Method and apparatus for manufacturing marble candy

Abstract: Candy mass including sugar and starch syrup is passed through a nozzle to which twisted-blades (7) are mounted by a pair of a piston (4) and a deposit cylinder (3) for deposit, the candy mass being poured into a die. Consequently, candies having a beautiful marble pattern can be produced continuously.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a manufacturing method and apparatus for a candy which has a marble pattern. Specifically, the present invention relates to a manufacturing method and apparatus in which a deposit cylinder and a nozzle to which a twisted-blade is installed are used so that a hard candy having a marble-patterned exterior is manufactured by a depositing-type method. 2. Description of the Conventional Art Conventionally, in order to add a joy to the exterior of a hard candy, many kinds of candies having a marble pattern comprised of two or more colors have been manufactured. Such candies are manufactured by so-called stamping method described below. In this method, generally, two or more candies having different colors are manufactured respectively, and thereafter the candies are cooled down until the temperature of 70 to 80 °C. The cooled candies are stacked or pasted to be mixed together to form a candy lump having a marble pattern, and thereafter the candy lump are elongated to be a rope-like shape to which a stamping operation is conducted, thereby forming the candy having a marble pattern. (hereinafter, referred to marble candy) In addition, recently, so-called double deposit method has been developed by APV Co, Ltd. (England), in which a depositing-type apparatus having two pairs of a deposit cylinder and a piston is used to manufacture the marble candy. However, candies manufactured by the stamping method have a problem that large bubbles are easily inserted into the candies. The candies to which the bubbles are inserted are not soft to the tongue. In addition, since the double deposit method should use two pairs of the deposit cylinder and the piston to manufacture the candies, its manufacturing ability is inferior. FR 2167536A discloses an apparatus for manufacturing marble candy having the features of the preamble of claim 1. US 2409 339 discloses a device for ribbonising fluent commodities entering a mixing hopper via feed lines, wherein mixing is achieved by a twisted blade. US 3048128 discloses an apparatus for making sweets wherein a chuck-type valve is arranged at the discharge nozzle but which is not intended for mixing. The present invention has been accomplished to overcome the disadvantages of the conventional manufacturing methods. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing a marble pattern candy which is soft to a tongue, the apparatus having a high manufacturing ability and a simple structure. The manufacturing apparatus for the marble pattern candy of the present invention has the features of claim 1. The candy manufactured by this apparatus has a beautiful marble pattern and is soft to a tongue. Further, this apparatus can continuously manufacture the marble candies as similar to the conventional depositing-type method. The method of the invention has the features of claim 2. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings; Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of a marble candy manufacturing apparatus of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing a lower portion of the apparatus of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing an application example of syrup imbibing openings as shown Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing another application example of the syrup imbibing openings; Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing a lower portion of the apparatus of another embodiment; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a twisted-blade. PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention will be described specifically as follows referring to the accompanying drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, colored candy masses A and B including sugar, starch syrup or corn syrup, one of color dyes and the like are supplied into hoppers 1 and 2, respectively. As shown in Fig. 2, the hoppers 1 and 2 are provided independently by partition plates 3a. First, a piston 4 moves upward so that the candy masss A and B are imbibed into a cylinder 3 through a syrup imbibing opening 5. Second, the piston 4 moves downward so that thus imbibed candy masses A, B push to open a chuck valve 6 and pass through a nozzle 9 to which a twisted-blade 7 shown in Fig. 6 is installed. Consequently, the candies are mixed together to be a marble candy which is poured into a die 8. Here, the chuck valve 6 opens and closes in accordance with the movement of the piston 4. Namely, the chuck valve 6 is opened when the piston 4 moves downward and closed when it moves upward so as to prevent the back flow of the candy mass. The colored candy masses A and B are imbibed in the cylinder 3 laminately. Accordingly, if there are no twisted-blades, the mixed candy has a pattern in which two colors exist partially and no marble pattern presents. Further, if a large number of twisted-blades is provided, two candy masss A and B are sufficiently mixed so as not to be a marble candy. Therefore, it is necessary to change the number of the twisted-blades in accordance with the viscosity of the candy being manufactured. Generally, the viscosity is higher as the number of twisted-blades is larger. In addition, the twisted-blade 7 can be made by oneself or by cutting a marketed product to use. A blade 13 is given cuts 12 in each predetermined length and each unit 11 between adjacent cuts 12 are twisted at the angle of substantially 90° with respect to the adjacent unit 11. Further, the number of the imbibing openings or the cross section thereof may be changed to change the ratio of two colored candy masses in the final product (marble candy). For example, as shown in Fig. 4, several screw openings are opened at the periphery of the cylinder 3 as the syrup imbibing openings 5. Some of the openings are stopped up by bolts 10 to change the number of the imbibing openings 5. Accordingly, the ratio of two colored candy masses can be changed more easily. Here, in this apparatus of the present invention, three or more candy masses can be simultaneously imbibed into the cylinder. As shown in Fig. 5, three hoppers 1a, 1b and 1c are provided to be separated by the partition plates 3b, 3c and 3d to which the candy masses having different colors are supplied. In such a structure, marble candies having three different colors can be continuously manufactured. Example Colored Candy mass A Weight % Sugar 59.8 Starch syrup 40.0 Yellow Dye 0.2 100.0 Colored Candy mass B Weight % Sugar 59.8 Starch syrup 40.0 Red Dye 0.2 100.0 Water (20 weight %) was add to thus mixed sugar and starch syrup of the above mixtures as show in Tables 1 and 2, which were boiled at 150 °C, respectively. Next, the yellow and red dye were added to mixtures as shown in Tables 1 and 2, respectively, which are mixed sufficiently to produce candy masses having different colors. Then, the candy masses were supplied into the hoppers 1 and 2, respectively. Providing two twisted-blades, a manufactured candy had a beautiful marble pattern. Candy masses having different colors were imbibed simultaneously into the cylinder by using a pair of the piston and the deposit cylinder, and the candy masses were passed through the nozzle to which the twisted-blades are installed to be poured into the die. Consequently, beautiful marble patterned candies being soft to a tongue without bubbles could be manufactured continuously as similar to the general pouring type method.

Claims: A manufacturing apparatus for a marble candy comprising: a plurality of hoppers (1, 2) in which differently colored candy masses (A, B) can be stored, said hoppers being provided independently; a deposit cylinder (3); a nozzle (9) arranged so that said imbibed candy masses pass through said nozzle to become a marble candy; a piston (4) movable downward and upward within said deposit cylinder to simultaneously imbibe said candy masses from said plurality of hoppers into said deposit cylinder; syrup imbibing openings (5) arranged such that candy masses are imbibed therethrough from said hoppers into said cylinder in accordance with the movement of said piston, said piston being arranged to move upward to imbibe said candy masses, and to move downward to close said imbibing openings and to make said candy masses pass through said cylinder and nozzle; a die (8) into which said marble candy is poured, the apparatus being characterised in that the nozzle has at least one twisted blade (7) arranged such that said imbibed candy masses pass through said twisted blade to become a marble candy, and in that a chuck valve (6) is provided between said imbibing openings and said twisted-blade, said valve being arranged such that it is opened when said piston moves downward and closed when said piston moves upward in order to prevent the back flow of said candy masses. A manufacturing method for a marble candy comprising: moving a piston (4) within a deposit cylinder (3) upward to simultaneously imbibe separate candy masses (A, B) having different colors through imbibing openings (5) into said deposit cylinder; moving said piston within said deposit cylinder downward to make said candy masses pass through a nozzle (9) to become a marble candy; and pouring said marble candy into a die (8), characterised in that the nozzle has a twisted blade (7) so that said candy masses are mixed together, and in that during the step of moving said piston downward, said candy masses pass through a chuck valve (6) between said imbibing openings and said twisted-blade prior to passing through said nozzle, said chuck valve preventing the back flow of said candy masses.

Inventors: IGARASHI JUNKO, KUWAHARA RIKIYA, NAGASAWA MAKOTO, IGARASHI, JUNKO, KUWAHARA, RIKIYA, NAGASAWA, MAKOTO, IGARASHI, JUNKO, C/O MEIJI SEIKA KAISHA LTD., KUWAHARA, RIKIYA, C/O MEIJI SEIKA KAISHA LTD., NAGASAWA, MAKOTO, C/O MEIJI SEIKA KAISHA LTD.
Applicants: MEIJI SEIKA KAISHA, MEIJI SEIKA KAISHA LTD.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: A23G3
IPC codes: A23G3