Extruder nozzle distribution plate with a plurality of valve controlled grooves

Claim 2

A distributor for feeding a confection mix in a plastic state to multiple compartments of an extruder nozzle assembly in which the compartments each constitute a cavity extending axially of a nozzle body open at both ends and a cover plate supporting a feed tube extending therethrough is affixed to the nozzle assembly to extend across the upper end of the cavities, said distributor comprising a distribution plate configured to sealingly fit between said cover plate and said compartments, said plate containing a groove extending across its upper face between a recess in the distribution plate beneath the end of a feed tube and an aperture extending from the groove through the bottom face of said distribution plate into communication with a compartment below, and a valve member having a cylindrical body portion seated for rotation within said aperture with the axis of said body portion coincident with that of said aperture and the sidewall of said body portion extending transversely of said groove, said body portion containing a hole extending from said sidewall area to a lower end of said cylindrical body portion adjacent said aperture and said valve member having a segment extending from the top of said cylindrical body portion through an aperture in said cover plate with the upper end of said segment adapted for engagement with a tool for adjusting the rotational position of said valve member.

Claim 3

An extruder nozzle assembly for extruding lengths of confection mix in a plastic condition in which the cross section of said length constitutes an intricate design of different confections, said assembly comprising a nozzle body open at both ends to define an axially extending cavity, a partition extending axially within said nozzle cavity defining separate compartments establishing the different areas of the intricate design, a plurality of feed tubes each connected to pressurized sources of different confections, a distribution plate positionable over the upper end of said nozzle body to extend transversely of said cavity with the lower face of said plate abuttingly overlying the upper edge of said partition to enclose the top of the partitioned cavity, said distribution plate having grooves extending across the upper face of said distribution plate between a recess in the plate beneath the open end of a feed tube and an aperture extending from the groove through the bottom face of said distribution plate into communication with a compartment below, a cover plate having spaced holes through which the lower end of each of said feed tubes is sealingly supported, means for affixing said cover plate and said distribution plate to the upper portion of said nozzle body to enclose the upper end of the nozzle cavity with the distribution plate sandwiched between the cover plate and nozzle body, and a valve membeR supported for movement relative to said distribution plate, said valve member having a cylindrical body portion seated in said distribution plate at the juncture of said groove and aperture for rotation about the axis of said aperture and a hole extending from a sidewall of said body portion lying across said groove through said body portion to the lower end thereof positioned across said aperture.

Claim 4

An extruder nozzle assembly for extruding lengths of confection mix in a plastic condition in which the cross section of said length constitutes an intricate design of different confections, said assembly comprising a nozzle body open at both ends to define an axially extending cavity, a partition extending axially within said nozzle cavity defining separate compartments establishing the different areas of the intricate design, a plurality of feed tubes each connected to pressurized sources of different confections, a distribution plate positionable over the upper end of said nozzle body to extend transversely of said cavity with the lower face of said plate abuttingly overlying the upper edge of said partition to enclose the top of the partitioned cavity, said distribution plate having grooves extending across the upper face of said distribution plate between a recess in the plate beneath the open end of a feed tube and an aperture extending from the groove through the bottom face of said distribution plate into communication with a compartment below, a cover plate having spaced holes through which the lower end of each of said feed tubes is sealingly supported, means for affixing said cover plate and said distribution plate to the upper portion of said nozzle body to enclose the upper end of the nozzle cavity with the distribution plate sandwiched between the cover plate and nozzle body, and a valve membeR supported for movement relative to said distribution plate, said valve member having a cylindrical body portion seated in said distribution plate at the juncture of said groove and aperture for rotation about the axis of said aperture and a hole extending from a sidewall of said body portion lying across said groove through said body portion to the lower end thereof positioned across said aperture.

Claim 5

In a confection extruder nozzle assembly having a plurality of channels extending axially between an upper cover containing at least one opening through which extends a feed tube connecting to a source of the confection and a lower, open orifice end having the outline shape of the extruded length of confection, the improvement of a distribution plate sealingly fitting between said cover and said channels and containing passages extending transversely across said plate to pass beneath and communicate with an end of said tube with another portion of said passage extending through the thickness of said plate to its lower face into communication with selected ones of said channels, valve means in said passages operable to throttle selectively the flow of confection along the respective passages and means for controlling the setting of each said valve means, said passages including grooves extending across the upper face of said distribution plate underlying said cover to pass beneath an open end of said feed tube with other portions of said grooves connecting with an aperture extending through to the lower face of said plate, said valve means comprising a member shaped as a surface of revolution rotatably supported in a conformingly shaped recess in said plate integral with one of said passages, said member being pierced by a hole having its opposite ends positionable to communicate with portions of said passage on different sides of said recess with the cross sectional area of one of said hole ends in communication with the passage being variable in accordance with the rotational position of said member within said recess, the axis of revolution of said recess extending through the thickness dimension of said plate in alignment with said aperture underlying the lower end of said recess of larger cross sectional area to form a seat supporting the bottom of said rotatable member, said hole extending from the bottom of said member in communication with the underlying aperture to a sidewall of said member of revolution for communication with the groove portion of said passage adjoining the sidewall of said recess of revolution, and said valve setting means comprising an extension of said member protruding through said cover.

Claim 6

In a confection extruder nozzle assembly having a plurality of channels extending axially between an upper cover containing at least one opening through which extends a feed tube connecting to a source of the confection and a lower, open orifice end having the outline shape of the extruded length of confection, the improvement of a distribution plate sealingly fitting between said cover and said channels and containing passages extending transversely across said plate to pass beneath and communicate with an end of said tube with another portion of said passage extending through the thickness of said plate to its lower face into communication with selected ones of said channels, valve means in said passages operable to throttle selectively the flow of confection along the respective passages and means for controlling the setting of each said valve means, said passages including grooves extending across the upper face of said distribution plate underlying said cover to pass beneath an open end of said feed tube with other portions of said grooves connecting with an aperture extending through to the lower face of said plate, said valve means comprising a member shaped as a surface of revolution rotatably supported in a conformingly shaped recess in said plate integral with one of said passages, said member being pierced by a hole having its opposite ends positionable to communicate with portions of said passage on different sides of said recess with the cross sectional area of one of said hole ends in communication with the passage being variable in accordance with the rotational position of said member within said recess, the axis of revolution of said recess extending through the thickness dimension of said plate in alignment with said aperture underlying the lower end of said recess of larger cross sectional area to form a seat supporting the bottom of said rotatable member, said hole extending from the bottom of said member in communication with the underlying aperture to a sidewall of said member of revolution for communication with the groove portion of said passage adjoining the sidewall of said recess of revolution, and said valve setting means comprising an extension of said member protruding through said cover.

Claim 7

In a confection extruder nozzle assembly having a plurality of channels extending axially between an upper cover containing at least one opening through which extends a feed tube connecting to a source of the confection and a lower, open orifice end having the outline shape of the extruded length of confection, the improvement of a distribution plate sealingly fitting between said cover and said channels and containing passages extending transversely across said plate to pass beneath and communicate with an end of said tube with another portion of said passage extending through the thickness of said plate to its lower face into communication with selected ones of said channels, valve means in said passages operable to throttle selectively the flow of confection along the respective passages and means for controlling the setting of each said valve means, said passages including grooves extending across the upper face of said distribution plate underlying said cover to pass beneath said feed tube open end with other portions of said grooves connecting with an aperture extending through to the lower face of said plate, said valve means including a body member supported for movement within said passage with respect to an axis of motion of the body between positions establishing maximum and minimum restrictions to the flow of the confection through said passage and means for supporting said body member with said body member axis of motion extending transversely of the thickness dimension of said distribution plate and overlying cover, and said valve setting means comprising an integral portion of said body member in alignment with said body member axis and adapted for engagement by a tool, said cover having an opening in alignment with each said body member integral portion and said body member axis.

Claim 8

In a confection extruder nozzle assembly having a plurality of channels extending axially between an upper cover containing at least one opening through which extends a feed tube connecting to a source of the confection and a lower, open orifice end having the outline shape of the extruded length of confection, the improvement of a distribution plate sealingly fitting between said cover and said channels and containing passages extending transversely across said plate to pass beneath and communicate with an end of said tube with another portion of said passage extending through the thickness of said plate to its lower face into communication with selected ones of said channels, valve means in said passages operable to throttle selectively the flow of confection along the respective passages and means for controlling the setting of each said valve means, said passages including grooves extending across the upper face of said distribution plate underlying said cover to pass beneath said feed tube open end with other portions of said grooves connecting with an aperture extending through to the lower face of said plate, said valve means including a body member supported for movement within said passage with respect to an axis of motion of the body between positions establishing maximum and minimum restrictions to the flow of the confection through said passage and means for supporting said body member with said body member axis of motion extending transversely of the thickness dimension of said distribution plate and overlying cover, and said valve setting means comprising an integral portion of said body member in alignment with said body member axis and adapted for engagement by a tool, said cover having an opening in alignment with each said body member integral portion and said body member axis.