Independent mold frozen confection machine

Claim 2

Freeze molding apparatus comprising a freezing tank, means for intermittently advancing a line of independent filled molds through said tank, means for simultaneously introducing a filled mold into one end of the tank and removing a frozen product mold from the other end, means for intermittently advancing a line of frozen product molds removed from the tank along an extraction path, means for applying an extractor bar to molds along said extraction path, means for simultaneously removing an extractor bar and the frozen product at a point that is farther along said path, and means rendering said intermittent advancing means for both the molds in the tank and along the extraction path simultaneous in operation.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said molds are independent of one another and not secured to a chain or the like, a mold filler is disposed at said one end of the tank; and wherein means are provided for returning molds along a path leading from said extraction path to the mold filler.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said means for advancing the molds through said tank advances them in substantially edge to edge relation, and wherein said mold returns means substantially increases the center to center spacing of the molds.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a wash station is provided along said mold return path, and means are provided for bunching up the molds at various positions in said wash station.

Claim 6

Apparatus for performing a freeze molding operation on food products or the like having projecting sticks, said apparatus having elongated freezing and extraction stations; the improvement wherein said stations have side rails, a line of molds formed in transverse, non-connected rows depending from mold bars the ends of which are supported on said rails, means for intermittently advancing the rows of molds through said stations, said extractor means comprising an endless extractor bar conveyor having a descending reach adjacent said freezing station and an ascending reach at said extraction station, said extractor bar conveyor having receivers spaced therealong for slidably receiving and supporting extractor bars, means for sliding extractor bars into said receivers at a position above said extraction station, means for indexing said extractor bar conveyor to position a receiver on each vertical reach of the extractor bar conveyor at said extraction station side rails thereby applying an extractor bar to a row of molds at said descending reach, means for sliding extractor bars through a receiver on the descending reach and sliding an extractor bar into a receiver on the ascending reach at the extraction station, the indexing of said extractor conveyor also lifting the extractor bar previously slid into a receiver on its ascending reach for extracting the frozen defrosted products from the molds at said extraction station.

Claim 7

Apparatus for performing a freeze molding operation on food products or the like having projecting sticks, said apparatus having elongated freezing and extraction stations; the improvement wherein said stations have side rails, a line of molds formed in transverse, non-connected rows depending from mold bars the ends of which are supported on said rails, means for intermittently advancing the rows of molds through said stations, said extractor means comprising an endless extractor bar conveyor having a descending reach adjacent said freezing station and an ascending reach at said extraction station, said extractor bar conveyor having receivers spaced therealong for slidably receiving and supporting extractor bars, means for sliding extractor bars into said receivers at a position above said extraction station, means for indexing said extractor bar conveyor to position a receiver on each vertical reach of the extractor bar conveyor at said extraction station side rails thereby applying an extractor bar to a row of molds at said descending reach, means for sliding extractor bars through a receiver on the descending reach and sliding an extractor bar into a receiver on the ascending reach at the extraction station, the indexing of said extractor conveyor also lifting the extractor bar previously slid into a receiver on its ascending reach for extracting the frozen defrosted products from the molds at said extraction station.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5, comprising product removal side rails above said extraction station side rails and leading away from the ascending reach of said extractor bar conveyor, and means for sliding the extractor bars that supports the frozen defrosted products out of receivers on the ascending reach of said extractor bar conveyor onto said product removal side rails.

Claim 9

Freeze molding apparatus of the type comprising a freezing tank, transverse rows of molds, means for filling empty molds at one end of the tank, a conveyor for lowering filled molds into the tank, means for advancing a line of transverse rows of molds through the tank; and conveyors for elevating molds with frozen products from the other end of the tank; the improvement wherein said tank has side rails, said transverse rows of molds depending from mold bars that are not connected and have end portions for sliding along said side rails in edge to edge contact, said mold lowering and elevating conveyors each comprising an endless conveyor having ascending and descending reaches with receivers spaced along said conveyors for receiving the end portions of said mold bars, means for sliding the end portions of mold bars with filled molds into receivers on the descending reach of said lowering conveyor, means for indexing said lowering conveyor to bring said mold bars onto said freezing tank side rails, said means for advancing the line of molds through the tank sliding. The end portions of mold bars supporting frozen products into receivers on the ascending reach of said elevating conveyor, and means for indexing said elevating conveyor for elevating molds out of said tank.

Claim 10

Freeze molding apparatus of the type comprising a freezing tank, transverse rows of molds, means for filling empty molds at one end of the tank, a conveyor for lowering filled molds into the tank, means for advancing a line of transverse rows of molds through the tank; and conveyors for elevating molds with frozen products from the other end of the tank; the improvement wherein said tank has side rails, said transverse rows of molds depending from mold bars that are not connected and have end portions for sliding along said side rails in edge to edge contact, said mold lowering and elevating conveyors each comprising an endless conveyor having ascending and descending reaches with receivers spaced along said conveyors for receiving the end portions of said mold bars, means for sliding the end portions of mold bars with filled molds into receivers on the descending reach of said lowering conveyor, means for indexing said lowering conveyor to bring said mold bars onto said freezing tank side rails, said means for advancing the line of molds through the tank sliding. The end portions of mold bars supporting frozen products into receivers on the ascending reach of said elevating conveyor, and means for indexing said elevating conveyor for elevating molds out of said tank.

Claim 11

Apparatus of claim 7 of the type wherein means are provided for extracting the mold bars and frozen product from the molds after they have been removed from said tank; the improvement comprising a lowerator conveyor for lowering the unconnected mold bars supporting empty molds, mold return side rails beneath said tank, said lowering conveyor including means for depositing the mold bar end portions on said mold return side rails with the molds inverted, means for advancing the mold bars with empty molds along said mold return side rails while spacing the mold bars by a distance of several inches, and an empty mold elevator for conveying empty molds from said mold return side rails vertically back to the mold filler.