Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus – Sets of press couples comprising registering female mold... – Coacting cutting; edges on female mold sections
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-18
2002-07-23
Heitbrink, Tim (Department: 1722)
Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus
Sets of press couples comprising registering female mold...
Coacting cutting; edges on female mold sections
C425S297000, C425S324100, C425S344000, C425S345000, C425S451000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06422853
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of co-pending German Patent Application No. 199 18 740.1-23 entitled “Prägekette zur Herstellung von Bonbons” filed on Apr. 24, 1999.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a chain die assembly and to a die apparatus. Such chain die assemblies are used in die apparatuses with which candy is separated from a continuous rope of candy mass to be formed in die chambers. The chain die assembly as a substantial element of the die apparatus may be used for the production of hard candy and chewy candy. It may be also used for the production of filled candy.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Chain die assemblies generally include an endless upper chain and an endless lower chain cooperating to form die chambers for the candy to be produced. The die chambers are limited by chain links of the upper chain and by chain links of the lower chain. Additionally, there are dies right and left of a common longitudinal center plane of the chain die assembly and of the die apparatus. The dies also limit the die chambers. The dies are arranged either at the upper chain or at the lower chain. Especially, the dies are only arranged at the upper chain to make it easier to watch their operation and their correct function. The present invention relates to the portion of the chain die assembly carrying the dies. As already described above, this portion may either be the upper chain or the lower chain. Preferably, the present invention relates to the upper chain of the chain die assembly.
A chain die assembly is known from European Patent No. EP 0 352 233 B1. The die apparatus includes a frame at which the endless upper chain and the endless lower chain are driven and guided by horizontally arranged drive shafts and deflecting shafts. The upper chain carrying the dies includes two different kinds of chain links being alternately arranged. The first kind of chain links includes inward cheeks, meaning cheeks being located at a comparatively small distance with respect to the vertical longitudinal center plane of the die apparatus and of the chain die assembly. The other kind of chain links includes outward cheeks having a greater distance between each another, and surrounding the inward cheeks of the corresponding adjacent chain links. Each chain link of both kinds includes a cutting edge being arranged approximately in the middle region of each chain link and extending transverse to the running direction of the chain die assembly, and consequently, transverse to the vertical longitudinal center plane. A quarter of a hollow impression connects to the cutting edge of each chain link to the front and to the rear. Four of these quarter impressions define the cross section of the die chamber, each of these cross sections of a die chamber being formed by two adjacent chain links of the upper chain and two adjacent chain links of the lower chain. Guiding housings are arranged right and left of the longitudinal center plane in a mirror-symmetric design and arrangement. The guiding housings have a substantially U-shape design. A die is movably guided in each guiding housing right and left of the common longitudinal center plane of the chain die assembly. The dies are arranged to be movable in a perpendicular direction with respect to the vertical longitudinal center plane. Each die includes a shank being movably supported in two legs of the corresponding guiding housing having corresponding openings. Die heads are formed at the ends of the die facing in an inward direction. The die heads in combination with the chain links limit the corresponding die chamber. Rollers are arranged at the ends of each shank of each die facing in an outward direction such that the axial movement of the die into the closed position is realized by guiding bars being located at the die apparatus. The dies are actuated under prevailing roll friction. Protrusions extending in a radial direction are anchored in the shanks of the dies. The protrusions cooperate with other guiding bars under prevailing sliding friction to open the die chamber. Each guiding housing of the upper chain is pivotally connected to the chain links by two adjacent shafts. There also is a pivotal connection between the shaft and the guiding housing. Finally, each guiding housing is pivotally connected to the chain link by an adjacent shaft. Such an upper chain includes a number of chain links to which the same number of shafts and twice the number of guiding housings and twice the number of dies are allocated. Due to the great number of pivotal connections, the dies are guided with a comparatively great backlash. The backlash of each of the pivotal connections adds up to a certain total backlash. The first backlash, clearance or play is determined by a pivotal connection between the shank of the die and the guiding housing. In addition, there is the backlash between the guiding housing and the shaft. The third backlash is defined by the pivotal connection between the shaft and the chain link. Consequently, the dies with their axes are supported and movable with respect to the die chambers only with a limited precision. The limited precision and exactness results in the candy mass and the finished product being squeezed. Additionally, there is wear and tear due to the great number of pivotal connections during the rotation of the chain die assembly. The wear and tear has a negative effect on the exactness of the guidance and on the support of the dies. Such a chain die assembly has a certain limited durability or lifetime. When the wear and tear does exceed a certain value, the dimensional accuracy of the candy to be produced decreases, and the portions of the candy that are squeezed are increased to reach an extent which is no longer tolerable. The above described disadvantageous backlash in the prior art not only relates to the support and the guiding of the dies with respect to one another, but additionally, it relates to the pivotal arrangement of the chain links. Each chain link is pivotally supported at two adjacent shafts by a total number of four joints. As with all pivotal connections, the joints require backlash being increased by wear and tear. These numerous but necessary backlashes have a negative effect on the preciseness of the die operation, they result in wear and tear occurring at each pivotal connection, and they reduce the output of the chain die assembly and its lifetime. The above described wear and tear is especially important since the above described pivotal connections are designed as joints being subject to sliding friction without lubricant being used. Additionally, during production powdery sugar components cannot be prevented from entering between the surfaces. Consequently, the powdery sugar components have a substantial abrasive effect also decreasing the durability of the chain die assembly. The known chain die assembly has a strongly limited durability and lifetime, and it may only be operated at a strongly limited velocity with which the chain die assembly circulates. Thus, the power and the output of such a known die apparatus is strongly limited.
It is also known in the art to reduce the number of guiding housings compared to the number of chain links and to the number of shafts by 50 percent such that two adjacent shafts engage one and the same guiding housing. In other words, each guiding housing carries two dies. Consequently, the total number of pivotal connections is reduced. Nevertheless, the reduction does not have an influence on the exactness of the guidance of the dies at the die chambers since the two dies being arranged at one guiding housing work in two adjacent and separate die chambers. The exactness of the reproducibility with which candy is produced is not improved. The great number of joints results in the negative effect of the chain die assembly being lengthened during operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly described, the present invention provides a chain die assembly for producing candy. More particularly, the
Hesse Werner
Lippardt Sven
Markwardt Klaus
Heitbrink Tim
Klockner Hansel Prozesstechnik GmbH
Leyson Joseph
Thomas Kayden Horstemeyer & Risley LLP
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