The present invention relates to a group for braking paper unwound from a reel .

The present invention is advantageously used in machines for the processing of food products, such as, for example, chocolate tempering machines suitable for effecting the coating of food products with chocolate for the production of chocolates and similar products, to which the following description will make explicit reference, at the same time maintaining its generic characteristics .

In the field of processing food products, the use is known of a chocolate tempering machine, such as, for example, the machine described in Italian patent application MI 2011A001039 filed on June 9, 2011 and/or in patent application MI 2011A001164 filed on June 27, 2011 in the name of the same Applicant. Said chocolate tempering machine comprises a tank for containing the chocolate being processed and which is connected by means of an outflow tube to a pump, normally of the worm-conveyor type, in turn connected to a fountain tube terminating with a spout for distributing a flow of chocolate, situated above the tank itself.

A tempering machine also comprises a conveyor /coating belt, which allows the food products to be continuously conveyed. The products are in fact conveyed beneath the flow of chocolate to allow them to be coated, and the belt subsequently transfers them and arranges them on a piece of waxed or patinated paper for food products.

In this way, the chocolates that have just been produced and positioned on the above piece of paper can be moved away from the conveyor belt to provide space for the continuous arrival of other chocolate-coated products and to allow them to be suitably dried.

The pieces of paper on which the chocolate-coated products are positioned, are obtained through the consecutive cutting of a strip of waxed paper coming from a reel of paper, which is unwound by means of a traction unwinding device, suitable for unwinding the reel itself according to an alternating movement.

At present, the most widely-used traction device does not interact with the central pin on which the reel of paper is arranged, which therefore rotates integrally with the pin itself without sliding on it. Consequently, during the stoppage phases, the inertia of the reel is such as to produce a slight shift, creating a curvature or warping of the paper arriving on the conveyor belt. This curvature of the waxed paper creates a considerable problem.

Due to this curvature, in fact, the waxed paper is not able to remain perfectly stretched and can easily touch adjacent surfaces coated with melted chocolate. This causes undesired streaks of melted and non- tempered chocolate on the waxed paper itself, exactly in correspondence with the areas in which the coated products are positioned.

These streaks, moreover, can also stain possible materials used for decorating the chocolates, normally situated above the conveyor belt.

A general objective of the present invention is therefore to solve the problem of the known art described above.

In particular, an objective of the present invention is to provide a braking group suitable for ensuring an optimum tensioning of the waxed paper during the stoppage phases, eliminating undesired curvatures of the same paper.

The above objectives are achieved by a braking group having the characteristics specified in the enclosed claims.

The structural and functional characteristics of the present invention and its advantages with respect to the known art will appear more evident from the enclosed claims, and in particular from the following description, referring to the enclosed drawings which show a preferred but non- limiting embodiment of a group for braking paper unwound from a reel, wherein:

- figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the braking group in question when the reel is prevented from rotating by a rotation blocking device ;

- figure 2 is a perspective view which illustrates the braking group of figure 1 in an operative braking position;

- figure 3 is a raised side view which shows the group of the invention arranged in a chocolate tempering machine;

- figure 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of the group according to the invention having an alternative form of the blocking device.

With reference to figures 1 and 2 enclosed, G indicates as a whole a braking group suitable for effecting an optimum stoppage of the advancing of waxed paper 10 coming from a reel 3, which is unwound by means of a traction unwinding device, known and not illustrated, and suitable for unwinding the same reel (unwinding direction arrow F in figure 2) according to an alternating movement.

The group G is preferably but not exclusively used in a chocolate tempering machine, known and schematically illustrated in figure 3, for the production of chocolates and similar products (known and not illustrated) .

The group G comprises a clutch group 1, which is defined by a plurality P of washers made of metallic and plastic material, alternatingly assembled on a central pin 2 on which the reel itself 3 is assembled.

More specifically, the plurality P comprises:

- a washer 4, preferably metallic which is suitable for acting as a rotor and capable of rotating integrally with the reel 3. In the embodiment illustrated in figures 1 and 2, the washer 4 is provided with a peripheral dentation 16 to allow blockage by an end of a rod 17 forming a blocking device 5. In an alternative embodiment, shown in figure 4, the washer 4 has a plurality of holes 19 aligned on the edge, and a blocking pin, arranged vertically to act as a block, and is free to move upwards and downwards and viceversa to be able to engage one of the above-mentioned holes 19 (blockage condition) , or be extracted from the hole 19 where it was inserted, to allow rotation;

- a washer 6, preferably made of plastic material (e.g. acetal resin) having a smaller diameter than that of the washer 4 and suitable for operating as a wearing element ;

- a washer 7, substantially spoon-shaped, having the same diameter as the previous washer 6, preferably made of metallic material and suitable for operating as a stator, with a radial extension towards the outside or an elongated end portion 8 suitable for entering into contact and being buffered against a specific stop 9 during the rotation of the reel 3, such as for example a cylindrical stop 9. The above rod 17, moreover, is hinged with respect to a supporting and oscillating frame around a pin 18 which can coincide with the stop 9 integral with the supporting frame and forming part of a blocking device 5 of the reel 3, so as to prevent the washer 7 itself from rotating integrally with the same reel 3;

- a washer 11, preferably also made of plastic material suitable for operating as second wearing element;

- a washer 12, which acts a terminal flange of the clutch system 1.

According to what is illustrated in figures 1 and 2, in order to be able to dose the braking force of the clutch system 1, there is also a loading clutch spring 13, which is preferably loaded by a flanged nut (not shown) , or by a self-blocking nut 1 -washer 15 pair, or simply with a double nut (not shown) . These form adjustable clamping means of the force of the clutch grou .

In this way, the more the nut 14 is screwed, the more the spring 13 is loaded and therefore presses on the terminal flange 12 of the clutch system 1 (figure 2) , allowing an optimum braking of the reel 3 of paper without delays or inertias at the precise moment in which the stoppage of the unwinding is commanded, thus enabling the paper 10 to be always perfectly under tension .

With the present invention, a braking group of paper 10 being unwound from a reel of paper 3 is thus provided, wherein the reel is positioned on a supporting and rotation pin of the reel 3. A free end of the paper which, as already mentioned, is unwound from the reel 3 is subjected to a pulling action and the reel 3 is made integral with the pin 2 which is free to rotate with respect to a supporting frame. A rotation blocking device 5 of the pin 2 carrying the reel 3 is also associated with the group.

A group according to the present invention, as previously indicated, therefore eliminates the possibility of the paper 10 being subjected to undesired and detrimental curvatures, always remaini perfectly under tension.