Patent GB-468642-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for cutting up materials such as ice cream and nougat and coating them with chocolate or like sugar-containing substance
IPC: A23G3/02
Filed: 1936-01-22
Abstract: 468,642. Coating confectionery; cutting ice-cream, nougat, &c. GIUSTI, T., and GIUSTI, R. B. Jan. 22, 1936, Nos. 2026/36 and 1697/37. [Class 28 (i)] [Also in Group V] An apparatus for cutting materials such as ice-cream and nougat and coating them with chocolate or like sugar-containing substance comprises a cutter device 12, 13 to which the material is fed by a conveyer 11, a series of suspended pivotal arms 9 arranged in co-operating pairs and carried past the cutting position on conveying means, means for inclining the arms 9 of each pair towards one another and for moving them forwardly to impale their fork-like ends 10 into the cut-off pieces, and a coating-means 21 ... 24 past which the freely suspended pieces are moved by the conveyer means. The conveyer 11 is driven by a ratchet gear 33 through a rod 33<a> and an arm 33b carrying a finger 33<d> actuated by a cam 33e on the main drive shaft 15. The stroke of the ratchet is adjusted by an adjustable stop lever 33f. The material is positioned for cutting by contacting with a stop. The cutter comprises a main blade and a blade at rightangles thereto so that, at each descent, two separate side-by-side pieces are cut from the main block. The blades are mounted in holders 13 reciprocated on guides 12 by a crank or cranks 14, on the shaft 15, and rods 18. The arms 9 are pivotally mounted between endless chains 6 trained over sprockets 5 and provided with tensioning-means 55. The arms are pressed together, in pairs, by projections 10<a> engaging stationary adjustable cam surfaces 48, and, at the same time, the arms 9 are swung, to impale the cut-off pieces, by a bar 50 on a counterweighted lever 47 actuated by an adjustable cam 46 on the shaft 40. As an alternative to this mechanism for actuating the arms 9, the arms may be gripped between camactuated, spring-returned levers so as to be brought together in pairs, and then projected into the cut-off pieces by a cam-actuated spring blade. After the pieces are impaled, the arms 9 travel upwards and swing freely, the impaled pieces thus being tilted to allow surplus coating- material to rim off a corner. The coating- material tank 21 is in a water bath 22, suitably heated, and a ladle 24 dips into the material and raises a supply to the cut pieces, the ladle being actuated by a crank 23b, and a connecting rod 23 which slides in an oscillating sleeve 23x. This mechanism gives a small forward movement to the ladle at the top of its stroke. The ladle may have a flap-valve in its bottom for admitting the coating material, or it may be filled by complete immersion. A fan or fans 20 dries the coated pieces which are then removed from the forks 10 by a slotted plate 28, a shoot 29 discharging them from the machine. Projections 7<a> on the arms 9 contacts with a stop 26 and effects a swing of the arms for the removal of the pieces. During the return run of the chains 6 the arms ascend a ramp 30 and fall into a cleaning tank 31 from which they are raised by an incline 32.