Abstract: An improved system for treating material proceeding continuously through a processing barrel having at least twin interconnected cylinders with saddle portions of generally V cross section at the points of interconnection of the cylinders. Twin rotating parallel mixer shafts, co-axially mounted in the cylinders, have radially interwiping screw or paddle elements between a material charging inlet and a material discharging outlet which are configured to wipe the cylinders including the saddle portions. Sets of paddle elements, each of which includes a cylinder closing paddle, are provided on the shafts at a flow control station between the inlet and outlet, and a movable flow-controlling saddle or valve element is mounted with relation to the cylinder closing paddle sets in a position such that it can be moved from an opened position to a position to restrict or block flow past the sets of paddle elements.

Abstract: A skin packaging machine for the continuous production of air-free skin packages comprising a suction box, a perforated conveyor for traversing over the suction box an imperforate lower web of thermoplastic material carrying spaced articles to be packaged, means for feeding a heated imperforate upper web of thermoplastic material towards the lower web and guiding its edges into contact with the upper surface of the lower web as the latter travels over the suction box and a thermoforming unit, disposed between a supply reel for the lower web and the conveyor, which is operative to impose a dimpled upper surface on the lower web, said thermoforming unit being constituted by a heated drum and an adjoining thermoforming drum around both of which the lower web is passed, and the thermoforming drum having an air-permeable and dimpled peripheral surface and including means for applying suction to the interior thereof.

Abstract: Articles which nest, such as baking pans, are assembled into a stack by a two-stage lift mechanism in which the assembly of a second stack is commenced while a previously assembled first stack is being discharged from the stack forming apparatus, so that the flow of pans into the apparatus need not be interrupted. Articles such as pans are fed in succession into a stacking station at which the articles are aligned with a vertical path and then dropped. A first stage lift receives the articles and is lowered one step upon the receipt of each article until the first stage lift is lowered to a transfer station. At the transfer station, support of the stack of articles is transferred to a second stage lift which is similarly lowered one step upon the addition of each subsequent article to the stack until a preselected number of articles have been accumulated in the stack.

Abstract: A bowl type centrifuge for separating solids and liquids from mixtures in which the rotary differential speed between the centrifuge bowl and an internal conveying scroll is established by variably augmenting the frictional torque imparted to the bowl by the mixture driven in rotation by the scroll. The scroll is directly driven in rotation by a drive motor. The mixture to be separated is in turn driven in rotation by the rotating scroll and the frictional drag between the rotating mixture and the inner surface of the bowl induces rotation of the bowl. The speed of rotation of the bowl thus induced is less than that of the scroll, thus creating a rotary speed differential which enables the scroll to convey solid particles of the mixture axially toward one end of the bowl.

Abstract: To compact a sand-binder mixture in a mould or core box and subsequently apply a hardening gas to the mixture, I apply to the open top of the box a fluid-pervious diaphragm backed by an impervious diaphragm, apply suction to the bottom of the box to draw the diaphragm against the top of the mixture and compact the mixture, and subsequently introduce the hardening gas between the diaphragms so that it passes through the first diaphragm and permeates the mixture within the box.

Abstract: A candy making system wherein a viscous candy mass is cooked and continuously fed through a closed chamber reactor wherein a gas, such as air under pressure, is homogeneously intermixed with the continuously proceeding melt product stream to incorporate gas bubbles of a predetermined microscopic size therein. The candy is cooked at a temperature well below its heat degradation temperature until a relatively high viscosity mass is obtained and the cooked viscosity is substantially maintained during the passage of the mass through the reactor chamber while elongated bubbles repeatedly created in the mass are repeatedly sliced when the product is forced through reduced size openings and a knife moves through the product at a speed such as to slice the elongated bubbles. The product is discharged from the chamber to atmosphere at the bubble slicing viscosity which may be described as "taffy-like".

Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparing foundry moulds or cores from a cold-setting sand based foundry mixture. The foundry mixture is introduced to a mould or core box and during setting of the mixture in the box suction is applied to the box to accelerate the setting time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for filling a foundry mould or core box with a sand-based foundry moulding mixture. The mixture is blown into the box under pressure while suction is applied to the box.

Abstract: A depositor for effecting simultaneous deposition of two different confectionery materials into a mold beneath it to form in the mold a deposit consisting of a center surrounded by shell material, the depositor comprising separate hoppers disposed out of contact with one another and serving respectively for the reception of the two materials, an independently controllable heater associated with each hopper, conduits extending from the hoppers to a nozzle assembly constituted by coaxially disposed inner and outer nozzles disposed beneath the hoppers, and pumping mechanism for discharging material from one hopper through one conduit to the inner nozzle and from the other hopper through the other conduit to the outer nozzle, the inner nozzle being thermally insulated from the surrounding components and having an upper portion which extends above the nozzle assembly to provide a heat-dissipating surface.

Abstract: An oven fueling system providing a chamber for food products exposed to at least one assembly of ribbon burners for heating the chamber atmosphere. An air heater is provided for transmitting pre-heated air through a conduit to a mixer aspirator leading to the header of the assembly. An oil line connects with the conduit upstream of the aspirator mixer for supplying oil to be injected into the preheated air passing through and a gas line communicates with the conduit for supplying gas to the conduit selectively with the oil line supply. Valves thus isolate both the oil line and the gas line selectively. Additionally a sensor is provided for sensing the temperature of the assembly and a control is provided for preventing the valve at the gas line from opening until a predetermined burner assembly temperature is reached. The valve for the oil line is prevented from being opened until the temperature of the chamber is such that the oil will vaporize satisfactorily.

Abstract: A mixing machine more particularly for pastes, doughs, slurries or the like has a mixing chamber with a central core, a pair of rotary mixing elements, one for sweeping the surface of the core and the other for sweeping the wall of the chamber and a static pin within the chamber between the mixing elements whereby a product is sheared and divided during mixing.

Abstract: A wrapping machine comprises a tube former for a forming a web of wrapping material into a tube with a longitudinal seal, a variable speed feeding mechanism for feeding the web continuously to the tube former, an infeed conveyor for feeding articles in succession into the tube former so that they become entubed in the tube of wrapping material, and crimping dies situated beyond the tube former which are operative to form transverse seals in the tube of wrapping material between the articles. The machine includes an adjustable modulating device for matching the speed of movement of the dies to substantially the speed of advance of the tube during formation of the transverse seals. An adjustable control mechanism is provided for so controlling the dies that they will form, by appropriate adjustment, transverse seals at either every revolution, during alternate revolutions only, or during every 3rd, 4th . . . or nth revolutions of a constant speed driving shaft.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparing sand-based foundry moulds and cores, particularly of the cold-setting type made from a sand/binder/catalyst mixture. After the introduction of the sand mixture into a mould or core box, sealing means is located over an open end of the box to enclose the mixture within the box, and suction is applied to the box. The sealing means may comprise a flexible diaphragm, which is drawn by the suction against the adjacent upper surface of the mixture to compact the mixture.

Abstract: A confectionery moulding machine comprising an endless mould conveyor which traverses moulds in continuous procession in an upper run in which the cavities in the moulds face upwardly and in a lower run in which the mould cavities face downwardly, a depositor for depositing liquid confectionery into the moulds in succession as they travel along the upper run, a conveyor band which travels continuously beneath the lower run of the mould conveyor, and a demoulding unit for discharging the fillings of the cavities of each mould in succession onto the conveyor band, the moulds having projections which contact the upper surface of the band on the lower run of the mould conveyor and project from the downwardly facing surfaces of the moulds on the lower run by an amount less than the depth of the mould cavities and constrain the band to run at the same speed as the mould conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus for depositing fibrous material into containers wherein a predetermined amount of fibrous material is extruded from a chamber holding the main mass of material into a slidable member mounted for reciprocal movement with respect to the chamber. The sliding member is movable to shear the predetermined extruded amount from the main mass and permit it to be deposited into receiving containers.

Abstract: A depositor for effecting simultaneous deposition of two different confectionery materials into a mould beneath it. The depositor includes separate hoppers disposed out of contact with one another for the reception of the two materials, an independently controllable heater associated with each hopper, coaxially disposed inner and outer nozzles disposed beneath the hoppers, pumping mechanism for discharging material from one hopper to the inner nozzle and from the other hopper to the outer nozzle, and thermal insulation between the two nozzles.

Abstract: A continuous mixer or kneader, particularly for explosive, potentially explosive, and other critical materials, wherein longitudinally split barrel sections are maintained closed by a mechanism which is actuated to instantly split the barrel sections under emergency conditions to permit the material inside to be treated to prevent or inhibit ignition of the material. The machine includes an extruding die and a cutter, for cutting extruded strands to lengths, which is coupled to the mixer shaft in the barrel, and in addition includes mechanism for interrupting the cutting of strands when the barrel sections are split.

Abstract: A rotary article-transfer apparatus, specifically intended for use in a sweet-wrapping apparatus, comprises a rotatable main support, a pocket support slidably mounted on the main support provided with an article receiving pocket, a cam follower mounted on the pocket support and arranged in engagement with a cam track arranged about the axis of rotation of the main support so that, upon rotation of the main support, an article fed to the pocket at one circumferential position, e.g., a feeding position, at a given radial distance from the axis of rotation is moved to another circumferential position, e.g., a twisting position, at a different radial distance from that axis.

Abstract: A mould for use in a confectionery moulding plant and consisting of a thin flexible sheet of plastics material which is vacuum or pressure formed with at least one moulding cavity extending downwardly from it and has at its sides downwardly extending flanges whereby it may be detachably secured to a supporting carrier frame.

Abstract: A jaw crusher is provided with a pressure relieving system to allow a movable jaw of the crusher to yield in case of an excess crushing load. The movable jaw is urged outwardly by a spring and an hydraulic ram exerts inward pressure on the jaw against the spring action. The ram has a control system for reducing the ram pressure when an excess load is encountered allowing the spring to move the jaw outwardly and after a suitable time delay for re-establishing the pressure within the ram to return the jaw to its inner position against the spring action.