Patent GB-691889-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to an apparatus for treating frozen confections and the like
IPC: A23G9/26
Filed: 1951-07-10
Abstract: 691,889. Coating and packaging ice cream &c. RASMUSSON, M. B. July 10, 1951, No. 16312/51. Class 28 (i). [Also in Group XXX] Confections frozen on sticks 13, Fig. 4, are grouped on holders 14, for coating and packaging, the holders 14 being placed on rails 16, Fig. 1, down which they slide into a refrigerated chamber 1. A conveyer 19 pulls the holders along lift rails 18 out of the chamber 1 and feeds them to the top rails 26 of a submerging coating machine 2 from which they again slide down by gravity into a second refrigerating chamber 3. A second conveyer 19 lifts the groups on other rails 18 out and passes them to a dropping-separating mechanism 4 and then to electrically actuated mechanism 7 which passes them periodically to a packaging machine 6. The conveyers 19 each comprise a series of endless conveyers 21 with fingers 23 to engage end rails 64, Fig. 6 (not shown), on the holders 14 and are coupled together by a synchronising drive 41 &c. from an electric motor 39. An operator closes a switch 42, Fig. 5, to start the feed of the conveyers, such movement being stopped by an emptied stick holder 14 having arrived at the outlet end of the packaging mechanism, whereby the switch 42 is opened. The confections then being held stationary above the dipper tank 86-87 are coated by mechanism which raises up the tank 87 to submerge them in its coating liquid. The dipper is actuated by crank 97 and crosshead from a motor 52 started as follows. When switch 42 is open an electromagnetic relay 58, Fig. 8, in series with switch 42 closes the circuit breaker 56 against spring 57 whereby if there is a stick 14 in position it energises 53 and 54. An operator at the dropping mechanism 4 moves the handle 51 of a releasing cam 49, Fig. 5, to drop the confections 12 from the stick holder 14 into a carrier 43. The operator then, by pulling the switch rod 48, Fig. 5, to close switch 42 to electric motor 39, starts the carrier 43 to pass the confections to the unit of the packaging mechanism 6, also operating the packaging mechanism itself and also advancing the conveyers to move the earlier stick holders 14 one of which becomes positioned above the upwardly rising submerging tank 87. The succession of stick holders 14 are advanced every time the carrier 43 carries away a load of dropped confections away from the dropping mechanism 4, and distributes them into the units of the packager (not described in detail). The advance is stopped when the carrier 43 has been moved by conveyer 44 to the'extreme right when it knocks off the main switch 42 at the beginning after the operator has placed a succession of loaded confection carriers 14 on the intake rails 16 down which they can slide by gravity on to the horizontal rails 17. The operator then pulls the rod 48 to close switch 42 starting the motor 39 which drives the conveyer system to feed the carriers 14 through the coating machine 2 as before. The lower run of the conveyer 44 pulls the carrier 43 to the right into the packager 6. At the extreme right, 43 turns off switch 42 thus stopping the conveyer motor 39 so that one of the carriers 14 is now stopped above the tank 87 as before. Carrier 43 is pulled back by a counterweight, Fig. 5. Circuits.-When switch 42 is open an auxiliary switch 56, Fig. 8, is closed by a spring 57, to energise switches 53 and 54 for the coating motor drive. When a stick holder 14 is moving into position above the coater, cross rods 64 at each end of the holder actuate mercury tubes 62 and 68, Fig. 9, to start the coating motor 52, Fig. 1. The leading (right hand) cross rod 64 merely pivots the switch 53 which then swings back on its pivot 61, but the rear left hand rod 64 on stopping over the tank 87 holds pivoted the mercury tube 62 to energise the switch. The stopping of the conveying of the holders 14 is caused when a right hand knob 71, Fig. 9, on 14 actuates switch 54 by moving the pivoted arm 66 which lifts the mercury tube 68 which being above the pivot 67 remains tipped. Lowering of the submerging tank 87 pulls a rod 73 to the left to engage an abutment 72 and pulls switch arm 66 to the off position thus stopping further operation of the submerging tank 87. When the carrier 43 containing the released confections is advanced by conveyer 44 to the right over the packaging receiver it reaches and turns off switch 42 to stop the feed of all the convevers. For automatic operation, when the empty carrier 43 is returned to the left by a counterweight it closes switch 113, Fig. 5, whereby through a circuit breaker 114, an electromagnet 111 now energised draws link 110 and the handle 51 of cam 49 which releases the sticks of confections automatically from the carrier 14 now above the carrier 43. For automatic starting after each dipping- submerging, and removal of the confections into the packager, an abutment arm 82, Fig. 9, on the dipping tank energises electromagnet 117, Fig. 8, only when the tank has returned to its down position. 117 then closes starting switch 42 and holds it closed for a complete cycle of operations. The hand pulled starting rod 48 is then only used to initiate the operation until a stick holder has arrived at the dipping position, or to finish up the last run when the-last carrier 14 has passed the dipping position. In Fig. 12 (not shown) a device is provided at the outlet end for hand loading the holders 14 with new sticks 13 on to which confections are to be frozen.