Apparatus for extruding multi-flavor ice cream products of varied shapes

Claim 1

A device for manufacturing in a substantially continuous stream frozen confections of a variety of outer shapes comprising, an extrusion nozzle having an inlet end and an outlet end and being formed in generally cylindrical shape, at least a portion of said outlet end being formed of a flexible deformable material, the periphery of said outlet end defining the shape of said manufactured confections, mechanical means positioned to interact with said flexible portion of the outlet end of said extrusion nozzle and to vary the shape of the periphery of said nozzle; means for supplying said frozen confection in a plastic state to the inlet end of said nozzle to form a flowing stream through said nozzle; means for severing periodically the flowing stream as it emerges from said nozzle; a first generally tubular compartment mounted within said extrusion nozzle and terminating in an orifice in a plane between said inlet and said outlet end of said nozzle, said tubular compartment having a cross sectional area in a plane transverse the direction of flow of said confection smaller than the cross sectional area of said extrusion nozzle in the plane of the orifice of said tubular compartment; and means for varying the transverse position of the orifice of said compartment within said extrusion nozzle.

Claim 2

A device for manufacturing in a substantially continuous stream frozen confections of a variety of outer shapes comprising, an extrusion nozzle having an inlet end and an outlet end and being formed in generally cylindrical shape, at least a portion of said outlet end being formed of a flexible deformable material, the periphery of said outlet end defining the shape of said manufactured confections, mechanical means positioned to interact with said flexible portion of the outlet end of said extrusion nozzle and to vary the shape of the periphery of said nozzle; means for supplying said frozen confection in a plastic state to the inlet end of said nozzle to form a flowing stream through said nozzle; means for severing periodically the flowing stream as it emerges from said nozzle; a first generally tubular compartment mounted within said extrusion nozzle and terminating in an orifice in a plane between said inlet and said outlet end of said nozzle, said tubular compartment having a cross sectional area in a plane transverse the direction of flow of said confection smaller than the cross sectional area of said extrusion nozzle in the plane of the orifice of said tubular compartment; and means for varying the transverse position of the orifice of said compartment within said extrusion nozzle.

Claim 4

A device for manufacturing in a substantially continuous flow frozen confections having a variable outer shape and including an inner pattern of detail having a variable positioN within said outer shape comprising, a generally cylindrical extrusion chamber having an inlet and and an outlet end, an extrusion shaping element attached to said outlet end, said extrusion shaping element having at least a portion of its periphery formed of a flexible deformable material, the external shape of said frozen confection being formed by the shape of the periphery of said element, a plurality of mechanical actuators positioned to interact with the flexible portion of said element according to a predetermined program to thereby vary the peripheral shape of said element, a plurality of generally tubular compartments enclosed within a common frame and mounted within said chamber, each of said compartments having an inlet end and an outlet orifice, said orifices lying in a plane between the inlet end of said extrustion chamber and said extrusion shaping element, the configuration of said orifices forming the detailed pattern to be included within said confection; actuable means for varying the position of said orifices within said chamber in a plane transverse the axis of said chamber from said inlet end to said outlet end; and means for supplying one color of said frozen confection in a plastic state to the inlet end of said chamber and means for supplying a second color of frozen confection in a plastic state to the inlet end of at least one of said tubular compartments.

Claim 5

A device for manufacturing in a substantially continuous flow frozen confections having a variable outer shape and including an inner pattern of detail having a variable positioN within said outer shape comprising, a generally cylindrical extrusion chamber having an inlet and and an outlet end, an extrusion shaping element attached to said outlet end, said extrusion shaping element having at least a portion of its periphery formed of a flexible deformable material, the external shape of said frozen confection being formed by the shape of the periphery of said element, a plurality of mechanical actuators positioned to interact with the flexible portion of said element according to a predetermined program to thereby vary the peripheral shape of said element, a plurality of generally tubular compartments enclosed within a common frame and mounted within said chamber, each of said compartments having an inlet end and an outlet orifice, said orifices lying in a plane between the inlet end of said extrustion chamber and said extrusion shaping element, the configuration of said orifices forming the detailed pattern to be included within said confection; actuable means for varying the position of said orifices within said chamber in a plane transverse the axis of said chamber from said inlet end to said outlet end; and means for supplying one color of said frozen confection in a plastic state to the inlet end of said chamber and means for supplying a second color of frozen confection in a plastic state to the inlet end of at least one of said tubular compartments.