WO1991004671A1

WO1991004671A1 - Apparatus for producing shaped confectionery pieces

Info

Publication number: WO1991004671A1
Application number: PCT/AU1990/000444
Authority: WO
Inventors: Harry Peters
Original assignee: Lewis Confectionery Pty. Ltd.
Priority date: 1989-09-26
Filing date: 1990-09-24
Publication date: 1991-04-18
Also published as: ZA907672B; AU632627B2; NZ235435A; AU6412890A

Abstract

An apparatus for forming confectionery pieces including an extruder for extruding confectionery mix through extrusion apertures, a blade rotatable transverse to the direction of extrusion has an outer portion adapted to effect a shearing of the mix as it is extruded out of the extrusion aperture. A recess is provided on either side of the outer portions to prevent deformation of the confectionery pieces formed.

Description

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SHAPED OONFΕCTIQNEIiy PIECES

This invention relates to the manufacture of confectionery and in particular to the forming of confectionery into individual pieces.

It is known to extrude a confectionery mix through apertures in an extruder plate and to cut the extruded mix by means of a reciprocating blade. A problem with this method is that the reciprocating blade takes a relatively long time to complete its cutting cycle, and this, in view of the large number of pieces of confectionery required to be produced, is a significant problem.

Furthermore the mechanisms driving the reciprocating blade wears out relatively quickly because of the amount of movement required for its action. Another problem is that confectionery mixes are usually moderately sticky and because a reciprocating blade firstly moves through the extruded confectionery and then change direction and moves back out again there is a difficulty of material sticking to the blade making the cut less clean.

A further difficulty relates where a generally rounded but not necessarily spherical confectionery piece is required, the reciprocating blades have a deforming effect which is difficult to round off after cutting to a generally rounded shape.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means of forming confectionery into individual pieces which will obviate or minimize any one of the foregoing disadvantages in a simple yet effective manner or at least provide the public with a useful choice.

It is found that the sectioning of confectionery mix extruded through an extrusion aperture can be achieved by the shearing action effected by a blade rotating about an axis transverse to the extrusion direction.

Thus in a broad form the invention could be said to reside in an apparatus for forming confectionery pieces from a confectionery mix, including means for extruding confectionery mix through an extrusion aperture said extrusion aperture extending through an extrusion plate, a blade supported for rotation about an axis transverse to an extruding direction, the blade having an outer portion parallel to the extruder plate, said outer portion adapted when rotated

SUBSTITUTE SHEET to shear off pieces of confectionery mix extruded through said extrusion aperture.

In a preferred form the outer portion of the blade is slightly wider than the width of the extrusion aperture and having a recess on either side of the outer portion so that contact is not made with said extruded confectionery mix other than by the outer portion. In this way the deformation of the extruded confectionery pieces by the blade is kept to a minimum.

In a preferred form the extruder plate and the outer portion of the blade are both formed of a non-sticking surface such as teflon. However a non stick coating on the surfaces contacting the confectionery mix is all that is required.

Preferably two blades are mounted together one on either side of the axis so that they rotate together, and one blade balances the other. The efficiency of the cutting is increased by the provison of two blades that rotate instead of one, such that twice the number of pieces are formed during a given time period. Preferably also a plurality of extrusion apertures are provided, and a corresponding number of outer surfaces on the rotating blade or blades, the blade or blades having an outer edge that is crenellate.

Preferably also there are provided means for rounding off edges of the confectionery pieces formed and thus in a further form the apparatus includes a perforated sheet which can be agitated by an agitator means in a plane of the sheet, said perforated sheet being adapted to collect confectionery pieces sheared off by the rotatable blade.

In preference the perforations are circular and have a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the at least one aperture of the extrusion plate, so that the confectionery pieces can enter into the holes to an extent but not fall thorugh and so that they do not become lodged within the holes.

Preferably there is provided a dusting means for distributing dust across a width of the perforated sheet.

For a better understanding the invention will now be described with reference to a preferred embodiment and to diagrams wherein:

SUBSTITUTE SHEET FIGURE 1 is a part cross-sectional representation of an apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the apparatus showing detail of the outer portions of the rotatable blade in relation to the extruder plate,

FIGURE 3 is a part cross sectional representation of the dusting means,

FIGURE 4 shows the relationship of the rotatable blade through 4-4 of Figure 2, and

FIGURE 5 is a part cut-away perspective view of the apparatus showing the collection tray.

The apparatus for forming confectionery pieces according to this embodiment includes a container 1 for holding the confectionery mix and six augers 2 parallel to each other with adjacent augers having oppositely handed helices. The six augers 2 are enclosed within an auger casing 3 and move the confectionery mix through the auger casing and extrude it through apertures 4 formed within an extruding plate 5. The extruding plate is made of a sheet of teflon and is mounted at one end of the auger casing, the other end of the casing is closed off with the auger shaft sealably extending through it. The drive means for the augers is not shown but can be of any sort for driving the six augers, and coupling arrangement to a motor are housed within a housing 28.

Two teflon blades 6 are rotatable about an axis 7 which is transverse to the extruding direction. The teflon blades are bolted onto an axle 9. The bolts 21 extend through the axle 9 and an elongate backing plate 22. Both ends of the axle 9 are supported by U shaped bearings 23 which are fixed to bearing supports 24 extendig form the housing 28.

One end of the axle 25 is coupled to a drive means (not shown) which rotates the axle in an anti-clockwise direction as shown by the arrow in Figure 1. The rotatable teflon blades are so positioned that on rotation, a shearing action is effected on the confection mix extruded through the extruder plate, and this is

SUBSTΓΓUTE SHEET made more effective by reason of the close proximity of the outer edge of the teflon blade to the extruder plate. Furthermore the positioning is found to be most effective where the blades are in line with the bottom of the aperture, so that the closest that the blades get to the extruder plate is at the lower edge 26 of the apertures 4.

The rotation of the blades have the effect of shearing off pieces of extruded confectionery mix, and the centrifugal force tending to throw the pieces onto a collection tray 27 that is beneath both the rotating blade and the extrusion plate.

The collection tray 27 is made of sheet metal and is inclined downwardly from the extruder plate so that confectionery pieces thrown down by the rotating blade roll down towards a perforated sheet 10. The perforations 11 are circular with a diameter of slightly less than the diameter of the apertures 4 within the extruder plate 5. Thus the pieces of confectionery are too large to fall through the perforations, and too large to lodge in the perforations. The perforated sheet is inclined so that a first end closest to the extruder plate is somewhat elevated in respect of a distant second end, thus the confectionery pieces have a tendency to move toward the second end.

The perforated sheet is connected with a drive means (not shown) which can be any drive coupling the sheet to a motor. The perforated sheet is supported to be agitated through its own plane. This can either be as a reciprocal agitation from the first end to the second end or as a rotary agitation. The general agitation of the perforated sheet causes a rolling around of the confectionery pieces and a general rounding of the edges of the pieces.

A means for applying a dust to the confectionery pieces to inhibit adhesion of the confectionery pieces to the perforated sheet and to each other can be provided. This comprises a powder storage hopper 12 with powder 13 shown within it an auger and a further auger distributes auger through the distribution channel draws powder up through an inlet tube 15 and into a distribution channel 16 and out of a plurality of fine outlet apertures 17. The channel is formed within a tube, and extends across only a narrow strip of the perforated sheet 10. It is found that this arrangement provides a very fine dusting over the surface of the confectionery pieces. The hopper 12 extends across the entire width of the elongate sheet so that dust falling through the perforations 11 is

SUBSTITUTE SHEET collected and reused.

The confectionery pieces finally move toward the end of the perforated plate to a portion of the plate that is no longer perforated 20 and are collected from the second end of the inclined perforated plate.

The edge 18 of the blades is crenellated and each outer portion 19 has a width that is only slightly wider than the diameter of the apertures 4 within the extrusion plate 5, and then on either side of the outer portions 18 is a recess, which extends back to such an extent that no contact is made with the confectionery pieces. It is found that with a cutting edge of this shape the confectionery pieces so formed are less distorted than with the use of a continuous and straight cutting edge. It is discovered that the use of this shape gives a more satisfactory rounded confectionery piece. The width of the outer portions can thus vary to some degree depending on the extent to which a deformation is acceptable.

The action of rotating blades even where the crenellate edged shape of this preferred embodiment is not assumed causes less distortion of the extruded mix than a reciprocating blade. This is at least in part due to the fact that the blade only passes through the extruded confectionery mix once, and in one direction. It would appear that the greater contact surface between the shearing plate and the extruded confectionery mix caused a flattening of the mix, and thus some disfiguration. The disfiguration so caused however is less irregular than the localized distortion caused by the very localized cutting pressure of a reciprocal cutting blade. The shearing blade thus appears to have a slapping effect; slapping the upper surface of the extruded confectionery mix and causing a shearing off close to the outer surface of the extruder plate aperture. A further advantage that rotating blade is that the centrifugal force created on rotation has a throws off any adherent confectionery mix, this degree to which this throw-off is effected is improved by providing a non-stick surface such a teflon onat least the outer portions of the blade.

The types of confectionery mixes that are ideally suited for use in this machine are those which have a paste constituency. It is found that for a more effective extrusion and sectioning that the mix is pre-heated. Accordingly this embodiment of the apparatus includes heating elements which heat the

SUBSTITUTE SHEET confectionery mix within the container 1 and within the auger casing 3. Thus means for transfering heat can be spaced within the housing 28 and around the auger casing 3.

Confectionery mixes are typically moderately sticky and although not absolutely essential a rotating shearing plate made of a non-stick material such as teflon gives rise to an improved ease with which extruded confectionery mixes can be sectioned. Less energy input is needed to overcome the adhesion between the moving parts of the apparatus and the confectionery mix, and less distortion is imparted on the confectionery pieces on shearing. It is found that non-stick material such teflon, when used in the blades, although a relatively soft plastics material, provides an effective cutting device with wear that is commercially acceptable. Whilst teflon is described in relation to this preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that any other non-stick surface of like properties will also provide a similar result.

The use of teflon for the rotatable blade as well as for the extrusion plate further reduces the distortion caused by the rotating blade, because there is less adhesion of the confectionery mix to the blade and therefore less of a smearing effected.

This then is one embodiment of the invention but it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto and the purpose of describing it has been illustrative and not to define the invention.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET

Claims

1. An apparatus for forming confectionery pieces from a confectionery mix, including means for extruding confectionery mix through an extrusion aperture, said extrusion aperture extending through an extrusion plate, a blade supported for rotation about an axis transverse to an extruding direction, the blade having an outer portion parallel to the extruder plate, said outer portion adapted when rotated to shear off pieces of confectionery mix extruded through said extrusion aperture.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the outer portion of the blade is slightly wider than the width of the extrusion aperture and having a recess on either side of the outer portion so that contact is not made with said extruded confectionery mix other than by said outer portion.

3. An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein confectionery mix is extruded from a plurality of spaced apart apertures, and said blade comprises a plurality of outer portions so that said blade has a crenellate outer edge.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1 said blade being supported so that the periphery of a cylinder defined by the rotation of the outer edge of the blade comes closest to said extrusion plate substantially in line with an edge of the extrusion aperture furthest from the direction of rotation.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said blade, in use, rotates downwardly on the plate proximal side of the axis, and said apparatus includes a collection means being located below said extrusion plate to collect confectionery pieces produced by the shearing of extruded confectionery mix, so that confectionery pieces thrown into the collection means by the rotation of the rotatable blade.

6. An apparatus as in the preceding claim having two blades each supported for rotation together on opposite sides of said axis.

7. An apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said extrusion aperture is round and said apparatus includes means for rounding off edges of the confectionery pieces, wherein means are provided to feed collected confectionery pieces from said collection means to said means for rounding edges.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the collection means comprise a

SUBSΠTUTE SHEET tray sloping downwardly away from the extruder plate, and said rounding means comprises a perforated sheet supported for agitational movement in a plane of the sheet coupled to a drive means for agitating said sheet, said perforations being circular and having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the at least one aperture of the extrusion plate, said perforated sheet also sloping downwardly away from the extruder plate.

9. An apparatus as in any one of the preceding claims wherein portions of the extrusion aperture and the outer portion of the blade that contact confectionery mix have a non-stick surface.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1 including heater means for heating the confectionery mix before extrusion so as to increase its pliability.

11. An apparatus for forming shaped confectionery pieces from a confectionery mix as described in the accompanying specification with reference to the drawings.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET