Confection decorating machine and drive transfer

Claim 2

A decorator for use in combination with an article caRrying conveyor which travels to be decorated along a selected path, which comprises: a dispensing head and means for supplying decorating material to said dispensing head to issue downwardly in strand form therefrom; means for suspending said dispensing head above said conveyor and the articles carried thereby; first eccentric means for imparting back and forth movement of said dispensing head in a direction transverse to said path; second eccentric means for imparting back and forth movement of said dispensing head parallel to said path; and drive means for actuating said first and second eccentric means at at least two different relative speeds with respect to each other but in fixed phase relationship for each such different relative speed.

Claim 3

A decorator as defined in claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a first shaft on which said first eccentric means is mounted, a second shaft on which said second eccentric means is mounted, and a pair of gear sets for selectively imparting a number of speed ratios between said first and second eccentric means.

Claim 4

A decorator as defined in claim 2 including a worm wheel fixed to said first shaft and a motor-driven worm in engagement therewith, one of said gear sets comprising a drive gear fixed to said first shaft on one side of said worm wheel and a driven gear in constant mesh with said drive gear, the other of said gear sets comprising a second drive gear fixed to said first shaft on the other side of said worm wheel and a second driven gear in constant mesh with said second drive gear, said driven gears being rotatably mounted on said second shaft, and means for selectively coupling either one of said driven gears to said second shaft.

Claim 5

In a decorator for use in combination with an article carrying conveyor which travels articles to be decorated along a selected path, said decorator comprising an elongated decorating material discharge pipe having a plurality of apertures therein and aligned in spaced relation to said conveyor transversely of said path, means for supplying decorating material to said discharge pipe to issue downwardly in strand form from the apertures therein, means for suspending said dispensing head above said conveyor as aforesaid, a first crank arm connected to said discharge pipe for reciprocating said pipe back and forth in a direction transverse to said path, a second crank arm connected to said discharge pipe for reciprocating said pipe back and forth in a direction parallel to said path, each crank arm being adjustable to vary the strokes of such back and forth movements and one of said crank arms being selectively adjustable with respect to the other to change the phase relationship between the crank arms, and a single motor driving both crank arms and having a control therefor to vary the rotational speeds of said crank arms with respect to the speed of conveyor travel, the improvement comprising: drive means connecting said motor to said crank arms for selectively rotating said second crank arm in unison with and at twice the speed of said first crank arm whereby movement of said pipe parallel to said path is either in unison with or at twice the frequency of movement thereof transverse to said path.

Claim 6

In a decorator for use in combination with an article carrying conveyor which travels articles to be decorated along a selected path, said decorator comprising an elongated decorating material discharge pipe having a plurality of apertures therein and aligned in spaced relation to said conveyor transversely of said path, means for supplying decorating material to said discharge pipe to issue downwardly in strand form from the apertures therein, means for suspending said dispensing head above said conveyor as aforesaid, a first crank arm connected to said discharge pipe for reciprocating said pipe back and forth in a direction transverse to said path, a second crank arm connected to said discharge pipe for reciprocating said pipe back and forth in a direction parallel to said path, each crank arm being adjustable to vary the strokes of such back and forth movements and one of said crank arms being selectively adjustable with respect to the other to change the phase relationship between the crank arms, and a single motor driving both crank arms and having a control therefor to vary the rotational speeds of said crank arms with respect to the speed of conveyor travel, the improvement comprising: drive means connecting said motor to said crank arms for selectively rotating said second crank arm in unison with and at twice the speed of said first crank arm whereby movement of said pipe parallel to said path is either in unison with or at twice the frequency of movement thereof transverse to said path.

Claim 7

A decorator for use in combination with an article carrying conveyor which travels articles to be decorated along a selected path, which comprises: a dispensing head and means for supplying decorating material to said dispensing head to issue downwardly in strand form therefrom; means for suspending said dispensing head above said conveyor and the articles carried thereby; and compound drive means for imparting movement to said dispensing head simultaneously in a direction back and forth transverse to said path at a first selected frequency and in a direction back and forth parallel to said path at a second selected frequency in which the first and second frequencies may be different.

Claim 8

A decorator for use in combination with an article carrying conveyor which travels articles to be decorated along a selected path, which comprises: a dispensing head and means for supplying decorating material to said dispensing head to issue downwardly in strand form therefrom; means for suspending said dispensing head above said conveyor and the articles carried thereby; and compound drive means for imparting movement to said dispensing head simultaneously in a direction back and forth transverse to said path at a first selected frequency and in a direction back and forth parallel to said path at a second selected frequency in which the first and second frequencies may be different.

Claim 9

A decorator as defined in claim 5 wherein said compound drive means includes means for selectively changing the ratio of said first and second frequencies.

Claim 10

A decorator as defined in claim 6 wherein the means last mentioned is effective to change said ratio between 1/1 and 2/1.

Claim 11

A decorator as defined in claim 7 wherein said second selected frequency is changed between that which is equal to said first selected frequency and that which is twice said first selected frequency.

Claim 12

A decorator as defined in claim 6 wherein said second selected frequency is changed between that which is equal to said first selected frequency and that which is twice said first selected frequency.

Claim 13

A decorator as defined in claim 5 wherein said compound drive means includes means for selectively varying the relative phase between said first and second selected frequencies.

Claim 14

A decorator as defined in claim 10 wherein said compound drive means includes means for selectively changing the ratio of said first and second frequencies.

Claim 15

A decorator as defined in claim 11 wherein the means last mentioned is effective to change said ratio between 1/1 and 2/1.

Claim 16

A decorator as defined in claim 10 wherein said second selected frequency is changed between that which is equal to said first selected frequency and that which is twice said first selected frequency.