GB677651A - A new or improved machine for cooling hot objects, particularly sugar confectionery - Google Patents

Abstract

677,651. Endless conveyers. SANDALL PRECISION CO., Ltd., and BARKER, A. W. March 1, 1951. [March 2, 1950] No. 5351/50. Class 78 (i). In a machine for cooling hot objects of the kind comprising two or more superposed conveyer belts on which the objects travel cascading from one to the other, and air ducting to blow cooling air on to one or more of the belts, means is provided for constraining the lower run of the upper of the, or any, two superposed belts to be closely adjacent to, and to travel substantially parallel with the upper run of such upper belt, said means being such as not materially to obstruct the space between said lower run of the upper belt and the upper run of the lower belt and wherein the air ducting for supplying air to said upper run of the lower belt is directly above such upper run and at least partially in the said space. Moulded confectionery issuing from a moulding machine is received on the extended end of an endless belt 11 adjacent its end pulley 15. The confectionery is carried by the upper run of this belt to its opposite end where it is deflected to one side by a guide and falls into a shoot 79 having an inclined lateral wall 80 which guides the confectionery on to the middle of an endless belt 12 below and displaced to one side of belt 11. From the opposite end of belt 12 the confectionery is discharged on to a fluted fan-like shoot 81 which is pivoted at 82 to the frame of the apparatus and is vibrated by an eccentric 84 driven from the conveyer drive. Shoot 81 spreads the confectionery laterally and delivers it to a sieve 88 which may also be vibrated, and which delivers the confectionery to a third endless belt 13 of about three times the width of each of the belts 11 and 12, which latter two are of equal width. Belts 11 and 12 are driven at about the same speed while belt 13 is driven at about one third the speed of the former two. The upper run of each belt is guided by a pair of angle iron guides 29, 30. The lower run of each belt is brought into close proximity with the respective upper run by a roller 37, 48, or 61 respectively adjacent each end pulley of the belt, and a pair of guides 32, 33 supporting the belt between the rollers. Each pair of guides 32, 33 consists of a pair of angle irons into which the guides 29, 30 are nested. The guides 29, 30, 32, 33 for each belt are secured together and attached by brackets to the frame. Air chambers 99, 100, 101 extend respectively over the upper runs of the belts 11, 12, 13, the latter two chambers being accommodated between their respectiveupper runs and the lower runs of the belts immediately above. Each chamber is perforated on its bottom face with holes 112 to direct air downwardly on to the respective belt. Manifolds 107, 108, 109 respectively supply air to the chambers 99, 100, 101 from a supply duct 106, the proportion of air flowing to each manifold being determined by valves 110, 111. The belts 11, 12, 13 are of wire mesh so that fine particles of confectionery can pass through. These fine particles are received in trays 6 which can be slid in and out of a frame 5, whilst particles adhering to the end drums of the belts are removed by scrapers, not shown, engaging the drums.