thickness of the passage split, the conus and the outer jacket are axially displaceable relative to each other. At least one of the two parts is equipped with a rotary drive. The total arrangement is about vertically disposed, whereby on the upper side a filling funnel for the sugar to be molten an opening towards the passage split is provided.

In accordance with the present invention the heating elements applied in the apparatus and the drives for the parts of the melting apparatus cooperating with each other are controllable in wide limits, so that the melting process can be influenced in any selected manner. The passage time of the sugar is variable by the variation of the drive speed of the cone and/or of the outer jacket, the layer strength, however, by more or less strong moving towards each other of the cone and outer jacket. Suitably, the drivers projecting into the passage split for further moving of the sugar are formed of helically formed guide faces or edges, which are disposed either on the jacket face of the cone or the inner face of the outer jacket or on both. With its outer face the drivers or driving edges engage the oppositely disposed heating face, so that they form stripers for the sugar mass.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial section through a melting apparatus formed by an inner cone and an outer jacket; and

FIG. 2 is a similar axial section as disclosed in FIG. 1, yet showing another embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly. to FIG. 1, the melting apparatus is disposed adjacent a filling funnel 1, the walls of which are equipped with cooling chambers 2. These chambers 2 are connected by means of a feeding conduit 3 and an exit conduit 4 to a cooling means circuit. A conical jacket 5 is attached to the about horizontally disposed bottom plate of the funnel I, which conical jacket 5 is equipped with an electric heating device 6 at its inside, which heating device 6 is connectable to an electric conduit 16.

Inside of the

outer jacket

5 and 6 is likewise provided a conical insert or cone 7, the jacket face of which has likewise a heating insert 14, which is connectable to the current feed by means of the electric conduit 15. The cone 7 fits on an axle 8 and is driven by means of driving gears 9 and 10 by a suitable drive or driving motor. The peripheral speed of the cone 7 is controllable in this manner. On the other hand the cone with its driving axle in is actually displaceable in the

outer jacket

5 and 6, whereby the thickness of the passing split can be adjusted. The filling funnel 1 terminates into this passage split and surrounds the upper part of the cone 7 projecting beyond the outer jacket 5, so that the sugar fed into the filling funnel 1 is equally distributed over the periphery of the cone.

On the outside 11 of the cone 7 are provided screwlike projections 12. The screw turns 12 are rectangular in cross section and engage in form of a striper on the inner running face of

outer jacket

5 and 6, so that between the two heating faces of the outer jacket and of the cone a helically shaped passage channel of a rectangular cross section is formed, through which the sugar to be molten is forced during the rotation of the cone 7. Independently therefrom, also a further passage can be formed, by displacing the cone to a certain length relative to the outer jacket 5 downwardly.

The total arrangement sits above a collecting container or a conveyor belt or the like. The crystallized sugar is fed continuously into the funnel 1 and molten between the heating faces. The molten sugar mass emerges at the underside of the apparatus in the shown direction of the arrow between the cone 7 and the outer jacket 5. By control of the heating or the particular speed of the cone the desired state of the molten sugar can be set. Thus for instance the stay of the sugar in the melting apparatus can be retarded such, that already the carmelizing or browning of the molten sugar is obtained.

In the arrangement in accordance with FIG. 2 also the outer jacket is rotatable relative to the

feeding funnel

1', 2, 3 and 4. It has for this purpose at the upper edge a flange 18 equipped with a gearing 19 on the underside. A pinion gear 20 of the driving motor 21 engages the gearing 19.

Beyond that, screw turns 12' are likewise provided on the inner jacket face of the outer jacket 5, which screw turns 12 form a passing conveyor channel 13'. The screw turns 12' engage the corresponding turns 12 of the cone 7.

In this embodiment of the apparatus further control 1. An apparatus for continuous melting of sugar of 25 the sweet manufacturing, whereby sugar is fed continuously in a thin layer between heated faces maintained at a distance determining the thickness of said layer,

comprising two closed members formed as cones defining two cone jacket faces and disposed spaced apart from each other, means for rotating at least one of said members about its longitudinal axis, driver means extending from said jacket faces into the space constituting a passage defined between said jacket faces and being adapted to feed said sugar during its melting process from an entrance to an exit portion of said passage, said two closed members comprise an upright disposed cone and a conical outer jacket surrounding said cone, said cone and said jacket being axially adjustable relative to each other, a rotary drive connecting at least one of said members, means for heating said jacket faces of at least one of said members, a filling funnel opening towards said space defined between said cone and said jacket for the sugar, said filling funnel having a filling funnel jacket, cooling elements disposed in said filling funnel jacket, and a cooling means circuit in which said cooling elements being disposed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for continuous melting of sugar of the sweet manufacturing, whereby sugar is fed continuously in a thin layer between heated faces maintained at a distance determining the thickness of said layer, comprising two closed members formed as cones defining two cone jacket faces and disposed spaced apart from each other, means for rotating at least one of said members about its longitudinal axis, driver means extending from said jacket faces into the space constituting a passage defined between said jacket faces and being adapted to feed said sugar during its melting process from an entrance to an exit portion of said passage, said two closed members comprise an upright disposed cone and a conical outer jacket surrounding said cone, said cone and said jacket being axially adjustable relative to each other, a rotary drive connecting at least one of said members, means for heating said jacket faces of at least one of said members, a filling funnel opening towards said space defined between said cone and said jacket for the sugar, said filling funnel having a filling funnel jacket, cooling elements disposed in said filling funnel jacket, and a cooling means circuit in which said cooling elements being disposed.