GB2217251A

GB2217251A - Hollow chocolate bodies

Info

Publication number: GB2217251A
Application number: GB8907471A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Werner Daufenbach
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-04-16
Filing date: 1989-04-03
Publication date: 1989-10-25
Anticipated expiration: 2009-04-03
Also published as: GB8907471D0; IT8967184A0; DK178989D0; DK178989A; IT1231879B; GB2217251B; DE3812805A1

Description

n f) 2 -j- 17,2) 5 'i 1 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING HOLLOW

CHOCOLATE ITEMS 1 fi The invention relates to a method of and to an apparatus for manufacturing hollow chocolate items. It relates, in particular although not exclusively, to method which renders it possible to carry out the manufacture of such items on a modified machine for producing pralines. It relates also to the novel portions of such a machine.

When manufacturing pralines on machines constructed for that purpose, the known procedure is as follows: firstly, mould 'recesses in the form of mould trays (so called patterns) are completely filled with liquid chocolate. The moulds are then turned through 1800 so that the opening of the patterns is directed downwardly, so that a large proportion of the chocolate composition flows out, leaving a thin chocolate layer remaining on the walls. The mould is then spun to ensure that this layer has approximately the same thickness throughout. After cooling and solidification of this layer, the moulds are turned back up the right way and are provided with a filling, for example a liqueur. Finally, the patterns are closed with a poured on layer of chocolate composition, and the finished pralines are then removed from the mould.

A typical machine which operates in accordance with the aforementioned method has a device for supplying the moulds to a pouring device, the pouring device itself, a turning device, a spinning device, a device for introducing the filling and finally a device for pouring on the praline bases.

a 2 Is In the past, hollow chocolate items (hollow body figures) have previously been produced in special,. closable moulds, because of the necessity for threedimensional spinning in the production of such items. Thus, manufacturing techniques have in the past either been at least partially manual, or have required machines specially constructed for the purpose. Such machines are expensive and have the disadvantage of only being useable for the manufacture of these relatively seldom produced items. Furthermore, the trade in hollow body figures is typically extremely seasonal, so that the machines often tend to be unused for a large part of the year.

Machines for manufacturing pralines, on the other hand, are completely different. The articles produced by it are required in very large quantities and are generally fairly seasonally independent. Machines for manufacturing pralines thus form part of the basic equipment of a confectionery manufacturer.

It is a first object of the inventionto provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing hollow chocolate items.

It is a further object to provide a method which renders it possible to produce hollow chocolate items 25 on a modified machine for manufacturing pralines.

A further object of the invention is the provision of apparatus components to permit a machine for manufacturing pralines to be used for manufacturing hollow chocolate items.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing hollow chocolate items comprising supplying a series of moulds to a pouring device, filling alternate moulds W 0 3 with liquid chocolate composition from the pouring device, placing a like empty mould on each filled mould to form a lid, and simultaneously spinning and turning each respective mould and lid.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for manufacturing hollow chocolate items comprising a pouring device arranged, in use, to fill with liquid chocolate composition alternate moulds from a series of moulds supplied to it, placing means arranged to place a like empty mould on each filled mould to form a lid, and turning and spinning means for simultaneously turning and spinning each respective mould and lid.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for modifying a pralinemanufacturing machine for the manufacture of hollow chocolate items, comprising placing means arranged to place a like empty mould on each filled mould to form a lid, and turning and spinning means for simultaneously turning and spinning each respective mould and lid.

According to an additional aspect, apparatus for manufacturing hollow body figures of chocolate by means of a machine for manufacturing pralines has a device for supplying moulds to a pouring device, a pouring device for filling the patterns worked into the moulds with liquid chocolate composition, a device for turning the filled moulds and a device for spinning the moulds, characterised in that the device for turning is constructed as a component of the spinning device.

Thus, with at least some of the embodiments of the present invention, a modified praline manufacturing machine can be us ' ed without large additional expense for the manufacture of hollow chocolate items.

is 1 4 is The invention may be carried into practice in a number of ways and one specific method and embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the manufacture of pralines divided into four method steps; Figure 2 shows the manufacture of hollow body figures divided into four method steps; Figure 3 shows an exemplary method of the present invention for manufacturing hollow body figures; Figure 4 shows a spinning frame with a turning device; Figure 5 is a side view of figure 4.

The known method o manufacturing pralines is shown, considerably simplified, in figure 1. Liquid chocolate composition 3-is poured into a mould 1 with patterns two in it (see step a). Next, the mould 1 is turned over and then spun by a spinning device as indicated by the arrow in figure 1 (see step b). Most of the chocolate composition then flows out of the mould, but a thin layer 31 remains on the wall of the patterns 2. The moulds 1 are now turned back over again and the patterns 2, coated with the chocolate layer 3f, are provided with a filling 4 (see step c).

Finally, a chocolate base layer 310 is poured on as a lid to enclose the filling (see step d).

The manufacture of hollow chocolate items (hollow body figures) is effected in a similar manner, shown in simplified form in figure 2. Liquid chocolate composition 3 is first poured into a mould 1 having patterns 2 (see step a). The mould 1 is closed by a lid 11 (see step b), and the closed mould is then spun and simultaneously turned over one or more times so ir 1 that the chocolate composition distributes itself uniformly over the wall and remains there as a chocolate layer (see step c). Finally, the lid 11 is removed and the hollow items can either be removed from the mould as they are (see step d, left hand side) or alternatively provided with a filling four and then removed (see step d, right hand side). In the latter case it is convenient to facilitate the filling through an opening 51 in the hollow item 31. This opening may be provided in a simple manner by introducing a peglike projection 5 into the patterns 2 from the lid 11.

An exemplary method in accordance with the present invention, which permits hollow items to be produced on a machine for manufacturing pralines, is illustrated in more detail in figure 3. Moulds 1 having patterns 2 are removed from the bottom of a stack (step a) and are passed beneath a pouring device 6. A precisely metered amount of liquid chocolate composition is then poured into the patterns 2. only every second mould is filled, that is an empty and a filled mould or is leave the pouring device 6 alternately (step b). After a brief vibration (step c), in order to drive out any gas bubbles contained within the chocolate composition 6, the moulds are advanced to a lidding region (step d).

Here, an empty mold 1 is gripped and is placed as an exact fit on the preceding filled mould 1, pattern on pattern. A closed mould box is thus produced, formed by a filled mould 1 with an empty mould placed on the top of it, which now serves as the lid 11.

The lid 11 and the mould are now securely locked together (step e) by means of a two component pocket 7, having upper and lower parts 71, 711. Enclosed within the pocket 7 the mould and lid are together passed to a 6 spinning and turning device (step f).

The spinning and turning device is shown in more detail in figures 4 and 5. As will be seen, it comprises a spinning frame 8 which is shown here only schematically, to the side of which is mounted a motor 9. A motor shaft 10 passes through the adjacent wall of the spinning frame 8 and at the end from the motor carries a fork 11 which is arranged to receive the pocket 7. A conveyer chain pair (not shown) serves to move this pocket up and away after completion of the spinning and turning step.

The mode of operation of the spinning and turning device will now be described. The pocket 7 is first guided by the conveyer dhains into the fork 11, and their engages in position. Whilst the conveyer chains come to rest, the spinning frame 8 is placed in spinning motion in a horizontal plane by rotating means (not shown). The motor 9 also rotates and, simultaneously, is actuated so as slowly to turn the pocket 7 through 1800 or 3600 by means of the shaft 10 and the fork 11. After completion of the turning process the spinning frame is stopped, and the conveyer chains advance again to carry the pocket 7 away. By virtue of the spinning in conjunction with the turning process, the chocolate composition 3 contained within the patterns 2 has been uniformly distributed over the internal wall and forms a closed chocolate layer 3f (figure 3) of approximately constant thickness. This layer constitutes the desired hollow chocolate item which, after cooling, and the consequent increase in rigidity, is then removed from the mould. For this purpose, the pocket 7 is opened and removed, the lid 11 lifted away from the mould 1 (step h), and the hollow bl 1 7 is item removed from the mould (k) for supply to, fo example, a packing machine.

The chocolate item may optionally be provided with a filling, (step i) prior to its removal from the mould.

1 8

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing hollow chocolate items comprising supplying a series of moulds to a pouring device, filling alternate moulds with liquid chocolate composition from the pouring device, placing a like empty mould on each filled mould to form a lid, and simultaneously spinning and turning each respective mould and lid.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1 in which the lid for each filled moultd comprises the adjacent empty mould in the series.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the lid and filled mould are held together during the spinning and turning by pocket means.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the spinning motion is in the horizontal plane.

5. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the mould and lid are turned through 1800

6. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 in which the mould and lid are turned through 3600.

7. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims when carried out by a praline-manufacturing machine.

c T 9

8. A method of manufacturing hollow chocolate items substantially as specifically described with reference to figure 3.

9. Apparatus for manufacturing hollow chocolate items comprising a pouring device arranged, in use, to fill with liquid chocolate composition, alternate moulds from a series of moulds supplied to it, placing means arranged to place a like empty mould on each filled mould to form a lid, and turning and spinning means for simultaneously turning and spinning each respective mduld and lid.

7 Is

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which the turning and spinning means includes a spinning frame.

11. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10 in which the turning and spinning means includes a motor secured to the spinning frame and which is arranged to turn each respective mould and lid via a shaft.

12. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 11 in which the motor is a pneumatically driven rotary piston motor.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 9 to 12 comprising a modified praline-manufacturing machine.

14. Apparatus for manufacturing hollow chocolate items substantially as specifically described with reference to figures 3 to 5.

15. Apparatus for modifying a praline- lu manufacturing machine for the manufacture of hollow chocolate items, comprising placing means arranged to place a like empty mould on each filled mould to form a lid, and turning and spinning means for simultaneously turning and spinning each respective mould and lid.

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