Abstract:
A cluster dispensing machine dispenses clusters having a hand-formed appearance while minimizing broken and crushed aggregate. The dispensing machine uses a flexible pinch valve to meter the chocolate and aggregate mixture. The flexible pinch valve minimizes broken and crushed aggregate. The machine drops the metered chocolate and aggregate mixture onto a conveyor in order to provide a hand-formed appearance to the clusters.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/426,258 filed Dec. 22, 2010; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure generally relates to food processing equipment and, more particularly, to equipment for processing chocolate. Specifically, the disclosure relates to a machine used to dispense chocolate clusters without breaking the aggregate in the clusters. 
     2. Background Information 
     One of the more popular chocolate food items is a chocolate cluster. A chocolate cluster includes an aggregate food item disposed randomly in a chocolate binder. The aggregate may be essentially any food item that consumers enjoy eating in combination with chocolate. Examples of aggregate include nuts, fruit, candy, salted snack items, and any other item that may be consumed with chocolate. Those in the chocolate industry recognize the most desirable chocolate clusters are those made by hand. Hand formation is desirable because the person making the cluster does not break or crush the aggregate and randomly forms the cluster. The consumer values whole aggregate especially when the aggregate is nuts or small pieces of fruit. Hand forming clusters is labor intensive and time consuming and is thus expensive. The industry thus desires an automated cluster manufacturing machine that forms clusters filled with substantially unbroken aggregate and having a hand-formed appearance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The disclosure provides a chocolate cluster dispensing machine that dispenses chocolate clusters having a hand-formed appearance while minimizing broken and crushed aggregate. The dispensing machine uses a flexible pinch valve to meter the chocolate and aggregate mixture. The flexible pinch valve minimizes broken and crushed aggregate. The machine drops the metered chocolate and aggregate mixture onto a conveyor in order to provide a hand-formed appearance to the cluster. 
     One configuration of the machine includes a dispensing apparatus having a valve assembly that includes a valved inlet, a valved outlet, and an intermediate access port that is in fluid communication with the adjustable chamber of a piston cylinder. The valves controlling the inlet and outlet are flexible pinch valves. The flexible pinch valve tends to close around the aggregate instead of crushing the aggregate in the manner of a hard valve. In one configuration, each valve has an outer body and a flexible sleeve disposed within the outer body. A chamber is defined between the interior of the outer body and the exterior of the flexible sleeve. This chamber is in selective fluid communication with a source of pressurized air and, optionally, a vacuum source. When the chamber is exposed to pressurized air, the center of the sleeve is forced closed while its ends are held at the outer body. This configuration provides a closed valve with a tapered inner sleeve profile. Subjecting the chamber to atmospheric pressure or a vacuum source opens the valve. As an alternative to the use of pressurized air, the flexible sleeve may be pressed closed from one or a plurality of angles with a mechanical finger. These flexible pinch valves have been found to be gentle with delicate aggregate because they will push aggregate near the touch point of the inner sleeve out of the way and can even close directly over some aggregate without crushing the aggregate given the flexibility of the sleeve. 
     The disclosure also provides a configuration wherein at least a portion of the dispensing apparatus is disposed within a heated housing to prevent the chocolate from solidifying within the dispensing apparatus. 
     The disclosure provides a stainless steel case that isolates the control portion of the dispensing machine from the dispensing apparatus thus allowing the user to readily clean the machine in accordance with health codes. 
     The disclosure provides a configuration wherein the stroke length of the piston cylinder may be adjusted to adjust the size of the cluster that is dispensed. 
     The disclosure also provides a configuration wherein the number, size, and shape of the dispensing outlets may be varied to allow the machine to dispense different-sized and different-shaped clusters at the same time. 
     The disclosure also provides an adjustable system for closing the flexible pinch valves such that the closure speed and closure force of the valves may be varied to work with different aggregates. 
     The disclosure also provides a method for dispensing chocolate clusters with a machine wherein the clusters have a hand-formed appearance and the breaking and crushing of the aggregate is minimized. 
     In one configuration, the disclosure provides a method that includes the steps of holding a chocolate and aggregate mixture in a supply with at least a portion of the chocolate heated to a temperature that renders it flowable. The melted chocolate and aggregate are drawn out of the supply into a dispensing apparatus and then pushed out of the dispensing apparatus wherein the mixture drops onto a conveyor to form the cluster. The dispensing apparatus uses a piston cylinder and a valve assembly with first and second flexible valves to control the loading and unloading of the dispensing apparatus. In order to dispense a cluster, the first valve between the valve assembly and the storage chamber is opened and the outlet valve is closed. The piston cylinder is then moved from its dispensed position to its loaded position. This movement creates a suction force that draws a chocolate and aggregate mixture from the supply thought the first valve into the valve assembly. The conditions of both valves are then changed and the piston cylinder is used to push the mixture out from the valve assembly. The stroke length of the piston cylinder may be adjusted to adjust the size of the cluster. 
     The dispensed chocolate and aggregate mixture is allowed to free fall a short distance from the machine onto a conveyor. The dispensed mixture may be divided after being dispensed from the valve assembly so that multiple clusters are formed each time the piston cylinder returns to the dispensed position. The conveyor may move the clusters through a cooling device so that the clusters may be packaged for shipment or sale. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side schematic view of the dispensing machine on a floor stand next to a conveyor that passes through a cooling chamber. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one configuration of the cluster dispensing machine. 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a section view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a section view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a section view of the valve assembly in the dispensed position. 
         FIG. 8  is a section view of the valve assembly in the loaded position. 
         FIG. 9  depicts a mechanically-actuated valve in the closed configuration. 
         FIG. 10  depicts a mechanically-actuated valve in the closed configuration. 
     
    
    
     Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the specification. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An exemplary configuration of the cluster dispensing machine is indicated generally by the numeral  2  in the accompanying drawings. Machine  2  generally includes a dispensing apparatus  4  in communication with a chocolate and aggregate mixture supply  6 . Dispensing apparatus  4  and mixture supply  6  may be carried together by a housing  8  that, in turn, may be carried by an adjustable-height floor stand  10 . A conveyor  12  may be used to catch clusters  14  dispensed from apparatus  4 . A cooling chamber  16  may be used to solidify clusters  14  before they enter a packaging zone  18 . 
     Alternatively, housing  8  may be configured to have stand  10  integral to its structure or housing  8  may be configured to be mounted to a table top or to be carried by another piece of equipment. Supply  6  may be integral to housing  8  or placed at an independent location. 
     In the exemplary configuration of machine  2  depicted in the drawings, supply  6  is a heated double-walled container (see  FIG. 5 ) into which the user places the chocolate and the aggregate. The container includes a conical inner wall  17  that tapers down to an outlet. The outer wall  19  is a right cylinder such that a chamber is defined between the inner and outer walls. The chamber is heated so that the chocolate in supply  6  melts. The chamber may contain water that is heated with an electric heater  21  controlled by a thermostat  23 . The chocolate and aggregate mix naturally as the chocolate melts and as the mixture moves down along a tapered inner wall of the container to the outlet that is, in turn, connected to the inlet of dispensing apparatus  4 . Supply  6  includes an adjustable heater that may be controlled to heat the mixture in the container at different temperatures depending on the surrounding environment and the nature of the mixture. The container may include a mixer that evenly distributes the aggregate throughout the chocolate. Alternatively, supply  6  may include separate supplies of chocolate and aggregate which are mixed only immediately before passing into the inlet of dispensing apparatus  4 . A secondary outlet may be provided to the exterior of supply  6  so that mixture or wash water may be removed from supply without the need for moving the material through dispensing apparatus  4 . 
     Dispensing apparatus  4  generally includes a valve assembly  20  and a piston cylinder  22 . Valve assembly  20  defines an inlet tube  24  that defines the inlet that receives the mixture from supply  6 . Inlet tube  24  is opened and closed with a first valve  26 . Valve assembly  20  also defines an outlet tube  28  that defines the outlet of dispensing apparatus  4 . Outlet tube  28  is opened and closed with a second valve  30 . Valve assembly  20  further defines an intermediate chamber or tube  32  that defines an intermediate access port that provides fluid communication between inlet and outlet tubes  24  and  28  and piston cylinder  22 . These elements may be integral to the body of valve assembly  20  but also may be detachable components that allow the valve assembly to be disassembled for cleaning. Inlet valve  26 , outlet valve  30 , and intermediate tube  32  may be connected together with clamps  34  that engage flanges defined by the ends of the elements. Each clamp  34  includes a pair of hinged clamshell portions that are threaded together on the side opposite the hinge so that the tightness may be adjusted. The interior of each clamshell portion engages the flanges of the ends of the elements to act to force the elements together when clamps  34  are tightened. Clamps  34  allow the entire valve assembly to be disassembled by hand for cleaning. 
     Each of the first  26  and second  30  valves is a flexible pinch valve that is configured to minimize the breaking or crushing of the aggregate disposed in the mixture. Each valve thus includes a flexible sleeve  40  that defines a through chamber. Each sleeve includes upstream and downstream ends that are secured to the outer tube wall to define a valve chamber  42 . In the exemplary configuration, sleeve  40  is secured to the inner surface of the tube end walls. 
     In one configuration, each valve  26  and  30  is moved between its open and closed configuration with the selective delivery and release of pressurized air to chamber  42 . The pressurized air is delivered to chamber  42  with a supply line  43  disposed in the middle of the valve. When chamber  42  is exposed to pressurized air, sleeve  40  is forced against itself to expand chamber  42  thus closing the valve. When chamber  42  is exposed to a vacuum flow or when permitted to return to atmospheric pressure, sleeve  40  returns to its resting position to open the valve. Sleeve  40  is a flexible material that will not necessarily break or crush aggregate that is disposed in the area where sleeve engages itself to close the valve. When closed, sleeve  40  is tapered on both sides of the closure area such that aggregate will be push out away from the closure area. Even if aggregate is trapped in the closure area, the flexibility of sleeve  40  allows it to close directly around aggregate with crushing. Valves  26  and  30  may be supplied by Richway Industries, Ltd., of Janesville, Iowa. The invention also may use hydraulic flexible pinch valves as a substitute for the pneumatic valves. 
     The speed of the delivery of pressurized air to chamber  42  may be controlled in order to control how fast or how slow sleeve  40  closes. The user also may control the overall pressure of the air to control how hard the valve closes. The pressurized air used to control valves  26  and  30  may be provided from a compressor  44 , a tank of compressed air, or a delivery tube in communication with a remote compressor or tank (such as shop air). The delivery and removal of the pressurized air is controlled with a plurality of air delivery valves  46 . A programmable controller may be used to open and close the valves with sensors associated with each valve to indicate the state of each valve. These sensors may provide a signal to pressure indicators  47  that allow the user to monitor the status of each valve. Pressure indicators  47  also may display the status of the piston cylinders used throughout the device. 
     Another configuration of the invention uses mechanically-actuated first  26  and second  30  valves or a combination of mechanically-actuated and pneumatically-actuated valves. One mechanically-actuated valve that may be used with the chocolate and aggregate includes sleeve  40  that is closed by pressing an actuator (or a plurality of actuators) into the flexible sleeve to collapse sleeve  40  to a closed configuration. Each actuator may use a rounded head  110  on the end of a rod  112  to compress the flexible sleeve. ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ). Each actuator may be driven by a piston cylinder arrangement, a cam and follower arrangement, a rotating drive member, or other similar mechanisms  114  known to those skilled in the art. 
     In some configurations of the invention, the outlet of outlet tube  28  is disposed above conveyor  12  such that clusters are formed directly from outlet tube  28 . In other configurations of machine  2 , a cluster outlet tube  49  is used to further treat the mixture that is being pushed out of dispensing apparatus  4 . Cluster outlet tube  49  may divide the mixture into a plurality of streams and deliver each of them to a separate outlet such that a plurality of clusters are formed each time machine  2  cycles. In the exemplary configuration, cluster outlet tube  49  defines four outlets  49   a ,  49   b ,  49   c , and  49   d  with two outlets  49   b  and  49   c  disposed on the front of housing  8  and two outlets  49   a  and  49   d  disposed on the sides of housing  8 . Conveyor  12  may be positioned under all four of these outlets  49  such that four rows of clusters  14  are formed on conveyor  12 . Alternatively, a plurality of conveyors  12  may be used. One conveyor  12  may be used for each outlet or one conveyor may be used for a portion of the outlets with another or other conveyors being used for the remaining outlets. Cluster outlets may be sized different to provide different-sized clusters  14 . Each outlet may have a different cross section or edge shape to provide a different appearance to the clusters  14 . 
     The front end  48  of housing  8  may be pivoted upwardly and back onto the top of housing  8  to provide good access to the valve assembly  20  and the outlets  49   a - d . A seal or gasket is disposed about the perimeter of front end  48  to seal the interior of housing  8  when front end  48  is closed. 
     At least valve assembly  20  is heated to prevent the mixture disposed inside valve assembly  20  from solidifying. In the exemplary configuration, housing  8  is divided by a divider wall  51  into a forward food handling portion  50  and a rearward control portion  52 . The interior of forward portion  50  is heated to maintain valve assembly at a temperature high enough to maintain the chocolate in a flowable state. The interior of forward portion  50  may be heated with an electric heater  54 . A temperature controller and an indicator  56  are provided to monitor the temperature in forward portion  50  and to allow the user control the temperature. 
     The stroke of piston cylinder  22  may be adjusted mechanically by placing a stop switch  60  in the path of the piston. The position of stop switch  60  with respect to housing  8  may be adjusted. In one configuration of the invention, stop switch is carried on a threaded screw  62  such that rotation of screw  62  changes the position of stop switch  60  and thus the overall stroke of the piston. Screw  62  may be rotated with a handle  64  disposed outside housing  8 . Handle  64  may be connected directly to screw  62  or geared to screw  62 . When the head of the piston trips stop switch  62 , a valve delivering pressurized air to piston cylinder  22  is switched and the direction of the piston movement is reversed. The piston moves forward until it reaches the dispensed position wherein the control valve is triggered to reverse the supply of pressurized air again to repeat the processes. The delay between the change of direction may be varied as may be the speed of the piston stroke. 
     In an alternative configuration of the invention, a controller may be provided to control air delivery valves  46 , piston cylinder  22 , heater  54 , and any mixer and/or heater on supply  6 . The controller may be a computer or a dedicated programmable controller. In another configuration of the invention, the controller may be used to vary the length of the stroke of piston cylinder  22 . In such a configuration, the stroke length may be randomly selected by the controller between upper and lower limits so that different-sized clusters are formed. 
     Indicators  47  are provided on the exterior of housing  8  so that the user of machine  2  can visually monitor; the air pressure supplied to first valve  26 ; the air pressure supplied to push the piston forward in the dispensing direction; the air pressure supplied to second valve  30 ; and the air pressure supplied to push the piston back in the loading direction. 
     In an optional configuration, a separate programmable controller may be provided to allow the user to control the speed of the cycle of piston cylinder  22 . 
     Machine  2  also includes on/off switches  92  for the different components of the machine. 
     The user of machine  2  forms clusters  14  by loading supply  6  with the desired chocolate and aggregate. The chocolate is melted to flowable condition and flows to the inlet of inlet tube  24  which is initially closed when machine  2  is turned on. Once the controller receives a signal that supply  6  is heated to a desired temperature or has reached a desired temperature for a desired time, the controller opens first valve  26  and closes second valve  30 . The controller then activates piston cylinder  22  causing it to move from its dispensed position of  FIG. 7  to the loaded position of  FIG. 8 . This process applies a vacuum to first valve  26  which pulls a volume of mixture (defined by the piston stroke and the interior diameter of the cylinder) into first valve  26  and possible into intermediate tube  32  (and possible all the way into the cylinder. Once the piston has stopped its withdrawal, the controller reverses the condition of first and second valves  26  and  30 . The controller then directs the piston cylinder to return to its dispensed condition of  FIG. 7 . This pushes the mixture out toward or through outlet valve  30 . This process is repeated until the mixture reaches the outlet or outlets of cluster outlet tube  49  wherein the mixture starts falling out of the outlet or outlets to form clusters  14  on conveyor  12 . The mixture falls out of machine  2  and lands in a random configuration on conveyor  12  based on the location of the aggregate in the slug of mixture being dispensed. The position of the aggregate is random and thus provides a non-uniform, hand-formed appearance to each cluster  14 . As noted above, cluster outlet tube  49  may have a plurality of outlets such that a plurality of clusters  14  are formed in each cycle of machine  2 . Conveyor  12  may move clusters  14  through cooling chamber  16  so that the clusters  14  are at least somewhat solid before being packaged for shipment or sale at packaging zone  18 . 
     In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described. Throughout the description and claims of this specification the words “comprise” and “include” as well as variations of those words, such as “comprises,” “includes,” “comprising,” and “including” are not intended to exclude additives, components, integers, or steps.