Apparatus for the continuous treatment of confectionery ingredients

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF A MIXTURE OF INGREDIENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR CONFECTIONERY, COMPRISING A TREATMENT UNIT HAVING A COAXIAL CORE AND AN OUTER TUBULAR WALL DEFINING AN ANNULAR TREATMENT ZONE, MEANS FO DISTRIBUTING THE MIXTURE IN A THIN LAYER FROM ABOUT 1 TO 2 MILLIMETERS IN THICKNESS WITHIN A SECTION OF SAID ANNULAR TREATMENT ZONE. MEANS FOR PROPELLING AND AGITATING SAID LAYER AND FOR CAUSING SAID LAYER TO TRAVEL THROUGH SAID ZONE, MEANS FOR HEATING THE 1 TO 2 MILLIMETER THICKNESS SECTION OF SAID ANNULAR TREATMENT ZONE AND MEANS FOR COOLING ANOTHER SECTION OF SAID ANNULAR TREATMENT ZONE SO THAT SAID MIXTURE IS CARRIED THROUGH A HEATING ZONE AND THEN THROUGH A COOLING ZONE, MEANS FOR ELIMINATING WATER VAPOR FROM SAID MIXTURE WHILE TRAVERSING SAID COOLING ZONE, SAID MEANS FOR COOLING ANOTHER SECTION, COOLS SAID OUTER TUBULAR WALL OF SAID ANNULAR TREATMENT ZONE OF SAID ANOTHER SECTION, SAID COAXIAL CORE COMPRISING A FEED SCREW DISPOSED WITHIN SAID OUTER TUBULAR WALL, SAID FEED SCREW HAVING A RELATIVELY LARGE CORE PASSING THROUGH SAID HEATING ZONE TO DEFINE A THIN ANNULAR ZONE FROM ABOUT 1 TO 2 MILLIMETERS IN THICKNESS THROUGH WHICH SAID MIXTURE IS FED AND IS MAINTAINED IN CONTACT WITH SAID FEED SCREW AND SIAD OUTER TUBULAR WALL, WATER VAPOR EXIT APERTURES FORMED IN SAID OUTER WALL, AND MEANS TO CAUSE THE MIXTURE TO TRAVEL MORE SLOWLY THROUGH SAID COOLING ZONE THAN THROUGH SAID HEATING ZONE.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF A MIXTURE OF INGREDIENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR CONFECTIONERY, COMPRISING A TREATMENT UNIT HAVING A COAXIAL CORE AND AN OUTER TUBULAR WALL DEFINING AN ANNULAR TREATMENT ZONE, MEANS FO DISTRIBUTING THE MIXTURE IN A THIN LAYER FROM ABOUT 1 TO 2 MILLIMETERS IN THICKNESS WITHIN A SECTION OF SAID ANNULAR TREATMENT ZONE. MEANS FOR PROPELLING AND AGITATING SAID LAYER AND FOR CAUSING SAID LAYER TO TRAVEL THROUGH SAID ZONE, MEANS FOR HEATING THE 1 TO 2 MILLIMETER THICKNESS SECTION OF SAID ANNULAR TREATMENT ZONE AND MEANS FOR COOLING ANOTHER SECTION OF SAID ANNULAR TREATMENT ZONE SO THAT SAID MIXTURE IS CARRIED THROUGH A HEATING ZONE AND THEN THROUGH A COOLING ZONE, MEANS FOR ELIMINATING WATER VAPOR FROM SAID MIXTURE WHILE TRAVERSING SAID COOLING ZONE, SAID MEANS FOR COOLING ANOTHER SECTION, COOLS SAID OUTER TUBULAR WALL OF SAID ANNULAR TREATMENT ZONE OF SAID ANOTHER SECTION, SAID COAXIAL CORE COMPRISING A FEED SCREW DISPOSED WITHIN SAID OUTER TUBULAR WALL, SAID FEED SCREW HAVING A RELATIVELY LARGE CORE PASSING THROUGH SAID HEATING ZONE TO DEFINE A THIN ANNULAR ZONE FROM ABOUT 1 TO 2 MILLIMETERS IN THICKNESS THROUGH WHICH SAID MIXTURE IS FED AND IS MAINTAINED IN CONTACT WITH SAID FEED SCREW AND SIAD OUTER TUBULAR WALL, WATER VAPOR EXIT APERTURES FORMED IN SAID OUTER WALL, AND MEANS TO CAUSE THE MIXTURE TO TRAVEL MORE SLOWLY THROUGH SAID COOLING ZONE THAN THROUGH SAID HEATING ZONE.