EP1521532A1

EP1521532A1 - Device for inserting sticks into molds for producing confectionery on a stick

Info

Publication number: EP1521532A1
Application number: EP04705388A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Klaus KORNDÖRFER; Werner Kerres
Original assignee: Hosokawa Bepex GmbH
Current assignee: Hosokawa Bepex GmbH
Priority date: 2003-01-30
Filing date: 2004-01-27
Publication date: 2005-04-13
Also published as: WO2004066747A9; US7210916B2; DE10303726B3; WO2004066747A1; US20060165830A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for inserting sticks into molds for producing confectionery on a stick. Molds (12) are disposed one behind the other on a mold conveyor (10), in its direction of conveyance (a), and have mold cavities (20) that are disposed in rows side by side and that can be filled with confectionery mass (K). Stick holders (42) are disposed at angular distances corresponding to the steps of rotation on a turnstile base (34) that can be rotated stepwise about an axis of rotation (36) and that is disposed in parallel to the rows of mold cavities (20). The stick holders (42) are provided with rows of radial channels (44) into which one stick (S) each can be slid radially from the outside to the inside so that the sticks (S) are held in a position in which they radially project from the turnstile base (34). Every stick holder (42), at every rotation of the turnstile base (34), faces a metering hopper (50) at a first rotation angle position and takes over from said hopper a row of sticks (S). In a last rotation angle position, every stick holder faces a row of mold cavities (20) into which one stick (S) each is inserted by the stick being radially ejected from its channel (44) from the inside to the outside. The turnstile base (34) has an annular cross-section that leaves an annular space (40) around an axial body (38) defining the axis of rotation (36). The radial channels (44) run into the annular space (40). An ejector (46), common to all stick holders (42), is disposed in said space so as not be rotated and is provided with plungers (66) for ejecting the sticks (S) from the channels (44). These plungers, when the turnstile base (34) stops, penetrate the channels (44) directed towards a row of mold cavities (20) and are withdrawn into the annular space (40) before the next step of the turnstile base (34).

Description

Device for inserting stems into molds for making confectionery sticks

The invention relates to a device for inserting stems into molds for producing confectionery. For the purposes of this invention, stick confectionery should be understood to mean any preparation which can be eaten by nibbling or sucking, for example made from sugar and / or chocolate mass or in the form of ice cream, which is connected to a stick for holding the preparation. The handle can consist of different materials, for example wood, rolled paper or plastic, and have a cross-section that is adapted to the intended use, for example circular or rectangular.

The invention particularly relates to a device according to the preambles of claims 1 and 6. Such a device is known from DE 39 19 324 AI. There is a turnstile provided as a rotating body, the two to each other and to

Axis of rotation of the rotating body has normal, also cruciform grooves, in each of which a slide is guided. The turnstile can be rotated 90 ° step by step, and the two sliders are driven in such a way that each of them moves back and forth in its groove. Each of the two slides carries a rod support rod at its two ends, and a row of radial rods is attached to each of these rod support rods, each of which is guided in a radial tube of a row of tubes attached to the associated beam of the turnstile. During each turn of the turnstile, each row of tubes faces an allocator, from which a stem is inserted radially from the outside inwards in all tubes of this row. After turning the turnstile by 90 °, this row of tubes stands vertically above a row of shapes into which the stems are inserted by moving the slide assigned to their tubes. At the top of each row of molds there is a device which has the task of holding the stems in position during the solidification of the confectionery mass previously filled into the molds. This device consists of a pair of flaps which are mounted on the top of the associated row of molds in a pincer-like manner towards and away from one another, spring-loaded in the sense of pivoting towards one another and are subjected to the action of an actuating device for pivoting away from one another. The two flaps are pivoted away from each other when the stems are inserted into one shape of the associated row of shapes; then the two flaps are pivoted towards each other in their closed position, in which the stems in one at the edge of each are formed in both flaps and are clamped by the opposite edge of the other flap.

The described known device for inserting stems requires considerable production and maintenance effort. On the one hand, this applies to the design of the turnstile, in which the number of rods required to push out the stems is four times as large as the number of molds available in each mold row. It also requires considerable effort to arrange, control and keep the described flaps which interact like pliers on each mold row and to keep them clean during operation.

The invention is based on the object of creating a particularly simple, compact and reliable device for inserting stems into molds for producing stalks.

The object is achieved with the features of claim 1. Advantageous further developments result from claims 2 to 5. In addition, with the features of patent claim 6 and its further developments described in claims 7 to 9, a device for inserting stems into molds for producing stick confections has also been particularly successful easy to design if it can be expected that the confectionery mass to be processed will not be sufficiently solidified when the stems are inserted, in order to ensure that the stems are in their - generally vertical - centered position in which they were used , maintained.

Compared to the state of the art described, the invention has the advantage of a substantial structural simplification, which not only facilitates the manufacture but also especially keeps the device according to the invention clean. The number of tappets required to push the handles out of the channels of the rotating body is only as large as the number of molds per mold row of the mold conveyor. To keep the stems centered in the molds until the confectionery mass previously introduced into the molds solidifies, only one cover is required for each mold row, which is simple and accordingly easy to clean compared to the known pliers arrangement. The effort required for the manufacture and maintenance of the lid placement,

Lid lifting and lid return devices are particularly small in a system with many rows of molds compared to the previous necessity, each to provide individual mold rows with a controlled operated pliers arrangement.

An embodiment with further details of the invention is described below with reference to schematic drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention, which is cut in a vertical longitudinal plane.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail from FIG. 1 in a slightly different perspective.

FIG. 3 shows an assembly from the area of the device on the right in FIGS. 1 and 2, again in a different perspective.

FIG. 4 is a section of a side view in the direction of arrow IV in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is another partial perspective view of the assembly shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail from FIG. 2 in the area indicated there by arrow VI.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention corresponding to FIG. 1, but partly completed and made clear by omitting other parts.

1 to 7 show a device which constitutes the essential part of a plant for producing stick confectionery according to the invention. In the example shown, the stick confection is a ball of confectionery mass K, into which a stick S of circular cross section is inserted radially.

1 and 2, a horizontal section of an endless mold conveyor 10 is shown, which has a plurality of molds 12 arranged one behind the other at regular intervals and which can be moved step by step in the conveying direction indicated by an arrow a by the distance between two molds 12 in each case. To explain the invention, it is irrelevant how the mold conveyor 10 is designed as a whole and how the molds 12 are connected to one another; For example, the mold conveyor can have two parallel conveyor chains that run over deflection wheels and on which the molds 12 are suspended in an oscillating manner. The invention is also independent of how the molds 12 are designed in detail; in the example shown, they each have a mold part 14, which is connected in an articulated manner to a front outer mold part 18 and a rear outer mold part 18 'by hinges 16 and 16' arranged transversely to the conveying direction a. The mold middle part 14 forms together with the front outer mold part 18 a series of, for example, ten transversely to the conveying direction a, adjacent front mold spaces 20, and together with the rear outer mold part 18 'a corresponding row of rear mold spaces 20'. All the molds 12 are closed on the illustrated path of the mold conveyor 10; the molding spaces 20 and 20 'each have a pouring opening 22 or 22' arranged at the top, through which they have been filled with confectionery mass K in a region of the system, not shown, to the left of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The pouring openings 22 and 22 'are relatively large, so that the filling of the mold spaces 20 and 20' takes little time and air pockets in the filled mold spaces are avoided. Because of their size, the pouring openings 22 and 22 'are unable to keep the relatively slim stems S centered when they are inserted into confectionery mass K, which is still more or less liquid and therefore cannot provide sufficient resistance to tipping the stems. It is therefore provided to provide a centering for the stems S in that each mold 12, after its mold spaces 20 and 20 'have been filled with confectionery mass K, is covered with a lid 24, which has a collar 26 running around it on the Form 12 positioned and corresponding to their pouring holes 22 and 22 'arranged centering holes 28 and 28', the cross section of which is sufficiently closely matched to that of the stems S to keep them centered. The stems S are thus inserted through a centering hole 28 or 28 'and through a pouring opening 22 or 22' into the confectionery mass K in the relevant mold space 20 or 20 '.

A front storage container 30 is provided for those stems S that are assigned to a front molding space 20; those stems S which are to be inserted into one of the rear mold spaces 20 ', on the other hand, are kept ready in a rear storage container 30'. Both storage containers 30 and 30 'are identical to one another, and the same applies correspondingly to the devices which are directly assigned to one of these storage containers. Therefore, only the storage container 30 and associated devices are described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

The storage container 30 is a rectangular box open at the top, the width of which corresponds to that of the molds 12, measured transversely to the conveying direction a of the mold conveyor 10, and the depth of which, as can be seen from FIG. 3, is such that there is a supply in the storage container 30 Stems has 10 place, which is parallel to the tung a ^' are. The stems S rest with one of their ends on a vertical container wall 32 which extends transversely to the conveying direction a and delimits the working area of a tubular rotating body 34 which rotates about its axis between the two storage containers 30 and 30 ', in the following axis of rotation 36 called, is rotatable. The axis of rotation 36 is defined by a stationary axle body 38, on which the rotating body 34 is mounted in a conventional manner, not shown, in such a way that an annular space 40 remains essentially free between the rotating body 34 and the axle body 38. The axis of rotation 36 extends horizontally across the conveying direction a. It is sufficient if the axle body 38 is only attached to a supporting component (not shown), for example a rear wall of the device, on one side of the mold conveyor 10 and the rotating body 34 is thus supported overhung. This has the advantage that the rotating body 34 can be easily removed from the axle body 38 in the direction of the viewer of FIG. 2 for cleaning.

The rotating body 34 is circular-cylindrical on its inside and, on its originally likewise circular-cylindrical outside, has four handle holders 42 worked out by milling or the like, which extend parallel to the axis of rotation 36 and are arranged at angular intervals of 90 ° with respect to the latter. Each of the stem holders 42 has two rows of channels 44 and 44 ', the diameter and arrangement of which correspond to the centering holes 28 and 28' of the cover 24. The channels 44 are each intended to receive a stem S which is to be inserted through one of the front centering holes 28 and the associated pouring opening 22 into one of the front mold spaces 20 of one of the molds 12; Correspondingly, the channels 44 'are assigned to the rear centering holes 28', pouring openings 22 'and mold spaces 20'. All channels 44 and 44 'are arranged essentially radially with respect to the axis of rotation 36 of the rotating body 34; Strictly speaking, the channels 44 and 44 'of each individual handle holder 44 extend at a short distance from and parallel to a central plane of the relevant handle holder 42, in which the axis of rotation 36 lies.

6, a spherical clamping body 46 is assigned to each of the channels 44 and 44 ', which is supported by a helical spring 47 on an adjusting screw 48 screwed into the relevant handle holder 42 and is prevented by a flange at the inner end of the adjusting screw, to get rid of this.

The rotating body 34 is connected to a drive, not shown, for example an electric stepper motor, which with the drive, also not shown of the mold conveyor 10 is coordinated in such a way that the rotary body 34 executes a quarter turn in the direction of rotation indicated by an arrow b, that is to say counterclockwise in FIGS. 1 and 2, while the mold conveyor 10 rotates in the conveying direction a by the distance between two consecutive shapes 12 moves forward. After each of these movements, a handle holder 42 of the rotating body 34 faces the front storage container 30, facing forward, in order to take over ten handles S from the latter; the preceding stem holder 42 stands vertically upward with the handles S adopted by it according to FIG. 1, without having any other function in this position than holding these handles. The handle holder 42, which is in turn in front, faces the rear, pointing to the rear

Storage container 30 'opposite, so that its channels 44' are equipped with a second row of stems S. The stem holder 42 preceding all three said stem holders stands vertically downward over one of the molds 12 together with the associated lid 24, which is ready to receive all twenty stems S in the example shown.

An allocator 50 and 50 'is arranged as the lower part of each of the two storage containers 30 and 30'; these two allocators are identical to one another, so that only the front allocator 50 need be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. The distributor 50 includes a plate-shaped cross slide 52, which is also designed as the bottom of the storage container 30 and can be moved back and forth in the direction of the double arrow c in FIG. 3 and in FIG. 5 by means of a piston-cylinder unit 54 parallel to the axis of rotation 36 of the rotating body 34. The cross slide 52 extends below the container wall 32 facing the rotating body 34 and has on its upper side upwardly open parallel channels 56 in a number and arrangement which corresponds to that of the channels 44. When the cross slide 52 is in the rest position, each of its grooves 56 is aligned with one of the channels 44 of the handle holder 42 opposite the storage container 30, and thus also with the associated distributor 50. With the grooves 56 in the rest position, a plunger 58 of an insertion device 60 is aligned, which can be moved back and forth by means of a piston-cylinder unit 62 in the direction of the double arrow d in FIG. 3.

By moving the cross slide 52 back and forth one or more times, it can be achieved that a stem S reaches each of the channels 56 from the supply contained in the storage container 30. When the insertion device 60 is subsequently actuated, it is thus ensured that a stem S from each of the channels 56 into the associated channel 44 of the stem holder 42 pointing forward at this moment is inserted. As can be seen from FIG. 6, the spherical clamping body 46 projecting into the channel 44 in question is pushed slightly outwards against the resistance of the associated spring 47, so that the inserted handle S is then firmly clamped.

1 and 2, the channels 44 'each have a handle S; however, this only happens when the handle holder 42 just mentioned is opposite the rear storage container 30 'after two further turning steps of the rotating body 34. FIG. 6 illustrates that all the stems S ultimately received by a stem holder 42 are each prevented by a spring-loaded clamping body 46 from leaving the rotating body 34 by itself.

In the annular space 40 within the rotating body 34, an ejector 64 is arranged, which has two rows of vertically downwardly directed tappets, namely a row of front tappets 66 for each channel 44, and a row of rear tappets 66 "for each channel 44 ', the Handle holder 42, which is directed downward after a rotary step of the rotating body 34. All the tappets 66 and 66 'can be moved vertically up and down in the direction of the double arrow e by means of a common, for example electromagnetic, drive unit 68 supported on the axle body 38. While the rotating body 34 rotates, the ejector 64 assumes an upper end position in which the plungers 66 and 66 'do not touch the rotating body 34; the piston-cylinder unit 68 is therefore only extended when the rotating body 34 is in one of its rest positions according to FIG 1 and 2, and if it is also ensured that a not yet m it sticks S equipped form 12, if necessary with associated lid 24, is ready.

If these prerequisites are met, all the stems S, in the example shown twenty, contained in the downward-looking stem holder 42 are down during a single downward stroke of the ejector 64 by means of its plungers 66 and 66 'penetrating the channels 44 and 44' of this stem holder 42 pushed through a centering hole 28 or 28 'and a pouring opening 22 or 22' into the associated mold space 20 or 20 'of the mold 12 at hand and ultimately ejected from the channels 44 and 44'. As soon as the ejector 64 has then retracted into its radially inner rest position, the rotating body 34 can rotate one step further. Provided that the consistency of the confectionery mass K to be processed makes it necessary to subsequently hold the stems S inserted into a molding space 20 or 20 'for a certain time required for the solidification of the confectionery mass K, the following will described system parts also put into operation. It is essentially a cover placement device 70 which is arranged upstream of the rotating body 34 with respect to the conveying direction a of the mold conveyor 10, a lid lifting device 72 which is arranged downstream of the rotating body 34, and a lid return device 74 which is located above the rotating body 34 extends parallel to the mold conveyor 10 and connects the lid lifting device 72 to the lid placement device 70. The lid placement device 70 and the lid lifting device 72 are designed essentially the same. The cover placement device 70 can be seen better in FIG. 1 and in particular in FIG. 7; therefore the corresponding components of both devices are provided with the same reference numerals, and in this respect only the lid placement device 70 is described below. It includes two paternoster-like arrangements, which are on each side of the mold conveyor 10 and each have a pair of lower deflection rollers 76 and a pair of upper deflection rollers 78, over which endless conveyor strands 80 run, for example V-belts, toothed belts or chains. Corresponding conveyor lines 80 are connected to one another at regular intervals by cover supports 82, which can be simple angle profiles. The lower deflection rollers 76 of the two mutually opposing paternoster-like arrangements are connected to one another by an angular gear 84 and have a common drive 86, for example an electric stepper motor, which is synchronized with the drive of the mold conveyor 10 in such a way that each time a mold 12 enters the area Between the two paternoster-like arrangements of the cover placement device 70, a cover 24 held there on a pair of opposing cover supports 82 is placed on the mold 12 and is thereby released from the cover supports 82.

Thus, while the lid placement device 70 is driven in such a way that it conveys lid 24 from the lid return device 44 downward, the opposite applies to the lid lifting device 72. When it is lifted from its shape 12, each cover 24 is pulled off the stems S, which protrude upwards from the pouring openings 22 of the associated shape 22, in the example shown twenty, and finally arrives after several working cycles in which the same applies to the covers 24 following forms 12 happens, up into the horizontal plane of the Lid return device 74. The conveying direction of the lid lifting device 72 is therefore reversed with respect to that of the lid placement device 70.

The lid return device 74 has two parallel guide rails 88, on which the lid 24 can be moved with little lateral play from the upper end of the lid lifting device 72 to the upper end of the lid placement device 70. The deflecting rollers 76 and 78 of the lid placement device 70 and the lid lifting device 70, and accordingly also the associated endless conveyor strands 80 and lid supports 82 of these two devices, are arranged and synchronized with one another in such a way that a pair of lid supports 82 of the lid lifting device occupied by a lid 24 is used for each working cycle 72 and a pair of cover supports 82 of the cover placement device 70 ready for receiving a cover 24, that is to say still unoccupied, are simultaneously aligned with the two guide rails 88.

This state is used by the lid return device 74 in order to shift the lid 24 lying in its area of influence by a distance which corresponds to the lid width. For this purpose, a horizontal frame 92 is fastened to the stands 90 of the lid lifting device 72, in which a traverse arrangement 94 can be moved back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the lid return device 74, that is to say parallel to the mold conveyor 10, by means of a piston-cylinder unit 96 supported on the frame 92 , With each shift to the lid placement device 70, the cross-member arrangement 94 pushes the top lid 24, which has been conveyed upwards by the lid lifting device 72, from the lid supports 82, which have previously carried it, onto the two guide rails 88. This causes all the covers 24, which are already on the guide rails 88 were displaced by a distance corresponding to the width of the lids in the direction of the lid placement device 70, and in the process the foremost lid 24 in this direction of displacement reaches the ready top pair of lid supports 82 of the lid placement device 70. In order to limit the displacement, the

Cover placement device 70 a pair of upper stops 98. The space adjoining these stops 98 becomes free again as soon as the lid placement device 70 moves down one step in order to place the bottom lid 24 carried by it on the next free mold 12.

Claims

claims

1. Apparatus for inserting stems (S) in molds (12) for making stick confections, with

a mold conveyor (10) with molds (12) arranged one behind the other in its conveying direction (a) and having mold spaces (20) arranged next to one another in rows and filled with confectionery mass (K),

an arbiter (50) which is able to provide a corresponding row of stems (S) for each row of molding spaces (20),

- A rotating body (34) which can be rotated step by step about an axis of rotation (36) arranged parallel to the rows of the molding spaces (20), and

- Handle holders (42), which are arranged on the rotating body (34) at angular intervals in accordance with its rotating steps and have rows of radial channels (44), into each of which a handle (S) can be inserted radially from the outside inwards so that the handles ( S) are able to hold in a position in which they protrude radially from the rotating body (34),

- Each handle holder (42) faces the distributor (50) in a first angle of rotation position in each rotation of the rotating body (34) in order to take over a number of handles (S) from it, and in a last angle of rotation position a number of molding spaces (20) stands in which a stem (S) is to be inserted by pushing it radially from the inside out of its channel (44), characterized in that

- The rotating body (34) has an annular cross section, which leaves an annular space (40) around an axis body (38) defining the axis of rotation (36),

- The radial channels (44) open into the annular space (40), and

- In the annular space (40) one of the handle holders (42) jointly assigned ejector (64) is arranged in a rotary station, which has pushers (66) for pushing the handles (S) out of the channels (44), each only when the rotating body is at a standstill - Pers (34) can penetrate into a series of mold spaces (20) directed channels (44) and can be retracted into the annular space (40) before the next step of the rotating body (34).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that

the stem holders (42) each have two rows of channels (44, 44 ') for two rows of stems (S), - only a first row of channels (44) of the handle holder (42) in the first rotational angle position of the rotating body (34) faces said distributor (50) in order to take over a first row of handles (S),

- A second arbiter (50 ') is arranged adjacent to the rotating body (34), the second row of channels (44') of the handle holder (42) is opposite each other in a second rotational angle position of the rotating body (34), around a second row of handles ( S) to take over, and

- Each mold (12) contains two rows of mold spaces (20, 20 ') arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction (a) of the mold conveyor (10), into which the stems (S) of the first and second rows are to be inserted.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the second allocator (50 ') is assigned its own, second storage container (30').

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each distributor (50, 50 ') has a cross slide (52) which

- Closes the associated storage container (30, 30 ') downwards, - Transversely to the radial channels (44, 44') can be moved back and forth and

- To the interior of the storage container (30, 30 ') open channels (56), which after each step of the rotating body (34) in a rest position of the cross slide (52) with one of the radial channels (44 or 44') in align one of the handle holder (42) of the rotating body (34).

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the radial channels (44, 44 ') contain spring-loaded clamping bodies (46) which prevent the stems (S) from slipping out prematurely.

6. Apparatus for inserting stems (S) in molds (12) for making stick confections, with

- A mold conveyor (10) with molds (12) arranged one behind the other in its conveying direction (a), which have mold spaces (20) arranged next to one another in rows and can be filled with confectionery mass (K), and - an allocator (50) for each row Mold spaces (20) can provide a corresponding row of stems (S), - Wherein on each mold (12) a centering device is arranged, which has a centering hole (28) for the associated stem (S) above each mold space, characterized in that

- The centering device is formed by a cover (24) which can be placed on the associated mold (12),

a cover placement device (70) is arranged upstream of the area in which the stems (S) are inserted into the molds (12),

- A lid lifting device (72) is arranged downstream of the area mentioned, and - The lid lifting device (72) is connected to the lid placing device (70) by a lid return device (74).

7. The device according to claim 6 in connection with one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the mold conveyor (10), insofar as it promotes molds (12) covered with lids (24), together with the lid lifting device (72), the lid return device (74) and the cover placement device (70) forms a self-contained conveyor circuit which surrounds the rotating body (34).

8. The device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the lid placement device (70) and the lid lifting device (72) each have two paternoster-like arrangements, which are on one side of the mold conveyor (10) and of lower and upper deflection rollers (76, 78) and these continuous conveyor members (80) with spaced cover supports (82) are formed in such a way that cover supports located in pairs at the same height each support a cover (24) and in a horizontal position between the mold conveyor (10) and the Cap return device (74) are able to be replaced.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that - the lid return device (74) has a pair of guide rails (88), with each of which a pair of cover supports (82) in the region of the upper deflection rollers (78) of the cover placement device (70) and Lid lifting device (72) can be brought into alignment at the same time, and

- The two paternoster-like arrangements of the lid lifting device (72) in the region of their upper deflection rollers (78) are connected to one another by a crosshead (92) which carries a reciprocating drive (94, 96) with which the lid (24) gradually , Cover for cover, from a pair of cover supports (82) of the cover lifting device (72) on the guide rails (88), and from these onto a pair of cover supports (82) of the cover placement device (70).