Patent GB-941233-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to frozen confections and the manufacture thereof
IPC: A23G9/26
Filed: 1961-03-02
Abstract: 941,233. Packaging. J. OLDHAM. June 1, 1962 [March 2, 1961], No. 7680/61. Heading B8C. [Also in Division F4] In a method of, and apparatus for, producing frozen confection having a preformed outer frozen shell located within a wrapping or package of paper or other sheet material, the outer shell containing a frozen filling of flavoured liquid or other preparations, the shell is produced around a former so that it conforms substantially to the desired shape of the finished confection, is charged with a desired filling, and is then completely frozen to form the confection. Apparatus for producing " ice-lollies " as shown, Figs. 1 and 2, comprises a pair of horizontal mould members 3 and 4 movable laterally, on guide rails 9 and 10, towards and away from each other by air cylinders 5 and 6 respectively, and having moulding depressions in their adjacent faces which form a series of upright, open topped cells when the mould members are brought together. The mould members are of hollow, welded sheet metal construction and each have inlets 13 and 14 and outlets 17 and 18 for the passage of a freezing medium and a defrosting medium respectively. A beam 26 carries a header 19 from which depend hollow former elements 20 arranged to register with the mould cells. Each former has apertures 24 through its walls and a connection 21 to a suction source, a connection 22 to a supply of liquid to form the outer shell of the confection, and a connection 23 to a source of air or other defrosting medium. The header 19, with formers 20, is movable vertically and horizontally by air cylinders 27 and 28 respectively. In operation, the formers 20 start at the position, shown in broken lines on Fig. 2, above magazines 32 of bags, the first bag of each line being held open by a jet of air from nozzle means 33. The formers are lowered into the bags, the compressed air supply to nozzle 33 is stopped, and suction applied to the connections 21 to hold the bags against the formers while the latter are moved up, across, and then down into the space between the mould halves 3 and 4 which are in the separated position. The mould halves are brought together, the suction switched off, and the formers 20 moved up slightly to leave a space between each former and its surrounding bag. The space is filled with liquid through connections 22 and freezing medium, e.g. brine, is passed through the moulds 3 and 4 to freeze the liquid to form the shells of the confections. After freezing, a defrosting medium is passed into the moulds and the formers to separate the bags and shells from them, the formers are raised clear of the moulds, and the moulds moved apart so that the bagged shells fall into pockets 35 of a conveyer 34 on which they are conveyed to processing stations, not shown, at which the shells are filled with a desired filling, sticks inserted, and the final freezing carried out to solidify the filling. The bags or wrappers are folded over and sealed, the protruding portions of the sticks being located within the sealed bags. In a second embodiment, Figs. 4 and 5, the header 43 and formers 44 have only vertical movement and the mould halves 38 and 39 are hinged together along their adjacent bottom edges, so that they may be separated by a swinging movement under the action of air cylinders 42 and 42a. No suction connection is made to the formers 44, the wrapping for the shells being by means of two webs 52 of waxed paper, or similar sheet material, drawn from rolls 50 mounted on spindles 51. Before the webs enter the open mould water is sprayed on to them by means 53. When the webs are in place the formers 44 are lowered between the mould halves which are then closed to form the webs into cell shapes. The formers are raised slightly, and the process proceeds as in the first embodiment except that when the mould halves are opened to release the shells, the web is drawn through to carry the shells to later stages and to position fresh web between the moulds. In this embodiment the portions of the two webs touching each other between the cell shapes are sealed together during the freezing of the shells by freezing of the water previously sprayed on. In a third embodiment (Figs. 7 to 9, not shown), paper webs are again used but the shells are formed outside the moulds by dipping the formers into a tank of liquid and passing freezing medium into the interior of the formers until a shell of the required thickness has been formed. The formers, with shells, are positioned between the mould halves which are then closed to press the webs closely round the shells, and freezing medium passed into the moulds to seal together the webs.