Method and apparatus for releasing frozen confections from molds

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR RELEASING FROZEN CONFECTIONS FROM MOLD SECTIONS OF A MOLD MEMBER, THE CONTENTS OF WHICH HAVE BEEN FROZEN IN A BRINE SOLUTION, EACH OF SAID MOLD SECTIONS HAVING ADHERING THERETO DROPLETS OF BRINE, THE COMBINATION OF A TANK ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A HOT FLUID BATH, A PLATFORM MOUNTED WITHIN SAID TANK FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT THEREIN AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE MOLD SECTIONS CONTAINING THE FROZEN CONFECTIONS AS THEY ARE SEQUENTIALLY INTRODUCED INTO SAID TANK, A PLURALITY OF SPRINGS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK AND THE PLATFORM FOR NORMALLY URGING THE PLATFORM TO ITS ELEVATED POSITION AND FOR LIMITING THE DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF THE PLATFORM WHEN A MOLD CONTAINING THE FROZEN CONFECTIONS IS DEPOSITED UPON THE PLATFORM, AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE HOT FLUID BATH AT A PREDETERMINED LEVEL BELOW THE UPPER EDGE OF THE MOLD MEMBER, AND A PLURALITY OF LEGS HAVING TELESCOPIC SECTIONS EACH OF WHICH IS SURROUNDED BY ONE OF SAID SPRINGS, ONE OF THE TELESCOPIC SECTIONS BEING MOUNTED ON THE PLATFORM AND THE OTHER TELESCOPIC SECTION BEING MOUNTED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF SOFTENING FOR QUICK RELEASE A FROZEN CONFECTION CONTAINED IN MOLDS COMPRISING IMMERSING SAID MOLDS HAVING ADHERING THERETO PRIOR TO IMMERSION IN THE SOFTENING BATH DROPLETS OF BRINE SOLUTION COMPRISING SEQUENTIALLY INTRODUCING THE MOLDS INTO A HOT FLUID BATH TO SOFTEN THE FROZEN CONTENTS OF THE MOLDS WHILE RESILIENTLY AND TELESCOPICALLY SUPPORTING FOR LIMITED DOWNWARD MOVEMENT THE MOLDS WITHIN SAID BATH WITH THOSE PORTIONS OF THE MOLDS CONTAINING THE FROZEN CONFECTION IMMERSED IN THE HOT LIQUID AND THE UPPER EDGE OF EACH OF THE MOLDS AT A LEVEL ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE HOT LIQUID TO PREVENT OVERFLOW OF THE HOT FLUID BATH ONTO THE FROZEN CONFECTION AND MAINTAINING THE HOT FLUID BATH AT A PREDETERMINED LEVEL BY CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING THERETO FLOWING WARM WATER AND CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING A PORTION OF THE HOT BATH.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF SOFTENING FOR QUICK RELEASE A FROZEN CONFECTION CONTAINED IN MOLDS COMPRISING IMMERSING SAID MOLDS HAVING ADHERING THERETO PRIOR TO IMMERSION IN THE SOFTENING BATH DROPLETS OF BRINE SOLUTION COMPRISING SEQUENTIALLY INTRODUCING THE MOLDS INTO A HOT FLUID BATH TO SOFTEN THE FROZEN CONTENTS OF THE MOLDS WHILE RESILIENTLY AND TELESCOPICALLY SUPPORTING FOR LIMITED DOWNWARD MOVEMENT THE MOLDS WITHIN SAID BATH WITH THOSE PORTIONS OF THE MOLDS CONTAINING THE FROZEN CONFECTION IMMERSED IN THE HOT LIQUID AND THE UPPER EDGE OF EACH OF THE MOLDS AT A LEVEL ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE HOT LIQUID TO PREVENT OVERFLOW OF THE HOT FLUID BATH ONTO THE FROZEN CONFECTION AND MAINTAINING THE HOT FLUID BATH AT A PREDETERMINED LEVEL BY CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING THERETO FLOWING WARM WATER AND CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING A PORTION OF THE HOT BATH.