Machine for production of frozen confections

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR PRODUCING FROZEN CONFECTIONS: A RIGID FRAMEWORK; AN OPERATING CONVEYOR SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAMEWORK, SAID OPERATING CONVEYOR HAVING A PLURALITY OF CARRIERS SPACED ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF AND INTERRELATED WITH SAID CONVEYOR SO AS TO DEFINE THE ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP OF SAID CARRIERS RELATIVE TO SAID FRAMEWORK; A PLURALITY OF OUTWARDLY EXTENDING NEEDLES FIXED AT THEIR INNER ENDS TO EACH OF SAID CARRIERS IN TRANSVERSELY SPACED PARALLEL POSITIONS LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED WITH THE RESPECTIVE NEEDLES OF THE REMAINING CARRIERS, SAID CONVEYOR INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL UPPER FLIGHT OVER WHICH SAID NEEDLES ARE MAINTAINED IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID OPERATING CONVEYOR; A PLURALITY OF HOPPERS FIXED TO SAID FRAMEWORK ABOVE SAID OPERATING FRAMEWORK, EACH INCLUDING A LOADING CHAMBER IN LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE NEEDLES ADAPTED TO RESTRICT MOVEMENT OF OBJECTS WITHIN THE LOADING CHAMBER WHILE THE OBJECTS ARE BEING IMPALED ON THE NEEDLES BY MOVEMENT OF SAID OPERATING CONVEYOR, SAID CHAMBERS BEING SITUATED ON SAID FRAMEWORK IN SUCH POSITIONS THAT THE CENTER OF THE OBJECTS HELD THEREIN ARE AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID NEEDLES, THE BOTTOM WALLS OF SAID CHAMBERS BEING LONGITUDINALLY SLOTTED TO RECEIVE THE NEEDLES AND THE MOUNTING BRACKETS THEREFOR; GATE MEANS COVERING THE END OF EACH CHAMBER LAST ENCOUNTERED BY THE MOVING CARRIERS; BIASING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID GATE AND TO SAID FRAMEWORK ADAPTED TO URGE SAID GATE MEANS TO A CLOSED POSITION; AND MEANS ON SAID CARRIERS OPERATIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID GATE MEANS ADAPTED TO RELEASE SAID GATE MEANS WHEN ENGAGED THEREWITH DURING PASSAGE OF EACH CARRIER BENEATH SAID HOPPERS.