Apparatus for making rolled wafer cones

• US 4,694,741 A
• Filed: 09/08/1986
• Issued: 09/22/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Franz HAAS Waffelmaschinen IndustrieGmbH
• Original Assignee: Franz HAAS Waffelmaschinen IndustrieGmbH
• Inventors: Haas, Johann, Haas, Franz Jr., Haas, Franz Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feldbaum, Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/904,898
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 99/353, 99/354, 99/382, 99/383, 425/319, 425/322, 426/501, 426/514, 426/138
• US Class Current: 99/354
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 5/026 for baking waffle cups or cones
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 15/025 Apparatus for shaping or moulding baked wafers, e.g. to obtain cones for ice cream

Abstract

In an apparatus for making a rolled wafer cone from a baked flat wafer blank made from a sugar-containing wafer dough, the baked wafer blank is rolled to form a wafer cone in a winding mold while the wafer blank is still in a soft, deformable state after the baking operation. Thereafter the rolled wafer cone is permitted to harden. In order to ensure the production of wafer cones having consistently exactly the same shape, it is proposed that the wafer cone which is unrestrained at least in part is shortened in the winding mold to a predetermined length while the wafer cone is adapted to be plastically deformed. For this purpose the rolled wafer cone disposed in the winding mold is subjected to a plastic deformation only at one end or only at both ends. The apparatus includes means of winding devices, which are mounted on a rotary frame and each of which comprises a conical winding core, which is secured to a winding shaft that is displaceable relative to the rotary frame to move the conical winding into and out of the winding mold. Each winding device is provided with at least one sizing device, which is associated with the rim of the wafer cone and comprises at least one pressure-applying finger, which is adapted to be introduced between the winding mold and the winding core.

Claims

1. Apparatus for making a rolled wafer cone having an annular cone rim and a closed cone tip, which comprises

(a) wafer-baking oven for baking a plastically deformable, flat wafer blank of a sugar-containing dough, the blank having a circumferentially extending rim and the oven having a delivery station for the baked flat wafer blank, and

(b) a rolling apparatus having a blank-receiving station facing the oven delivery station for receiving the baked flat wafer blank to be rolled into the wafer cone and a rolling apparatus delivery station for delivering the rolled wafer cone, the rolling apparatus comprising:

(1) a rotary frame rotatable about an axis and having a circumference surrounding the axis, and

(2) a plurality of winding devices spaced from each other along the circumference of the frame and mounted thereon for rotation therewith between the blank-receiving and delivery stations of the rolling apparatus, each winding device comprising;

(i) a winding mold having a conical inside surface defining a conical cavity having a longitudinal axis, a wide open end and a narrow end opposite thereto, the winding mold having a slot for introducing the baked flat wafer blank into the conical cavity,

(ii) a rotatable winding shaft extending coaxially with the longitudinal winding mold cavity axis and parallel to the rotary frame axis, the winding shaft being axially displaceable and having an end facing the winding mold,

(iii) a conical winding core secured to the winding shaft end for rotation therwith and movable into the conical winding mold cavity upon axial displacement of the winding shaft whereby the conical inside surfaces of the winding mold and the conical winding core define a gap receiving the plastically deformable, flat baked wafer blank through the slot in the winding mold for rolling the wafer blank into the wafer cone upon rotation of the winding shaft and winding core secured thereto while the rim of the blank remains unrestrained and a portion of the unrestrained blank rim forms the cone rim, and

(iv) a sizing device for plastically deforming the cone rim of the rolled wafer cone until it has an accurately defined annular rim and an accurately defined length extending between the cone rim and cone tip.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sizing device comprises a pressure-applying finger movable into the gap between the conical inside surfaces of the winding mold and the conical winding core, the pressure-applying finger having an end engageable with the rolled wafer blank in the range of the cone rim for plastically deforming the same.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sizing device comprises a plurality of said pressure-applying fingers the ends of which define a closed circle upon engagement with the cone rim.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the end of the pressure-applying finger has an obliquely extending face for engagement with the cone rim.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the winding mold has an axially extending groove in the range of the wide open end of the conical cavity, the groove being open towards the conical cavity and slidably receiving the pressure-applying finger, the end of the finger having a radially extending thickness exceeding that of the gap.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sizing device is axially slidably mounted on the winding shaft and comprises at least one pressure-applying finger movable into the gap between the conical inside surface of the winding mold and the conical winding core, the pressure-applying finger having an end engageable with the rolled wafer blank in the range of the cone rim for plastically deforming the same.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the pressure-applying finger is axially slidable along a conical surface extending coaxially with the winding mold.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the pressure-applying finger is axially slidable along a cylindrical surface extending coaxially with the winding mold.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sizing device is axially slidably mounted on the winding shaft and comprises

(a) a backing disc mounted on the winding shaft and movable into engagement with the winding mold upon axial sliding of the sizing device and

(b) a carrier movably mounted on the winding shaft for movement therealong towards and away from the backing disc,

(1) at least one pressure-applying finger being mounted on the carrier for slidable movement into the gap between the inside surface of the winding mold and the winding core, the pressure-applying finger having an end engageable with the rolled wafer blank in the range of the cone rim for plastically deforming the same, and

(2) the backing disc defining a slot arranged to receive the pressure-applying finger during the slidable movement thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the pressure-applying finger is axially slidable along a conical surface extending coaxially with the winding mold.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the pressure-applying finger is axially slidable along a cylindrical surface extending coaxially with the winding mold.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a roller mounted on the carrier and cooperating with stationary camming means for controlling the movement of the carrier along the winding shaft in dependence on the rotation of the rotary frame.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the backing disc has a first conical centering surface facing the winding mold and the winding mold has a second conical centering surface facing the first conical centering surface and engageable therewith for centering the sizing device with respect to the winding mold.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a further sizing device arranged to deform the cone tip of the rolled wafer blank until the wafer cone has an accurately defined length extending between the cone rim and cone tip.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, the narrow end of the winding mold has a coaxially extending bore and the further sizing device has a pressure-applying finger slidably mounted in the bore for projecting into the conical cavity and displaceable into engagement with the cone tip for deforming the same.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the further sizing device comprises a carrier for the pressure-applying finger, the carrier being slidably mounted on the winding device for displacement parallel to the winding shaft, and a roller mounted on the carrier and cooperating with stationary camming means for controlling the movement of the carrier along the winding device in dependence on the rotation of the rotary frame for displacement of the pressure-applying finger.

17. Apparatus for making a rolled wafer cone having an annular cone rim and a closed cone tip from a baked, plastically deformable, flat wafer blank of a sugar-containing dough, the blank having a circumferentially extending rim, which comprises

(a) a rotary frame rotatable about an axis and having a circumference surrounding the axis, and

(b) a plurality of winding devices spaced from each other along the circumference of the frame and mounted thereon for rotation therewith between a blank-receiving station and a delivery station for the rolled wafer cone, each winding device comprising

(1) a winding mold having a conical inside surface defining a conical cavity having a longitudinal axis, a wide open end and a narrow end opposite thereto, the winding mold having a slot for introducing the baked flat wafer blank into the conical cavity,

(2) a rotatable winding shaft extending coaxially with the longitudinal winding mold cavity axis and parallel to the rotary frame axis, the winding shaft being axially displaceable and having an end facing the winding mold,

(3) a conical winding core secured to the winding shaft end for rotation therewith and movable into the conical winding mold cavity upon axial displacement of the winding shaft whereby the conical inside surface of the winding mold and the conical winding core define a gap receiving the plastically deformable, flat baked wafer blank through the slot in the winding mold for rolling the wafer blank into the wafer cone upon rotation of the winding shaft and winding core secured thereto while the rim of the blank remains unrestrained and a portion of the unrestrained blank rim forms the cone rim, and

(4) a sizing device for plastically deforming the cone rim of the rolled wafer cone until it has an accurately defined annular rim and an accurately defined length extending between the cone rim and cone tip.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sizing device comprises a pressure-applying finger movable into the gap between the conical inside surface of the winding mold and the conical winding core, the pressure-applying finger having an end engageable with the rolled wafer blank in the range of the cone rim for plastically deforming the same.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the sizing device comprises a plurality of said pressure-applying fingers the ends of which define a closed circle upon engagement with the cone rim.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the end of the pressure-applying finger has an obliquely extending face for engagement with the cone rim.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the winding mold has an axially extending groove in the range of the wide open end of the conical cavity, the groove being open towards the conical cavity and slidably receiving the pressure-applying finger, the end of the finger having a radially extending thickness exceeding that of the gap.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sizing device is axially slidably mounted on the winding shaft and comprises at least one pressure-applying finger movable into the gap between the conical inside surface of the winding mold and the conical winding core, the pressure-applying finger having an end engageable with the rolled wafer blank in the range of the cone rim for plastically deforming the same.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the pressure-applying finger is axially slidable along a conical surface extending coaxially with the winding mold.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the pressure-applying finger is axially slidable along a cylindrical surface extending coaxially with the winding mold.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sizing device is axially slidably mounted on the winding shaft and comprises:

(a) a backing disc mounted on the winding shaft and movable into engagement with the winding mold upon axial sliding of the sizing device and

(b) a carrier movably mounted on the winding shaft for movement therealong towards and away from the backing disc,

(1) at least one pressure-applying finger being mounted on the carrier for slidable movement into the gap between the inside surface of the winding mold and the winding core, the pressure-applying finger having an end engageable with the rolled wafer blank in the range of the cone rim for plastically deforming the same, and

(2) the backing disc defining a slot arranged to receive the pressure-applying finger during the slidable movement thereof.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the pressure-applying finger is axially slidable along a conical surface extending coaxially with the winding mold.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the pressure-applying finger is axially slidable along a cylindrical surface extending coaxially with the winding mold.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a roller mounted on the carrier and cooperating with stationary camming means for controlling the movement of the carrier along the winding shaft in dependence on the rotation of the rotary frame.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the backing disc has a first conical centering surface facing the winding mold and the winding mold has a second conical centering surface facing the first conical centering surface and engageable therewith for centering the sizing device with respect to the winding mold.

30. The apparatus of claim 17, comprising a further sizing device arranged to deform the cone tip of the rolled wafer blank until the wafer cone has an accurately defined length extending between the cone rim and cone tip.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, the narrow end of the winding mold has a coaxially extending bore and the further sizing device has a pressure-applying finger slidably mounted in the bore for projecting into the conical cavity and displaceable into engagement with the cone tip for deforming the same.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the further sizing device comprises a carrier for the pressure-applying finger, the carrier being slidably mounted on the winding device for displacement parallel to the winding shaft, and a roller mounted on the carrier and cooperating with stationary camming means for controlling the movement of the carrier along the winding device in dependence on the rotation of the rotary frame for displacement of the pressure-applying finger.

33. A winding device for making a rolled wafer cone having an annular cone rim and a closed cone tip from a baked, plastically deformable, flat wafer blank of a sugar-containing dough, which comprises:

(a) a winding mold having a conical inside surface defining a conical cavity having a longitudinal axis, a wide open end and a narrow end opposite thereto, the winding mold having a slot for introducing the baked flat wafer blank into the conical cavity,

(b) a rotatable winding shaft extending coaxially with the longitudinal winding mold cavity axis and parallel to the rotary frame axis, the winding shaft being axially displaceable and having an end facing the winding mold,

(c) a conical winding core secured to the winding shaft end for rotation therewith and movable into the conical winding mold cavity upon axial displacement of the winding shaft whereby the conical inside surface of the winding mold and the conical winding core define a gap receiving the plastically deformable, flat baked wafer blank through the slot in the winding mold for rolling the wafer blank into the wafer cone upon rotation of the winding shaft and winding core secured thereto while the rim of the blank remains unrestrained and a portion of the unrestrained blank rim forms the cone rim, and

(d) a sizing device for plastically deforming the cone rim of the rolled wafer cone until it has an accurately defined annular rim and an accurately defined length extending between the cone rim and cone tip.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the sizing device comprises a pressure-applying finger movable into the gap between the conical inside surface of the winding mold and the conical winding core, the pressure-applying finger having an end engageable with the rolled wafer blank in the range of the cone rim for plastically deforming the same.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the sizing device comprises a plurality of said pressure-applying fingers the ends of which define a closed circle upon engagement with the cone rim.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the end of the pressure-applying finger has an obliquely extending face for engagement with the cone rim.

37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the winding mold has an axially extending groove in the range of the wide open end of the conical cavity, the groove being open towards the conical cavity and slidably receiving the pressure-applying finger, the end of the finger having a radially extending thickness exceeding that of the gap.

38. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the sizing device is axially slidably mounted on the winding shaft and comprises at least one pressure-applying finger movable into the gap between the conical inside surface of the winding mold and the conical winding core, the pressure-applying finger having an end engageable with the rolled wafer blank in the range of the cone rim for plastically deforming the same.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the pressure-applying finger is axially slidable along a conical surface extending coaxially with the winding mold.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the pressure-applying finger is axially slidable along a cylindrical surface extending coaxially with the winding mold.

41. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the sizing device is axially slidably mounted on the winding shaft and comprises:

(a) a backing disc mounted on the winding shaft and movable into engagement with the winding mold upon axial sliding of the sizing device and

(b) a carrier movably mounted on the winding shaft for movement therealong towards and away from the backing disc,

(1) at least one pressure-applying finger being mounted on the carrier for slidable movement into the gap between the inside surface of the winding mold and the winding core, the pressure-applying finger having an end engageable with the rolled wafer blank in the range of the cone rim for plastically deforming the same, and

(2) the backing disc defining a slot arranged to receive the pressure-applying finger during the slidable movement thereof.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the pressure-applying finger is axially slidable along a conical surface extending coaxially with the winding mold.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the pressure-applying finger is axially slidable along the cylindrical surface extending coaxially with the winding mold.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising a roller mounted on the carrier and cooperating with stationary camming means for controlling the movement of the carrier along the winding shaft in dependence on the rotation of the rotary frame.

45. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the backing disc has a first conical centering surface facing the winding mold and the winding mold has a second conical centering surface facing the first conical centering surface and engageable therewith for centering the sizing device with respect to the winding mold.

46. The apparatus of claim 33, comprising a further sizing device arranged to deform the cone tip of the rolled wafer blank until the wafer cone has an accurately defined length extending between the cone rim and cone tip.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, the narrow end of the winding mold has a coaxially extending bore and the further sizing device has a pressure-applying finger slidably mounted in the bore for projecting into the conical cavity and displaceable into engagement with the cone tip for deforming the same.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the further sizing device comprises a carrier for the pressure-applying finger, the carrier being slidably mounted on the winding device for displacement parallel to the winding shaft, and a roller mounted on the carrier and cooperating with stationary camming means for controlling the movement of the carrier along the winding device in dependence on the rotation of the rotary frame for displacement of the pressure-applying finger.