| WO/2008/009449 | DEVICE FOR PROCESSING FOODSTUFFS, COMPRISING A DIRECT COOLING SYSTEM |
| WO/1998/054978 | PROCESS FOR CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTION |
| JP11225719 | PRODUCTION OF MALT DRINK POWDER |
Asma, Seferinus Jelle (Van Vroonhovenlaan 1A, CM Veldhoven, NL-5503, NL)
| 1. | Device for cooling lollipops provided with a stick, comprising a housing and a conveyor for the lollipops that extends through the housing, wherein the conveyor is provided with a series of holders, which are disposed on the conveyor for holding the lollipops during conveyance trough the housing with the sticks substantially vertical. |
| 2. | Device according to claim 1 , wherein the holders are adapted for by engaging the sticks of the lollipops holding the lollipops while keeping their heads exposed. |
| 3. | Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holders have been directly attached to the conveyor. |
| 4. | Device according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, wherein the holders are adapted for holding the lollipops with the lollipop head at the top. |
| 5. | Device according to any one of the claims 1 4, wherein the holders comprise two clamping members having clamping surfaces, wherein the clamping surfaces with their normal are substantially horizontally oriented. |
| 6. | Device according to claim 5, wherein the clamping members are movable with respect to each other about a hinge between an open position and a clamping position, wherein the hinge in the clamping position is substantially vertically oriented. |
| 7. | Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor circulates according to a circular path extending substantially within the housing. |
| 8. | Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in the housing the conveyor follows an upward path, preferably a zigzag path. |
| 9. | Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in the housing the conveyor follows a downward path, preferably a zigzag path. |
| 10. | Device according to claims 8 and 9, wherein the upward path in process direction is situated upstream from the downward path, wherein preferably in process direction the upward path and the downward path connect to each other. |
| 11. | 1 1. |
| 12. | Device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the upward path and the downward path are situated in parallel vertical planes. |
| 13. | Device according to any one of the claims 71 1 , wherein the housing has a feed for the lollipops, which feed is situated in a lower part of the housing. |
| 14. | Device according to any one of the claims 712, wherein the housing has an exit for the lollipops, which exit is situated in a lower part of the housing. |
| 15. | Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor extends from a location of receiving lollipops, where the lollipops are taken over from a supply conveyor having an orientation with the stick horizontal while converting to the substantially vertical orientation. |
| 16. | Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor extends to a location of delivering lollipops, where the lollipops are transferred in the substantially vertical orientation to a discharge conveyor in an orientation with the stick horizontal. |
| 17. | Device according to claims 12 and 14, wherein the location of reception is located at the location of the feed. |
| 18. | Device according to claims 13 and 1 5, wherein the location of delivery is located at the location of the exit. |
| 19. | Installation for manufacturing, cooling and packaging lollipops, comprising a device for manufacturing lollipops by moulding, a conveyor provided with lollipop holders for discharging the manufactured lollipops in series away from the moulding device, a cooling device for cooling the lollipops in series, wherein the cooling device is provided with a conveyor for the lollipops, which conveyor is adapted for holding the lollipops substantially vertical, as well as a packaging device for packaging the lollipops in an enveloping. |
| 20. | Installation according to claim 18, wherein the cooling device is situated between the moulding device and the packaging device, and the installation comprises a conveyor for discharging the cooled lollipops in series away from the cooling device towards the packaging device. |
| 21. | Installation according to claim 19, wherein the conveyor for the cooling device has a conveyor having a circulation that is separated from the conveyors situated upstream and downstream therefrom. |
| 22. | Installation according to claim 20, wherein the upstream conveyor is adapted for holding the lollipops horizontal, wherein a transfer device for the lollipops has been placed between the upstream conveyor and the conveyor for the cooling device. |
| 23. | Installation according to claim 20 or 21 , wherein the downstream conveyor is adapted for holding the lollipops horizontal, wherein a transfer device for the lollipops has been placed between the downstream conveyor and the conveyor for the cooling device. |
| 24. | Installation according to claim 19, wherein the cooling device is situated downstream from the packaging device and the lollipops are conveyed in series in a same (horizontal) orientation away from the moulding device, through the packaging device, towards the cooling device. |
| 25. | Installation according to any one of the claims 1923, wherein the conveyor is provided with holders for the lollipops, which are adapted for by engaging the sticks of the lollipops holding the lollipops while keeping their heads exposed. |
| 26. | Device provided with one or more of the characterising measures described in the attached description and/or shown in the attached drawings. |
| 27. | Installation provided with one or more of the characterising measures described in the attached description and/or shown in the attached drawings. |
| 28. | Method comprising one or more of the characterising steps described" in the attached description and/or shown in the attached drawings. |
The invention relates to a device for cooling lollipops that are produced warm. The invention further relates to an installation for manufacturing, cooling and packaging lollipops.
Manufacturing lollipops usually takes place in a moulding machine provided with a drum, which drum is provided with a series of moulds at its circumference. A strand of lollipop material is supplied to the drum and supplied part by part to the open mould. After closing the moulds -filled with lollipop material -, the lollipop sticks are pressed into the moulds and the lollipop material is pressed into the desired shape. Subsequently the moulds are opened and the lollipops are removed from the drum.
In case of fully flat lollipops it is known to supply the lollipops via a number of conveyors, for instance starting from the drum by means of one or more conveyor disks placed in series, to a packaging machine and pass them therethrough. The conveyor for passing the lollipops to and through the packaging machine may be a circulating chain conveyor having a series of lollipop clamps thereon that hold the lollipops horizontal. Such a packaging following the moulding is possible in case of fully flat lollipops that are packaged between two layers of foil and are only after that cooled on connecting belt conveyors over which cooling air is blown. The fully flat lollipops in a still warm condition may namely be packaged in foil without much risk of loss of shape and then lie flat on the cooling belts. When producing and packaging lollipops with a more distinct shape, three-dimensional lollipops, such- as generally flat lollipops having a relief on a main surface, and lollipops having figurine lollipop heads, such an in-line
treatment with existing arrangements is not properly possible. Usually this requires that the lollipop material when being packaged, is cooled to an extensive degree, as the (tight) foil might affect the shape. Furthermore when cooling on a belt, after packaging, the lollipops might deform.
It is known for round lollipops to cool them prior to packaging. To that end, use is made of a separate cooling device, to which the lollipops are supplied in bulk. The cooling device comprises a number of consecutive plates, which are positioned inclined in process direction and are brought into vibration to let the lollipops move over them, while an air flow passes over them. Due to their round cross-section the lollipops will be able to roll onward without lying on one side too long. At the end the lollipops are collected in a tray. The tray is subsequently brought to a packaging machine, to which the lollipops are discharged in a unordered flow. They may be singled in the packaging machine on a distribution disk and then be transferred to a chain and/or one or more disk conveyors, in which the lollipops are conveyed in series to the actual packaging station.
A drawback hereof is that the overall process is interrupted twice: the lollipops obtained after moulding are converted from a series into a bulk batch, are cooled in bulk, and then converted again into a series for the packaging process. This results in damage of the lollipops. A further drawback is that grit that is left behind on the cooling plates after treatment of a batch of lollipops, adversely affects the next batch of lollipops, when both bathes are of a different colour. The cooling plates need to be cleaned after the first batch, which means a loss of production time. More importantly the said lollipops provided with a particular shape, just like the perfectly flat lollipops, cannot smoothly move over the cooling plates and will lie on one side too long, which might affect the shape.
In the past it was therefore attempted to keep the lollipops singled, separated from each other during the entire process, to which end the lollipops were also held by clamps on an overhead conveyor during the cooling process. The lollipops were then held with the stick horizontal. A drawback, however, was that particularly in case of flat lollipops and
lollipops with larger heads, the lollipop material could sag during conveyance through the cooling device. This problem arose particularly in periods of a standstill, for instance in case of a failure in the packaging machine. As a result the lollipop heads became crooked and/or lost their particular, figurine shape to an unacceptable degree. In other words the shape of the lollipop heads after cooling did not correspond to the intended shape. Not only was a product obtained that was not quite acceptable, but failures could also arise during packaging, due to the extensive, undesired asymmetry of the lollipop heads with respect to the - held - stick.
It is an object of the invention to improve on this.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a cooling machine for lollipops obtained through moulding, with which the lollipops retain their shape acquired during moulding as much as possible.
It is a further object to provide means with which so-called three- dimensional lollipops, such as flat lollipops having a relief at a main surface and round or unround lollipops, optionally having a figurine shape, formed in-line, can be cooled and packaged.
From one aspect the invention provides a device for cooling lollipops provided with a stick, comprising a housing and a conveyor for the lollipops that extends through the housing, wherein the conveyor is provided with a series of holders, which are disposed on the conveyor for holding the lollipops during conveyance trough the housing with the sticks substantially vertical.
By holding the sticks substantially vertical, the lollipop mass in the head is substantially centred with respect to the stick as regards the direction of gravity. As a result slight deformation resulting from sagging due to gravity will be evenly distributed over the circumference of the head, because of which shape deviations as a result thereof will remain within acceptable limits. As a result the reject of products will be less and moreover fewer failures will occur in the packaging machine. With such a cooling machine an in-line process including moulding and packaging can be set up for the said lollipops with
particular three-dimensional lollipop heads, as well as for flat lollipops having a main surface with relief. The cooling device may also advantageously be used for perfectly flat lollipops.
The holders, which in one embodiment are directly attached to the conveyor, may be adapted for by engaging the sticks of the lollipops holding the lollipops while keeping their heads exposed.
Preferably the holders are adapted for holding the lollipops with the lollipop head at the top. In this way the adhesive influence of the lollipop stick onto the lollipop material is optimally used: in case of slight sagging further sagging along the stick is slowed down by the stick itself. Moreover in case of slight sagging the overall length of the lollipop will not be able to increase, which may have an advantageous effect on the packaging process.
In a possible embodiment the holders comprise two clamping members having clamping surfaces, wherein the clamping surfaces with their normal are substantially horizontally oriented, as a result of which the sticks can easily and reliably be held substantially vertical during cooling.
In a further embodiment thereof the clamping members are movable with respect to each other about a hinge between an open position and a clamping position, wherein the hinge in the clamping position is substantially vertically oriented.
In one embodiment the conveyor circulates according to a circular path extending substantially within the housing.
In a compact design of the device according to the invention the conveyor follows an upward and/or downward path in the housing, preferably zig-zag paths.
In case of an upward and downward (zig-zag) path, the upward (zigzag) path may in process direction be situated upstream from the downward (zig-zag) path, so that a lollipop feed and a lollipop exit can
be situated low as a result of which the structure and maintenance can be simple.
Preferably the upward (zig-zag) path and the downward (zig-zag) path connect to each other in process direction.
Preferably the upward and downward paths are situated in parallel vertical planes.
The housing may have a feed for the lollipops, which feed is situated in a lower part of the housing. Likewise the housing may have an exit for the lollipops, which exit is situated in a lower part of the housing.
For a smooth connection to the moulding process of the lollipops, in which the lollipops are horizontally oriented, the conveyor may extend from a location of receiving lollipops, where the lollipops are taken over from a supply conveyor having an orientation with the stick horizontal while converting to the substantially vertical orientation.
In a similar way for a smooth connection to the packaging process, in which the lollipops are often horizontally oriented, the conveyor may extend to a location of delivering lollipops, where the lollipops are transferred in the substantially vertical orientation to a discharge conveyor in an orientation with the stick horizontal.
The location of reception and the location of delivery, respectively, preferably are located at the location of the feed and the exit, respectively.
From a further aspect the invention provides an installation for manufacturing, cooling and packaging lollipops, comprising a device for manufacturing lollipops by moulding, a conveyor provided with lollipop holders for discharging the manufactured lollipops in series away from the moulding device, a cooling device for cooling the lollipops, supplied by the conveyor, in series, wherein the cooling device is provided with a conveyor for the lollipops, which conveyor is adapted for holding the lollipops substantially vertical, as well as a packaging device for packaging the lollipops in an enveloping.
In a first preferred embodiment the cooling device is situated between the moulding device and the packaging device, and the installation comprises a conveyor for discharging the cooled lollipops in series away from the cooling device towards the packaging device, as a result of which the lollipop material is cooled prior to being enveloped by packaging foil, due to which the cooling may be highly effective.
Preferably the conveyor for the cooling device has a conveyor having a circulation that is separated from the conveyors situated upstream and downstream therefrom, so that freedom is achieved in the choice of the orientation of the lollipops outside of the cooling device. The upstream conveyor may for instance be adapted for holding the lollipops horizontal, wherein a transfer device for the lollipops has been placed between the upstream conveyor and the conveyor for the cooling device. Likewise the downstream conveyor may be adapted for holding the lollipops horizontal, wherein a transfer device for the lollipops has been placed between the downstream conveyor and the conveyor for the cooling device.
In an alternative lay-out the cooling device may be situated downstream from the packaging device, in which case the lollipops can be conveyed in a same (horizontal) orientation away from the moulding device, through the packaging device, and then be converted at one location to the horizontal orientation for the cooling device, after the passage through which they can be collected in bulk.
It is noted that from German patent application 39 19 324 a device for manufacturing lollipops is known, comprising a circulating conveyor that is provided with pouring moulds for manufacturing lollipops therein by pouring, wherein the lollipops in the pouring moulds are passed through a cooling device.
The aspects and measures described this description and claims of the application and/or shown in the drawings of this application may where possible also be used individually. Said individual aspects may be the subject of divisional patent applications related thereto. This particularly applies to the measures and aspects described per se in the sub claims.
The invention will be elucidated on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the attached drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a schematic front view of an installation according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, having a cooling device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 shows a schematic side view of the cooling device of figure 1 ;
Figure 3 shows a schematic top view of the cooling device of figure 1 ; and
Figures 4A and 4B show schematic views of a lollipop holder in the cooling device of figure 1 .
The installation 100 shown in figure 1 comprises a cooling device 1 , a lollipop production machine 101 placed upstream therefrom in process direction, and a packaging machine 102 placed downstream therefrom.
The lollipop production machine 101 comprises a supply 9 of a strand of lollipop material in the direction A, a moulding drum 8 rotating in the direction B, and a transfer disk 6 rotating in the direction C, and bringing the lollipops L made on the moulding drum 8 to a transferrer 10. By means of the transferrer 10 the lollipops L can be converted from a horizontal orientation on the transfer disk 6 to a vertical orientation. In said vertical orientation they can be taken over by clamps 40 (see figures 4A and 4B) that are attached in a horizontally oriented manner to a circulating conveyor chain 1 1 . The conveyor chain 1 1 at the location of the transferrer 10 runs about a sprocket wheel 12, wherein the chain 1 1 is rotated over 180 degrees in driving direction, as can also be seen in figure 3.
The chain 1 1 then moves in the direction D through an entrance or feed 4 of the cooling device 1 .
The cooling device 1 comprises a housing 2 that defines an inner space and is supported on legs 3 on a permanent base. As can be seen in figure 3 the housing 2 is provided with an inlet 30 and an outlet 31 for
air with which the still warm lollipop material of the lollipops L coming from the lollipop production machine 101 is cooled.
In the housing 2 at the location of 5 an exit or discharge is provided, from where a further conveyor, for instance chain conveyor 25, provided with stick clamps, for instance according to figure 4A, moves in the direction J up into the packaging machine 102, where the lollipops L can be transferred in a manner that is not shown to a transfer wheel 7, for further treatment in the packaging machine 102. The chain conveyor 25 circulates in a vertical plane, and turns 180 degrees in running direction at the location of sprocket wheel 19, which (see figures 2 and 3) is disposed in the housing 2, at the inside of the exit 5.
Upstream from the sprocket wheel 1 9 a transferrer 18 has been placed, which may correspond with the transferrer 10. Hereby lollipops held vertically on the chain conveyor 1 1 are converted to a horizontal orientation, suitable to be taken over by the stick clamps on the chain conveyor 25.
In the housing 2 four vertical shafts 13, 14, 15, 16 are positioned, which each at their upper end are provided with a timing belt pulley 17, that is in engagement with drive means that are not further shown, activated by a motor that is not further shown.
As can be seen in the figures 1 and 2, the vertical shafts 13-16 are provided thereon with a series of spaced apart chain engagement members 26, which for driving are able to engage onto the chain 1 1. Due to rotation of the timing belt pulleys 17 the vertical shafts 13-16 will be rotated, and thus, via the engagement members 26, drive the chain 1 1 . Optionally timing belt pulleys at one or two shafts may suffice, such as 13 and 1 6 or 14 and 15, wherein the chain 1 1 ensures rotation of the other shafts. On or several shafts may be arranged so as to be movable/adjustable in a vertical plane, for keeping the chain 1 1 tensioned.
In the path of the chain 1 1 two main tracks can be distinguished, namely an upward track 20, shown in figure 1 , in figure 2 situated at
the left-hand side and in figure 3 at the bottom side (to be seen in the drawing), and a downward track 21 , that is situated adjacently, downstream therefrom.
Both the upward track 20 and the downward track 21 are each formed by a zig-zag path (see figure 1 ), wherein the chain 1 1 alternately runs about shafts 14 and 13, in the directions D. This continues until the chain 1 1 abuts the highest engagement member 26 on shaft 13, where (G), as shown in figure 3, the chain crosses diagonally to shaft 16, and from there runs in the direction E to the shaft 1 5, and back again, again according to a downward zig-zag path E, to shaft 16, shaft 15 etcetera. The paths 20 and 21 are situated in parallel vertical planes, as a result of which the width of the device can remain limited.
At the location of the lower end of the shaft 15 the transferrer 18 is then placed, as shown in figure 2, where the lollipops are released from the clamps 40 on the chain 1 1 , and the chain 1 1 with empty clamps in direction H crosses to shaft 14, and from there runs back in the direction I to circulation wheel 12, where a new lollipop is placed in the clamp in question.
With the described double zig-zag path 20-21 of the chain 1 1 , the cooling device 1 can be kept compact, having a higher cooling efficiency.
It will be understood that at the location of the transferrers 10 and 18 means known per se can be present for operating the various stick holder present there, such as stick clamps 40 (in figure 4A).
Figure 4A schematically shows the chain 1 1 with stick clamp 40 disposed thereon. The stick clamp 40 comprises a clamping member 41 that is fixed to the chain and a clamping member 42 attached thereon at the location of hinge 46 so as to hinge about said hinge. At one end the clamping member 42 is provided with an operation lever 43, which for moving the clamping member 42 can be engaged by a fixedly positioned cam or the like.
The clamping member 41 is provided with clamping jaw 47 and the clamping member 42 is provided with a clamping jaw 45. By means of spring 44 the clamping member 42 is pre-biassed to a closing position, in which stick S of the lollipop L is fixedly clamped between the clamping jaws 45 and 47.
Thus the lollipop L is held in the orientation as shown in figure 4B, wherein in this example the head K is positioned at the top. With means that are not further shown, such as permanent guide rails, it can be ensured that the chain 1 1 does not sag in the zig-zag path, so that the orientation of the lollipops, particularly the lollipop sticks S, can remain constant in the zig-zag tracks 20, 21 .
As shown, the angle of the chain 1 1 in the zig-zag paths is small (for instance 2 to 3 degrees), so that the stick S will be held substantially vertical. With the cooling device 1 the lollipops L to be transferred to the conveyor 25, despite a possible temporary standstill of the chain 1 1 in case of failures and the like, will have substantially retained their shape, as a result of which the packaging process in the packaging machine 102 can be more reliable. Moreover, the lollipops from moulding through after cooling and packaging are held at all times, due to which the lollipops can be controlled in the course of the entire process, so that their position is at all times known.
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